the April 2009 Issue in PDF Format - Trade Show Executive

News, Views and Tools for Trade Show and Event Executives April 2009 

Joe 

Loggia 

The 

Magic 

Man 

TREND WATCH 

TSE’s First Annual Report 

on Hotel Occupancy Taxes 

SPECIAL REPORT 

A Look at Equity Firms 

Active in the Media Sector 

FEATURE 

CVBs Adjust Marketing 

Strategies as Budgets Shrink 

2121 Palomar Airport Rd, # 220 

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Special 

SISO & ASAE 

Issue

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12/30/2008 8:47:37 AM

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www.TradeShowExecutive.com Trade Show Executive April 2009 3

TM 

April 2009 

VOLUME 10 NUMBER 4 

Cover Story 

32 

Power Lunch 

with Joe Loggia 

Joe Loggia became CEO of Advanstar 

Communications, Inc. in 2004 and 

is responsible for transforming the 

business into a highly market-focused 

media company. With 150 events – 

including the prominent MAGIC show 

– he continues to explore new platforms 

to further Advanstar’s success. 

22 

24 

Feature 

In the current economic climate it’s 

anything but business as usual at CVBs 

around the nation as they contend 

with less travel and event revenue, and 

consequently, tighter budgets. 

Trend Watch 

With the economy in a slump, hotel 

taxes could go up, impacting event 

travel decisions nationwide. In the 

First Annual Report on Taxes in the 

Exposition Industry, Trade Show 

Executive has compiled valuable 

information for show organizers on 

hotel taxes in leading convention 

cities across the country. 

32 

Photo Credit: Sherry Tesler 

36 

Special Report 

TSE has gathered for our readers 

information on nearly 30 private 

equity firms that have expressed an 

interest in or have shown a historical 

interest in the media sector. 

Trade Show Executive, The Gold Standard 

Winner of: 

22 36 

2005 

• GRAND AWARD, Best Writing 

• Best How-To Writing 

• Best Interviews 

& Personal Profiles 

• Most Improved Magazines 

& Journals 

• GRAND AWARD, Best Writing 

• Best Overall Issue 


• Best Design 

• Best Cover 

• Best News Writing 

• Best Feature Writing 


• Best Redesign 

• Most Improved Magazine 

• GRAND AWARD, Best 

Design & Illustration 

• Best Column 

• Best Feature Series Writing 


• Best Cover 

© 2009 Trade Show Executive, Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. 

4 April 2009 Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com

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Contents 

Member of: 

TM 

April 2009 

8 News 

• Travel Execs Win President’s 

Support at White House Meeting 

• Travel Promotion Act to be Reintroduced 

in Congress 

• Nevada Legislature Passes 3% 

hike in Occupancy Tax 

• U.S. Travel Association Launches 

Website, Ad Campaign 

• Op-Ed Article from Philly CVB 

underscores Value of Events 

• TSEA Poll Sees 17% Drop in 

exhibitor Activity for 2009 

• Expansion of Mexico’s Cintermex 

nears Completion 

16 Trending & Spending 

Economic Woes & Bailout Backlash 

Hit Trade Show Industry Hard 

28 Show Report 

Part VI of TSE’s ten-part report on 

trade show attendance-building 

features Interop from TechWeb Live 

Events. The show focuses on 

education and ROI to increase 

attendee interest, and returning 

and new co-located events provide 

opportunities to explore new tech 

options and meet vendors. 

40 Who’s Who in Media 

Advisory Services 

Trade Show Executive presents 

the four media advisory firms that 

specialize in the exposition 

business. 

43 Research Roundup 

A pull-out of figures, factoids 

and forecasts for quick and 

easy reference 

54 

54 ZOOM 

Trade Show Executive’s Trade 

Show Locator features the 

most important shows 

scheduled in June 2009. 

62 Industry Events 

64 Parting Shots 

66 People in the News 

• David Peckinpaugh 

• Stephanie Selesnick 

• Michael Leven 

66 Index to Advertisers 

Change of Address and New Subscriptions: 

Edwin Blanco, Circulation Manager, Trade Show Executive magazine, 

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Toll-Free Fax: (877) 483-8912. Please visit us at tsx.magserv.com and complete the online form for 

a free subscription. 

Subscription Rates: Subscriptions are free to qualified show management executives who fit the criteria 

and sign a qualification card annually. All others may purchase an annual subscription for $119. ($129 in 

Canada and Mexico; $149 overseas.) Single copies: $14.95 per issue, plus $5 for shipping and handling; 

TSE’s directory of Who’s Who Among Independent Show Organizers is $129; TSE’s directory of the 

World’s Top Convention Centers is $129; TSE’s directory of the Gold 100 Trade Shows is $159. 

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handerson@tradeshowexecutive.com 

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reneediiulio@tradeshowexecutive.com 

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sandicain@tradeshowexecutive.com 

Chief Economist: 

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frankchow@tradeshowexecutive.com 

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nburnes@tradeshowexecutive.com 

Managing Editor, ZOOM, The Trade Show Locator: 

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vince@thetradeshowcalendar.com 

Columnists: 

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bdallmeyer@tradeshowexecutive.com 

SALES & MARKETING 

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rafa.hernandezg@nuestromundogm.com 

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dbjorklund@tradeshowexecutive.com 

Art Director & Production Manager: 

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tmacallister@tradeshowexecutive.com 

technology & design manager: 

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rbello@tradeshowexecutive.com 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: 

Rick Simon, Chairman of the Board 

Mark Feldman, President 

Joan Feldman, Vice President 

Darlene Gudea, Vice President 


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To discover what the Orange County Convention 

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1-800-345-9845 or email info@occc.net. 


News 

Travel Execs Win Obama’s Support at White House Meeting 

By Hil Anderson, senior editor 

Washington, DC – A delegation of 

travel industry executives met with 

President Obama in March to firm up the 

administration’s support for tourism and 

business travel and came away convinced 

he was on the right page. 

“The travel community has an ally 

in President Obama and we appreciate 

the leadership he intends to bring to 

increasing travel to, and within, the United 

States,” said Roger Dow, president and 

CEO of the U.S. Travel Association 

(USTA), after the March 11 meeting at the 

White House. 

Dow was part of a 12-member 

delegation of executives that included 

Colin Reed, chairman and CEO of 

Gaylord Entertainment, and Jonathan 

Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews 

Hotels and chairman emeritus of the 

USTA. 

“Travel will play a critical role in driving 

America’s economic recovery,” Tisch said. 

“We are pleased to have the support of 

President Obama and his team.” 

A major item on the agenda was 

the need for Congress to promptly pass 

the Travel Promotion Act, which would 

create and fund a not-for-profit group 

that would promote travel to the U.S. 

and provide information for visitors as 

they navigate the visa process. The red 

tape involved in obtaining a visa for 

international attendees and exhibitors has 

been a long-running headache for U.S. 

trade show organizers. 

The USTA has been at the forefront 

of the industry response to the president’s 

now-infamous remark at a town hall 

meeting last month that employees of 

companies receiving Federal financial 

assistance under the Troubled Asset Relief 

Program (TARP) “can’t go take a trip to 

Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl 

on the taxpayer’s dime.” 

The statement irked not only Las Vegas 

but the entire meetings and exhibition 

industry. It was seen as a warning that 

business travel was now being considered 

an unnecessary extravagance that should be 

scaled back even by companies that were 

not receiving Federal funds. The industry 

The President’s Ear. President Obama (right, second from bottom) listens as members of a delegation 

led by the U.S. Travel Association urge the White House to support travel to events. The delegation was 

convinced Obama had no desire to crimp business travel. 

has responded with a public relations 

campaign reminding lawmakers and the 

media that the travel industry in general 

provides jobs and that business travel in 

particular is a necessary activity to maintain 

the economy. 

At the March 12 White House press 

briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs 

said Obama never intended to criticize 

travel in general. “The president believes 

it’s important to have a strong tourism 

industry and that it’s important, as he said 

late last week, that we shouldn’t retrench 

or pull back; that he would encourage 

people to travel.” 

The delegation led by the USTA also 

included: Jim Abrahamson, president, 

the Americas, IHG; Jim Atchison, 

president and COO, Busch Entertainment 

Corp.; Jeff Clarke, CEO and president, 

Travelport; Howard Frank, vice chairman 

and COO, Carnival Corporation & plc; 

Barney Harford, president and CEO, 

Orbitz Worldwide; W. Stephen Maritz, 

chairman and CEO, Maritz Holdings Inc; 

Bill Marriott, chairman and CEO, Marriott 

International, Inc.; Jay Rasulo, chairman, 

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts; Frits van 

Paasschen, president and CEO, Starwood 

Hotels and Resorts; and Tom Williams, 

chairman and CEO, Universal Parks and 

Resorts. 

Reach Roger Dow at (202) 408-8422 

or rdow@ustravel.org 

Presidential Meeting Participants 

• Roger Dow, President & CEO, U.S. 

Travel Association 

• Jonathan M. Tisch, Chairman & CEO, 

Loews Hotels; Chairman Emeritus, 

U.S. Travel Association 

• Jim Abrahamson, President, the 

Americas, IHG 

• Jim Atchison, President & COO, 

Busch Entertainment Corp. 

• Jeff Clarke, President & CEO, 

Travelport 

• Howard Frank, Vice Chairman & 

COO, Carnival Corporation & plc 

• Barney Harford, President & CEO, 

Orbitz Worldwide 

• W. Stephen Maritz, Chairman & CEO, 

Maritz Holdings Inc. 

• Bill Marriott, Chairman & CEO, 

Marriott International, Inc. 

• Frits van Paasschen, President, CEO 

& Director, Starwood Hotels and 

Resorts 

• Jay Rasulo, Chairman, Walt Disney 

Parks and Resorts 

• Colin Reed, Chairman & CEO, 

Gaylord Entertainment 

• Tom Williams, Chairman & CEO, 

Universal Parks and Resorts 

Continued on page 10 


Contact www.TradeShowExecutive.com us today: 702-733-5556 or www.SandsEXPO.com 

Trade Show Executive April 2009 9

News 

Continued from page 8 

Travel Promotion Act to be 

Re-Introduced in Congress 


Washington, DC – The Travel Promotion 

Act, which has the backing of the trade 

show industry as a means of both 

promoting travel to the U.S. and making 

it easier for visitors to navigate the visa 

process, is expected to be resurrected in 

Congress in the near future. 

Geoff Freeman, senior vice president 

of public affairs at the U.S. Travel 

Association (USTA), said March 16 that 

the measure would be introduced in the 

Senate “in a matter of days.” 

The previous incarnation of the bill 

passed the House of Representatives 

last year, but died in the Senate as the 

congressional term expired. 

Freeman said the USTA was 

optimistic that the new measure would 

be enacted in 2009. 

“We expect it to be re-introduced in 

the Senate in the coming days,” Freeman 

told Trade Show Executive. “We expect it 

to begin moving and have a White House 

that is not only an ally on it but also a 

champion.” 

Freeman said President Obama was 


Washington, DC – Saying business travel 

was “under siege” by ill-informed 

politicians and the media, the business 

travel industry launched a new website 

and outreach campaign to pitch the 

benefits of meetings and events. 

The MeetingsMeanBusiness.com site that 

debuted March 5 is meant as a resource 

for the travel industry in its campaign to 

keep a positive image of business travel 

and fend off any potential restriction 

originating in Washington. 

“We are under siege,” said Jonathan 

Tisch, chairman of Loews Hotels and 

the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), part 

of a coalition of industry associations 

that is behind MeetingsMeanBusiness.com. 

The MeetingsMeanBusiness site includes 

among the congressional co-sponsors 

of the Travel Promotion Act last year as 

was Vice President Joe Biden and other 

lawmakers who have since moved from 

Congress to Obama’s cabinet. 

The Travel Promotion Act would 

create a not-for-profit corporation to 

market the U.S. to overseas visitors and 

provide educational materials that would 

help international tourists as well as trade 

show exhibitors and attendees with the 

paperwork needed to obtain a travel visa. 

The program would be funded by a 

$10 charge for each visa request made 

by citizens from countries that do not 

currently pay a visa fee. 

The act was a major topic of 

discussion at a March 11 meeting 

between Obama and a delegation of 

travel industry executives led by the 

USTA. “The president had some specific 

questions about it,” Freeman said. “We 

think this is something the White House 

supports and we look forward to getting 

it done.” 

Reach Geoff Freeman at (202) 408- 

8422 or gfreeman@ustravel.org 

USTA Launches Website, Ad Campaign to 

Counter Anti-Travel Rhetoric 

economic-impact data for each state. 

Roger Dow, president and CEO of the 

USTA, said work was underway to nail 

down more-specific information about 

the number of meetings cancelled for 

public relations reasons. “When you 

have the dollar value of these meetings 

available and how it is tied to jobs, it is 

very important,” he said. 

In a conference call with industry 

leaders, Tisch said criticism of various 

meetings sponsored by struggling 

financial firms had led to “corrosive 

rhetoric from elected leaders who don’t 

necessarily know what they are talking 

about.” 

Such rhetoric, along with media 

coverage of business events involving 

firms receiving Federal financial 

Nevada Legislature 

Passes 3% Hike 

in Occupancy Tax 


Las Vegas, NV – The Nevada 

Legislature on March 10 passed a 

3% hike in the occupancy tax that 

will impact hotels in Clark and Reno 

Counties and pump an estimated 

$200 million annually into the 

general fund. 

Local media reported Governor 

Jim Gibbons said he would neither 

sign nor veto the bill. Thus, by law, 

the new increase - which raised the 

occupancy tax from 9% to 12% - 

took effect five days after the vote, 

on March 15. 

At least one-third of the new 

revenue will go to aid Nevada public 

schools, a worthy cause that is 

difficult to oppose. 

But the vote came the same 

week the $980 million expansion of 

the Las Vegas Convention Center 

was formally put on hold for at least 

a year due to the tourism slump and 

accompanying decline in the same 

hotel tax revenues. 

The situation has trade show 

organizers worried that with a 

tourism-savvy state such as Nevada 

voting to increase room taxes, other 

major destination cities will give in to 

the same temptation to tap into the 

exhibition market to make up their 

budget shortfalls. 

The focus on local politics was 

evident in Carson City when the 

Nevada tax increase was debated by 

the state Senate. Media reports from 

the capital said the objections to 

the increase did not revolve around 

the impact on tourism but rather 

how the spoils would be divided up 

among Nevada’s counties. 

Reach Chris Meyer, vice 

president, convention sales for the 

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors 

Authority, at (702) 892-2855 or 

cmeyer@lvcva.com 



meeting in HOUSTON is a 

walk in the park . . . 

Discovery Green is the new 12-acre park located in downtown 

Houston and one of the citys newest attractions. 

Emulating the model of great urban parks around the 

country, Discovery Green is designed as a diverse meeting 

place that engages people of all ages and backgrounds, as 

well as workers, residents, and visitors alike. 

The WiFi-connected park offers restaurants, an amphitheater, 

picnic areas, dog runs, a pond, jogging trails, promenade 

and vibrant green spaces for personal recreation and special 

events. Visitors enjoy dining options which include: the 

informal elegance of The Grove restaurant and the fastcasual 

fare of The Lake House, with both menus comprised 

of award-winning Chef Robert del Grandes creations. 

Get to and from the park with ease 

Discovery Green is located just steps from the GRB and Hilton 

Americas-Houston hotel and within blocks of Houstons 

METRORail----connecting the park to the Museum District, 

Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park. 

. . . and a 

party in the 

pavilions 

Houston Pavilions is downtown Houston's newest pedestrianfriendly, 

open-air retail entertainment center which spans 

three city blocks. A central courtyard and people-friendly 

streetscapes allow for alfresco dining and window shopping 

seven days a week. 

Current tenants include: 

House of Blues 

Lucky Strike Lanes 

Petes Dueling Piano Bar 

Yaos Restaurant & Bar 

Polk Street Pub 

Cork Wine Bar 

III Forks Steakhouse 

Andalusia Tapas Restaurant 

Guadalajara Mexican Bar & Grill 

McCormick & Schmicks Seafood 

Mia Bella 

Opium 

Au Bon Pain 

And many more! 

Getting to and from the party is a breeze 

The Houston Pavilions is located just a few blocks from the 

GRB and on Houstons METRORail----connecting the Pavilions 

to the Museum District, Texas Medical Center and Reliant 

Park. 

Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau 


News 


assistance, had created a public 

relations nightmare for companies 

that were cancelling events in droves. 

The USTA cited a poll released in late 

February by Meetings & Conventions 

magazine in which 21% of the 135 

respondents said they had cancelled 

an event “as a direct result of the 

bailout backlash against meetings and 

travel.” 

Another 38% said their company 

had decided to avoid holding 

meetings at upscale hotels and 28% 

were foregoing golf resorts. 

Geoff Freeman, senior vice 

president of public affairs for the 

USTA, was quoted in The San Diego 

Union-Tribune saying meetings and 

events had been relegated to the same 

level as alcohol and tobacco in the 

“new Washington”. He said, “That’s 

the newest sin, meetings and events.” 

MeetingsMeanBusiness.com seeks to 

organize a grassroots campaign by 

the industry to convince lawmakers 

and the media that business travel 

and events are good for the economy 

both in terms of direct jobs and 

spending in a community, but also as 

a contributor to a general recovery. 

Participants in the call were each 

urged to rally another 50 colleagues 

to help spread the word about the 

value of meetings, but also to their 

employees who may be miffed at 

being told to tighten their belts while 

their colleagues jet off to a business 

meeting at an upscale hotel. 

A newspaper ad being placed in 

early March confronted Congress 

directly with the headline, “Want to 

lose one million more jobs? Just keep 

talking.” 

On the conference call, Dow said 

the travel industry preferred not to 

single out individual members of 

Congress for criticism but rather to 

make sure as many local, state and 

national political leaders knew of the 

benefits of events and the risks of 

further job loss should the industry 

decline further. 

Reach Roger Dow at (202) 408- 

8422 or rdow@ustravel.org 

Want to lose one million 

more jobs? 

Just keep talking. 

Op-Ed Article From Philly CVB Underscores Value of Events 


Philadelphia, PA – The Philadelphia 

Convention & Visitors Bureau was 

among the first CVBs to answer the call 

to the barricades in the form of an op-ed 

article in the Philadelphia Daily News that 

challenged the allegedly negative view of 

meetings in the U.S. media. 

“Our national partners at the U.S. 

Travel Association are working hard to 

change the negative perception by the 

media that business-related travel and 

meetings are irresponsible practices,” 

said the March 5 article signed by Nick 

DeBenedictis, chairman of the Philadelphia 

CVB. “We say: No way! Meetings can mean 

not only business opportunities, but also 

contribute to job and economic growth 

for local communities and can serve as a 

justifiable reward for hard work.” 

DeBenedictis outlined the economic 

All Americans are angry at the recent revelations of bad judgment and 

excess by some corporate leaders - especially when the result is a taxpayerfunded 

clean up. 

However, targeting business meetings and events is the wrong answer. 

With their political rhetoric and short-sighted legislation, Congress is 

sending a message to TARP recipients and every other business that 

Congress doesn’t want those meetings to happen. The results are 

predictable. Thousands of companies — not just TARP recipients — are 

cancelling their meetings out of fear. 

For every meeting that is cancelled, jobs are lost — it’s that simple — 

and it’s happening all across the country. 1 out of every 8 jobs in this 

country is linked to travel and tourism – and those Americans will be 

even angrier if they lose their job because of political rhetoric. 

The overwhelming majority of business meetings are not for senior 

executives — they are for top salesmen, high performing employees and 

valued customers and business partners. Business gets done and companies 

grow because of these meetings and events. 

We’ve released a code of conduct for companies using 

taxpayer dollars. We encourage Congress and Treasury 

to embrace these standards — and stop the rhetoric. 

Visit our website for more details — 

www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com. 

Meetings 

Mean 

business. 

Stating the Case. The U.S. Travel Association created a full-page newspaper ad reminding elected 

officials that broad-brush attacks on business travel have consequences on the U.S. economy. 

benefits that business events brought 

to Philadelphia and called them a major 

contributor to the city’s economy that 

could not be ignored despite the pullback 

on business travel. 

“The need to bring more meetings to 

Philadelphia is critical,” DeBenedictis said. 

“Each year, the largest contributor to filling 

hotel rooms in the city is people visiting for 

conventions and other group-related events 

– an average of 40%.” 

He added that in 2008, conventions, 

meetings and groups filled nearly one 

million hotel room-nights, according to 

PKF Consulting in Philadelphia, PA. 

“These visitors spend money in the local 

economy, generate tax revenue and support 

more than 88,000 jobs in the region,” he 

said. 

Reach Nick DeBenedictis at (215) 636- 

3300 or nickd@pcvb.org 



STEP IN. STEP OUT. STEP IT UP. STEP LIVELY. TWO STEP. 

Our river has a wonderful way of moving its guests. 

San Antonio is a city on the move. 

Mostly on foot. Where else can you dash 

under a canopy of vivid greenery and 

storied history. Connect hotel room to 

meeting room, the Convention Center 

to the heart of the city and all points 

along our famed River Walk. 

Everything is in walking distance, 

boasting San Antonio as a favorite meetings 

destination for its business guests. 

Whether you step through history or step 

up your company’s goals, you’ll be moved. 

You might even break out a Texas two step. 

Deep. In the heart. 

©2009 by San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

V I S I T S A N A N T O N I O . C O M Book your meetings at: 8 6 6 - 5 1 7 - 7 7 7 1 


What Top CEOs Are 

Saying about ECEF 

Platinum Sponsor 

Las Vegas Convention 

and Visitors Authority 

“ ECEF is an 

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useful information 

on vital products 

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The Premier Event 

for Top Executives 

JUNE 11, 2009 

Mandarin Oriental | Washington, DC 

Where CEOs Share 

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“ ECEF’s program gets better 

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focus on the big 

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Don Pazour 

Chief Executive Officer 

Access Intelligence 

Margaret Pederson 

President, Amirexx LLC and 

Incoming Chair, IAEE 

Apply Today! 

www.eceforum.com 

News 


TSEA Poll Sees 17% Drop in 

Exhibitor Activity for 2009 


Chicago, IL – Both the number of 

shows exhibitors participate in and 

the size of trade show budgets will 

be down 17% in 2009, according to 

new research from the Trade Show 

Exhibitors Association (TSEA). 

The 2009 Exhibit Management 

Survey conducted by TSEA among 

companies that regularly exhibit, 

concluded that companies still 

consider face-to-face events to be a 

primary means of generating sales 

leads. 

“What we learned from this 

survey is that the trade show industry 

outlook is far from bleak,” said 

Margit Weisgal, TSEA president and 

CEO. “While spending is down, it 

is not drastic because the value of 

trade shows is indisputable.” 

The TSEA survey polled 300 

professionals from 293 companies 

of various sizes who use trade shows 

or other face-to-face marketing 

Expansion of Mexico’s 

Cintermex Nears Completion 


Monterrey, NL – Mexico’s Cintermex 

convention center is on track for 

the completion of its most recent 

expansion in late Spring, roughly six 

months after it began. 

The work will be completed in 

mid-May, according to Cintermex 

General Manager Jesus Franco 

Abascal, and will increase the size of 

the Monterrey facility’s exhibition 

space by another 2,400 square metres 

(about 26,000 square feet) to 18,380 

square metres (about 224,000 square 

feet). 

Cintermex opened in 1991 and was 

expanded to its current size in 2003. 

to promote their products. The 

56-question survey was conducted 

for TSEA by Exhibit Surveys, Inc. 

December 22, 2008 through January 

31, 2009. 

Other findings include: 

• Exhibitors participated in an 

average of 30 trade shows in 

2008 and expect to exhibit in 25 

in 2009. 

• Budgets for exhibiting will 

decrease 17% from an average 

$459,100 in 2008 to $381,000 in 

2009. 

• Spending on medical, healthcare 

and pharmaceutical industry 

events will increase 5% in 2009, 

but spending for technology 

shows will decrease 46%. 

• Corporate private event spending 

will decrease 30% from 2008 to 

2009. 

Reach Margit Weisgal at (312) 949- 

5791 or mbweisgal@tsea.org 

The exhibit space will all be 

on one floor since the expansion 

also allowed Cintermex to relocate 

its offices. In addition, a new 

technology infrastructure will be 

added. 

The project, launched in 

October 2008, was in response to 

demand from new customers and 

existing events that had increased in 

size. 

The expansion was made 

possible by the acquisition of a 

vacated Bancomext office. 

Reach Jesus Franco Abascal at 

+52 (81) 8369 6969 or jfranco@ 

cintermex.com.mex 


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T r e n d i n g & S p e n d i n g 

Economic Woes and Bailout 

Backlash Hit Trade Show 

Industry Hard 

Darlene Gudea, 

VP/publisher & editor 

Trade Show Executive’s 

Trending & Spending Forecast 

Fig. I: TSE Forecast of 

Net Square Feet of Exhibit Space 

12.0% 

2nd Quarter 

Fig. II: TSE Forecast of Number 

of Exhibiting Organizations 

9.0% 

2nd Quarter 

11.5% 

2009 

9.0% 


Fig. IlI: TSE Forecast of 

Professional Attendance 

20.0% 

2nd Quarter 

12.0% May 

10.0% May 

20.0% May 

18.4% 


Fig. lV: TSE Annual Forecast 

of Revenue 

14.0% 

Frank Chow, 

chief economist 

Year Ending December 2009 

By Darlene Gudea, 

VP/publisher & editor 

Carlsbad, CA - With each successive 

stimulus or bailout plan, consumers’ 

confidence has plunged to an 

unprecedented nadir. The Conference 

Board Consumer Confidence Index 

has declined every month since 

September 2008, falling moderately in 

January to 37.4 and crashing in February 

to 25, reaching another all-time low. 

The trend has been driven by worsening 

business expectations and a rapidly 

deteriorating job market. Moreover, the 

massive $787 billion stimulus bill touted 

to save or create more than 3.5 million 

jobs is increasingly being perceived as 

more of a government spending bill 

that may not create significant new jobs 

until next year. Meanwhile, the average 

person continues to hear about neighbors 

or colleagues losing jobs. Also, recent 

government and media rhetoric from the 

numerous bailout plans is causing some 

immediate fallout in employment directly 

related to the trade show industry. 

Since the recession began 

(December 2007), the economy has 

eliminated roughly 4.4 million jobs, 

with more than half – 2.6 million – 

disappearing in the last four months. 

This surprising decline fostered 

speculation that some industries are 

being partly dismantled, said Frank 

Chow, chief economist for Trade Show 

Executive. Layoffs are multiplying due 

to the collapse of the financial system, 

prompting even healthy companies to 

shed workers and shut down operations 

out of concern they may soon lose 

access to credit. Borrowing costs have 

spiked for American companies, making 

businesses reluctant to expand and 

hire. “There was a huge increase in 

uncertainty and a huge hit to confidence 

which caused a large rethinking among 

businesses,” said Ethan Harris, codirector 

of U.S. economics research at 

Barclays Capital. 

When Department of Labor 

data revealed that 651,000 more jobs 

disappeared in February, a sense 

emerged that escalating joblessness 

may reflect a wrenching restructuring 

of the economy, Chow said. The 

unemployment rate surged to 8.1% in 

February – its highest level in 25 years. 

In key industries – manufacturing, 

financial services and retail – layoffs 

have accelerated so quickly it suggests 

many companies are just abandoning 

whole areas of business, said Chow. 

“The current pace of decline is 

breathtaking,” said Robert Barbera, 

chief economist at the research and 

trading firm ITG. 

Keith Hall, Bureau of Labor Statistics 

commissioner, testifying before Congress 

about the recent monthly job losses 

said, “… just to put it into perspective, 

we’ve only had maybe ten months where 

we’ve lost 500,000 jobs or more in the 

history of our series since 1940. This 

is four of the ten, all in a row.” While 

past recessions have proven that most 

lost jobs will not return, other industries 

usually emerge to create jobs when 

economic growth resumes. 

However, some economists doubt 

this will be the case this time. “These 

jobs aren’t coming back,” said John 

Silvia, chief economist at Wachovia. “A 

lot of production either isn’t going to 

happen at all, or it’s going to happen 

somewhere other than the United States. 

There are going to be fewer stores, 

fewer factories, fewer financial services 

operations. Firms are making strategic 

decisions that they don’t want to be in 

their businesses.” 

Much of the job losses are at legacy 

American brands. Here is a list from 2008 


of those companies with at least 5,000 

layoffs announced: 

• Citigroup - 59,000 

• Bank of America - 35,000 

(over three years - to 2011) 

• HP Electronic Data Systems - 24,500 

(over three years - to 2011) 

• Linens ‘n Things - 21,250 

• Lehman Brothers - 16,000 

• Alcoa - 15,200 

• Starbuck’s - 12,000 

• AT&T - 12,000 

• Wachovia - 11,250 

• Bennigan’s Restaurants - 9,300 

• JP Morgan/Washington Mutual 

Acquisition - 9,200 

• JP Morgan/Bear Stearns 

Acquisition - 9,160 

• Dell - 8,900 

• Sony (USA) - 8,000 

• Bank of America (Countrywide) - 

7,500 and 928 in management 

• Circuit City - 7,305 

• American Express - 7,000 

• NASA - 7,000 

• American Airlines - 7,000 

• Google - 6,000 

• Sun Microsystems - 6,000 

• Merrill Lynch - 5,150 

• GMAC - 5,000 

• Dow Chemical - 5,000 

The year 2008 was the worst year 

for job layoffs since World War II 

and the First Quarter of 2009 affirms 

that this trend is likely to continue. 

According to Challenger, Grey, and 

Christmas, a major outplacement firm, 

planned layoffs at U.S. firms fell 23% 

in February from January’s seven-year 

high. However, the numbers of layoffs 

are still well above the norm. Some 

of the largest layoff announcements 

in 2009 have come from major 

corporations such as GM with another 

47,000, Caterpillar with 22,000, NEC 

with 20,000, and Panasonic and KB 

Toys with 15,000 each. “The decline in 

job cuts last month offers some hope 

that January was the peak, and we will 

now see layoffs begin to fall or at least 

stabilize,” said John Challenger, the 

firm’s CEO. 

What are the potential impacts for 

the trade show industry? Obviously, 

exhibitor and attendee participation 

at shows is already suffering. While 

most trade show executives expect a 

continuance of such erosion for the rest 

of this year, recent critical comments 

by President Obama, government 

officials and the media may greatly 

exacerbate the already fragile tourism 

and convention business that support 

trade shows. In February, the President 

rebuked financial institutions saying, 

“You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas 

or go down to the Super Bowl on the 

taxpayers’ dime.’’ Then cable network 

personalities got into the act slamming 

bankers for attending and sponsoring 

an event at the Venetian. Congressional 

leaders soon followed suit, blasting 

luxury travel and wasteful meetings for 

firms taking government money. 

Bailout Backlash 

This started a wave of trip 

cancellations by corporations worried 

about “bailout backlash”. Wells Fargo 

and Goldman Sachs both cancelled 

plans to send employees to a Las Vegas 

conference. The damage seems to 

be widening: some 52% of meeting 

planners at companies not receiving 

government money have reduced 

meeting budgets for this year because 

of “bailout backlash”, according to 

Meetings & Conventions magazines. Event 

cancellations have spread throughout 

Florida, California and other states. 

Laurence Geller, the president and 

CEO of Strategic Hotels and Resorts, 

expects to lose almost 400,000 jobs 

this year. “We lost an awful lot of 

major businesses, and it’s not just those 

receiving government bailouts that are 

affected, but there’s a general fear of 

criticism by people not only making the 

bookings but people attending these 

conferences,” Geller said. “It’s really 

gotten out of hand because the meetings 

and conference business is absolutely 

essential to this nation.” Bob Gilbert, 

chief executive of the Hospitality Sales 

& Marketing Association International, 

said, “Never before have we seen as 

much concern in the corporate world 

about the perception of the venue 

or location where the organization is 

holding a meeting.” 


Trending & Spending Forecast 

Fig. V: Sector Performance 

Best Performing Sectors 

• Hospitality • Transportation 

• Medical 

Mixed Performance 

• Business Services • Government 

• Communications • Sporting Goods 

• Entertainment • Technology 

Sectors under pressure 

• Apparel 

• Food 

• Automotive • Manufacturing 

• Construction • Retail 

Fig. VI: Economic Indicators 

Consumer Confidence plunged to an unprecedented 

level of 25 in February. This falling trend has been driven by 

worsening business expectations and a rapidly deteriorating 

job market. 

GDP Growth: Real gross domestic product decreased at an 

annual rate of 6.2% in the Fourth Quarter of 2008. The U.S. 

economy is forecasted to shrink by 3.2% this year. 

Housing Starts fell 16.8% in January below revised 

December 2008 estimates. 

Industrial Production fell 1.3% in February. The decrease in 

industrial production is the sixth decrease in the last seven months. 

Inflation rose 0.1% in February after a 0.2% gain in the prior 

month. 

Interest Rates: Short-term interest rates remain at a low 

1% rate. Federal policy-makers will keep their benchmark 

interest rate unchanged at 0% to 0.25%. 

Job Losses have reached roughly 4.4 million jobs since the 

recession began in December 2007 with more than half—2.6 

million—disappearing in the last four months. 

Leading Indicators: Five of the ten indicators that 

determine the Leading Economic Index (LEI) increased in 

January. Although the LEI has risen the past two months, it 

is too early to project that the contraction that began in July 

2007 is ending. 

Manufacturing continues to slump. The auto industry is at 

the center of the manufacturing slip with auto sales in February 

down 41% to the lowest rate since December 1981. 

Retail Sales declined 0.1% from January 2009 and 9.8% 

below last year. Gasoline sales were down 32.3% from 

February 2008. 

Unemployment surged to 8.1%, the highest level in 25 

years. In key industries—manufacturing, financial services and 

retail—layoffs have accelerated so quickly that many companies 

are just abandoning their business. 

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics; 

The Conference Board; The Institute for Supply Management 

(ISM); U.S. Commerce Department 



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Putting Up Their Dukes 

The tourism industry is fighting back. A new multimillion 

dollar advertising campaign says the attacks 

on travel are costing a lot of jobs and slams Congress 

and the Obama administration for rhetoric that is 

drastically dampening the market for business travel. 

Travel executives say high-end business meetings and 

incentive trips, which have been maligned as ill-advised 

and wasteful, are the lifeblood of the $740-billion 

industry, creating more than $100 billion in spending 

and one million jobs. “The first people who suffer 

are the men and women at the front desk, the bell 

staff and the taxi drivers across this city,” said Chuck 

Bowling, executive vice president at Mandalay Bay. 

Local politicians such as Las Vegas mayor Oscar 

Goodman, asked the Administration to apologize for 

the comments and Nevada lawmaker Rep. Shelley 

Berkley pleaded for the attacks to stop. 

Yanking Campaign Contributions? 

In addition, the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) has 

launched a plan to reverse the setbacks to the industry 

by focusing on explaining the impact on employment 

and resisting any attempts by government to regulate 

where and when companies can hold meetings. USTA 

president and chief executive Roger Dow, trying to 

stop this from becoming an epidemic, did not rule out 

the possibility that some members – which include the 

nation’s biggest hotel chains – could yank campaign 

contributions to lawmakers critical of business travel. 

Travel executives including Disney Parks and Resorts 

chairman Jay Rasulo and Jonathan Tisch, chairman 

and chief executive of Loews Hotels, traveled to 

Washington to lobby Administration officials and 

members of Congress. The executives proposed a set 

of event planning standards limiting an event’s cost 

and asked to roll back legislation that would limit big 

trips and meetings by companies accepting taxpayer 

money. 

What can we expect for the future? Hopefully, 

efforts by the travel executives will be effective in 

preserving the industry. But since no one in the 

Administration or members of Congress have recanted 

any of their statements, I think it is certain that similar 

attacks will continue. This behavior is consistent with 

other recent attempts by government to gain some 

control of the banking and auto industry. Using the 

economic crisis as an opportunity to intervene in the 

private sector seems to be the new trend and the trade 

show industry will have to adapt and eventually decide 

how to address this emerging issue. It appears large 

scale education on the serious nature of trade shows 

and how such events promote the development of new 

products and emerging businesses may soon become a 

necessity. TSE 



LAS VEGAS 

NEW YORK LOS ANGELES SAN FRANCISCO TORONTO 

WWW.TWIGLOBAL.COM (702) 691.9000 PHONE (702) 691.9045 FAX 

Global Logistics Solutions for People and Exhibits

Trade Show Executive’s Exposition Forecasting Board 


Darlene Gudea, 

Publisher & Editor, 

Trade Show Executive 

Frank Chow, 

Chief Economist, 


Nancy Walsh, 

Executive Vice President, 

Reed Exhibitions 

Margaret 

Pederson, 

President, Amirexx 

& 2009 IAEE Chair 

Chris Meyer, 

Vice President, Convention 

Sales, Las Vegas Convention 

and Visitors Authority 

James Rooney, 

Executive Director, 

Massachusetts Convention 

Center Authority 

Steve Moore, 

President & CEO, 

Greater Phoenix Convention 

& Visitors Bureau 

“Most of our trade 

show business occurs 

in the first half of 

the year. We’re seeing 

reductions in exhibitor 

spend across most 

industries, but our 

appointment-based 

events have continued 

to be strong. For the 

most part, attendee 

registration has been 

flat with last year, but 

there’s been a shift 

from conference 

participation (revenuegenerating) 

to exhibits 

only.” 

Tom Caridi 

tcaridi@questex.com 

Tom Caridi, 

CFO, 

Questex Media Group 

Colette O’Donnell 

Group Controller, 

Advanstar, Inc. 

“Business is being impacted by 

mergers, bankruptcies, payment 

defaults and cost-containment 

measures by those that are still 

afloat.” 

Colette O’Donnell 

codonnell@advanstar.com 

Steven Hacker, 


International Association of 

Exhibitions & Events (IAEE) 

Gregg Caren, 

Senior Vice President 

of Strategic Business 

Development, SMG 

Aaron Bludworth, 

Chief Operating Officer, 

George Fern Company 

“We have continued to see 

weakness increase in nearly all 

industries and geographic locations. 

Visibility continues to be strained 

and uncertainty continues to interfere 

with organizers’ and exhibitors’ ability 

to make commitments. We have 

begun to see the impact of layoffs 

manifest in corporate representation 

at exhibitions. Unless there are 

significant immediate changes in the 

current circumstances, the forecast 

will continue to deteriorate for 2009 

and likely beyond.” 

Aaron Bludworth 

abludworth@georgefern.com 

Doug Ducate, 


Center for Exhibition 

Industry Research (CEIR) 


Trade Show Executive’s Exposition Forecasting Board 

Dan Greene, 

COO of 

Matrex Exhibits 

“Having lost the First Quarter due to budgets in 

flux, businesses that have experienced meeting success 

in the past have lost revenue-generating opportunities 

due to fear of uncertainty. This uncertainty, and 

absence of solid budgeting, has carried over to the 

Second Quarter, resulting in lower spending thresholds. 

“A percentage of exhibiting companies who are 

experiencing growth, have focused their trade show 

resources both financial and human, on the right 

event, with the right attendees, and a select group 

of the right products. This simplistic formula, 

exploiting over-performing product channels, is 

allowing exhibitors to increase their reach, scale, and 

subsequently their trade show budget, based on an 

improved, measurable outcome. 

“These successful companies are lowering the cost 

of engagement by serving a purpose on the trade 

show floor. With smaller sales teams being dispatched 

to trade shows, exhibitors must increase the relevance 

of their products and services to their immediate 

audience. Brand awareness is no longer the primary 

objective. Exhibiting companies need attendees to 

buy, not browse, otherwise their objectives have not 

been met.” 

Dan Greene 

dgreene@matrexhibits.com 

“As the Second Quarter of 2009 nears 

conclusion, traditional event performance 

numbers predictably continue to fall. And with 

approximately 60% of all scheduled events 

behind us, year-end performance indicators 

will not likely improve. But, as repeatedly 

documented in credible research reports on 

media performance, the face-to -face business 

experience has sustained and even strengthened 

its position as the most cost-effective and 

productive marketing option. Corporate decisionmakers 

rely upon trade show producers to 

assemble the sector’s buying influencers, and the 

products and solutions they want and need, under 

one roof at one time. Though not institutionally 

measured, the ‘Buying Influence’ metric is the 

essential connective tissue that underscores the 

event value proposition. Keep delivering that, and 

events will continue to prosper and retain their 

leadership role.” 

Jack Chalden 

jchalden@bdmetrics.com 

Jack Chalden, 

VP, Business Development 

& Industry Relations, 

BDMetrics, Inc. 

Skip Cox, 


Exhibit Surveys 

“There are some silver linings to this recession. 

We hear a lot in the press about attendance being 

down but quality remaining strong, and that is 

borne out by our audience quality benchmarks. 

In 2008 (a full recession year), Total Buying Plans 

were 51%, down only slightly from 55% the year 

before. 

“There are opportunities for exhibitors willing 

to take advantage of them. More interesting is 

that we saw the overall value of attending hit its 

highest level ever in 2008: 70% rated their overall 

value of attending ‘extremely valuable’ or ‘very 

valuable,’ up from 67% in 2007 and 63% in 2006. 

Is the current environment at exhibitions actually 

more conducive to getting value from attending or 

is it just that the attendees who need to be there 

are attending? It’s probably both, and either way it 

is positive for shows. The high value rating is also 

a good indication that attendees will return when 

the economy improves.” 

Skip Cox 

Skip@exhibitsurveys.com 

Clark Williams, 

President, 

CompuSystems 

Tim McGill, 

CEO, 

Hargrove Inc. 

“We continue to see 

various markets struggle 

– up to 20%. Medical 

remains strong and showing 

its relatively traditional 

signs of recession-proof 

attendance. Specialty 

markets such as security, 

renewable resources and 

energy are gaining strength. 

It’s all about providing value 

to attendees and exhibitors 

in this economy. We’re 

seeing more bundling of 

services for exhibitors and 

reverse lead solutions for 

attendees to help them 

find the solutions they are 

looking for.” 

Terence Donnelly 

terence.donnelly@ 

experient-inc.com 

Terence Donnelly, 

VP, Trade Show Markets, 

Experient 


Feature 

CVBs Adjust Strategies as Economy 

Squeezes Event and Travel Revenues 


Carlsbad, CA – The economic downturn 

is forcing convention and visitors 

bureaus (CVBs) of all sizes to retrench 

and revamp their strategies for marketing 

to show organizers. 

The changes are often made on the 

fly as economic developments make 

headlines at a dizzying pace and anxious 

city governments eye hotel revenues and 

tourism budgets to help pay for vital 

services. 

“This is an unusual confluence of 

circumstances that is not covered in the 

playbook,” said Maura Gast, executive 

director of the Irving CVB in Texas 

and chair of Destination Marketing 

Association International (DMAI). 

The speed in which the U.S. 

economy faltered seemed to blindside 

many companies in most industry 

sectors. Along with pink slips handed 

to thousands of workers, companies 

everywhere tightened their travel 

budgets and scaled back on expenses 

for events ranging from segment-leading 

trade shows to incentive trips for top 

employees. 

Coupled with vacationers dialing 

back on travel since last Summer’s 

gasoline-price shock, CVBs found 

themselves caught in a position where 

logic called for increased advertising 

and marketing but their primary revenue 

source was being squeezed. “When 

travel is off, those of us who are funded 

Executive Summary 

• Less travel and event 

revenues mean less money for 

CVBs 

• Downturn affecting each CVB 

differently 

• Need to remind politicians 

about the value of visitors 

• Keep current customers 

secured 

• No time for sales departments 

to hibernate 


y travel taxes will feel the impact,” 

Gast told Trade Show Executive. “And in 

cases where the destination marketing 

organization (CVB) may be getting a 

share of a city’s general fund revenues, 

then they are also going to feel the pain.” 

Effects Vary 

The direct impact of the recession 

on CVBs has been varied, much as the 

effect on trade shows has been seen on 

a show-to-show basis. But there is plenty 

of retrenching and odds are the typical 

bureau will be required to accomplish 

more while having fewer resources 

available to them. 

The Las Vegas Convention & 

Visitors Authority (LVCVA) has had a 

hiring freeze in effect for more than a 

year as the volume of visitors to the city 

slipped and its take of the visitor tax has 

declined with it. “We are suffering the 

same as everyone else faced with budget 

adjustments,” said Chris Meyer, vice 

president of convention sales. “We live 

off of the room tax.” 

Cut Social Services or 

Divert Room Taxes? 

Room taxes are generally earmarked 

specifically for convention bureaus. 

Lawmakers, however, can have the 

legislative authority to divert the revenues 

into other uses, such as education and 

public safety. “Everyone is going through 

budget difficulties,” said Shawn Stinson, 

director of communications for the Salt 

Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

“Do you cut social services or roads or 

tourism? It’s a tough decision.” 

The consensus among CVBs is that 

the best way to protect tourism funds 

from being raided by local governments 

is to reinforce the fact that conventions 

and trade shows are moneymakers and 

are vital to their economy. “It’s ‘educate, 

educate, educate,’” said Gast. “And if you 

haven’t been having this discussion with 

them all along, it is probably too late to 

start.” 

The exhibition industry has been 

aggressively publicizing the economic 

impact of trade shows, which was 

$1,072 per attendee based on DMAI’s 

2005 research and adjusted for inflation. 

Such spending is something that can’t 

be ignored as city leaders try to keep 

agencies running and police officers, 

teachers and firefighters on the job. 

“Otherwise, cities are going to have to 

provide the same levels of services to 

their constituents and probably have to 

raise their taxes to do it,” Gast said. 

No Time to Go Dark with 

Marketing Campaigns 

Gast added that even though the 

entire U.S. economy was down, the 

competition to lure away meetings and 

exhibitions was still fierce and cities 

cannot allow their CVBs to “go dark” 

until the economy improves. 

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in January 

vetoed a $9.9 million cut in the budget 

of Visit Florida, the state’s public-private 

tourism marketing agency, saying that, 

“Without their marketing, I’m concerned 

about what would happen to tourism in 

Florida.” 

At the same time, there are 

potential hazards to the event industry 

and tourism, including the potential 

cancellation of construction projects 

such as hotels and convention center 

expansions. Lawmakers also will be 

tempted to hike hotel taxes as was the 

case in Nevada this Winter. Stinson 

said the Utah legislature is considering 

eliminating a grant program that helps 

CVBs pay for out-of-state marketing 

programs. “That is definitely on the 

table,” he said. 

Protecting the Base 

The marketing response by CVBs to the 

current situation has largely been one of 

securing existing customers as opposed 

to launching expensive new marketing 

campaigns. “We have to get back to 

basics,” said Gast. “We have to take care 

of the customers we have.” 

“There is a lot of ‘reaching out’ by 

convention bureaus going on,” Gast said. 

“You can’t control a lot of things, but 

you can do your best to take care of the 

customers you have and make sure you 

collectively get through this.” 

In Las Vegas, the sales staff has taken 

that strategy to heart. Meyer said LVCVA 

representatives have been crisscrossing 

the U.S., making in-person calls on clients 

and thousands of telephone calls to 

their prospective attendees through the 

Convention Call program. “We have to 

do a lot more with fewer people,” he 

said. “But we have not had to lay anyone 

off, which is wonderful.” 

While maintaining relationships 

with existing customers is a top priority, 

CVBs are also keeping up their outreach 

to new clients. Major trade shows and 

conventions are booked several years 

in advance so sales representatives 

are facing pressure to bag a big-ticket 

show for future years. But in the short 

run, associations were chartered to 

serve their industry and are unlikely 

to cancel an event regardless of how 

bad the economy is. They also rely on 

their exhibition to pay their operating 

expenses for the year. 

There are, however, a myriad of 

short-term bookings to be had that can 

be an important segment of a CVB’s 

business. “The large trade shows are the 

ones that everyone in the public focuses 

on because they are big and easy to see. 

But all of the board meetings, sales 

events and incentive meetings that come 

and go through here every day are the 

ones that drive the hotels,” said Meyer. 

The Internet provides CVBs with a 

cost-effective means to reach out to large 

numbers of meeting planners. The value 

of a face-to-face meeting with a client 

is such that CVBs cannot cut out travel 

completely. 

“Now is not the time to go dark,” 

Gast said. “We want to keep people 

traveling and messaging, but we all have 

to weigh these decisions against revenues. 

Where do we make changes, and what 

changes can we make that we can recover 

easily from?” 

Reach Maura Gast at (972) 252- 

7476 or mgast@irvingtexas.com; Shawn 

Stinson at (801) 534-4913 or sstinson@ 

saltlake.org; Chris Meyer at (702) 892- 

2855 or cmeyer@lvcva.com 


Trend Watch 

With Economy Down, Hotel Taxes Could Go Up 


Las Vegas, NV – While the end of 

the recession is nowhere in sight, an 

economy-driven round of hotel tax 

increases around the U.S. could have an 

impact on the trade show industry that 

will linger well after the recovery gets 

underway. 

The Nevada Legislature took relatively 

little time to pass a 3% increase in the 

state room tax in March. The boost will 

bring in an estimated $200 million per year 

from hotels in Las Vegas and Reno. 

According to the Las Vegas 

Convention and Visitors Authority, the 

average room rate before taxes was $104.89 

in January. The tax increase, which took 

effect March 15, raised the average taxincluded 

cost of a room from $114.33 per 

night to $117.47 per night. At the same 

time, a $300 per night suite jumped from 

$327 per night to $336 per night. 

At least one-third of the new revenue 

will go toward Nevada public schools, 

which is a worthy cause many find 

difficult to oppose. 

However, the vote came the same 

week the $980 million expansion of 

the Las Vegas Convention Center was 

postponed for at least a year because of 

the tourism slump and decline in the same 

hotel tax revenues. 

With a tourism-savvy state such as 

Nevada voting to bump up room taxes, 

the situation has trade show organizers 

worried that other major destination 

cities will give in to the same temptation 

to make up their budget shortfalls by 

drawing on the exhibition market. “While 

Chicago has not raised its bed tax, three 

other major trade show cities – Las Vegas, 

New York and Orlando – have in one way 

or another altered their bed tax. I think 

they are setting a trend for the smaller 

cities,” said Ken McAvoy, senior vice 

president of Reed Exhibitions. 

McAvoy told Trade Show Executive that 

with responsibility for 40 trade shows on 

his desk, he has a keen idea of the slim 

margin for error the industry is working 

under these days and the effect that 

tacking even just a few dollars onto a hotel 

bill can have on the attendee pool. 

“It may be just an extra dollar, but it 

is an extra dollar for 

the people who have 

to pay it,” McAvoy 

said. “As things tighten 

up, people start 

reducing their travel 

and entertainment 

budgets.” 

Ken McAvoy 

Taxes Are Forever 

While the cyclical tendencies of 

economies and business mean that the 

global slump will eventually reverse itself, 

it is less likely that the political leadership 

of a city will give up a revenue stream 

that the voters don’t provide. That means 

a tax hike passed out of urgency in a 

crisis could be set in stone and a fact of 

life for show organizers who committed 

to events years in advance. “We all know it 

is the non-voters who get hurt,” McAvoy 

said. 

The focus on local politics was evident 

in Carson City when the Nevada tax 

increase was debated by the state Senate. 

Media reports from the capital said the 

objections to the increase did not revolve 

around the impact on tourism but rather 

how the spoils would be divided up 

among Nevada’s counties. 

Keeping Revenues In-House 

Maura Gast, chair for Destination 

Marketing Association International 

(DMAI) and executive director of the 

Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau 

in Texas, said CVBs and the exhibition 

industry had to continually press their 

respective city leaders on the fact that a 

robust tourism base is something to be 

protected. “Otherwise, they are going to 

have to provide the same level of services 

to their constituents, but will have to raise 

their taxes to do it,” she said. 

On the Flip Side, Increased Taxes Can Be 

a Benefit 

Room taxes are a fact of life in any 

significant convention city, and when used 

to promote tourism, they can actually 

benefit the exhibition industry. The tax 

provides dependable funding for capital 

improvements to convention centers 


• Nevada boosts hotel tax from 

9% to 12% 

• Organizers eye intentions of 

other cities 

• Tax hikes could impact event 

travel decisions 

• Politicians find it easier to tax 

visitors 

• On the plus side, taxes 

benefit CVBs, convention 

districts 

and the surrounding areas as well as the 

operating expenses of the convention 

and visitors bureaus that are the liaisons 

between the city and show organizers. 

In New York City, for example, a flat 

$1.50 tacked onto the daily room rate on 

every hotel bill is earmarked for the Jacob 

K. Javits Convention Center. Oakland, 

CA residents will vote in June on a 3% 

hotel tax hike to pay for the local CVB 

and cultural festivals and attractions. And 

across the bay in San Francisco, a 1.0% 

to 1.5% room tax increase was enacted 

to be used for tourism marketing and 

for improvements within a designated 

Tourism Improvement District around the 

Moscone Convention Center. 

McAvoy said the tourism district 

concept was an attractive one because it 

places stronger controls on how the room 

tax revenue is spent. “We don’t have an 

issue with taxes that remain in the custody 

of the CVB if it is using them for the 

purposes they were intended for,” he said. 

Regardless of how it is packaged, an 

increase in the hotel tax is still an increase 

in the hotel tax, he noted. And when added 

to the current costs of attending a show 

as well as odds and ends such as future 

inflation, pending wage hikes for various 

unions and higher travel costs, those few 

dollars can add up and potentially convince 

an association or independent show 

organizer to look elsewhere. 

Reach Ken McAvoy at (203) 840-5681 

or kmcavoy@reedexpo.com; Maura Gast at 

(972) 252-7476 or mgast@irvingtexas.com 


Room Taxes Range from 7% to 17%, 

According to New TSE Survey 


Carlsbad, CA - The taxes tacked on to hotel bills are a fact of 

life in every major trade show city and impact the travel costs 

of attendees and exhibitors. To assist show organizers in their 

site selection decisions, Trade Show Executive has launched its 

First Annual Report on Taxes in the Exposition Industry. 

This listing of 2009 hotel room taxes in the major trade 

show cities was obtained from convention and visitors bureaus 

across the nation. The application of sales tax to the room 

rate varies from city to city, and some communities charge 

additional assessments to hotel bills. For example, in New 

York City, there is a fee of $1.50 per room, per night for the 

expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Clarifying 

all taxes and fees prior to booking is always recommended. 

Arizona Phoenix 12.27% 

California Anaheim 15.46% 

California Los Angeles 14.0% plus $0.11 

tourism fee per night 

California Sacramento 13.5% plus $0.15 


California San Diego 12.5% plus $0.21 


California San Francisco 15.5% plus $0.13 


California San Jose 10.7% plus $2.00 

city tax fee per night 

California Santa Clara 9.5% plus $0.14 

state tax fee per night 

and $1.00 tourism 

fee per night 

Colorado Denver 14.85% 

Connecticut Hartford 12.0% 

District of Columbia Washington 14.5% 

Florida Fort Lauderdale 11.0% 

Florida Jacksonville 13.0% 

Florida Miami Beach/Miami 13.0% 

Florida Orlando 12.5% 

Florida Tampa 12.0% 

Georgia Atlanta 15.0% 

Hawaii Honolulu 11.96% 

Illinois Chicago 15.39% 

Illinois Rosemont 13.0% 

Illinois Schaumburg 14.0% 

Indiana Indianapolis 16.0% 

Iowa Des Moines 7.0% 

First Annual Report on Taxes in the Exposition Industry 

State City oCCupancy Tax 

(“effective rate”) 




State City oCCupancy Tax 

(“effective rate”) 

Louisiana New Orleans 13.0% 

Maryland Baltimore 13.5% 

Massachusetts Boston 12.45% 

Michigan Detroit 15.0% 

Minnesota Minneapolis/St. Paul 13.4% 

Missouri Kansas City 15.23% 

Missouri St. Louis 15.49% 

Nevada Las Vegas 12.0% 

Nevada Reno 12.0% 

New Jersey Atlantic City 14.0% 

New Mexico Albuquerque 12.75% 

New York New York City 14.25% plus $2.00 

per room per night 

plus $1.50 per room 

per night for Javits 

expansion fund 

North Carolina Charlotte 15.25% 

Ohio Cleveland 15.25% 

Ohio Columbus 16.75% 

Oklahoma Oklahoma City 13.88% 

Oklahoma Tulsa 13.52% 

Oregon Portland 12.5% 

Pennsylvania Philadelphia 15.2% 

Pennsylvania Pittsburgh 14.0% 

Rhode Island Providence 13.0% 

South Carolina Myrtle Beach 11.0% 

Tennessee Nashville 15.25% plus 

flat tax fee of 

$2.00 per night 

Texas Austin 15.0% 

Texas Dallas 15.0% 

Texas Houston 17.0% 

Texas San Antonio 16.75% 

Utah Salt Lake City 12.43% 

Washington Seattle 15.6% 

Wisconsin Milwaukee 14.6% 

© 2009 by Trade Show Executive, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9666 

Source: Various convention and visitors bureaus 

First Annual Report on Taxes in the Exposition Industry 


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Show Report 

Part VI of a 

ten-part report 

on building 

attendance at 

trade shows 

Interop Poised for Growth; Focus on 

Efficiency, ROI Resonate in Tough Times 

By Sandi Cain, News Editor 

The Place to Be. Interop 2009 expects another big crowd despite the recession. TechWeb Live Events 

is betting on education and high level of ROI to increase attendance. 


• TechWeb focuses on 

education and ROI to 

increase attendance at Interop 


• The horizontal nature of event 

reinforces value of show 

• Returning and new co-located 

events provide opportunities 

to explore new tech options 

and meet vendors 

• “Unconference” sessions led 

by peers/attendees steadily 

gaining popularity 

• Interop attendees courted 

through search engine 

optimization, in-house social 

network, virtual post-show 

events; also reaching out to 

government and healthcare IT 

sectors 

TechWeb Live Events aims to hit the 

recession head-on when it stages 

business technology show Interop in Las 

Vegas this May. The annual show aims 

to increase attendance this year on the 

strength of cost-saving IT solutions with 

the potential to increase revenue as well 

as timely educational programs. Interop 

typically draws senior IT professionals as 

well as analysts, financial professionals, 

bloggers and others interested in IT 

industry trends. 

TechWeb is one of four divisions 

created out of CMP Technology by 

owner United Business Media last Fall. 

Each division is focusing heavily on 

education and ROI—strategies seen as 

critical to survival and growth in this 

difficult economic time. Senior Vice 

President of TechWeb Live Events Eric 

Faurot thinks those strategies will play 

well with Interop attendees. “We believe 

the recession will strengthen the Interop 

brand,” he said. 

The Las Vegas show has grown in 

each of the past four years, he said. Last 

year’s show drew 17,000 attendees and 

500 exhibitors, 170 of which were new. 

For 2009, more than 300 exhibitors 

have already signed up. Faurot also said 

early registration for Interop Las Vegas 

2009 is ahead of last year’s pace as of 

late January. “Economic indications are 

that it should be flat or down, but we’re 

tracking up,” he said. 

Faurot is quick to note that 

registration numbers could flatten as 

the show dates near, but believes other 

show cancellations may end up bolstering 

Interop’s numbers. “Events that get 

cancelled thin the crowd of competing 

shows,” he said. 

Buyers Prefer Horizontal Show with 

Vertical Segments 

To reinforce the value of Interop, 

organizers plan to tout the benefits of 

a horizontal event that brings all key 

players together. Faurot said surveys 

show IT buyers prefer horizontal shows 

with vertical segments. And that’s one 

thing that Interop has in abundance. 

Interop Las Vegas 2008 co-located with 

Software 2008 and the Computer Security 

Institute Security Exchange (CSI SX) for the 

first time. CSI SX will be back this year. 

In addition, new two-day conferences 

– Enterprise Cloud Summit and Mobile 

Business Conference and Expo – will provide 

IT managers and business executives an 

opportunity to explore new technology 

options and meet vendors from those 

sectors. The Cloud Summit explores 


Faurot 

options for using online technology in 

place of internal databases for various 

business functions. The Mobile Business 

Conference and Expo will concentrate on 

ways to put mobile communications to 

work within a corporate environment. 

Last year’s “unconference” format– 

entire sessions taught by those who show 

up–will return for Energy Camp to discuss 

green IT methods that achieve greater 

energy efficiency. In an “unconference” 

session, people come to discuss 

development ideas and trends, and listen 

to peers’ expertise. Those who show up 

suggest discussion topics and lead the 

conversation if their topics are chosen. 

“The people who attend come 

despite not having a billed speaker,” 

Faurot said. While that may be 

disconcerting to those on the speaker 

circuit, it’s a format that’s gaining ground 

in some sectors–particularly emerging 

sectors. “Those who don’t embrace it are 

missing the boat,” Faurot said. 

Organizers Confident About Quantity and 

Quality of Buyers, Education Offerings 

Regardless of final attendance 

numbers, Faurot is confident that 

exhibitors will reach qualified buyers 

who typically come to Interop to learn 

where the industry is headed and what 

technologies can immediately help reduce 

costs or increase revenue. 

According to a report from the Center 

for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) 

released in January, data dating back 

to the 1960s indicates that key buyers 

continue to attend trade shows during 

recessions, even if overall attendance and 

the number of exhibitors shrinks. The 

Lured by the Internet. TechWeb made significant use of the Internet to market the upcoming show to 

prospective attendees. The campaign made use of popular social networking sites as well search engine 

optimization to reach the tech-savvy community. 

study also pointed out that the percentage 

of attendees planning to buy products 

as a result of exhibitions doesn’t change 

significantly during recessions. 

Faurot also thinks Interop has an 

advantage with its educational offerings. 

“The whole format is about educating 

IT professionals on how to do their jobs 

better,” he said. 

Reaching Attendees Via the Internet 

Organizers are proactively courting 

prospective attendees with a variety of 

approaches that include: 

• A move away from direct mail as a 

recruiting mechanism. “We shifted 

our energies to online engagement,” 

Faurot said. Those efforts include 

Google search engine optimization, use 

of AdWords and a presence on social 

networks like Facebook that cost only 

staff time to develop. Interop also built 

its own fully functional social network 

so that anyone involved with any 

Interop show can connect to those who 

attended, exhibited or presented at 

other shows. (Interop Las Vegas is the 

flagship event of a series of shows 

also held in New York and Tokyo. 

A new show in Mumbai is slated for 

Fall.) “The important part is to raise 

awareness and increase the take-away 

value,” Faurot said. 

• Reaching out to new sectors, 

particularly in government and 

healthcare. Faurot said the Obama 

administration’s move to appoint a 

Chief Technology Officer for the 

Federal government bodes well for 

that sector and sends a signal that 

technology will play a critical role in 

the new administration. Extra efforts 

with the healthcare sector are related 

to a renewed government interest 

in funding improved databases for 

medical records and other healthcarerelated 

initiatives. “We’re doing more 

specific outreach with those categories 

for Interop and other new shows not 

yet announced,” Faurot said. 

• For those who still can’t make the show, 

Interop will stage virtual events after the 

show. Faurot said such events are good 

for lead generation for vendors. 



TM 


All of these strategies fit 

into TechWeb’s mission to focus 

on education, boost online 

education, emphasize return on 

investment and expand its brands 

overseas. But the immediate 

mission for Interop Las Vegas 2009 

is more specific. “Our philosophy 

is to do everything better, and 

surprise people,” Faurot said. 

That means using the best 

interface for the website and the 

best possible social networking 

tools as well as engaging with the 

audience early and often in ways 

that will draw them to the event. 

“It’s important not to panic 

when the economy goes south,” 

Faurot said. 

Reach Eric Faurot at (415) 

947-6220 or efaurot@techweb. 

com 

Intellectual Stimulation. Packed classrooms such as this one are a big draw at Interop. Organizers 

expect education to be in big demand this year as the economy makes business survival skills and 

strategy more important than ever. 

Snapshot: Interop Las Vegas 

Name of Show: Interop Las Vegas 

Website: www.interop.com Show owner: TechWeb Live Events 

Show management: TechWeb Live Events 

Show dates: Interop Las Vegas May 17-21, 2009 

2008 2007 2006 

Net square feet exhibit space 160,000 152,000 N/A 

Exhibiting companies 485 440 375 

Total attendance 17,131 17, 349 17,553 

Professional attendance 13,028 12,863 N/A 

Total Room Nights 22,158 22,438 19,525 

Peak Room Nights 5,515 5,019 4,679 

Site Mandalay Bay Hotel Mandalay Bay Hotel Mandalay Bay Hotel 

& Convention Center & Convention Center & Convention Center 

General service contractor Champion Champion Champion 

E exposition Services Exposition Services Exposition Services 

Registration firm WingateWeb WingateWeb WingateWeb 


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Power Lunch 

JOE LOGGIA - The Magic Man 

By Bob Dallmeyer, columnist 

Joe Loggia became CEO of Advanstar Communications, 

Inc. in 2004 and quickly set out to transform the 

company into a highly market-focused media company. 

To do this, he divested several assets and re-engineered 

the entire organization. 

Joe grew up in Los Angeles and has a unique 

career trajectory: he started out as a teamster, then 

became a police officer, all the while enrolled fulltime 

at the University of Southern California. He 

earned a business degree and is a Certified Public 

Accountant who once managed fraud investigations 

at Coopers & Lybrand. He joined Advanstar in 

1998 as part of the purchase and integration of 

MAGIC (Men’s Apparel Guild In California) 

into the company’s portfolio. Today, Advanstar 

produces 150 events, 260 electronic products and 68 

publications. 

In addition to his past contributions as a board 

member of American Business Media (ABM) and the 

Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO), Joe 

is active in the Young President’s Organization. We 

spoke soon after MAGIC closed in Las Vegas. 

Photo Credit: Sherry Tesler 


Bob: You have had a truly diverse career 

path. Your accounting background is 

helpful as CEO, but what about law 

enforcement? 

Joe: Police work was incredibly valuable 

to me. I had wonderful experiences 

dealing with diverse people and solving 

problems quickly. Those skills are an asset 

in the trade show business. It also taught 

me that most of the things considered 

emergencies, especially at trade shows, are 

not really emergencies. If we solve them in 

a methodical manner, we are far better off 

in the long run. 

Bob: What’s your assessment of the justcompleted 

MAGIC Show (February 17-19)? 

Joe: Given the national retail numbers 

and the state of the economy, I think 

everybody was expecting the show to be 

less robust than it was. We took a proactive 

approach: we developed new platforms 

for MAGIC, expanded services and remerchandised 

the entire event. 

Bob: What do you mean by “new 

platforms”? 

Joe: The show encompasses MAGIC Man, 

a complete range of men’s fashions; WWD 

MAGIC, a full spectrum of women’s 

wear; Premium at MAGIC, the premium 

apparel lines for men and women; 

S.L.A.T.E., a collection for the surf, street 

and skate communities; STREET, the 

sportswear collection; ECOLLECTION, 

an environmentally and socially aware 

collection; KIDS, for the younger set; 

and SOURCING at MAGIC, connecting 

apparel companies with the fabric/supplier 

industries. We created a better environment 

for our exhibitors and attendees by remerchandising 

all the areas, expanded 

international brands and welcomed over 

100 new exhibitors to the show. 

Bob: Tell me about your turn-key booth 

packages. 

Joe: When I speak about the trade show 

business, I often remark that we are 

our own worst enemy: we make it so 

complicated for companies to exhibit in 

a trade show because almost everything 

is a surprise. Typically, an exhibitor starts 

spending its budget with a trade show 

organizer for exhibit space, and then it has 

to get a booth constructed. Next, it has 

to worry about all the services – drayage, 

electrical, etc. We have done something 

about this at Advanstar, across all of our 

shows: we created booth packages for our 

customers to simplify the process. For one 

turn-key price, exhibitors get an exhibitsystem 

structure, services included, and 

they just add their graphics and content. 

These were available at different price 

points throughout MAGIC and were 

extremely successful. 

Bob: I suspect they also provide a nice 

savings in the long run. 

Joe: Yes, they are far more cost-efficient 

and worry-free. If there’s a problem with 

the booth package, we have staff on-site 

through partnerships with general service 

contractors and exhibit builders. Hundreds 

of our exhibitors took advantage of this 

service this year at MAGIC. 

Bob: What about your attendance and 

exhibitor numbers this year? 

Joe: We are still in the auditing process 

and won’t have these for another two 

weeks or so. 

Bob: Are your shows audited by BPA? 

Joe: No. I’ve never had an exhibitor ask 

me for an audit. 

Bob: How does our industry get past the 

idea that trade show numbers have to grow 

each time to be successful? 

Joe: Guys like you have to stop asking that 

as one of your first questions. 

Bob: (laughing) What about your plans for 

the next MAGIC show in August? 

Joe: We are expanding on the booth 

package concept. We have a couple of new 

categories that we are looking at launching. 

Our preliminary exhibitor feedback is that 

they had a very positive show, and the 

attendees liked the new format, so we will 

continue what we were doing. 

Bob: Advanstar has three distinct operating 

sectors: fashion, life sciences and power 

sports/automotive. How many events, 

publications and eMedia offerings do you 

have in your portfolio? 

Joe: We have 150 events, 260 electronic 

products and 68 publications. Please don’t 

ask me to name them all. 

Bob: How is the economy impacting each 

sector? 

Joe: The economy is affecting all of them. 

The fashion and licensing businesses are 

very susceptible to what’s going on in 

retail. They are still strong and robust for 

us, since we are the market leaders. But 

this doesn’t mean that our customers are 

not going through challenging times. Same 

situation in our power sports business, 

which is also retail-based. While we are not 

seeing growth here, it is at least remaining 

flat – which may be the new “up” for this 

year. 

Bob: And the rest of the portfolio? 

Joe: Our life sciences and healthcare 

business is still going through changes, 

as it is primarily a publication and 

conference business. These fluctuate due 

to the changing regulations coming out 

of Washington, DC. Also, the pharma 

companies continue to play with the 

formula of how they are going to introduce 

drugs to the market, reflecting a slowdown 

in the Federal Drug Administration. Our 

conferences continue to be well attended, 

ranging from 200 to 2,000 persons. 

Bob: Any advice on the economy? 

Joe: I don’t think it would be wise for 

anyone to apply yesterday’s model to 

today’s economic environment. Having 

said that, the properties holding up the best 

are those that are critical to our customers’ 

sales and marketing mix. It’s long been 

an Advanstar strategy to focus on those 

Number One and Two positions. 

Bob: Recessions aren’t new. What are your 

thoughts about this one? 

Joe: If you look at the data, this recession 

has been going on longer than most since 

World War II. I’ve given up trying to figure 

out where the bottom is. I differ from a 

lot of my peers in believing that this will 

reset at 2005/2006 levels. I think it will 

reset somewhat lower. And the problem 

with the stock market is that no one has 

any confidence in it right now. People 

were sure 7,000 was the absolute bottom 

and yet the recent 300-point drop was 




more psychologically 

devastating to them 

than the drop from 

9,000 to 8,000. 

Bob: What actions are 

you taking at Advanstar 

in light of this? 

Joe: The three most 

important things for 

us to do in these tough 

times are: one, create 

cost-effective programs; 

two, focus on quality; 

and three, Service, 

Service, Service. 

Bob: How do you keep 

your team motivated? 

Joe: We have a great 

team. Everybody knows 

it’s tough, so we are in 

constant communication 

with them. I visit all offices each year 

and do a thorough presentation on our 

priorities, which is particularly useful at this 

time. We reach out to them on a personal 

basis and get them to be very connected 

to their customers. We remind them that 

none of us woke up today in Darfur, Iraq 

or Afghanistan, that we still have endless 

possibilities and we are lucky to be here 

in the United States of America. Finally, 

everyone who has a job should be happy 

for that job. 

Bob: What is Advanstar’s USP? 

Joe: We look for three things: right markets, 

right products and the right teams. First, we 

want to be in the right markets, ones that 

are large and growing. We particularly seek 

markets where the dynamics are conducive 

to change, creating a constant need to 

communicate. Second, we like our products 

to be crucial in our customers’ sales and 

marketing mix. Third, we like to maintain 

the right Advanstar team to accomplish this. 

Ultimately, our focus is on connecting our 

customers to their customers. As a result, we 

have leading products and great ones. We 

have very good customer relations because of 

our very good teams. 

Bob: Are you currently considering any 

launches or acquisitions? 

Focused on Service. Advanstar’s executive team keeps customer service as its No. 1 

focus. Loggia (second from left) meets with (L-R) Sheryl Ritchie-Longo, corporate director 

of facilities; Nancy Nugent, vice president human resources; and Georgiann DeCenzo, 

executive vice president. 

Joe: We are highly focused on launching 

new products, by figuring out the best way 

to grow within industries where we are 

established. We’ve just launched several 

new electronic products: the latest is www. 

DVM360.com, a one-stop site for doctors 

of veterinarian medicine to get news, 

product and clinical information. In our 

veterinarian business, we have the three 

leading magazines and three successful 

trade shows. We’ve done the same thing 

with our healthcare group, with www. 

ModernMedicine.com, which is another 

professional portal. We launched the 

Premium Section within MAGIC, and 

we’re launching an apparel section in our 

licensing show. We’re focusing on new 

international pavilions at our Dealer Expo. 

Bob: What is the competition like in this 

environment? 

Joe: It’s different in all sectors. Where we 

have shows, there are lots of competitors, 

and we are not seeing any less or more of 

them. 

Bob: How do you reach out to Gen X and 

Gen Y? 

Joe: If you want to communicate 

efficiently and effectively to the younger 

generation, you have to think electronically. 

That’s why we have electronic initiatives 

in every Advanstar group. For examples, 

the off-road segment of 

our power sports group 

offers www.offroad. 

com, a B-to-B platform 

that drives an incredible 

675,000 users a month. We 

have www.searchautoparts. 

com, which is a portal 

for parts and training 

information used by 

mechanics, body shops 

and DIY folks. In every 

group, we look at where 

the young people are going 

electronically and we go 

there. We use Twitter and 

Facebook extensively – we 

actually get orders through 

Facebook. 

Bob: What about your 

green initiatives? 

Joe: We have internal and 

external programs that make us ecologically 

friendly. We work on drastically cutting 

down trash at our events. At MAGIC, we 

added a section for environment-friendly 

clothing. 

Bob: Any advice for middle managers 

today? 

Joe: Be the first one at work every day 

and, when needed, be the last one to go 

home. Make sure your priorities are to 

your customers, your company and your 

staff. I’d say that we are not the first group 

to experience a recession – we’ve been 

here before and this, too, will pass. The 

people who can evolve and look at this as 

an opportunity, not just a struggle, will be 

successful in the future. 

Bob: What keeps you up at night? 

Joe: (laughing) My three daughters, but 

they would say it’s the dogs. 

Bob: Final thoughts? 

Joe: Trade shows remain a highly viable 

way to connect, communicate and conduct 

business. We need to make sure that 

we focus on continuing to be effective, 

efficient and adding value to the process. 

Reach Joe Loggia at (818) 227-4417 or 

jloggia@advanstar.com 


Come ready to play in our 

new front yard! 

Spanning more than five blocks, the George R. Brown 

Convention Center anchors the revitalized east end of 

downtown Houston, where the surroundings bustle with 

new urban development and world-class amenities. 

GRB Convention Center, Hilton Americas-Houston, Toyota Center, Discovery Green 

www.HoustonConventionCtr.com, www.AmericasHouston.Hilton.com, 

www.HoustonToyotaCenter.com, www.DiscoveryGreen.com 

With Toyota Center and Minute Maid Park a block away 

and the 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston connected 

by sky bridge, the GRB couldn’t have dreamed of a better 

front yard than the new 12-acre downtown park, Discovery 

Green, across the street. 

Houston Pavilions, Now Open 

www.houstonpavilions.com 

A VISION. A PLAN. A WALKABLE DESTINATION. 

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY WITH A COSMOPOLITAN TWIST 

Or walk to Houston Pavilions, the new four-block 

downtown retail, dining and entertainment hub, 

with House of Blues, McCormick and Schmick’s, 

BCBG and XXI Forever – all within walking distance 

of the convention center. 

Combine this with the convention center’s 1.2 million 

square feet of dedicated meeting space – including a 

30,000-square-foot ballroom, 3,600- tier-seated 

amphitheater, 6,500-seat arena, four 3,000-squarefoot 

balconies, 100 flexible meeting rooms and an 

abundance of green initiatives – and Houston never 

has been more appealing. 

www.TradeShowExecutive.com Trade Show Executive April 2009 35 

1001 Avenida de las Americas - Houston, Texas 77010 - 1.800.427.4697 - www.HoustonConventionCtr.com

Special Report 

Private Equity in Tight Times 

By Renee Diiulio, senior editor, news & directories 

Carlsbad, CA - Like the rest of the 

economic markets, private equity is in 

a state of flux. As credit markets have 

tightened, private equity firms have 

also found it difficult to arrange debt 

financing and have had to rely on more 

liquid forms of capital. As a result, target 

investments have shrunk and investment 

criteria have become more selective. 

In turn, companies pursuing private 

equity financing have become more 

cautious, seeking assurance that the 

investing firm has the credit to support 

the deal as well as the intention to 

support the company. Deals that 

have ended badly for the company 

receiving private equity money are 

easily found in the media. 

While private equity 

is often thought of as a 

Out of the Vault. 

Private equity money is 

still available but P.E. 

firms are more cautious. 

savior for companies during a recession, 

it is more often a strong contributor 

to economic growth. Private equity 

investments offer a company the 

resources to expand or repair its 

business. The result can stimulate 

innovation, job creation and workflow, 

and management efficiencies. 

Due Diligence 

Before the money is handed over, 

however, companies have to prove they 

are worth the investment, a task that 

is more challenging in tight economic 

times. Private equity firms often have a 

set of criteria for companies in which 

they will invest. Sometimes these 

requirements are flexible, but parameters 

are often created to match a firm’s 

resources and expertise. 

Financial criteria can include revenue, 

EBIDTA [Earnings Before Interest, 

Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization] 

and investment size. Market position, 

management philosophies, business 

models, geographic headquarters and 

performance records may also have to 

meet specific requirements. 

For instance, some funds are 

restricted to European companies; others 

to those in North America; while others 

have an international portfolio. Some 

private equity firms prefer industry 

leaders; other firms work with midmarket 

companies. Some firms may ask 

managers to invest their own money. 

Show organizers should be prepared 

to undergo rigorous due diligence. 

Today’s economy has forced investors to 

become very cautious about what they 

do with their money. 

Identifying Firms 

To help identify potential private 

equity investors, Trade Show Executive 

has gathered information on nearly 30 

private equity firms that have expressed 

an interest in or have shown a historical 

interest in the media sector. They offer 

a broad spectrum of products designed 

for a variety of business models and may 

help a company move to the next level. 


A Special Report on Private Equity Firms with Media Investments 

Name of Company Website & Phone Number U.S. Offices Established Performance Notes 

Abbott Capital www.abbottcapital.com New York, NY 1986 Has focused exclusively on private equity – venture 

Management, LLC (212) 757-2700 capital, buyouts and special situations – by making 

investments in professionally managed partnerships. 

Abry Partners www.abry.com Boston, MA 1989 Since 1989, has completed over $21 BIL of leveraged 

(617) 859-2959 transactions involving approximately 450 properties. 

Advent International www.adventinternational.com Boston, MA 1984 Has invested in more than 25 media companies over two 

(617) 951-9400 decades. Has helped portfolio companies raise $13 BIL 

through public equity and debt offerings. 

Allianz Private Equity www.apep.allianz.com New York, NY 1996 A global investor focusing exclusively on indirect private 

Partners (APEP) (212) 7393400 equity investments (generally private equity limited 

partnerships) and selective co-investments. 

AlpInvest Partners www.alpinvest.com New York, NY 1999 Has invested more than €20 BIL (approx. $26 MIL*) 

(212) 332-6240 over the last five years. 

Apax Partners LLP www.apax.com New York, NY Advises funds that typically invest in companies with a 

(212) 753-6300 value between €1 BIL and€5 BIL ($1.3 BIL to $6.4 BIL*). 

In last decade, the media teamhas advised Apax Funds 

on the investment of €3.4 BIL ($4.4 BIL*) of equity. 

Apollo Investment www.apolloic.com New York, NY 1990 Targeted investments typically range between $20 MIL 

Corporation (212) 515-3450 and $250 MIL but can vary proportionately as the size 

of capital base changes. 

Avista Capital Partners www.avistacap.com New York, NY; 2005 Makes controlling or influential minority investments, 

(212) 593-6900 Houston, TX primarily in U.S.-based companies, in connection with 

various transaction structures, including leveraged 

buyouts, build-ups and growth financings. 

AXA Private Equity www.axaprivateequity.com New York, NY 1996 Has more than $25 BIL assets under management; 

(212) 641-8604 investment approach underpinned by four fundamental 

values: performance, expertise, international 

experience and transparency. 

Bain Capital LLC www.baincapitalprivate New York, NY; 1984 Since inception, has completed more than 250 

equity.com Boston, MA investments. Aggregate transaction value exceeds 

(212) 326-9420 $100 BIL. 

The Blackstone Group www.blackstone.com New York, NY; Atlanta, 1987 Has raised approximately $44 BIL in capital since 

(212) 583-5000 GA; Boston, MA; 1987. Total enterprise value of transactions by private 

Los Angeles, CA; 

equity operations was approximately $304 BIL through 

Menlo Park, CA September 30, 2008. 

Capital Dynamics www.capdyn.com New York, NY; 1988 Oversees over $20 BIL of private equity capital. 

(212) 798-3400 San Francisco, CA 

The Carlyle Group www.carlyle.com Washington, DC; 1987 Has more than $85.5 BIL under management. 

(202) 729-5626 Denver, CO; Los Angeles, 

CA; San Francisco, CA 

Elevation Partners www.elevation.com San Francisco, CA; 2004 Has nearly $1.9 BIL in committed capital to be invested 

(650) 687-6700 New York, NY over next six years. Targets investments between $50 MIL 

and $300 MIL in each transaction. 

Hamilton Robinson www.hrco.com Stamford, CT 1984 Seeks companies with revenues of $15 MIL to $100 

LLC (HRCo) (203) 602-0011 MIL. Targets investments of $10 MIL, but has raised 

as much as $20 MIL for a transaction. 



A Special Report on Private Equity Firms with Media Investments 


Name of Company Website & Phone Number U.S. Offices Established Performance Notes 

Hellman and Friedman LLC www.hf.com San Francisco, CA; 1984 During 22-year history, has raised and managed over 

(415) 788-5111 New York, NY $16 BIL of committed capital. Targets investments 

between $200 MIL and $750 MIL of equity. 

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts www.kkr.com New York, NY; 1976 KKR typically acquires large businesses with strong 

and Company (212) 750-8300 Menlo Park, CA; franchises, attractive growth prospects, defensible 

San Francisco, CA; 

market positions and ability to generate high ROI. 

Houston, TX; 

Funds invested in over 45 companies with more than 

Washington, DC $200 MIL in revenues as of June 30, 2008. 

MidOcean Partners www.midoceanpartners.com New York, NY 2003 Manages three funds with over $3.5 BIL in 

(212) 497-1400 commitments. Targets control investments with 

minimumequity contribution of $25 MIL. 

Nautic Partners LLC www.nauticpartners.com Providence, RI 1986 Targets equity investments of $25 MIL to $100 MIL, 

(401) 278-6770 representing majority ownership in companies with 

proven business models, defensible market positions 

and strong growth potential. 

Pantheon Ventures Ltd. www.pantheonventures.com San Francisco, CA; 1982 Has over $23 BIL in assets under management. 

(415) 249-6200 New York, NY as of September 30, 2008. 

Partners Group www.partnersgroup.net New York, NY; 1996 Has CHF 19.2 BIL ($16.6 MIL*) in assets under 

(415) 537-8585 San Francisco, CA management. 

Pathway Capital www.pathwaycapital.com Irvine, CA; 1991 Has committed over $45 BIL in more than 300 

Management, LLC (949) 622-1000 West Warwick, RI investment partnerships. 

Permira www.permira.com New York, NY 2001 Permira Funds target acquisition opportunities 

(212) 386-7480 with transaction sizes of €500 MIL 

(approx. $641 MIL*) or more. 

Portfolio Advisors LLC www.portad.com Darien, CT 1994 Has committed more than $20 BIL to private equity 

(203) 662-3456 funds on behalf of advisory clients. Currently 

manages or administers more than 2,100 

partnership commitments, representing over $60 BIL 

domestic and international private equity and real 

estate investments. 

Providence Equity www.provequity.com Providence, RI; 1989 Manages funds with over $22 BIL in equity 

Partners LLC (401) 751-1700 Los Angeles, CA; commitments. Targets equity investments of 

New York, NY 

$250 MIL to $2.5 BIL. 

The Riverside Company www.riversidecompany.com Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; 1988 Has over $2.5 BIL in capital under management. 

(212) 265-6575 Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Focuses on industry-leading companies under $150 MIL. 

Los Angeles, CA; New 

York, NY; San Francisco, CA 

SFW Capital Partners LLC www.sfwcap.com Rye, NY; Hudson, OH Manages over $300 MIL in equity capital. Typically 

(914) 510-8910 invests from$15 MIL to $75 MIL of equity. 

SL Capital Partners LLP www.privateequity. Boston, MA Has approximately €128.0 BIL (approximately $164 MIL*) 

standardlifeinvestments.com under management; has raised approximately 

(617) 720-7900 €6.3 BIL ($8.1 BIL*). 

TPG www.tpg.com Fort Worth, TX; 1992 Has over $50 BIL of capital under management. 

(817) 871-4000 Menlo Park, CA; Generally seeks to invest in established businesses 

Washington, DC; 

requiring equity capital between $100 MIL and $750 MIL. 

New York, NY; San Francisco, CA 

* Based on the currency exchange rate on March 11, 2009. 


Experience 

what 

Can-Do 

can do for 

you! 

It’s no secret. The George Fern Company is 

a leading service provider for tradeshows and 

corporate meetings … nationwide. 

Who’s to say how we got here? Good people 

committed to personalized service. Our 

reputation for keeping promises. The right 

combination of creativity and technology. 

And yet one thing is certain. Our customers 

appreciate our can-do attitude. 

So, what can we do for you? 

888 621 3376 

www.georgefern.com 


presents 

Who’s Who in Media Advisory Services 


Carlsbad, CA - The current economic turmoil has not 

completely eliminated the likelihood of mergers or 

acquisitions in the media field, but is has made the 

market more conservative and selective in the deals it 

pursues. 

Mergers and acquisitions have been an attractive 

growth strategy for companies seeking to strengthen 

their positions in existing markets or branch out 

into new industrial sectors. The changing economic 

landscape is making companies more strategic in their 

thinking and more cognizant of their own finances 

as they consider making a purchase. At the same 

time, selling a show could become a more urgent 

priority for a company experiencing cash-flow issues 

or pulling back from markets where its shows are not 

necessarily the market leaders. 

There are four media advisory firms specializing 

in the trade show business. The principals of these 

companies are well known in the industry and have 

a network of relationships with venture capitalists, 

private equity firms and lending institutions. They 

also are on top of changing trends and the specifics 

of putting together the best deal possible for all 

parties. Here is an overview of each firm, listed in 

alphabetical order. 

Berkery Noyes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.40 & 41 

Corporate Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 41 

De Silva & Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 41 

The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc. (JEGI) . . . p. 41 

Expert Advice: ACCELERATE 

has acquired 

In the trucking business, as in investment banking, performance is key. Randall-Reilly, #1 

information source for the trucking, construction and industrial equipment markets, wanted 

to accelerate growth. Investcorp sought a high-octane media investment for its private 

equity portfolio. Berkery Noyes delivered the goods. If you’re considering a strategic merger, 

acquisition, divestiture, or timely exit strategy, 

call Kathleen Thomas at 212.668.3022 and let us 

put you in the driver’s seat. 

Powering Information, Media and Tradeshow Leaders Worldwide | berkerynoyes.com | One Liberty Plaza | New York, NY 10006 | 877.759.6996 


“Our able advisers at Berkery Noyes helped us complete 

the kind of transaction we were hoping for. Going in, we 

thought the process would be complex and mysterious. 

It turned out we were right about the complexity but 

wrong about the mystery. Much to our satisfaction, 

Berkery, Noyes took that completely out of the equation.” 

— Michael Tucker, Chairman & CEO Restore Media, LLC 

The #1 Investment Banking Firm in the 

Trade Show & Consumer Show Industries 

Nick Curci 

President 

Corporate Solutions 

Hotrod & Restoration, LLC 

has sold 

to 

Kathleen provides sell-side and buy-side 

transaction services to privately held, publicly 

traded and investor-backed companies in the B-to- 

B media and Tradeshow/Conference markets. 

Berkery Noyes offers strategic and financial 

Mergers & Acquisitions advice to the media & information 

industry. If you’re considering an acquisition, 

divestiture, asset sale, or timely exit strategy, call 

Kathleen Thomas at 212 668 3022 or email her at 

kathleen.thomas@berkerynoyes.com. 

Kathleen thomas 

Managing Director 

B-to-B Media 

& Events Group 

During our 10 year history, we 

have realized $300 million in 

deal value for our clients with 50 

individual transactions representing 

150 trade shows, 40 consumer 

shows and 15 trade magazines. 

If you are considering selling your 

events, we can help you maximize 

their value. We handle all aspects 

of the process for you so that you 

can focus on continuing to run 

your business. 

CSmergers.com 

Has sold its 10 

Technology Conferences 

to Institute for 

International Research 

Has sold its Scottsdale Spring 

Home & Garden Show to 

berkerynoyes.com | One Liberty Plaza | New York, NY 10006 | 877.759.6996 

Nick Curci, President 

Phone: (203) 226-4040 

180 Post Road East, Suite 215 Cell: (203) 414-4474 

TSE 3.14.09:Layout Westport, CT 06880 1 3/6/09 1:07 E-mail: PM Page NCurci@CSmergers.com 

1 

DeSilva+Phillips specializes in the 

media DeSilva+Phillips and digital media specializes industries, 

the 

with media over and 165 digital transactions media totaling industries, 

over with $6.5 over billion 165 transactions in value. See our totaling new 

White over Paper $6.5 billion (written in in value. conjunction with 

AMR International), “The Events Industry: 

The 

Our 

Opportunity 

trade show 

for 

practice 

Sustained 

is led 

Growth,” 

by 

at www.mediabankers.com (or email 

Roland DeSilva, Managing Partner. 

sam@mediabankers.com). 

Our trade show practice is led by 

Roland’s roland@mediabankers.com 

email is roland@mediabankers.com 

Roland DeSilva, Managing Partner. 

february 2008 

february 2007 

Virgo Publishing, an integrated 

B2B publishing, events 

$530,000,000 

and e-media company with 

Prism Business Media 

17 magazines, 10 shows/ 

Holdings, Inc. has acquired 

Penton 

conferences, 

Media, 

training 

Inc. 

and 

accreditation programs and a 

growing Penton online Media, platform, Inc. has 

been sold to Arlington Capital. 

Arlington Capital Partners 

february 2008 

december 2006 

CBI Research, Inc., a provider 

of live/electronic conferences 

Society of Manufacturing 

for senior executives in the 

Engineers has acquired 

pharmaceutical and 

7 trade shows from Reed 

Exhibitions 

biotech industries, 

Canada. 

has 

been sold to Advanstar 

Communications Reed Exhibitions Inc. Canada 

Advanstar 

Communications Inc. 

september 2008 

august 2005 

The Winner’s Circle 

Organization, which coproduces 

events with media 

JPMorgan 

companies, 

Partners 

analyzes 

has 

financial 

acquired Hanley Wood, 

advisory services and produces 

rankings of financial 

LLC, from Veronis Suhler 

Stevenson. 

of advisors, has been sold 

to Barron’s, Hanley Wood, published LLCby 

Dow Jones & Company. 

Dow Jones & Company 

“Once again, JEGI’s team of bankers 

delivered outstanding results for dmg, 

providing sound advice and counsel on 

this transaction. The team was tenacious, 

efficient, and added value through each 

step of the process. We fully appreciate 

JEGI’s commitment to excellence, while 

working on our behalf.” 

Mark Alcock 

Deputy CEO 

a division of DMGT plc 

has sold its 

North American 

Consumer Home Shows 

to 

a portfolio company of 

for $53,000,000 

dmg world media July 2008 

JEGI, the leading investment bank for the 

Exhibitions & Conferences sector, has sold 

more event businesses than any other 

advisory firm. 

Divestitures Acquisitions Valuations Strategic Assessments 

Divestitures Acquisitions Private Placements 

475 Valuations Park Avenue Strategic South, Assessments 

New York, NY 10016 

Phone 212.686.9700 Fax 212.686.2172 

www.mediabankers.com 

475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016 

Phone 212.686.9700 Fax 212.686.2172 

www.mediabankers.com 

Richard Mead 


richardm@jegi.com 

(212) 754-0710 

www.jegi.com 

Contact Richard Mead to discuss your 

company’s M&A strategy. 


Your 

Future 

is Here 

expand Your Global Appeal 

PrivilegedAccess.tv is the only online video platform that increases the international 

exposure of your show while keeping exhibitors and attendees engaged throughout 

the year. All at no charge to you! 

Dorian Dickinson - VP of Development and Strategy 

PrivilegedAccess.tv (312) 341-9629 info@PrivilegedAccess.tv 


Research 

Roundup 

By Nicole Burnes, assistant editor 

Trade Show Executive’s Research Roundup includes valuable data from prominent industry associations and organizations that 

you can use in presentations, strategic planning, reports to management and sales efforts to exhibitors. These factoids 

range from the power of expositions to growth trends. 

Accurate statistics are particularly valuable in a rapidly changing business 

environment. This easy-to-use and insightful collection of pertinent information will 

prove to be a valuable resource in day-to-day decision-making and the 

development of longer-term strategies. 


Sponsored by 


Put 

SMG is proud to sponsor TSE’s special “Research Roundup” 

edition. We believe that “knowledge is power” and research 

enables you to make better decisions. So what are the facts 

about SMG? 

National Sales to the Test…… 

Warmest regards, 

See how much you know: 

• Number of facilities in the SMG family: 217 

• Number of trade show venues (as of 2/1/08): 66 

• Number of places to call to book them all: 1* 

• Total gross square feet of prime space: 11 million 

• Number of events hosted in all facilities: 10,000 

• Total patrons in all facilities: 

45 million 

• Number of industry events you will see us at: 15 

Put all these facts together and you have the strongest, mostuser 

friendly booking network for convention and exhibition 

facilities in the world. Now that you know the facts, put us to 

the test. Call or e-mail our national sales office to shop any or 

all of our first class venues in the United States, Puerto Rico, 

Canada and Mexico. 

Gregg Caren 

Senior Vice President 

Strategic Business Development 

One click. One Call. 

SMG…where do you want to show today? 

Click www.smgworld.com or 

Call 866.BOOK.SMG* for our 

national sales helpline 

Dena'ina Civic and 

Convention Center 

Egan Convention Center 

Lynnwood Convention Center 

Ogden Eccles Conference Center 

Salt Palace Convention Center 

South Towne Expo Center 

Fresno Convention Center 

Valdez Hall 

Moscone Convention Center 

Rabobank Convention Center 

Long Beach Convention Center 

Ontario Convention Center 

Palm Springs Convention Center 

Colorado Convention Center 

Phil Long Expo Center 

Albuquerque Convention Center 

CA 

El Paso Convention Center 

WA 

NV 

AZ 

UT 

Pershing Center Exhibition Hall 

Cox Business Services Center 

MT 

WY 

CO 

NM 

Iowa State Center 

Mid-America Center 

Kansas Expocentre 

ND 

SD 

KS 

Irving 


Ford Park 

American 

Bank Center 

IA 

OK Tulsa 


Peoria Civic Center 

Evansville Convention Center 

DeVos Place 

The Hall at the Dow Event Center 

Dayton Airport Expo Center 

SeaGate Convention Centre 

Greater Columbus Convention Center 

IL 

ON 

Mobile 


FL 

NY 

MX 

Baton Rouge 

River Center 

Memphis Cook Convention Center 

Jackson Convention Complex 

Louisiana Superdome 

Direct Energy Centre 

Atlantic City Convention Center 

Wildwoods Convention Center 

David L. Lawrence Convention Center 

Farm Bureau Center at State Fair of Virginia 

Hampton Roads Convention Center 

Knoxville Convention Center 

Cabarrus Arena & Events Center 

Wilmington Convention Center 

Florence Civic Center 

Charleston Area Convention Center 

Carolina First Center 

Gwinnett Center 

Savannah International Trade & Convention Center 

Prime F. Osborn Convention Center 

Osceola Heritage Park 

DCU Center 

Rhode Island Convention Center 

Nassau County Expo Center 

Meadowlands Convention Center 

Pontchartrain Center 

Broward County Convention Center 

Mazatlan International Center 

Tampico Convention Center 

Shreveport 


Reliant Park 

Hawaii Convention Center 

HI 

World Trade Center- Mexico; CIEC 

Puerto Rico 

Convention 

Center 

PR 

www.smgworld.com 


Trade Show Executive’s Research Roundup Sponsored by SMG 

The Power of Expositions 


The cost of making an initial 

face-to-face visit with a potential 

customer through an exhibition lead 

is $215, compared to 

$1,039 without. 

Source: Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), 2009 

67% 

Percentage of exhibitors measure the success of 

their show through their sales from leads. 

Source: Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA)/Exhibit Surveys, Inc., 2009 

Percentage of business decision-makers who agree trade 

shows and in-person events are effective at: 

When making exhibiting decisions, the highest ranked 

tools for supporting those decisions are: 

Historical performance/exit surveys (63%) 

Exhibitor-supplied promotional materials (59%) 

Input/references from other exhibitors (58%) 

Trade show/event audits (41%) 

Source: BPA Worldwide, 2008 

80% 81% 

61% 

2007 2005 2007 2005 

Building Brand Image 

63% 

Generating Qualified Leads 

Source: American Business Media/Forrester Research 2008 

82% 

of trade show attendees had net buying influence over one or more 

major types of products exhibited at that show (for 2007). 


39% 

of visitors attend 

the same exhibition at least 

Two Years 

in a row. 





The Power of Expositions 


63% 

Percentage of sales and marketing executives who agree 

or strongly agree that exhibitions assist in gaining/ 

retaining market share. 


67% 

Percentage of sales and marketing executives agree or 

strongly agree that exhibitions increase corporate and/or 

brand recognition. 


87% 

Percentage of purchasing decision-makers who found that exhibitions 

are an “extremely useful” source of needed purchasing information. 


77% 

of qualified attendees at exhibitions 

represent new customers. 


45% 

Percentage of attendees who develop an 

emotional connection with a brand after 

interacting with it at a trade show. 

Source: Exhibit Surveys, Inc., 2007 



Budget Considerations 

$132.23 

The Average Daily Rate 

(ADR) for a hotel room 

in the top 25 markets is 

$132.23. Nationwide, 

it is $102.33. 

Source: STR Global, 2009 

Budgets for exhibiting 

will decrease 17% 

from an average $459,100 in 2008 to 

$381,000 in 2009. 


Exhibit Promotion 

& Sales - 8% 

Exhibit Staff & 

Training - 9% 

Exhibit Freight 

Shipping - 11% 

Other Related 

Items - 9% 

Exhibit Space - 36% 

Exhibit space accounts for 

36% of the trade show 

budget and show services for 

17%. 

Source: Trade Show Exhibitors Association 

(TSEA)/Exhibit Surveys, Inc., 2009 

Exhibit Design & 

Production - 10% 

Show Services - 17% 

Nearly four in ten (39%) of respondents from the 

Exhibit Management Survey by the Trade Show 

Exhibitors Association work for organizations that 

purchased a new exhibit within the last 12 months. 

Their average budget for all types of booths was 

$59,400. 





Economic Impact of Exhibitions 


In the United States, meetings and events are directly 

responsible for one million of the 

2.4 million jobs created by business travel, and generate 

$27 billion in wages. 

Source: U.S. Travel Association, 2009 

If the one million jobs generated by meetings and 

events were to be lost, the U.S. unemployment rate 

would rise more than a half of a percentage point from 

7.6% 

to 

8.2% 

15% 

Meetings and events account for 15% of all travel-related 

spending. With that in mind, business travel alone accounts for 

$240 billion in spending and $39 billion in tax revenue at the 

Federal, state and local levels. 



$1,071.63 

Average economic impact of a trade show attendee on 

the local economy at U.S. exhibitions in 2008. 

Source: Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), 

2005 study adjusted for inflation 



Historical and Projected Growth 

Change 

UFI 

Barometer 

62% of the 200 companies that 

participated in the first UFI Crisis 

Barometer Survey reported a drop in 

gross revenues at the end of 2008. Yet, 

only 38% of those respondents said their 

revenue declines were greater than 10%. 

Source: UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, 2009 

Exhibitors participated in an average of 30 

trade shows in 2008 and expect to exhibit in 

25 Shows in 2009. 


On average, respondents from the Exhibit 

Management Survey by TSEA indicated trade 

shows will get exactly one-third (33%) of their 

organization’s overall 2009 marketing budget. 


+5% 

Spending on medical, healthcare and pharmaceutical 

industry events will increase 5% in 2009, but 

spending for technology shows will decrease 46%. 


-46% 

Corporate private event spending will 

decrease 30% from 2008 to 2009. 



The SMG International Sales Team… 

…Look for us at the next industry event! 

SMG is proud to support our industry associations and affiliate groups. 

We look forward to seeing you at one of these important events this year: 

March 3-5 

Experient EnVision (Kansas City, MO) 

June 17-19 

NACS (Memphis, TN) 

July 11-14 

MPI-WEC (Salt Lake City, UT) 

July 21-24 

CESSE (Orlando, FL) 

August ‘09 

SISO Executive Forum (TBA) 

October 13-17 

TEAMS (New Orelans, LA) 

November 7-11 

ICCA (Florence, Italy) 

November 10-13 

Rejuvenate (Birmingham, AL) 

December 7-9 

IAEE Expo! Expo! & SMG National Sales Meeting (Atlanta, GA) 

To inquire about any or all SMG managed Convention Centers contact: 

Gregg Caren at 1-866-BOOK-SMG (866-266-5764) or gcaren@smgworld.com 

www.smgworld.com

Will Your Show 

Take Home 

the GOLD? 


Find out at 


2 nd annual 

Gold 100 Awards & Summit 

k 

Honoring the 100 Shows that Set the 

Gold Standard for the Trade Show Industry 

k 

Trade Show Executive will honor the 100 largest trade shows and explore the 

burning issues facing the entire industry this September at The Terranea 

Resort & Conference Center in Palos Verdes, California. 

The executive-level program will provide industry leaders with the insights 

and updates that will help them thrive as the economy recovers. The agenda 

includes the acclaimed “Trending & Spending” session which features five 

leading executives from Trade Show Executive’s Forecasting Board who will 

analyze the economy and other factors impacting the exhibition industry, 

as well as offer their forecasts for the near and long term. One of the nation’s 

most fascinating leaders will be interviewed by TSE columnist Bob Dallmeyer 

live on stage in “Power Lunch.” A fast-paced session on innovation will 

be held, with the top five winners of TSE’s Innovation Awards presenting 

breakthroughs that have created new value for exhibitors and attendees. 

Located just 15 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 

Terranea offers a conference center conducive to professional networking 

and education. The location, on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is 

symbolic with the summit reached by the Gold 100 shows. 

Please join us in September to celebrate the people, the shows and the 

organizations that set the Gold Standard in the trade show industry. 

Save the dates! Registration opens June 1st. 

k 

September 23 - 25, 2009 

The Terranea Resort & Conference Center 

Palos Verdes, California 

k 


Brought to you by 

and these Sponsors 

Title Sponsor 

k 

Platinum Sponsor 

Gold Sponsors 

Silver Sponsors 

Bronze Sponsors 

PrivilegedAccess.tv 

Supporting Association Sponsors 

ESCA 

Exhibition Services & 

Contractors Association 

k 

www.TradeShowExecutive.com 


TSE’s Trade Show Locator 

Whether you need a quick reminder of 

shows on the horizon or are studying 

the market for potential partnerships, 

co-locations or acquisitions, here is 

a list of 96 of the most important 

trade shows scheduled for June. Each 

show is listed by industry category and 

contains both a wide-angle and closeup 

view of the event, the organizer, 

Show Name/Management/Web Address Show Manager Dates Venue/City/State Projected Size 

Accounting 

California Accounting & Business 

Show & Conference 

Flagg Management, Inc. 

www.flaggmgmt.com/ca 

ZOOM Presents the Leading Shows 

Coming Up in June in North America 

By Vince Battaglia, managing editor of ZOOM & Nicole Burnes, assistant editor 

the site and projected size. For a list 

of shows coming up in the next 12 

months – searchable by each field 

– go to www.TradeShowExecutive. 

com. To be considered for future 

editions of Zoom in print and online, 

email information on your show to 

vbattaglia@tradeshowexecutive.com 

and nburnes@tradeshowexecutive.com. 

Russell Flagg 

President 

212-286-0333 

06/01/2009 


Vince Battaglia 

Hilton Los Angeles Airport 

Los Angeles, CA 

Nicole Burnes 

NSF Not Supplied 

130 Exhibitors 

2,000 Attendees 

Sponsored by 

Insurance Accounting & Systems 

Association - Annual 

IASA 

www.iasa.org 

Kim Morris 

Exhibits Manager 

919-489-0991 x208 



Gaylord Palms Resort 

& Convention Center 

Orlando, FL 

35,000 nsf 



Advertising & Marketing 

DM Days - New York Conference & Expo 

Direct Marketing Association 

www.the-dma.org 

Paul McDunna 

212-768-7277 



Jacob K. Javits 


New York, NY 




Aerospace & Aviation 

American Association of Airport 

Executives - Annual 

AAAE 

www.aaae.org 

Susan Lausch 

703-824-0504 



Pennsylvania 


Philadelphia, PA 




Agriculture & Farming 

Western Canada Farm Progress Show 

Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. 

www.myfarmshow.com 

Rob O’Connor 

Show Manager 

306-781-9318 



IPSCO Place 

Regina, SK 




World Pork Expo 

National Pork Producers Council 

www.worldpork.org 

Doug Fricke 

Dir. of Trade Show Mktg. 

515-225-7675 



Iowa State 

Fairgrounds 

Des Moines, IA 

300,000 nsf 



Amusement, Entertainment & Gaming 

E3 - Electronic Entertainment Expo Pat Phillips 

IDG World Expo 

General Manager 

www.e3expo.com 

508-424-4800 



Los Angeles 



150,000 nsf 



Apparel, Beauty, Shoes & Textiles 

FFANY New York Shoe Expo 

Phyllis Rein 

Fashion Footwear Association 

Sr. Vice President 

of New York 

212-751-6422 x15 

www.ffany.org 



Hilton New York 

New York, NY 




Premiere Orlando 

Premiere Show Group 

www.premiereshows.com 

Howard Britt 

President 

407-265-3131 



Orange County 


Orlando, FL 




Automotive, Trucking & Transportation 

The Great West Truck Show 

Dave Schave 

Randall-Reilly Publishing Company Trade Show Operations 

www.greatwesttruckshow.com 

205-248-1543 



Las Vegas 


Las Vegas, NV 




Building & Construction 

BuildingsNY 

Reed Exhibitions 

www.buildingsny.com 

© 2009, Trade Show Executive magazine, Carlsbad, CA (760) 929-9604. 

Ed Several 

Industry VP 

203-840-4800 





New York, NY 







Always Ten Steps Ahead 

SMART-reg International offers more than 

registration and lead retrieval services. We 

provide value-added solutions that will enhance 

both your attendee’s and exhibitor’s experience. 

Here’s a small sampling of our reasonably 

priced technology-based ancillary services. 

2008 

INNOVATION 

AWARDS 

SMART-Connect is a social and 

professional networking and agenda 

planning tool. SMART-Connect can be 

used to schedule session participation 

and secure appointments with select 

groups, attendees, peers, speakers 

and exhibitors. Other systems can 

be costly, and in most cases, are 

an adjunct to the main attendee 

registration experience. Our valuepriced 

solution is tightly integrated 

with the entire registration experience. 

Tap-N-Go is a compact, RFIDenabled, 

free-standing battery 

powered unit offering quick and easy 

tracking for sessions, events and 

exhibit floor traffic using the attendee’s 

RFID name badge. The unit can 

authenticate whether an attendee 

has registered and/or prepaid to 

be admitted to a particular event. 

Collected information is downloaded 

and a statistical portrait is developed 

along with attendance reports. 

SMART-Confirmation is a new 

attendee confirmation and badge 

mailing system that reduces postage 

and adds a green factor as well. 

This new badge delivery system 

totally eliminates petroleum-derived 

components. Working in conjunction 

with a USPS Certified Pre-sort Bureau, 

First Class handling is achieved at a 

much lower postage rate. 

No matter what registration system you use today, we 

know we can improve it with new technology, increased 

efficiencies and better service. Call or email me today to 

explore some new ideas. 

Providing Fail-Safe Registration and Lead Retrieval 

with Passionate Customer Service for over 25 Years 

Visit www.SMART-reg.com or call (888) 999-9169 

Arnie Roberts, 

President & CEO 

(888) 999-9169 

arnie@SMART-reg.com 




Providing Fail-Safe Registration and Lead Retrieval with Passionate Customer Service for over 24 Years 




Building & Construction (continued) 

Concreto Latinoamerica 

Tom Cindric 

(formerly World of Concrete Mexico) Director of World 

Hanley Wood Exhibitions 

of Concrete 

www.wocmexico.com 

972-536-6370 



Centro Banamex 

Mexico City, DF 

30,000 nsf 



The National Disaster 

Reconstruction Expo 

Imago Trade Shows 

www.ndrexpo.com 

Jimmy Mouton 

Operations Manager 

770-645-0046 



New Orleans Morial 


New Orleans, LA 

31,000 nsf 



Pacific Coast Builders Conference 

California Building Industry Association 

www.pcbc.com 

Linda Baysari 

VP of Meetings & Conventions 

916-325-9300 



Moscone Center 

San Francisco, CA 

195,000 nsf 



School Building Expo 

Eaton Hall Exhibitions 

www.schoolbuildingexpo.com 

Michael Paesick 

Show Director 

973-514-5900 



David L. Lawrence 


Pittsburgh, PA 

20,000 nsf 


700 Attendees 

Southern Building Show 

& Conference 

Southern Building Show 

www.southernbuildingshow.com 

P. J. Kanline 

Vice President 

800-854-7736 



Cobb Galleria Centre 

Atlanta, GA 




SUR/FIN 2009 

National Association 

for Surface Finishing 

www.nasf.org 

Cheryl Clark 

Director of Events 

202-457-8404 



Kentucky International 


Louisville, KY 

17,000 nsf 



The TFM Show & CONSTRUCT2009 

Hanley Wood Exhibitions 

www.thetfmshow.com 

Jayne Dalton 


972-536-6427 



Indiana Convention Center 

Indianapolis, IN 

55,000 nsf 



Business 

Loss Prevention Conference & Expo 

National Retail Federation 

www.events.nrf.com 

Mark Bogdansky 

Sr. Director, Exhibit Services 

202-626-8162 



Los Angeles 



42,000 nsf 



National Association of Chain Drug 

Stores Marketplace Conference 

NACDS 

www.meetings.nacds.org 

Roy McGrath 

Director, Conference 

& Services 

703-549-3001 



Boston Convention 

& Exhibition Center 

Boston, MA 

200,000 nsf 



Communications & Broadcasting 

HD EXPO 

Wendy Meinel 

High Def Expo, Inc. 

Operations Manager 

www.hdexpo.net 

818-842-6611 



Navy Pier 

Chicago, IL 

5,120 nsf 

64 Exhibitors 


SUPERCOMM (formerly NXTCOMM) 

SUPERCOMM 

www.supercomm2009.com 

Jim Florenza 

Executive Director 

703-907-7705 



McCormick Place 

Chicago, IL 

220,000 nsf 



HITEC 2009 

Hospitality Financial 

& Technology Professionals 

www.hitec.org 

Christine Stephan 

Director of Exhibits 

512-249-5333 x14 



Anaheim Convention Center 

Anaheim, CA 

68,000 nsf 



HP Technology Forum & Expo 

Hewlett-Packard Development 

Company, L.P. 

www.hptechnologyforum.com 

Alesha Irvin 

Trade Show Sr. Associate 

(312) 673-5899 



Mandalay Bay Resort 

& Casino 

Las Vegas, NV 

21,900 nsf 



Consumer Goods & Retail Trade 

The Clean Show 

John Riddle 

Riddle & Associates 


www.cleanshow.com 

404-876-1988 






200,000 nsf 



Dental 

Florida National Dental Convention 

Florida Dental Association 

www.floridadental.org 

Cathi Lundgren 

Convention Manager 

850-681-3629 



Gaylord Palms Resort 


Orlando, FL 

50,000 nsf 





Visit www.SMART-reg.com 

or call (888) 999-9169 

We Serve as an 

Extension of Your Team 



Education, Training, Science & Research 

American Society for Engineering 

Education - Annual 

ASEE 

www.asee.org 


International Microwave Symposium 

MP Associates, Inc. 

www.ims2009.org 

Scott Williamson 

Sales & Marketing Manager 

202-331-3549 

Nancy Cummings 

Exhibit Manager 

303-530-4562 x124 





Austin Convention Center 

Austin, TX 

Boston Convention 

& Exhibition Center 

Boston, MA 

19,000 nsf 



100,000 nsf 



MiaGreen - The Miami Green Expo 

& Conference 

Show Winners Corporation 

www.miagreen.com 

Jose Garcia 


305-412-3976 



Miami Beach 


Miami, FL 

50,000 nsf 



National Association of College & 

University Business Officers - Annual 

MRA Services 

www.nacuboannualmeeting.org 

Jo Hopkins 

Exhibit Sales Manager 

425-636-1639 



John B. Hynes Veterans 

Memorial Convention Center 

Boston, MA 

35,000 nsf 



National Educational 

Computing Conference 

International Society of 

Technology in Education 

www.center.uoregon.edu/ISTENECC2009 

Donella Ingham 

Director of 

Conference Services 

541-434-9590 



Walter E. Washington 


Washington, DC 

132,000 nsf 



SkillsUSA TECHSPO 

SkillsUSA 

www.skillsusa.org 

Shelly Coates 

Associate Director 

703-777-8810 



Municipal Auditorium Arena 

Kansas City, MO 


Exhibitors Not Supplied 


Electrical & Electronics 

Electrical Apparatus Service 


EASA 

www.easa.com 

Dale Shuter 

Meetings & 

Exposition Manager 

314-993-2220 x3335 



America’s Center 

St. Louis, MO 

35,000 nsf 



InfoComm 

InfoComm International 

www.infocommshow.org 

Jason McGraw 

Sr. Vice President of Expositions 

703-273-7200 x3310 



Orange County 


Orlando, FL 

450,000 nsf 



Photonic Applications, Systems 

& Technologies 

Optical Society of America 

www.phastconference.org 

Melissa Russell 

Exhibit Sales & 

Promotional Opportunities 

202-223-8130 



Baltimore Convention Center 

Baltimore, MD 




PhotonXpo, the Exhibit at CLEO 

Optical Society of America 

www.cleoconference.org 

Crystal Krason 

Sales Manager 

202-416-1428 




Baltimore, MD 

59,500 nsf 



Exhibition & Meeting Industry 

Affordable Meetings West 

Kirsten Young 

J. Spargo & Associates, Inc. 

Sr. Dir., Meeting Logistics Div. 

www.jspargo.com 

703-631-6200 



San Jose McEnery 


San Jose, CA 

27,500 nsf 


700 Attendees 

Healthcare Convention Exhibitors 


The Kellen Company 

www.hcea.org 

Abby Freeman 

Meetings Manager 

404-252-3663 



Tampa Convention Center 

Tampa, FL 

50,000 nsf 


700 Attendees 

Financial, Insurance & Legal Services 

Florida Credit Union League - Annual April Brown 

Florida Credit Union League 

VP, Marketing 

www.fcul.org 

850-576-8171 x1162 



JW Marriott 

Grande Lakes Resort 

Orlando, FL 

28,000 nsf 



LegalTech West Coast 

Incisive Media Events 

www.legaltechshow.com 

John Klein 


of Operations 

212-457-7903 



Los Angeles 



15,000 nsf 












Financial, Insurance & Legal Services (continued) 

Million Dollar Round Table - Annual Rhonda King 

Corcoran Expositions, Inc. 


www.ihs.mdrt.org 

312-541-0567 



Indiana Convention Center 

Indianapolis, IN 

12,500 nsf 



Technology Management 

Conference & Exhibit 

Securities Industry & Financial 

Markets Association 

www.events.sifma.org 

Diana Serri 

VP, Exhibit & 

Sponsorship Sales 

212-313-1258 



Hilton New York 

New York, NY 




Food & Beverage 

Alimentaria Mexico 

E.J. Krause & Associates 

www.alimentaria-mexico.com 

Guadalupe Olvera 

Sales Manager 

525-510-8716 50 





345,000 nsf 



Dairy-Deli-Bake Seminar & Expo 

International Dairy·Deli·Bakery Association 

www.iddba.org 

Carol Christison 


608-310-5000 



Georgia World 

Congress Center 

Atlanta, GA 

150,000 nsf 



Institute of Food Technologists - Annual 

IFT 

www.am-fe.ift.org 

Tracy Garcia 


312-782-8424 



Anaheim Convention Center 

Anaheim, CA 

200,000 nsf 



NASFT Summer Fancy Food Show 

National Association for the 

Specialty Food Trade 

www.fancyfoodshows.com 

Roger Grant 

Operations Coordinator 

646-878-0137 





New York, NY 

320,000 nsf 

1,400 Exhibitors 


Oklahoma Petroleum Marketers & 

Convenience Store Association - Annual 

OPMCA 

www.opma-oacs.com 

Candace McGinnis 

Director of Meetings 

& Publications 

405-842-6625 



Cox Business Services 


Oklahoma City, OK 




School Nutrition Association - Annual 

SNA 

www.schoolnutrition.org 

Crystal Harper-Pierre 

Exhibit Management Specialist 

703-739-3900 x140 



Mandalay Bay 

Resort & Casino 

Las Vegas, NV 




Southwest Foodservice Expo 

Texas Restaurant Association 

www.swfoodexpo.com 

Mel Forehand 

Vice President Expositions 

512-457-4100 



Dallas Convention Center 

Dallas, TX 




Government & Military 

Georgia Municipal Association - Annual 

GMA 

www.gmanet.com 

Yalonde Tanner 

Advertising & Exhibit Mgr. 

678-686-6239 



Savannah International 

Trade & Convention Center 

Savannah, GA 




Government Fleet Expo & Conference 

Bobit Business Media 

www.governmentfleetexpo.com 

Jean Fritz 

Events Manager 

310-533-2561 



Crowne Plaza Denver 

International Airport 

Denver, CO 

6,000 nsf 

50 Exhibitors 

500 Attendees 

Maryland Municipal League - Annual 

Maryland Municipal League 

www.mdmunicipal.org 

Steven Lopes 

Exhibit Coordinator 

410-268-5514 



Ocean City 


Ocean City, MD 

21,500 nsf 



U.S. General Services 

Administration Expo 

MC 2 

www.expo.gsa.gov 

John Bassett 

Account Manager 

770-745-1001 



Henry B. Gonzales 


San Antonio, TX 




World Conference on 

Disaster Management 

Diversified Business 

Communications Canada 

www.wcdm.org 

Chuck Wright 

Group Event Director 

905-948-0470 



Metro Toronto 

Convention Centre 

Toronto, ON 

18,000 nsf 



Home Furnishings, Interior Design & Landscaping 

National Lawn & Garden Show 

National Lawn & Garden Show 

www.nlgshow.com 

Bob Mikulas 

President 

719-488-0226 



Hyatt Regency 

Atlanta, GA 

25,000 nsf 

65 Exhibitors 





Flexibility to Handle Your 

Unique Requirements 




Home Furnishings, Interior Design & Landscaping (continued) 

Neocon 2009 World’s Trade Fair 

Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. 

www.merchandisemart.com 

Mark Falanga 

Sr. Vice President 

312-527-4141 



Management, Education, Training, Human Resources Science & Research 

& Networking 

Society for Human Resource 

Elizabeth Ambacher 

Management - Annual 

Exhibit & Sponsorship Mgr. 

SHRM 

703-548-3440 

www.shrm.org 

Manufacturing & Packaging 

EXPO PACK Mexico & PROCESA Shane Poblete 

E.J. Krause & Associates 

U.S. Contact 

www.expopack.com.mx 

301-493-5500 





Merchandise Mart 

Chicago, IL 












183,000 nsf 



The International Plastics Showcase, 

ANTEC, Business of Plastics, et al. 

The Society of the Plastics Industry 

www.npe.org 

Gene Sanders 


202-974-5250 




Chicago, IL 

950,000 nsf 



Medical Design & Manufacturing East, 

ATX East, East Pak, et al. 

Canon Communications LLC 

www.devicelink.com/expo/colocated_ 

events/east.html 

Joshua Dome 

Director of Sales 

310-996-9427 



Jacob K. Javits Center 

New York, NY 

220,000 nsf 



METALFORM Mexico, Weldmex & 

Fabtech Mexico 

Precision Metalforming Association 

www.metalform.com 

Amy Primiano 


216-901-8800 



Cintermex 

Monterrey, NL 

15,500 nsf 



Western Manufacturing Technology 

Show & Conference 

Society of Manufacturing Engineers 

www.sme.org 


888-322-7333 



Northlands 

Edmonton, AB 




Medical & Healthcare Products 

Abilities Expo: Chicago 

David Korse 

Abilities Expo 

CEO 

www.abilitiesexpo.com 

310-450-8831 x130 



Renaissance Schaumburg 

Hotel & Convention Center 

Schaumburg, IL 

25,000 nsf 



American Academy of Nurse 

Practitioners - Annual 

Meeting Management Associates 

www.aanp.org 

Holly Pullis 


607-674-2666 



Gaylord Opryland Resort 


Nashville, TN 

50,000 nsf 



American Diabetes Association 

Scientific Sessions 

A. Fassano & Company 

www.scientificsessions.diabetes.org 

Warren Plank 

Event Contact 

856-232-2322 









American Physical Therapy 


APTA 

www.apta.org 

Sarah Driver 


703-706-3223 




Baltimore, MD 




American Society for Metabolic 

& Bariatric Surgery - Annual 

ASMBS 

www.asmbs2009.org 

Pat Watson 

Convention Director 

352-331-4900 



Gaylord Texan Resort 


Grapevine, TX 

30,000 nsf 



Association for the Advancement 

of Medical Instrumentation - Annual 

AAMI 

www.aami.org 

Ed Leonardo 


& Expositions 

703-253-8280 




Baltimore, MD 

25,000 nsf 



Diabetes EXPO San Antonio 

American Diabetes Association 

www.diabetes.org 

Audra Lee 

Associate Director 

210-829-1765 



Alamodome 














Medical & Healthcare Products (continued) 

Healthcare Financial Management Kristina Galloway 



Corcoran Expositions, Inc. 

312-541-0567 

www.hfma.org 



Washington State 

Convention & Trade Center 

Seattle, WA 




Optometry’s Meeting 

American Optometric Association 

www.optometrysmeeting.org 

Jim Goodman 


800-365-2219 



Gaylord National Resort 






Western Podiatric Medical Congress 

California Podiatric Medical Association 

www.thewestern.org 

Andrea Carrick 


916-448-0248 



Disneyland Resort Hotel 

Anaheim, CA 

13,360 nsf 



Pharmaceuticals 

American Society of Health-System 

Pharmacists Summer Meeting 

ASHP 

www.ashp.org 

Tana Stellato 

Conference & 

Convention Division 

301-664-8654 



Donald E. Stephens 


Rosemont, IL 




Police, Fire, Security & Emergency Services 

Electronic Security Expo 

Nancy Franco 

AE Ventures 

VP of Operations 

www.esxweb.com 

508-618-4225 




Baltimore, MD 

35,000 nsf 



National Fire Protection Association 

Conference & Expo 

ROC Exhibitions, Inc. 

www.nfpa.org 

Paul Niemiec 


630-271-8210 




Chicago, IL 

72,500 nsf 



National Sheriffs’ Association - 

Annual 

NSA 

www.sheriffs.org 

Ross Mirmelstein 

Director, Meetings 

703-836-7827 



Broward County 


Ft. Lauderdale, FL 

150,000 nsf 



New York State Association of 

Fire Chiefs - Annual 

NYSAFC 

www.nysfirechiefs.com 

Sue Revoir 

Conference Manager 

518-477-2631 



Turning Stone 


Verona, NY 




Police Security Expo 

Sitework Associates 

www.police-security.com 

Miles Watkins 

Expo Coordinator 

215-794-2700 



Atlantic City 


Atlantic City, NJ 




SAFETY 2009 

Hall-Erickson, Inc. 

www.asse.org 

Mike Weil 


630-434-7779 









Security Canada West 

Canadian Security Association 

www.securitycanadaexpo.com 

Steve Basnett 

Dir., Trade Shows & Events 

905-513-0622 x224 



Real Estate, Business Opportunities & Land Development 

BOMA International Conference Vicki Cummins 


& The Every Building Show 

Associate Show Manager 06/30/2009 

Building Owners & Managers 

888-777-6956 

Association International 

www.bomaconvention.org 

River Rock 

Casino Resort 

Richmond, BC 

Pennsylvania 




70 Exhibitors 

500 Attendees 

47,500 nsf 



National Apartment Association 

Education Conference & Exposition 

NAA 

www.naahq.org 


703-518-6141 



Mandalay Bay 


Las Vegas, NV 

70,000 nsf 



Sporting Goods & Recreation 

International Bowl Expo 

Wendy Jones 

Bowl Expo 

Meetings Manager 

www.bowlexpo.com 

888-649-5585 x30 



Mandalay Bay 


Las Vegas, NV 

150,000 nsf 





Visit www.SMART-reg.com or call 

(888) 999-9169 

We never 

miss a shot 

Providing Fail-Safe Registration and Lead Retrieval with 

Passionate Customer Service for over 24 Years 



Sporting Goods & Recreation (continued) 

National Athletic Trainers 

Lindsey Anderson 



NATA 

800-879-6282 x111 

www.nata.org 


Toys, Hobbies & Gifts 

International New Age 

Trade Show - West 

KJ Expositions, Inc. 

www.inats.com 

Susie Hare 


303-368-0060 








Denver Merchandise Mart 

Denver, CO 

53,000 nsf 



35,000 nsf 



Waste Management 

Air & Waste Management 


A&WMA 

www.awma.org 

Louise Wallach 

Director, Sales & Programs 

800-270-3444 



Cobo Center 

Detroit, MI 

22,000 nsf 



WasteExpo 2009 

Penton Media 

www.wasteexposhow.com 

Marc Acampora 

Sales Director 

203-358-9900 



Las Vegas 


Las Vegas, NV 

245,000 nsf 



Water, Energy & Power 

American Association of Petroleum 

Geologists - Annual 

AAPG 

www.aapg.org 

Randa Reeder-Briggs 

Sr. Mgr. of Conventions 

918-584-2555 




Denver, CO 

80,000 nsf 



American Water Works 


AWWA 

www.awwa.org 

April DeBaker 

Director of Conventions 

& Education 

303-794-7711 



San Diego 


San Diego, CA 




GO-EXPO Gas 

& Oil Exposition 

dmg world media 

www.petroleumshow.com 

Monte Sumner 

Exhibit Sales Manager 

403-209-3555 



Stampede Park 

Calgary, AB 




International Fuel Ethanol 

Workshop & Expo 

BBI International 

www.fuelethanolworkshop.com 

Michael Clarke 

Director of Conferences 

& Trade Shows 

701-738-4974 




Denver, CO 

135,000 nsf 



International Operating 

Conference & Trade Show 

International Liquid 

Terminals Association 

www.ilta.org 

Renita Gross 


202-842-9200 



George R. Brown 


Houston, TX 

30,000 nsf 


Attendees Not Supplied 

North American Heating 

& Energy Expo 

New England Fuel Institute 

www.nefi.com 

Tracy Goodwin 

VP, Director of Events 

617-924-1000 



John B. Hynes Veterans 

Memorial Convention Center 

Boston, MA 

32,500 nsf 



PV America 

J. Spargo & Associates, Inc. 

www.events.jspargo.com 

/seia09/public/enter.aspx 

Paul Bascomb 

Exposition Sales Manager 

703-631-6200 



Pennsylvania 



60,000 nsf 



Turbo Expo 

American Society of 

Mechanical Engineers 

www.asmeconferences.org/te09 

Judy Osborn 

Manager, Conferences 

& Expositions 

404-847-0072 



World Marriott Resort 

Orlando, FL 

20,000 nsf 



West Coast Energy 

Management Congress 

Association of Energy Engineers 

www.energyevent.com 

Ashley Clark 


770-447-5083 x211 



Long Beach 


Long Beach, CA 






Industry Events 

By Nicole Burnes, assistant editor May 2009 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday friday saturday 

31 

1 

2 

Amelia Island, FL 

3 

4 

5 6 

7 

8 

9 

American Business 

Media (ABM) 

Annual Conference 

May 3-6, 2009 

Ritz-Carlton, 

Amelia Island, 


Rowlands 

Valley Forge, PA 

Miami Beach, FL 

10 9 

11 

12 

13 

14 15 

16 

National Coalition 

of Black Meeting 

Planners (NCBMP) 

Spring Conference 


Radisson Hotel, 

Valley Forge, PA 

American Society of 

Association Executives 

(ASAE) & The Center 

2009 Finance & 

Business Operations 

Symposium 


L’Enfant Plaza Hotel, 


L’Enfant Plaza Hotel 

U.S. Travel 

Association (USTA) 

International 

Pow Wow 


Miami Beach Convention 

Center, Miami Beach, FL 

17 

2009 Venue 

Management 

Association (Asia & 

Pacific) Limited (VMA) 

Congress & Showcase 


Surfers Paradise Marriott 

Resort & Spa, Surfers 

Paradise, Queensland 

19 

Surfers Paradise, Queensland 

20 

21 

Hatch 

22 

23 

24 

25 26 

IMEX ‘09 


Messe Frankfurt, 

Frankfurt, Germany 

27 

28 

Meetings Technology 

Expo Chicago 

May 28, 2009 

Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 

More Details 

American Business Media (ABM) 

Annual Conference 


Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, 


www.americanbusinessmedia.com 

Event Management: ABM, 

(212) 661-6360 

National Coalition of Black 

Meeting Planners (NCBMP) 

Spring Conference 


Radisson Hotel, Valley Forge, PA 

www.ncbmp.com 

Event Management: NCBMP, 

(202) 628-3952 

Frankfurt, Germany 

American Society of Association 

Executives (ASAE) & The Center 

2009 Finance & Business 

Operations Symposium 


L’Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington, DC 

www.asaecenter.org 

Event Management: ASAE & 

The Center, (202) 626-2723 

U.S. Travel Association (USTA) 

International Pow Wow 


Miami Beach Convention Center, 

Miami Beach, FL 

www.tia.org 

Event Management: USTA, 

(202) 408-8422 

2009 Venue Management 

Association (Asia & Pacific) 

Limited (VMA) Congress 

& Showcase 


Surfers Paradise Marriott 

Resort & Spa, 

Surfers Paradise, Queensland 

www.vma.org.au 

Event Management: VMA, 

(61) 7 3870 4777 

IMEX ‘09 


Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany 

www.imex-frankfurt.com 

Event Management: IMEX/Regent 

Exhibitions, Ltd., (44) 1273 227311 

Sirk 

Meetings Technology 

Expo Chicago 

May 28, 2009 

Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 

www.meetingstechexpo.com 

Event Management: Meetings 

Technology Expo, (212) 956-4720 

Chicago, IL 

Who’s Where 

n Sharon Rowlands, CEO, Penton Media, will 

participate in the CEO Roundtable at ABM’s 

Annual Conference Tuesday, May 5. 

n Martin Sirk, CEO, International Congress 

& Convention Association, will present 

“Creativity – The Quest for Our Industry’s 

Holy Grail” on Tuesday, May 26 at IMEX ’09. 

n Michael Hatch, senior vice president of 

marketing and sales, a2z, Inc., will present 

a session on networking and matchmaking 

systems at Meetings Technology Expo 

Chicago on Thursday, May 28. 


Exhibition Services & 

Contractors Association 

The Exhibition Services & Contractors Association is dedicated to the advancement of 

the exhibition, meetings and special events industry. Through the education, 

information exchange and level of professionalism shared by our members and their 

clients, ESCA promotes cooperation among all segments of the industry. 

Since 1970, ESCA has provided a unified voice for service contractors and their partners in 

the exhibition industry. ESCA now has more than 175 members throughout the United 

States, Canada and Mexico, and maintains alliances with IAEE, SISO, TSEA, CIC, EITF and 

CEIR to promote the exhibition industry and our member benefits. 

ESCA is: 

· The association for firms engaged in providing services and materials for 

the trade show, exhibition, convention and meetings industry. 

· The contractors’ voice in the exhibition service industry. 

· A clearinghouse for the exchange of information between members and all 

other entities of the vast exhibition and convention industry. 

· Your source for leading general service contractors, specialty contractors, 

facilities, independent contractors, labor organizations and their suppliers. 

· Your source for information and assistance in the current business climate. 

Exhibition Services & Contractors Association 

2340 E Trinity Mills Road #100 

Carrollton, TX 75006 

469.574.0698 

www.esca.org 


Parting shots 

Gone global. 

TSE Vice President/Associate Publisher Irene 

Sperling networks in Kuala Lumpur with the 

leadership of the Bangkok International Trade 

& Exhibition Centre (BITEC) at the UFI 

Open Seminar in Asia 2009. L to R: Dr. Prasarn 

Bhiraj Buri, president & CEO, BITEC; Irene; 

Panittha Buri, director of marketing & sales; 

and Pitiphatr Buri. 

Pacific Portrait. 

The top-ranking representatives of the major 

companies and associations in the Asia- 

Pacific exhibition industry were out in force 

at the UFI Open Seminar in Asia, including 

Peter Brokenshire (third from right), general 

manager of the Kuala Lumpur Convention 

Centre, which hosted the conference. 

Riveted. 

Shown here, some of the more than 200 

delegates from 26 nations and regions 

of the world who attended the UFI Open 

Seminar in Asia. The event will be held in 

Taiwan next year. 


The key to 

business success 

is no secret... 

it’s service 

At United, we feel so strongly about that 

very concept, we included it in our name 

United can provide cleaning, security and temp services anywhere, 

anytime and for any size event. 

Call us today and find out why over 1,500 hundred shows and events, 

dozens of hotels as well as public facilities each year use United 

Service Companies. With over 40 years of experience in the trade 

show and event industries, we are recognized by show managers 

across America for providing great service and for being cost effective. 

We understand your event has to be perfect. With United’s dedicated 

staff available 24/7, we are committed to the success of your event. 

Contact Richard Simon at United Service Companies 

(312) 922-8558 • rsimon@unitedhq.com 

United National Maintenance, Inc. • United Maintenance Company, Inc. • United Temps • United Security Service 


People 

David 

Peckinpaugh will 

step down as CEO 

of the San Diego 

Convention & 

Visitors Bureau June 

30. Peckinpaugh 

joined the bureau 

as CEO in 2006. A 

replacement was not 

Peckinpaugh 

immediately named. 

Peckinpaugh was previously chief 

marketing officer of Conferon Global 

Services, which later became Experient, 

Inc. Reach David at (619) 232-3101 or 

dpeckinpaugh@sdcvb.org 

Index to Advertisers 

Boston Convention Marketing Center 

www.advantageboston.com . . . . . . . .p.5 

George R. Brown Convention Center 

(Houston, TX) 

www.houstonconventionctr.com . . . . p.35 

Daytona Beach Area Convention 


www.daytonabeachcvb.org........p.31 

Exhibition & Convention 

Executives Forum (ECEF) 

www.eceforum.com .............p.14 

Exhibition Services & Contractors 

Association (ESCA) 

www.esca.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.63 

George Fern Company 

www.georgefern.com. ...........p.39 

Georgia International 

Convention Center (College Park, GA) 

www.gicc.com ..............Cover 3 

GES Exposition Services 

www.ges.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 2 

Greater Houston Convention 


www.visithoustontexas.com .......p.11 

Stephanie 

Selesnick was 

named president of 

International Trade 

Information, Inc., 

a boutique show 

organizing firm 

specializing in the 

internationalization 

of trade shows. 

Selesnick 

Stephanie was most 

recently executive vice president of the 

Southern California firm and is active 

in the Society of Independent Show 

Organizers (SISO) and International 

Association of Exhibitions and Events 

Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Bureau 

www.visitlasvegas.com............p.3 

Messe Dusseldorf (Dusseldorf, Germany) 

www.messe-duesseldorf.de . . . . . . . p.18 

Mexico Tourism Board 

www.visitmexico.com............p.15 

Myrtle Beach Convention Center (FL) 

www.myrtlebeachconventioncenter.com. . p.27 

Orange County Convention Center 

(Orlando, FL) 

www.occc.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.7 

PrivilegedAccess.tv 

www.privilageaccess.tv . . . . . . . . . . p.42 

San Antonio Convention 


www.visitsanantonio.com .........p.13 

Sands Expo & Convention Center 

(Las Vegas, NV) 

www.sandsexpo.com .............p.9 

SMART-reg International, Inc. 

www.smart-reg.com .........p.54-61 

SMG 

www.smgworld.com..........p.43-50 

(IAEE). She succeeds Denyse 

Selesnick, who will remain active in 

the company as chair of its board of 

directors. Reach Stephanie at (818) 591- 

2255 or stephanie@intltradeinfo.com 

Michael Leven was named president 

and COO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation 

effective April 1. Leven, who has been on 

the company’s board of directors since 

2004 and has a 48-year career in the hotel 

industry, replaced William Weidner, who 

left the company. Leven will oversee all U.S. 

and international operations. Reach Michael 

at (702) 414-1000 or michael.leven@ 

venetian.com 

Donald E. Stephens 

Convention Center (Rosemont, IL) 

www.rosemont.com ..........Cover 4 


www.tradeshowexecutive.com ..p.51-53 

TWI Group Inc. 

www.twiglobal.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.19 

United Service Companies 

www.unitedhq.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .p.65 

Who’s Who Among 

Media Advisory Services 

Berkery, Noyes & Co., LLC 

www.berkerynoyes.com ......p.40 & 41 

Corporate Solutions 

www.corporatesolutions.net .......p.41 

DeSilva+Phillips 

www.mediabankers.com . . . . . . . . . p.41 

The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc. 

(JEGI) 

www.jegi.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.41 


Our guests get here from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport 

in just 2 minutes, comfortably and free of charge, 

by the Automated People Mover. 

THE GICC. ENJOY THE RIDE. 

Automated People Mover begins service fall 2009 

400,000 TOTAL SQUARE FEET | 150,000 SQ. FT. EXHIBIT HALL 

40,000 SQ. FT. BALLROOM | 32 MEETING ROOMS 

3 EXECUTIVE BOARD ROOMS 

90,000 SQ. FT. OF PRE-FUNCTION SPACE 

17 COVERED LOADING DOCKS | 2,000 SURFACE PARKING SPACES 

8,500 HOTEL ROOMS IN VICINITY | 2 MINUTE RIDE FROM AIRPORT 

WWW.GICC.COM 


Stephens Center Rosemont, IL 

840,000 Sq. Ft. of Exhibit Hall Space 

92,000 Sq. Ft. of Flexible Meeting Area 

5 Minutes from O‛Hare Airport 

Easy People to Work With 

Low Exhibitor Service Rates 

Short Walk to Over 4,000 Hotel Rooms 

Smart 

New Front 

Entrance 

(847) 692-2220

the April 2009 Issue in PDF Format - Trade Show Executive

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