News
Sep 17, 2016
In early 1917, a few amusement park and other outdoor entertainment representatives gathered at the Congress Hotel in Chicago with the goal of establishing an association for the industry. The following year, the National Outdoor Showmen’s Association (NOSA) was officially formed.
When exhibits first appeared at the second Annual Convention, there were only three manufacturers featuring new amusement devices. But the following year, there were 45 exhibits and the trade show element was official.
During those early years, the convention moved around to various hotels within Chicago, the… more
Sep 12, 2016
Atlanta-based Shepard Expositions, a provider of trade show general services contractor and event production services, has expanded their service offerings by acquiring Virginia-based Aquarian, a producer of corporate events and large-scale entertainment shows.
“By adding live event production to our portfolio of services, we’ll be in the position to more completely meet the needs of our clients as they look to more fully integrate all aspects of their events into a cohesive experience for their participants,” said Carl Mitchell, president of Shepard.
He added, “Aquarian brings a full… more
Sep 09, 2016
By Elizabeth Johnson
With the rise of digital entertainment options and the fall of attention spans, now just eight seconds on average, engaging attendees beyond a trade show or event has never been more important, or challenging. Year-round attendee engagement has become critical for building a strong event brand and maintaining attendee retention rates.
On Event Manager Blog, Kerry Creaswood explained how engagement adds power to events. She wrote, “Event marketing is no longer about creating sales pitch opportunities. It’s about getting customers to form a connection with a… more
Sep 06, 2016
The trade show industry has a history of being generous to its surrounding communities, and a few companies recently have lent a helping hand to those in need.
SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals, based in Hauppauge, N.Y., continues to be a strong supporter of Long Island Cares, the nonprofit organization based in the same town and founded by the late Harry Chapin, which brings together resources to benefit the hungry on Long Island and meet other vital humanitarian needs.
SmartSource, which has a longstanding tradition of raising funds and volunteerism on behalf of Long… more
Sep 06, 2016
The Future of Events was meant to be a launch, scheduled Aug. 22-24 in Amsterdam, but every starter event’s worst nightmare occurred when organizers decided they needed to cancel it a month beforehand.
A stellar line up of speakers had been scheduled, airline tickets and hotel accommodations were made. Despite the last-minute setback, some long-time event professionals banded together and decided to hold a brand new event any way, and it would all be online.
“(We didn’t want) to lose the chance to have a brain date with the thought leaders of our industry that were scheduled to come to this… more
Sep 03, 2016
The 2016 Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo was held Aug. 28-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The show has been running for 80 years, first as part of the California Restaurant Association, and currently with Urban Expositions.
“Our show is designed for anyone who is looking to learn about new trends in the industry,” said Ron Mathews, vice president, Urban Expositions. “But the show is also great for gaining knowledge on business tactics and growth. We cover both the art of menu preparation and cooking and the science of business profitability.”
This year’s show brought roughly… more
Sep 01, 2016
Still marking the 24th consecutive quarter of growth, the overall trade show industry’s upward trajectory has slowed down some during the second quarter of 2016.
Mirroring the sluggish macro economy and declining corporate profits, the trade show industry’s performance, as measured by the CEIR Total Index, posted a modest year-on-year gain of 1.6 percent in Q2 of this year, compared with 3.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015 and 2.6 percent in the first quarter of 2016.
"The slower growth in the second quarter is a temporary setback,” said CEIR Economist Allen Shaw, Ph.D., Chief Economist… more
Aug 30, 2016
Frontline employees from Phoenix’s visitor industry now are better equipped to communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals thanks to the city’s recent hosting of the 53rd Biennial National Association of the Deaf Conference.
In advance of the conference, which was held at the Phoenix Convention Center July 5-9, the National Association of the Deaf teamed with deaffriendly to conduct a two-hour workshop focused on deaf-friendly customer service.
More than 200 travel and hospitality professionals attended the workshop, including staff from Visit Phoenix, the Phoenix Convention Center… more
Aug 23, 2016
International Pizza Expo, a pizzeria business-to-business trade show owned by Emerald Expositions, will launch a new two-day trade show at the Atlantic City Convention Center that will focus on pizzerias and Italian restaurants.
“This is in no way a replacement to Pizza Expo for East Coast pizzeria operators and their staffs, but more of an opportunity to let them be a part of this regional two-day experience,” said Bill Oakley, group show director – Food Group. “Most of our eastern U.S. attendees have two days of travel in order to attend the Expo, making it difficult to attend the entire… more
Aug 23, 2016
Trade Show News Network is excited to announce the five finalists for our TSNN “Best of Show” awards. We asked the shows to simply tell us why they felt their show was ‘best’, and the ones below exemplified innovation in the trade show industry.
Now, they need all of YOU to vote for which one you think deserves to be named the overall BEST show. The overall winner will be announced at the TSNN Awards Oct. 29 in Atlantic City, N.J,
The TSNN Awards honors the top 50 fastest-growing shows in the U.S. during a three-day weekend celebration.
The deadline to vote is Sept. 16.
Below are… more
Partner Voices
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