Feb 10, 2016
Last year was a good one for Global Experience Specialists, with the recent earnings report indicating that GES scored a 14.6 percent increase in Q4 revenues, from $213.4 million during the same quarter in 2014 to $244.5 million last year.
In addition, GES’ full-year revenues also saw a 3.4 percent increase, from $944.5 million in 2014 to $976.9 million last year.
“We had a very good 4th quarter for both of our businesses,” said Steve Moster, Viad president and CEO. He added that the 4th quarter beat expectations, and the full-year results were in line with expectations.
For the full-year,… more
Feb 10, 2016
With the North American International Auto Show officially wrapping up at Detroit’s Cobo Center recently, this marks the end of a $279 million, five-year transformation at the venue.
Highlights of the project includes adaptive reuse design of the old arena that incorporates 45,000 square feet of outdoor flex space, which includes a large terrace now called Cobo Square.
Starting this spring, the terrace will be used for programming that includes art fairs, exercise and yoga, biergartens and other elements designed to connect Cobo Center to the community and the downtown Detroit culture.
It… more
Feb 09, 2016
VNU Exhibitions has announced its acquisition of Aquarama and Pet Asia from UBM Exhibition Singapore Pte Ltd. Aquarama is a trade show covering fish, invertebrates, plants and related accessories.
Pet Asia was launched in 2007 as a collocated event to extend the show coverage to other pet supplies and services. VNU will be the exhibition organiser of both Pet Asia and Aquarama, beginning with the 2016 edition.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Aquarama has been held in Singapore biennially since 1989. As an immediate effect of the acquisition, Aquarama will become an annual… more
Feb 09, 2016
During a specially convened session of the Executive Committee (Committee) Jan. 27, the Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association (HKECIA) voted unanimously to appoint Stuart Bailey, managing director of Diversified Communications Hong Kong, as the chairman of the association for the remainder of the current term which runs until June 2016.
Bailey replaces Javed Khan, Mega-Expo, who resigned his position on health grounds earlier this month.
The committee wishes to sincerely thank Javed for all of the time and effort that he gave in discharging his duties as chairman.… more
Feb 09, 2016
Everyone’s talking about “big data” these days, but exactly what does that involve?
Thanks to a variety of technology tools, shows now have the ability to collect a wealth of information about attendees: demographics, interests, social media details, job title/role, number of years attending, buying authority, time spent on the show floor (and in what areas), reasons for attending, other shows attended and more.
Having all this data provides insight into who really is participating in the event and how to find others who are similar. It also offers the opportunity to make adjustments and… more
Feb 09, 2016
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s (the Centre) 10th anniversary year in 2015 turned out to be a banner one for international high-profile events at the venue.
These included; the Global Food Safety Conference 2015; 18th Human Genome Meeting 2015; 26th and 27th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits; and the 128th International Olympic Committee Session, to name a few. These contributed to the Centre’s 2015 total of 1,230 events which attracted close to 1.8 million delegates.
Since its opening, the Centre has hosted 11,199 events, welcomed close to 19.4 million delegates and contributed over RM6… more
Feb 09, 2016
Reed Exhibitions Greater China made its mark in China with successful completion of the nation’s first-ever marketing certification program for exhibition industry professionals.
The Reed Exhibitions Greater China (RXGC) Marketing Certification Program, launched in March 2015, was designed with the specific aim to educate and certify marketers. It supports Reed’s vision to build a strong marketing and digital DNA within the company by developing a pool of marketing talents, and provides recognition for knowledge and skills that are critical to employees’ marketing success.
Throughout 2015,… more
Feb 08, 2016
Music blasting from loudspeakers that pumped up the standing-room only crowd who cheered on the more than 20 contestants of the Bricklayer 500 World Championship, in which 800 bricks are placed in an hour flat, was just one of the many exciting opportunities offered to attendees of World of Concrete.
The show, which ran Feb. 2-5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is owned by Informa Exhibitions, was a huge hit overall, drawing its largest attendance in seven years, according to Tom Cindric, vice president at Informa.
The unaudited attendance numbers were tracking an 8-10-percent… more
Feb 04, 2016
MC² (“MC-squared”), an exhibit, event and environment design and production agency, has acquired Brand Promotions, an experiential marketing and brand activation company.
The addition of Brand Promotions expands MC²’s growth opportunities within its existing trade show and events portfolio by offering expanded experiential marketing tours capabilities, according to MC² officials.
“We’re delighted to welcome Brand Promotions to the MC² family. They are a proven leader and creative force in the experiential marketing space. They are a great, hard-working team who share… more
Feb 03, 2016
Private equity firm Sentinel Capital Partners bought Marketplace Events, which organizes home and garden shows in the United States and Canada. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We are very excited about our investment in Marketplace Events," said Michael Fabian, a partner at Sentinel. "We seek to invest in niche market leaders, and Marketplace Events is the clear leader in the North American home and garden show industry.”
He added, “Moreover, the business was extremely resilient during the 2008 economic downturn and should benefit from positive tailwinds in the home remodeling and… 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