Friday, July 1, 2011

Defining Solutions and Industry Best Practices the Goal

ASAE, ESCA, IAEE, SISO Leaders Announce First All-Exhibition Industry Summit:


"Defining Solutions and Industry Best Practices the Goal"

DALLAS, 29 June 2011 - The leaders of four exhibitions and events industry associations today announced that an All-Exhibition Industry Summit meeting would soon take place for the purpose of creating a set of Guiding Principles that will define industry best practices.

Chuck Grouzard, President of the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA), John H. Graham IV, CAE, President and CEO, ASAE, Vinnie Polito, Chairman of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and Sean Guerre, Chairman of the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) jointly disclosed that they will be inviting two elected leaders from each of the associations that are active in the exhibitions and events industry in the United States to attend the Summit. The industry-wide summit would be "a precedent-setting and long-overdue breakthrough," they added.


Grouzard says, "There have been many piecemeal attempts throughout the years to define those practices that are essential to the efficient and fair conduct of business in the exhibition industry. While we applaud all of those past attempts the fact remains there are too many troublesome issues that demand a common and agreed to set of understandings. We believe it is now time for the entire industry to come together. Anything less than a broad and comprehensive industry effort is destined to fail."


"A joint initiative across our sector is imperative to the future of the industry we represent," said ASAE President and CEO John H. Graham IV, CAE. "Now, more than ever, we need to put our brains together to come up with guidelines to streamline our operations and ease the many processes that guide the work of our industry as we work together on today's challenges and prepare for future opportunities."


"The stresses of the Great Recession and the anemic economic recovery ever since make it essential for all of the segments of the exhibition industry to consider how we might adapt ourselves and our industry to the new realities that lie ahead," Guerre added. "The pressures to do our business efficiently have never been greater. There has never been a more appropriate time to do this than now."


Speaking for IAEE, Vinnie Polito pointed out, "If all of the organizations in our industry set aside our respective organizational egos and devote our full attention to crafting real solutions that will withstand time and further economic stress we will have contributed something very important to our members and the customers that they all serve. We know that if the will is there we can achieve great things."


Among the organizations that will be invited to participate in the summit meeting are the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR); the Corporate Event Marketers Association (CEMA); the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI); the Exhibitor Appointed Contractors Association (EACA); the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA); the Healthcare Exhibitors Association (HCEA); the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM); the International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing (ICEEM); the International Exhibition Logistics Associates (IELA); the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA); and the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA).


The summit is likely to take place in October at an agreed to location for a day and a half. An independent professional facilitator will be retained to help guide proceedings. Invitations will be issued within several days.

About ESCA

ESCA is dedicated to the advancement of the exhibition, meeting and special events industries. Through the education, information exchange and level of professionalism shared by members and their customers, ESCA promotes cooperation among all areas of the exhibition industry. Visit www.esca.org


About ASAE

ASAE is a membership organization of more than 22,000 association executives and industry partners representing more than 11,000 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. With support of the ASAE Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession, and provides resources, education, ideas and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. For more information about ASAE, visit www.asaecenter.org.


About IAEE

Since 1928, IAEE continues to provide quality and value to its members through leadership, service, education and strong relationships. IAEE is the largest association of the exhibitions and events industry in the world, with a membership of show organizers, exhibitors and exhibition suppliers. Organizers of more than 20,000 exhibitions and buyer-seller events around the world are members of IAEE. Through the 2006 consolidation with the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), IAEE delivers valuable industry research reports. IAEE also supports IAEE Services, the IAEE Public Events Council, The International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing, and the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission, which are IAEE councils that provide products, programs and information to members. IAEE recognizes its strategic partners: American Airlines, ASP, Inc., Bearcom, Mexico Tourism Board, Orange County Convention Center and Visit Orlando, Vertical Nerve, Inc. and VoiceLogic. Visit www.iaee.com for more information.


About SISO

The Society of Independent Show Organizers' (SISO) members are represented by their respective Presidents, CEO's and Owners and twice a year meet to exchange ideas, share experiences and launch industry-wide projects. The SISO CEO Summit and Executive Conference are for strategic planning in April and tactical implementation in August. SISO represents more than 125 member companies that produce over 3,000 shows annually and range in size from smaller entrepreneurial businesses with shows in hotels and community centers to companies with billion dollar global portfolios that take over entire city facilities. SISO member companies produce shows in just about every industry sector. Please contact: Lewis Shomer, Executive Director, 2601 Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90405: (310) 450-8831; www.siso.org; lshomer@shomex.com

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