Planning aheaD
GETTING READY FOR CARLSBAD
THE ESCA Experience
.Our ESCA Board of Directors, and commitees, are working hard to ensure we are ever ready for the next evolution in the tradeshow industry. Coming in March we have our annual Spring Board of Directors Meeting, this year hosted in Houston by ESCA Member the George R. Brown Convention Center. The ESCA Board of Directors will also hold a Strategic Planning Meeting this June. This February the Labor and Management Commitee will be meeting during the Exhibitor Show in Las Vegas. We are excited to annouce new co-Chairs for the term of 2018-2020. Martin Cymbal of Freeman will hold the contractor's seat, and Kevin McLaughlin will hold the labor seat. The council wishes to give a heartfelt thanks to outgoing Chairs, Don Gandolini and Guy Langlais. Thank you both for your hard work and dedication! Our Venue Council will also meet this June during the SEC. More to come!
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It's that time of year! We are hard at working getting ready for the upcoming ESCA Summer Educational Conference. This year's amazing event will be located in beautiful Carlsbad, California at the fabulous Omni La Costa Resort and Spa. Our festivities begin on Sunday, June 24th with a stunning sunset, poolside, reception to welcome all of our attendees. Monday through Wednesday brings us exceptional educational opportunities with some sought after speakers (further detailed on page 8-9). Monday afternoon commences with the UPS Freight ESCA Golf Tournament at the Omni La Costa. There are 36 spectacular holes of golf with over two championship courses. Golf not for you? We got you covered. Our amazing Cort Non-golfer event will be awaiting you. We are still working out the details, look for more information next month! Tuesday afternoon after a day of sessions also holds some amazing activities! You can join us for the Octanorm Deep Sea fishing outing. Climb aboard a chartered boat and test your luck with the seas. The crew aboard will be fixing an amazing lunch to ensure that you can focus on reeling in the big catch! Not a fisherman? Join us for the AFR Kayaking adventure. We will be going to the seaside village of La Jolla. You can spend the afternoon between relaxing on the beach and the park and exploring the waters via kayak. Wednesday our event closes with the elegant closing reception, awards, and silent auction. We have a closing entertainer sure to bring the house down. Look for registration to open this month, we can't wait to see you all there!
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
9 | FEBRUARY ISSUE
esCA Launches new website
on the horizon
Our WIS badging system has proven itself to be easy to use, cost effective and the badge to have for consistancy accross the nation. We currently have 21 venues live with several more going live early this year. This past January the Gaylord Opryland rolled out the program and just this month we are in the process of rolling out San Diego. This April will mark the go live date for the Salt Palace. The industry should see about 10 more venues after that impliment the program before the year is out. For more information about the WIS badging program please reach out to mitt@esca.org.
The Labor and Management Commitee has been hard at work creating a Work Rules in the Event's Industry presentation. Intended for show organizers this program focuses on insulate organizations from law suites and fines, reducing safety risks, avoiding costly labor issues and improving exhibitors event experience. This presentation will be available after it's unveiling at this year's Summer Educational Conference.
What's new with Wis?
I’m am proud to be an ESCA member. I recently was discussing with a client which industry events that we participate in and I mentioned ESCA. After explaining the acronym, his response was “oh, I bet that is a good ole boys club of drinking and what not”. As I began to rattle off the accomplishments of our association we have achieved over the last few years, I noticed how taken back he was that we are an active organization. I spoke with pride explaining that we have developed a nationally recognized badging system that has so many functionalities for safety and accountability. I discussed how we annually contribute to Trade Show Executive Magazine to help organizers and exhibitors better understand labor jurisdictions in different cities in the US. I educated him on the Customer Service Training program we have developed which was created by our Labor Council. I also told him about our regional training sessions such as our “Behind the Scenes Tour” and the Site Inspection Workshop open to anyone in the industry. I walked away from that conversation proud to be President of an organization that truly cares about its industry and to be part of a membership that collaborates so effectively to achieve its goals. I look forward to seeing you all at our Summer Educational Conference. Sincerely, Richard P. Curran President, Exhibition Services & Contractors Association Vice President, Expo Convention Contractors, Inc.
Labor and Management Committe near completion of Work rules training
BEHIND THE SCENE'S TRAINING
We are planning a great event this September in partnership with ESCA, EDPA, IAEE, and PCMA to provide members of all four groups with an educational opportunity at McCormick Place. Plan to attend this informative and interactive event on Wednesday, September 5th from 1:00pm to 4:30pm. The event will also include a behind the scenes tour of the IMTS move-in, followed by a social event sponsored by EDPA. We are excited to provide this amazing program on a complimentary basis to the membership of EDPA, ESCA, IAEE
This month ESCA will be launching a new website thanks to our member partner Streampoint Business solutions and our Website Commitee made up of Cort's Damon Ross, Stronco's Sarah Beig, ESCA's Julie Kagy and ESCA's Mark Murphy. We are so excited to share with you all the new face of ESCA after month's of hard work. Look for it mid-month!
UBM Board agrees to informa offer in tradeshow megadeal
Plans announced for first hotel at tuscon convention center
ADAM BECKETT NAMED CEO OF AGAM
The Salt Palace Convention Center has always placed a high value on security and safety, so it is in this spirite that we will continue to enhance our own practices with time. One area that we hae identified for improvement is our badging and credentialing for contract workers, suppliers and vendors. There are cur badges being used. We want to simplify this practice and bring us in line with other industry leaders as it relates to credentialing workers. (see more by visiting the ESCA Facebook page)
Effective April 2 the WIS badge required for entry into the salt palace convention center
Convene expands footprint in philadelphia
"MEETING PLANNERS UNITE" FORMED TO RESIST MARRIOT'S COMMISSION CUTS
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Rossi Ralenkotter annouced the hiring of Steve Hill to be the president and COO of the organization. The creation of Hill's role completes the corporate restructuring of the CVA that began Jan. 2016. (see more by visiting www.meetings-conventions.com)
The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority has named Michael J. Sawaya(pictured right)as president and general manager of the ENM Convention Center and executive vice president of the Authority. He succeeds Robert L. “Bob” Johnson, who retired on September 25 after ten years of service. (go to www.exhibitcitynew.com for more)
In corporate restructuring, lvcva names new president and coo
Meetings Mean Business Canada Board Elects 2018 Executive Team
ISSA, RAI Restructure Deal to Stimulate Expansion for Cleaning Industry Shows
Downtown Tucson, AZ, is in the midst of a major revitalization. The latest sign of its resuscitation: Real estate developer Caliber plans to build a new 125-room hotel adjacent to the Tucson Convention Center and connected to it. (go to www.successfulmeetings.com for more)
2 | FEBRUARY ISSUE
Meetings Mean Business Canada is pleased to announce the election of its 2018 executive team: Heidi Welker(pictured right), senior VP, business development & industry partnerships at Freeman Audio Visual Canada has been elected as the 2018 chair, Clark Grue, president & CEO of the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre, will serve as vice chair, Reggie Lang, manager, business development groups, conventions & incentive travel at WestJet will serve as secretary/treasurer and Grant Snider, CEO of Meeting Escrow Inc. will serve as past chair. (see more by visiting www.exhibitcitynews.com)
a month in review
Convene, an operator of a network of full-service meeting and event venues, has opened a new floor in the Duane Morris Building, formerly United Plaza, in the center of Philadelphia at 30 South 17th Street. The 29,000-square-foot facility on the 13th floor offers full-service meeting and event space and communal work space, dubbed CityView. Convene already occupies the meeting and event space on the 14th floor of the building; bringing the total footprint in the building to 60,000 square feet. (go to www.successfulmeetings.com for more)
AGAM, designers and manufacturers of the AGAM Modular Display System, a line of pre-engineered extrusions and components interlocking together, has announced the Jan. 11 appointment of Adam Beckett (pictured right) as chief executive officer. Beckett assumed day-to-day leadership of the company and plans to spearhead strategies designed to grow the business and strengthen customer relationships. (go to www.exhibitcitynews.com for more)
ISSA, the leading worldwide cleaning industry association, and RAI Amsterdam, which owns the trade show platform known as “INTERCLEAN” have restructured their agreement to better encourage mutual cooperation as well as pursuing new ventures for their respective industry constituents. The new deal ensures that cleaning industry attendees and exhibitors will continue to have access to the the latest innovations and business opportunities at the industry’s major shows around the world. Under the new agreement, the Amsterdam and Istanbul shows will be part of the RAI portfolio while the cleaning shows in the Americas and Mexico will continue to be ISSA events. The ISSA events will be rebranded beginning with the ISSA Show 2018 in Dallas next fall. The rebranding will include shows in Mexico, Australia and South Africa. No show dates for ISSA or INTERCLEAN will change in 2018.
Michael Sawaya Named President/GM of New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
News of a megadeal to combine two of the world’s largest exhibition companies broke early Tuesday. Board members of UK-based UBM accepted an offer from Informa for a reported 3.8 billion pounds ($5.4 billion). The UBM board will recommend the transaction to its shareholders. If approved, both companies will move forward to create a giant B2B information services group....(see www.tradeshowexecutive.com for more) Disgruntled independent planners rallied quickly following Marriott's Jan. 24 revelation that commisssions for group business in the U.S. and Canada will drop from 10 to 7 percent on new contracts for meetings that take place starting March 31, 2018. Within Days, David Bruce, managing partner of CMP Meeting Services LP in the Dallas area, created a dedicated LinkedIn group, called Meeting Planners Unite, with a correcponding Facebook page. (go to www.meetings-conventions.com for more)
FEBRUARY ISSUE | 5
NEW MEMBERS
Growth
The Exhibitions Services and Contractors Association (ESCA) currently represents 170 individual organizations and thousands of their employees. We are dedicated to the advancement of the exhibition, meeting, and special events industries. Through education, information exchange and the level of professionalism shared by our members and their customers, ESCA promotes cooperation among all areas of the exhibition industry. We can't do that without growth. This means embracing new organizations, up and coming companies, and new innovations. With that in mind we are excited to bring back our "Member get a Member" program. You know what ESCA means for you and your organization. Take a moment to share this with your business partners. For every new member your organization brings aboard a $200 credit off will be applied to your dues. If the new member organization attends the Summer Educational conference we will provide you with an additional $100 credit toward your your SEC Registration fees. Please reach out to mitt@esca.org for more information.
Over 25 years ago, Dave Davlin began bringing smiles to faces with a form of entertainment he developed as a young boy. From NBA and major college arenas across America to the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea— and even to the world-famous Branson Strip— “Travelin” Davlin has entertained people of every age and background. His amazing ability with basketballs even landed his name and picture in the 1990 Guinness Book of World Records. Dave began to hone his speaking skills in the early 90’s as a national speaker in the public schools across America. Combining his entertainment ability with a powerful message, he was instrumental in the fight for education and against drugs. At the advice of friends working in corporate America, Dave began to develop presentations for the corporate and association market and the rest is history. He now speaks at numerous corporate and association conferences each year. From public school students to CEOs, Dave’s message has made a difference in the lives of thousands, and his impact continues to grow each year as he shares his philosophy and wisdom through speaking and writing.
Since 1998, Eric Chester has been the leading voice in attracting, managing, motivating, and retaining the emerging workforce. As an in-the-trenches workplace researcher and thought-leader, Chester has cracked the code on the tactics and strategies companies that are recognized as “best places to work” in their respective industries are using to win the talent wars. Eric Chester has delivered more than 3000 paid keynote speeches on three continents and is a 2004 inductee into the National Speakers Association’s acclaimed Hall of Fame.Companies that have invited Eric back multiple times to keynote annual conventions, conferences and meetings include Harley Davidson, McDonald’s, Sprint, Great Clips, and ALCOA.
Rick Rigsby
Mark J. Lindquist has appeared in ABC's LOST, CBS' Hawaii Five-O and the Universal Studios movie "Battleship." He is a world-touring entertainer who has performed live for over 3 million people in 22 countries and 44 states throughout his career. As a highly sought-after National Anthem singer, he performs for the largest crowds in America for teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Duke University Men's Basketball, the College World Series, the NCAA and in venues such as Madison Square Garden. Mark is a former Sergeant in the United States Air Force and an Afghanistan War Veteran who is based out of Fargo, North Dakota.
Dave DAvelin
#1 Best Selling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in 48 countries and reached 25 million people this decade. His Socialnomics work has been on 60 Minutes, the Wall Street Journal and used by the National Guard and NASA. His book Digital Leader propelled him to be voted the 2nd Most Likeable Author in the World, behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling. What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube helped Qualman be listed by Forbes and Fortune as a Top 100 Digital Influencer. His business books are used in over 200 universities and he has received an honorary doctorate for his groundbreaking work. How to Sell on LinkedIn is becoming mandatory reading for sales teams. Qualman was formerly a siWng professor at Harvard & MIT’s edX labs.
Mark Lindquist
Eric Chester
ESCA is proud to bring you content that not only is entertaining, but that inspires you as leaders and mentors.
SEC 2018 - the Speakers
Dr. Rick Rigsby is President and CEO of Rick Rigsby Communications. The former award-winning journalist followed a television career with graduate school—and two decades as a college professor . . . most of those years at Texas A&M University, where he also served as character coach and chaplain for the Aggies football team. Dr. Rick’s dynamic presentations motivate, empower and inspire worldwide—from Africa and Asia, to the Americas, Europe and Canada. Rick’s audiences include Fortune 500 companies, academic communities, and service organizations. The internationally acclaimed speaker is a favorite among professional sports organizations, including the National Football League and the PGA. Named twice as an outstanding professor in the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M, Dr. Rick has numerous publications. His first non-academic book—Lessons from a Third Grade Dropout—is aUSA TODAY, Wall Street JournalandAmazonbest seller.
Erik Qualman
We'll see ya down the road! Summer Educational Conference 2018 Carlsbad, CA 2019 Santa Fe, NM 2020 Ashville, NC 2021 Coeur d’Alene, ID Winter Awards Celebration & Reception 2018, New Orleans, LA
