Longtime Outdoor Retailer Show Director Kenji Haroutunian Stepping Down; Marisa Nicholson Takes New Role

November 6, 2014

Kenji Haroutunian, who has led Emerald Expositions’ biannual Outdoor Retailer shows for eight years, is leaving his post at the end of November.

Marisa Nicholson will step into the show director role. She most recently was Emerald’s group sales director for the Sports Group and has worked with the company for 11 years.

“I really learned a lot working with the company and from its leadership, David Loechner and Darrell Denny,” Haroutunian said.

He added, “Eight years as a show director and 15 with the company, I have no regrets.”

Haroutunian added that he has that same feeling right now as when he’s climbing halfway up a mountain and knows that there’s more ahead of him in his journey to the top.

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market ranked No. 32 on the 2013 TSNN Trade Show List with 516,000 net square feet, with 1,333 exhibiting companies and more than 26,000 total attendees.

The Winter Market ranked No. 40 on the same list, with a 402,909 net sq. ft. showfloor, 881 exhibiting companies and 20,000 total attendees.

Both shows are held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"With the OR team poised for future greatness, the time is right for me to move on," Haroutunian said. "I'm excited to move into my next role. I feel so fortunate to have learned so much about the show and events business."

Emerald Expositions was renamed from Nielsen Expositions after it was bought last year by private equity firm Onex for $950 million. 

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