people-in-the-news

People News: New Hires, Promotions Are Full Speed Ahead Closing Out 2015

Whoever said December was a slow month, might have been wrong when it comes to end of this year’s new hires and promotions, with several companies bringing people on before kicking off a fresh start in 2016.

Global Experience Specialists recently named Wendy Gibson as executive vice president of global marketing.

Gibson is an accomplished B-to-B marketing leader with a high-tech background and brings 25 years of managing all aspects of marketing, including branding, lead generation, product marketing, corporate marketing, digital, social and business development.

People News: Robbi Lycett and James E. Rooney Take on New Gigs, Earl C. Hargrove Passes Away

This past month has been a busy one with several long-time industry figures switching jobs, being promoted or returning to prior places of employment.

In addition, there was the sad news that Earl C. Hargrove, founder of general service contracting firm Hargrove Inc., passed away at the age of 86.

A celebration of his life is planned for April 11, beginning 11 a.m. at St. James’ Church, 5757 Solomons Island Road, Lothian, Md. 20711, followed by internment.

People News: Reed Exhibitions Names New Directors for Travel, Fashion and Vision Shows

Supplier and show organizers alike promoted from within and brought on new personnel for a variety of positions across the trade show industry in the past month.

Reed Exhibitions appointed Nick Pilbeam to the position of divisional director – Travel.

Pilbeam will oversee the travel division under Reed Travel Exhibitions, which includes the International Luxury Travel Market portfolio, World Travel Market portfolio and the newly branded ibtm events portfolio of global and regional events providing business solutions on five continents. 

People in the News: Companies Continue to Add to Rosters in October

Autumn brought a busy time with companies adding sales, marketing, operations and executive positions to their employee rosters.

Shepard Exposition Services added of two new national sales managers to help support its expanding business in the Orlando and Las Vegas markets. Alex Shelton will be based in Shepard’s Las Vegas branch and Tony Diehl in their Orlando branch.

People News: Trade Show Executives Promoted, Some Industry Veterans Retire

June marked a month filled with people news that included long-time industry veterans announcing they were retiring, other trade show professionals being promoted and new hires into some companies.

Tom Mobley, who has served as Global Spectrum senior vice president of Convention Centers since January of 2006, has retired, effective June 30.  

Before joining Global Spectrum, Mobley served as general manager and CEO of the Washington Convention Center Authority in Washington, D.C.

People News: Several CVBs Make Hires, Overall Job Market Brisk

Convention and visitors bureaus all over the United States made several hires in positions ranging from sales and marketing to business development.

In addition, other companies also kept us the brisk hiring pace that has been the trend for the past year.

The Fort Worth (Texas) Convention & Visitors Bureau (FWCVB) named Mitch Whitten as the new vice president of marketing and communications. A long-time resident of Fort Worth, Whitten is set to begin his new position Oct. 2.

Liebensohn Promoted to Exec. Dir. N.Y. Auto Show

Alan Liebensohn was promoted last month to executive director of the New York International Automobile Show from his position of business manager, a post that he held for seven years.

Prior to joining the auto show, Liebensohn was a consultant in the trade show and exposition industry for companies such as George Little Management, Biz Bash Media, COSEP and Curves for Women.

Rotchford Named Portland Expo Center Facility Director

Matthew Rotchford, long-time sales and events manager for the Portland Expo Center, has been named facility director after a national industry search, according to Metro Visitor Venues, which oversees the center.  
He replaces former Director Chris Bailey, who retired in September, after 17 years managing the regional venue.
Metro general manager of visitor venues Teri Dresler said the decision best supports the facility’s expansion into new markets.

1105 Media Hires McKinnon as Vice President of Government Events

1105 Media hired Daniel McKinnon as vice president of government events, which includes the annual flagship government technology FOSE show, which is on tap April 3-5 at the Walter E. Washington (D.C.) Convention Center.

“We are delighted to welcome Daniel,” said Neal Vitale, president and CEO of 1105 Media.  “After an outstanding career with Messe Frankfurt, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team.”

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