After Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas Coast and spurred days of record rainfall resulting in deadly flooding conditions, the doors of Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center opened and currently houses more than 9,000 evacuees.

In addition, Houston’s NRG Center opened last night as a shelter, and the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas also is mobilized so it, too, will be able to take in people as needed.  

Mobile app technology can be an incredible tool for show organizers, especially those platforms that help event professionals streamline their events. As a result, you don’t have to look far these days to find a slew of mobile apps specifically designed to help improve all aspects of the event planning and execution ecosystem.

August was a busy month for hiring and promotions in the trade show industry, with venues, show organizers and general service contractors all adding to their ranks.

The Expo Group has brought on Toby Purdy as Chief Sales Officer.

“Growth at The Expo Group is a constant. We are accelerating at a fast pace as the market moves to overcome the status quo and understands we can solve their challenges with compelling experiences and investment in growing client revenues,” said The Expo Group President and COO Randy Pekowski. 

The International Association of Exhibitions and Events unveiled a new direction for the association after intense board level discussions and approval of a new strategic plan through 2025.

Buzz. All brands need it and events are no exception. Attendees put a lot of faith into their peers’ opinions, putting a level of trust in their perspectives that is higher than any brand could hope to earn independently.

“Brand advocates have become increasingly important within the marketing mix for all events,” said Ed Several, senior vice president at Reed Exhibitions. “Today, the customers we serve often look to influencers within their industry to understand how best to participate in an event.”

While some exhibit manufacturing companies might occasionally tout their fair share of sustainable practices, others are going the extra mile to help alleviate their impact on the environment.

One such company is Orbus Exhibit & Display Group, which has been carrying out intensive recycling efforts for almost a decade in an ongoing effort to divert as much waste as possible from landfill.

Talk to Sheila LeMaster about the environmental movement in the trade show and events industry and it’s clear she has a passion for all things sustainable. As vice president of exhibitor services at Global Experience Specialists in Las Vegas, she is also one of the original members of the company’s Sustainability Council, which works to further the company’s green mission as well as encourage and assist its clients in adopting more earth-friendly practices during their events.

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has announced the appointment of Muhammad Vickneswaran as its new Director of Human Resources (HR).

Vickneswaran is a senior HR professional with more than 27 years’ experience in human resources specifically in the hospitality industry.

Messe Frankfurt India Trade Fair Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of Messe Frankfurt, announced that the company has acquired Screen Print India. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Launched in 1994, Screen Print India covers screen printing, textile printing and digital printing.

The biennial show was previously owned and managed by Aditya Expositions Pvt Ltd. According to Messe Frankfurt India, some 100 exhibitors and 7,000 professional visitors attended the last edition of Screen Print India in 2016.

Informa Exhibitions’ WWETT, a wastewater management show, and the World Pet Association’s SuperZoo snagged top honors for fastest-growing shows in attendance and net square footage, respectively, at the 2017 TSNN Awards Aug. 21-23 in New Orleans.