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AWARDS & SUMMIT: THE 2012 GOLD RUSH

he preeminent trade show organizers in the U.S. were

honored in Washington last month for the hard work and deft touches that made their exhibitions the biggest and best of 2011.

Held October 3-5 at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC, the fi ft h annual Trade Show Executive (TSE) Gold 100 Awards & Summit saluted the 100 largest trade shows of the past year, and then singled out 14 events for their remarkable achievements in social media practices, green initiatives, global participation and economic impact.

“Today’s leaders are working in a new economic and technological landscape,” said Darlene Gudea, president of Trade Show Executive Media Group. “Th e Gold 100 Awards & Summit gathered the best minds in the industry, not only to celebrate their triumphs in 2011 and 2012, but to also lay the groundwork for new directions in 2013.”

Th e 2012 Gold Gala was held for the fi rst time on the East Coast and drew a record attendance of 182 delegates. “Holding the Gold 100 in Washington, DC and moving the event to a slightly later date enabled many leading orga-nizers to participate for the fi rst time,” said Diane Bjorklund, vice president of events. “We hosted 38 people who had not been able to attend in previous years due to schedule confl icts with their shows or their overseas counterparts.”

BY HIL ANDERSON, senior editor and DANICA TORMOHLEN, contributing editor

GoldGoldTrade Show Executive’s

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42 November 2012 | Trade Show ExecutiveContinued on page 44

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2012 Gold RushTRADE SHOW EXECUTIVE'S GOLD 100 AWARDS & SUMMIT RECAP

And The Winner Is…. During the Gold 100 awards dinner, each of the top sponsors “opened the envelope” and presented a trophy to the organizer who produced the largest show; drew the highest global participation; generated the highest economic impact; earned the “Marketing Genius Award;” built the “Greatest Show on Earth;” and more.

Nielsen Expositions, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and CONEXPO-CON/AGG were multiple Grand Award winners at the Gold 100 this year. First-time Grand Award winners included Process Expo, Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, Enterprise 2.0 and techtextil.

Each of the 14 honorees received a crys-tal trophy and the satisfaction of ranking among the very elite in a highly competi-tive awards program. Here is a look at the full list of winners:

Top Show Organizer in No. of Shows: Nielsen ExpositionsIt was close, but Nielsen Expositions took the Grand Award for producing eight Gold 100 shows in 2011: two ASD Las Vegas events; two Outdoor Retailer Markets; Global Shop; Interbike; the KBIS - Kitchen and Bath Industry Show; and Hospitality Design Expo.Largest Trade Show:CONEXPO-CON/AGGCONEXPO-CON/AGG is held once every three years and always makes a big impression. Th e construction-equipment expo, organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, spanned more than 2.2 million net square feet and drew nearly 120,000 registered attendees.

Largest Semi-Annual Trade Show:MAGIC MarketplaceMAGIC is no illusion. Advanstar turns Las Vegas into the fashion capital of the world twice each year. Last year’s February and August shows were both well above 800,000 net square feet. As they say about hemlines, how much higher can they go?

Largest Annual Trade Show:International CESIt wouldn’t be January in Las Vegas without the International Consumer Elec-tronics Show (CES) turning Th e Strip into a giant celebration of the latest gadgets

David Loechner of Nielsen Expositions accepted the Grand Award for "Top Show Organizer" from John Schreiber and Judy Chambers of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Jim Kelly of PRG presented the Grand Award for "The Largest Annual Show" to the team from the International Consumer Electronics Show. (L-R) Kelly, Cindy Hoag, Laurie Lutz and Michael Brown.

Advanstar’s star delegation accepted "The Largest Semi-Annual Show" award for MAGIC Marketplace. (L-R) Leslie Gallin, Tony Calanca and Tracy Harris.

Once a Marine, Always a Marine. USMC vets Rick Simon, Jim Bracken and Charles Baisley reconnoi-ter the tactical situation at the Gold 100 Awards Gala.

Megan Tanel (center) brought the Grand Award for "The Largest Show" home for CONEXPO-CON/AGG. TSE’s Danica Tormohlen and Bob Dallmeyer shared the moment.

Continued from page 40

44 November 2012 | Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com | November 2012 45


and devices. CES topped 1.6 million net square feet, which is particularly impres-sive since consumer electronics are getting smaller every day.

Fastest-Growing Gold 100 Show: PROCESS ExpoProcess Expo really hit its stride in 2011. Th e mega show spanned 231,350 net square feet last year, which was more than double the previous show . . . and that was aft er they parted ways with their previous co-location partner!

Top Show Brand in Number of Shows Worldwide:techtextilMesse Frankfurt has woven an impres-sive global network of eight trade shows under the techtextil brand. Th ree of them are held in China and others run in Germany, India, Mexico, Russia and the United States.

Show That Generated the Highest Economic Impact: International CESTh e crowds and overall buzz generated by the International Consumer Electronics Show are the envy of every trade show manager and city in the world. Nearly 150,000 buyers and sellers jammed Th e Strip in 2011 and anteed up a $158 million eco-nomic impact [non-gaming revenue] into the Las Vegas economy.

Chris Brown (right) of the National Associa-tion of Broadcasters accepts the "Marketing Genius Award" from (L-R) Gregory O’Dell of Events DC and TSE’s Darlene Gudea.

In one of the most competitive categories, the "Best Use of Technology" award went to UBM Enterprise 2.0. (L-R) Steve Anderson and Christie Greenleaf of Freeman, Martin Dye of UBM Canon and Hil Anderson of TSE.

John Gallagher (center) accepted the "The Leading Brand Worldwide" Grand Award for Messe Frankfurt and its techtextil portfolio. Joining John were (L-R) Hil Anderson of TSE, Tammi Runzler of Visit Orlando, TSE’s Kathleen Maloney and Kathleen Canning-Glassman of the Orange County Convention Center.

Darrell Baker and Brien Zamperetti of Choose Chicago presented "The Fastest-Growing Show" Grand Award to David Seckman (right) of the Food Processing Suppliers Association for the tremendous growth of Process Expo.

Charles Baisely (center) of Nielsen Expositions Military Group stepped in to accept "The Greenest Show" Grand Award on behalf of Nielsen's Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. TSE’s Darlene Gudea (left) and Diane Bjorklund did the honors.

Marian Bossard (center) accepted "The Best Use of Social Media" Grand Award for the American International Toy Fair. Philadelphia’s Russell Kice (left) and Kevin Richards presented the award for the Toy Fair’s “Play Happens” game.


Show with the Highest Global Participation: CONEXPO/CON-AGGNo other show on the Gold 100 drew such interest: one out of every four attendees at CONEXPO-CON/AGG hailed from other countries but the universal language was “construction.”

Show with the Best Use of Technology: UBM’s Enterprise 2.0 United Business Media not only embraced technology at its Enterprise 2.0 conference, it jumped in with both feet. Enterprise 2.0 covered the whole social media world by using Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, custom e-mail tools and the latest smart-phone appli-cations to create what UBM called a true social atmosphere.

The Greenest Show: Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Th e concept of carbon off sets may sound

complicated, but Nielsen Expositions mas-tered the program by making it a corner-stone of its Green Steps plan at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. Th e goal was to make the show carbon neutral by encourag-ing exhibitors to pitch in for carbon-off set purchases from green-energy suppliers.

plus an Honorable Mention:Natural Products Expo West/Engredea New Hope Media continues to build the Natural Products Expo brand and its eco-friendly reputation with a laser-like focus on sustainability issues. Th ese ranged from using alternative fuels in all shuttle buses to replacing traditional print directories with digital versions. It was the show’s fi ft h stra-ight Grand Award in the Green category.

Marketing Genius Award:Chris Brown, Executive VP of Conven-tions & Business Operations, NABTh e breathtaking pace of change in the

broadcasting industry draws an eager exhibitor and attendance base but it also forces the NAB Show to adapt to industry needs at a rapidly increasing tempo. NAB has created a “central intelligence agency” of sorts which drills deeply into the broad-casting industry to gather knowledge and preempt pending shift s in the market-place; create personal alliances with con-stituencies critical to the NAB Show; and insure their needs are addressed. Develop-ing and marshaling all of this information is one of the many impressive accomplish-ments of Chris Brown. His success under-scores the importance of implementing creative marketing ideas to adapt to a rapidly changing business world.

Best Use of Social Media: American International Toy FairGetting around in New York is no game, unless it’s Toy Fair Week and you are


46 November 2012 | Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com | November 2012 47Continued on page 48


equipped with “Play Happens – Th e Game.” Th e American International Toy Fair created this community-building game based on social media. It connected the entire toy community and the city by turn-ing Manhattan into a living board game.

The Greatest Show on Earth:International CESSize does not matter when it comes to this Gold Grand Award. It’s all about substance, from global participation to green initiatives to innovative new show management techniques. Th e International Consumer Electronics Show has proven its mettle year aft er year as one of the top-tier exhibitions in the world. Not only does CES draw big international crowds and an army of global exhibitors, the show has also carved out a strong reputation in implementing innovations in trade show management, global marketing, registra-tion technology and social media.

Out and AboutWith a leading cast of the “Who’s Who” in the trade show industry, networking takes center stage. Gold 100 facilitated that process by creating a congenial atmosphere of special events:

� Th e Mixology Challenge & Lunch hosted by former White House chefs Patrice Olivon and Roland Mesnier ended with the creation of the Th yme Bomb by fi ve Gold 100 delegates [see page 46]. Th eir masterpiece was a refreshingly potent herb-laced signature cocktail enjoyed during the Gold Awards reception.

� Th e annual Gold 100 Golf Classic hosted a busload of devotees at the historic Belle Haven Country Club on the banks of the Potomac, not far from George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. Th e team of Brian Tully, Greg O'Dell, Frank Grace and Patrick Langdon turned in the low score and secured 19th-hole bragging rights for the year.

� Th e Good as Gold Opening Reception welcomed returning attendees and new-comers at Vidalia, a fi ve-star restaurant that ranked No. 8 on Washingtonian magazine’s list of Th e Top 100 Restaurants in Washington, DC.

Phil McKay of nGage Events tees off on the fi nal hole of the golf tournament at Belle Haven Country Club.

The teams from Advanstar and Las Vegas celebrate MAGIC's success one of the nation’s largest trade shows. (L-R) Leslie Gallin and Tony Calanca of Advanstar, Craig Erlanger and Judy Chambers of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and Advanstar’s Tracy Harris.

The crowd at the post-Gala afterglow got in some fi nal networking, (L-R) Michiel Glunt and Patrick Langdon of Solar Energy Trade Shows, LLC, and Tracy Garcia of the Institute of Food Technologists.

David Dubois (left), the new president of IAEE, got acquainted at the opening reception with Bob Dallmeyer of TSE.

Claudia Flowers (left) of American Business Media and Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes of Marketing Design Group plunged into the networking whirl at the opening reception.

Richard Einhorn (left) of Production Transport talks shop with Megan Tanel and Dennis Slater of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers at the reception prior to the Gold 100 Gala.

Now We’re Cookin’. Former White House chefs hosted show organizers and sponsors at the Gold 100 Mixology Challenge and Lunch. The contest to create the best original cocktail was a highlight.

The winners were all smiles as they aced the Mixology Challenge. (L-R) Jay Tokosch of Core-apps, Rose Dubrov-ich of onPeak, Sam Spadavecchia of CMAC, TSE’s Carri Jensen and Jim Kelly of PRG.

The opening reception provided a forum for good conversation. A cozy strategic spot was occupied by Sam Lippman, SMG’s Gregg Caren, TSE’s Irene Sperling and Doug Ducate of CEIR.

Tom Shimala of RSNA, Cherif Moujabber of Cre-ative Expos and Charles Baisely of Nielsen Exposi-tion's Military Group catch up at the welcome reception.

Jeff Portman of AMC, Inc. and Rochelle Burt of Lightfair are all smiles as the Gold 100 gets under way.



48 November 2012 | Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com | November 2012 49Continued on page 50

The panel for the “Trending & Spending” session covered the economic outlook for the nation and the exhibition industry. (L-R) TSE’s Frank Chow, Aaron Bludworth of Fern Exposition and Event Services, moderator Darlene Gudea of TSE, Chris Brown of the National Association of Broadcasters and Pat Fallon of CompuSystems.

Panels of PeersEvery year, TSE brings in a solid roster of speakers who are at the forefront of the trends and challenges shaping the exposition industry. Th e November presidential election, the sputtering economy and the art of keeping trade shows at the top of their game were a common thread in most sessions.

� Keynote: Scott McKain, commentator, former CBS anchor, and author of Th e Collapse of Distinction, opened the Gold 100 Summit with a warning that “familiar-ity breeds complacency.” Customers will take you for granted if you take them for granted, he said. Ask yourself, “What is it about this year’s event that makes it com-pelling for a person to attend, given the hectic world and crowded marketplace?” Once you develop the “high concept,” McKain urged the Gold 100 delegates to drive home that point repeatedly in every contact with their customers. “Mindshare precedes market share,” he emphasized.

� New Business Models: Jochen Witt, president of JWC and a past chairman of UFI, moderated the session on new pricing strategies. He said three levers infl uence profi t: cost, volume and price. “Pricing is the most important profi t improvement lever,” he noted. “By increasing your price 5%, you can oft en increase your profi ts as much as 50%.” He further noted that price diff erentiation is important because customers like to have choices.

Nancy Walsh, executive vice president of Reed Exhibitions, noted that Reed is in its second cycle of Choice Pricing, which assigns diff erent prices for booth space based on location and other factors. She presented a case study on a revamp of booth pricing for a show that resulted in a 9.5% increase in revenue.

Gene Sanders, senior vice president of SPI, the Society of the Plastics Industry, briefed the crowd on SPI’s online budget calculator, which enables exhibitors to quickly fi gure out their expenses for exhibiting at NPE. Th e three biggest ticket items are exhibit space, material handling and utilities, and the budget calculator helps them avoid sticker shock when they receive their invoices.

Different Kind of Keynote. Author Scott McKain spoke about the art of differentiation and keeping trade shows unique and a cut above the competition.

The New Business Models session tackled the tricky issue of pricing. Jochen Witt (R) of JWC led the presen-tation that also included Reed’s Nancy Walsh and Gene Sanders of SPI, the Society of the Plastics Industry.

Cherif Moujabber of Creative Expos kept the ball rolling in the “Around the World in 45 Minutes” session. Cherif and other organizers shared their experiences in entering the international market and staying there.

Rod Alberts of the North American International Auto Show talked about strategies for consumer-oriented shows that could be adapted for b-to-b trade shows.

Hollywood’s Michael Villani returned as master of cer-emonies for the Gold 100. Villani kept the proceedings on course and on time with his usual aplomb.

David Ingemie (right) of the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) was the guest of honor for the “Power Lunch” session hosted by TSE’s Bob Dallmeyer (left). David talked about his long run as head of the thriving SIA Snow Show.

Jason McGraw of InfoComm takes part in the audi-ence give-and-take. Questions and comments from the fl oor added to the quality of the Gold 100 Summit.

Rick McConnell of Hanley Wood joins the discussion from the audience. A free exchange of ideas and experi-ences rounded out the points made by the speakers.

Gary Shapiro of the Consumer Electronics Association (left) moderated the popular “Burning Issues” panel. He was joined by (L-R) Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association, Peter MacGillivray of SEMA, Britton Jones of Business Journals, Inc., and Kerry Gumas of Questex Media Group.

Grand Finale. It wouldn’t be a trip to Washington without some political jokes. The Capitol Steps left them laughing with an election-year look at the state of the union.




50 November 2012 | Trade Show Executive


� Burning Issues: Th e popular audience-participation panel led by Gary Shap-iro, president & CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, zeroed in on pesky issues such as air-travel woes and visa processing. Th ere were also concerns voiced about the post-election regulatory and tax environment in the U.S.

Britton Jones, CEO of Business Jour-nals, Inc., characterized the beginning of the year as promising, but then consumer confi dence faded into the “Spring of Disconnect.” He noted, “While economic indicators improved, it didn’t feel like growth would last.” He noted that even though the economy is fragile, there are still many opportunities. “Corporate holdings are three times the size of the fi s-cal stimulus package,” Jones pointed out.

“We need to develop markets and create opportunities where demand ex-ists, regardless of the macroeconomics,” said Kerry Gumas, president & CEO of Questex Media Group. Peter MacGil-livray, vice president of events for SEMA, saw signs of some optimism, with trade show participation growing and ROI on the increase.

Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, said the USTA is intent on increasing visa waiver countries and de-creasing visa wait times. Noting that the USTA is now 500,000 members strong, he said he would like everyone to sign up their staff and members to participate at the grassroots level at [email protected]. “I promise I won’t ask you for money, but if something is threaten-ing the trade show and travel industry, I will let you know about the problem and you can contact your congressman. You have more clout.” � Trending & Spending: TSE Chief Eco-nomist Economist Frank Chow confi rmed the recovery was still poking along at a frustratingly slow pace with ominous slowdowns in manufacturing and house-hold income.

Despite the slow economy, TSE’s Exposition Forecasting Board predicted the trade show industry would end the year with revenue growth of about 5%. “Th e Gold 100 shows proved to be more

venerable than trade shows in general. Net square footage led the way with a 3.7% uptick compared to the modest growth of 1.6% for trade shows across the board,” said Darlene Gudea, president of Trade Show Executive Media Group. Medical shows have been in a rut for the past six quarters, she pointed out.

Aaron Bludworth, president of Fern Exposition & Event Services, believes trade show growth will continue, although slowing from last year’s relatively strong bounce. He said the rate of growth will depend on four factors whose outcome is much harder to predict: election results, stability in Europe, tensions in the Middle East and the fi scal cliff . “Some combina-tions of these factors can move the needle one way or the other,” he said.� Power Lunch: David Ingemie, presi-dent of SnowSports Industries America (SIA) was the on-stage guest of TSE columnist Bob Dallmeyer.

Despite the challenges of holding a trade show in Denver in the middle of Winter, the SIA Snow Show has grown to 49th on the TSE Gold 100 and is the leading show for the skiing and snow-boarding industry.

Ingemie told Dallmeyer and the crowd the personal contact provided by trade shows was more important than ever as the blizzard of information on the Inter-net continues to grow. “Th e more that we are on our smart phones and other de-vices, the more important ‘belly-to-belly’ and eyeball-to-eyeball becomes,” he said.� Consumer Show Powerhouses: Closed-door trade shows can take some tips from consumer-oriented events.

Greg Topalian, senior vice president of Reed Exhibitions’ Pop Culture division, said the line between B-toB and B-to-C was becoming fuzzier and attendees for both types of events were as interested on the overall experience of a show as they were the products and education off ered. “Your attendees are satisfi ed with the show, but are they telling their friends about you?,” asked Topalian, who oversees NY Comic Con and other Reed events that cater to the consumer seg-ment. “Are they in love with your show?”

Rod Alberts, executive director of the North American International Auto Show, said the recessionary speed bump that jarred the auto show in 2008 was a catalyst for a revamp that aggressively courted attendance and media coverage, resulting in bigger crowds and valuable buzz from the auto industry and the media. Alberts traced the steps he took in rebuilding the show from working with exhibitors one- on-one, intriguing the media, courting then-president Bill Clinton to make an appearance, and landscaping the show fl oor with a forest, waterfall and other nature scapes to refl ect the excitement of travel by car. “Success begins at the edge of your comfort zone,” he said. � Around the World in 45 Minutes: Th e fi nal discussion of the day focused on the progress U.S. organizers are making in the sometimes daunting international market.

Show organizers, led by well-travelled moderator Cherif Moujabber, president & CEO of Creative Expos & Conferences, said the rest of the world, Asia in particu-lar, was less mysterious these days but still challenging. “I don’t think there is any one market that is easy,” said Ned Krause, president & CEO of E.J. Krause & Associ-ates, Inc., speaking from the audience.

Some Gold 100 organizers have not ventured into geo-cloning their events overseas but court the international market by bringing overseas buyers and exhibitors to their domestic events. “We had 80 countries represented at our last show compared to 30 in the late 1990s. We targeted the ‘low hanging fruit’ such as Canada and Mexico early on to get some early wins and build on that,” said Chris Nemchek, senior vice president of membership & exhibitions for the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade.

Heading WestTh e Sixth Annual Gold 100 Awards & Sum-mit rotates back to the West coast and will be held September 18-20, 2013, at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA. Save the dates!

Reach Darlene Gudea at (760) 630-9107 or [email protected]


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