Summer hiring was brisk, and now with the busy fall season in full swing, suppliers and show organizers alike are hiring and promoting at an even faster pace than has occurred in the past few years.

Emerald Expositions has promoted three veterans of the trade show industry and long-time members of the NY NOW sales team. Randi Mohr and Scott Kramer have been appointed to the new positions of vice president, show directors for NY NOW, and Allison Garafalo has been promoted to sales director.  These three internal promotions, all of which are effective immediately, include a restructuring of the Market’s senior leadership roles and responsibilities.  

In these new roles, Mohr will assume responsibility for NY NOW’s sales processes and systems management, in addition to her continued direction of NY NOW’s HOME Collection. Kramer will continue to oversee NY NOW’s LIFESTYLE and NEW! Collections, with new additional responsibility for oversight of NY NOW’s HANDMADE Collection as well as the concurrent Artisan Resource.  As part of this restructuring, the role of senior vice president, NY NOW – formerly held by Christian Falkenberg – has been eliminated and both Mohr and Kramer will report directly to Christopher McCabe, executive vice president, Emerald Expositions.  

Allison Garafalo also has been promoted to sales director, with continued responsibility for Artisan Resource and new responsibility for NY NOW’s HANDMADE Collection.  Additionally, Garafalo will play a supportive role with Emerald Expositions’ International Sourcing efforts.  Garafalo will report to Kramer, and Michelle Karol, HANDMADE Sales Manager, now will report to Garafalo.

Destination Marketing Association International has named Charles Jeffers II COO of DMAI, effective Nov. 1. Valencia Bembry has been named executive director of the Destination & Travel Foundation, effective Oct. 1.

The Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau (AOCVCB) recently has hired industry veteran, Vicky Betzig, CMP as senior manager, Client Services, reporting directly to Colleen Cornett, director of Client Services & Housing. 

Naylor Association Solutions has hired John Gallagher, who will focus immediately on building Naylor's event business. Gallagher will work on the continued expansion of Naylor’s event solutions, which includes turnkey management of trade shows and events, exhibit and sponsorship sales and one-on-one appointment-based meetings that bring qualified buyers and suppliers together.

Gallagher has been involved in the trade show and exhibition industry for more than 20 years.  As President and CEO of Messe Frankfurt North America, Gallagher oversaw its U.S. subsidiary, one of the leading trade show organizers in the world.  He produced events in the U.S., Mexico and Canada in the textile, apparel sourcing, environmental, auto parts and accessories industries.

Prior to Messe Frankfurt, Gallagher was senior vice president with E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc. and headed up the Industrial and Commercial Divisions of EJK, consisting of wholly-owned EJK events, joint ventures and association management events. Gallagher had P&L oversight of the Industrial and Commercial Division events, as well as new business development responsibilities.

Fixation Marketing added two new staff members to its Account Services team. Julie Parsons, account manager, will run point for three of Fixation's accounts: Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI). As project coordinator, Brittany Tevis will work closely with both the Account and Creative Services teams to traffic workflow and keep all incoming and outgoing projects organized.

Global Experience Specialists (GES) has grown its U.S. AV team with the addition of 10 seasoned professionals. GES welcomes Ron Cervantes, Casey Cowan, Jeff Marker, Robert Smith, Robert Stover and Randy Will, located in GES’ Irving, Texas, client care center. Asa Crenshaw, Tracey Morrissey, CMP, and Ryan Murphy located in GES’ Chicago client care center, and Shannon Delaney is located in GES’ New Orleans client care center. “It’s exciting to recruit such talented AV professionals to the GES team,” said GES Senior Vice President of Audio Visual Services Paul Wedesky. “Clients are looking to us for their complete live event needs, and adding these experienced technical professionals strengthens the overall GES service offering and our ability to provide the entire experience through one company.”

After six years with NYC & Company, Bernadette Carter has been promoted to vice president, Marketing, for Global Tourism and Convention Development. In this role, she is responsible for developing marketing strategies to position New York City as an inspirational and attainable destination to travel trade and consumers globally, with the goal of increasing visitation. She previously worked as Senior Director, Marketing, for Tourism and Convention Development.

The Helicopter Association International (HAI) has selected Charlotte R. Zilke to be its new director of conventions. As director of conventions, Zilke is responsible for the overall preparation, coordination, and execution of all aspects of the association’s annual trade show and exposition, HAI HELI-EXPO®, the world’s largest trade show and exposition dedicated solely to the vertical lift industry.

SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals has appointed Mark Bailey as an Account Executive. Bailey will focus on meeting the technology needs of associations, for-profit show organizers and general service contractors.