News

Apr 06, 2014
In just 11 months since its launch, George Little Management’s NYNOW365, an image-based online product directory, has generated 10,500 leads between buyers and suppliers utilizing the Website to buy and sell home and lifestyle products. Designed to promote and enhance NY NOW™, the Market for Home + Lifestyle (formerly NYIGF®), NYNOW365 currently contains more than 58,000 products from nearly 1,500 NY NOW exhibitors. “Use of NYNOW365 has evolved from its start as a retailers’ sourcing portal to become an active lead generation site for suppliers,” said… more
Apr 06, 2014
Our daily interaction with the world around us involves a number of sensory perceptions including sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. All of these senses combine to provide us with rich, layered experiences that help us engage with the people (and even the objects) around us. If any activity engages only one or two of our senses for a long period of time, we often come away feeling  something in the overall experience was lacking, and that we did not get the most out of the time we invested in it. In an article titled ‘Please touch the merchandise’, the Harvard Business… more
Apr 04, 2014
Last week, when 175 for-profit show organizers got together for the Society of Independent Show Organizers’ CEO Summit at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas there was a definite buzz during the event that plenty of companies were looking to buy and sell. Often in the center of many of those possible deals is The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc.’s managing director, Richard Mead, who has his pulse on exactly what’s happening in the trade show industry M&A market. Mead took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about JEGI’s Q1 2014 M&A Overview that tracks deals… more
Apr 03, 2014
The Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau naming a president and CEO , UBM signing on a new COO in Brazil, Nimlok hiring a digital marketing manager and Urban Expositions restructuring and making several employee shifts are just a few of the recent people news items in the trade show industry. The Commission of the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau appointed veteran hospitality industry executive Karen Williams as the head of the city’s tourism agency.  She assumes the title of president and CEO, after serving as interim following the departure of Jim Wood in… more
Apr 02, 2014
PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, has moved PACK EXPO East 2015 to Feb. 16–18 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, citing the need to meet exhibitor demand. The show originally was scheduled to launch Feb. 2-4. “We expected PACK EXPO East to generate a lot of excitement from exhibitors, but the demand has gone beyond what we hoped for,” said Jim Pittas, vice president of trade shows, PMMI. He added, ““With the show just under a year away, it’s already 40 percent bigger than our original projections. The… more
Mar 31, 2014
Tradeshow organizers are sitting on top of a plethora of data these days. There is data being collected via registrations and housing systems, social media, surveys and mobile event apps. The upside to this digital world and the mountain of data that comes along with it is that shows are able to really drill down into what their attendees, exhibitors and sponsors really want from an event. The downside is that show organizers are sitting on a mountain of data and they have the responsibility of protecting that data. What can show organizers do to protect themselves from a data breach… more
Mar 31, 2014
Las Vegas boasts that events that come to town often see substantial attendance upticks, and this year’s Society of Independent Show Organizers’ CEO Summit, held March 30-April 1 at the Four Seasons Hotel, was no exception. Up 13 percent, compared with the 2013 event in Kiawah Island, S.C., the 2014 event broke attendance records, with 175 show organizers taking in a few days of networking and education. International attendance also hit a new milestone, with 21 countries represented from regions around the world, up from 15 at last year’s event. “We have the… more
Mar 28, 2014
The International Association of Exhibitions and Events selected Doug Ducate, CEM, CMP as this year's "Legend of the Industry" for the IAEE Krakoff Leadership Institute to be held Aug. 2014 and IAEE Krakoff Advanced Leadership Institute to be held Aug. 3-5 in Savannah, Ga. Each year, IAEE selects a "Legend of the Industry" whose contributions, innovation and leadership have been truly unique and remarkable. An informal setting then allows each participant face-to-face interaction with this industry leader. Ducate began his trade show industry career in 1968 at… more
Mar 28, 2014
Event organizers always are looking for ways to tap into the popularity of social sharing tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to spread the word organically about their event. With the launch of Moment.me, a mobile microsite for events, organizers may finally have an inexpensive option that their attendees will actually use. Moment.me works on any mobile device and aggregates live content your attendees are posting on their preferred social media platforms during your event. “The concept behind Moment.me is not to change users habits. Let them use what they are… more
Mar 28, 2014
I recently had the opportunity to attend a live-stream event on the theme "Ignite Marketing Success on Twitter", hosted by  @TwitterSmallBiz and @HootSuite.  Though targeted primarily towards small business marketers, the information provided was just as applicable to any growing brand in a given vertical. I picked up a number of useful tips on how to leverage Twitter to increase website traffic, engage audiences and drive sales. The emphasis was on how to create engaging and personable content, and be successful in increasing the interaction rate for one’s campaigns… more
Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact