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Review All Articles > May 27th 2009 - Vol 12, Issue 21

EACA Showfloor Buzz

Vol. 12, Issue 21, May 27, 2009

EACA NEWS

2009 Hall of Fame Nominees!     The EACA Hall of Fame has been established  to recognized the achievements of those trade show industry exhibit service professionals who have made invaluable contributions to our industry during their careers.    the individual, organization or consortium that has made great contributions to the cause of customer service in the trade show industry.

The Finalists for induction into the 2009 Class of the EACA Hall of Fame are:

Steve J. Barry, Jr., TWI.  Steve has been an active member of the tradeshow industry since 1972.  He started as a labor provider for the one and only air show held in the U.S. at Dulles Air Port in 1972.  From there he formed TWI to provide logistical services for U.S. exhibitors participating in international exhibitions and tradeshows. Under Steve’s leadership, TWI has become one of the leading providers of customs brokerage, return transportation, and related services for exhibitors participating in U.S. tradeshows. 

Tom Mobley, Global Spectrum Tom is the first building manager that opened his door to EACs and the EACA 8 years ago.    He is the innovator of the TEAM - WE approach to resolving issues that come up on the showfloor, and has been successful in getting all parties involved in trade shows in Chicago to work together.   And, the Chicago TEAM model is the template by which all other EACA Chapters guide their actions.

Art Ursin, Poirot /Exhibitors Service of America, Inc/ Metro Exhibitors Service. Art started in the tradeshow industry in the late 1960's and became President of Poirot, a general service contractor in Chicago.  In 1982 he created Exhibitors Service of America and then Metro Exhibitors Service, two of the first EAC's that serviced the Chicagoland area. Art's philosophy about trade show labor was summed up best when he said, “if they say put it on the roof, start building a scaffold".

Mickey Hellberg, Creative Productions.  Mickey started in the tradeshow industry in the early 1960's as an Account Executive for Gateway Exhibits.   In 1965 he became principle shareholder of the merger between Gateway and Creative Productions, and ran Creative as President and CEO from 1973-2000 until its sale to Exhibit Group/Giltspur.   His accomplishments included being the first non-Detroit A.E. to win an automotive account.   Mickey also developed and trained many of our industry’s most successful AEs and Exhibit Designers.

All employees of EACA member companies are eligible to vote.     For complete information on all our nominees and to cast your vote use the official Hall of Fame ballot or simply email your vote to jimwurm@eaca.com.  

Negotiating Directly with Union Members.     The EACA offers the following reminder to its labor contractor members provided to us by our legal counsel.

Under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”), an employer is required to negotiate with a union that represents employees for purposes of collective bargaining.  The union is the legally authorized representative of the employees.  This means that the employer is required by law to negotiate with the union about any and all items related to the wages or benefits paid to employees, their work hours, work rules and working conditions.  Accordingly, it is illegal and a violation of the NLRA for an employer to bypass the union and negotiate directly with employees who are represented by a union about the terms of any individual employee’s wages, benefits, hours, work rules, or working conditions.

EACA Announces 11th Annual Conference!    The EACA is hosting its 11th Annual Conference in Chicago, IL on July 20-21, 2009, in conjunction with TS2.     EACA members are invited to come together to once again to connect with colleagues, develop new skills, and find answers to the business issues that are most critical to your company’s success.    

The EACA 11th Anniversary Conference Schedule contains overview information on all sessions and events.       In addition, the EACA Conference Registration form and Sponsor form has complete information for participating in this year’s event.     If you have difficulty accessing any of this information please send an email to jimwurm@eaca.com.

2009 Intrepid Award Nominees!     The Intrepid Award is awarded to the individual, organization or consortium that has made great contributions to the cause of customer service in the trade show industry.

The Five Finalists for this year's Intrepid Award are:

David Causton, MPEA.      David is the General Manager for McCormick Place in Chicago.

Mia Rampersad / IHA.   Mia is the Vice President of Meetings and Tradeshows for the International Home & Housewares Show.

Renaissance Management.   Renaissance Management is an I&D labor company headquartered in Stone Mountain, GA.

Bob Lessin, Business Rep., Local 831   Bob is the Business Representative for IUPAT Local 831 in Southern California.

David Mihalik, EliteXPO Cargo Systems.   Dave is the President of EliteXPO, a freight forwarding company that services exhibitors nationally.  

All employees of EACA member companies are eligible to vote.     For complete information on all our nominees and to cast your vote use the official Intrepid Award ballot or simply email your vote to jimwurm@eaca.com. 

Unpaid Accounts Back on EACA Web Site.    The EACA Web site has been updated to now accept Unpaid Accounts again.   When you’re ready to add your unpaid account go to the EACA site and access the “Member Tool Kit” which appears under the “Member Info” tab on the top of the page.     You will see a link to “Add an Unpaid Account”.  Click on that link to start the process.

You will be asked to login at this point since this is a part of the site only available to our members.    After you login you will be directed to a page where you can add all the pertinent info about your listing. In the event you had forgotten your User Id  and/or password contact jimwurm@eaca.com.

Once you’re listing has been entered an email is sent to the EACA which allows us to review the listing and approve it for publication.  We add this step to be sure that all information entered is appropriate for publication.

One new feature of the updated system is that all Unpaid Account listings will  automatically expire after 30 days.  That way, all the information on the site will be current.  

We encourage all members to make use of the improved Unpaid Accounts system.

RSMGC Announces 2009 Dates!     The Board of Directors of the Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic has announced the dates of its 15th anniversary event.   This year’s RSMGC will take place on October 12, 2009 (Columbus Day) at the Stone Mountain Golf Club in Stone Mountain, GA.   Be sure to mark it on your calendar!

CHAPTER NEWS

Atlanta Chapter News

Get Out of the Gutter Announcement

The SE Chapter of EDPA has announced that it will host Get Out of the Gutter, its annual event to support the RSMGC, on June 4.    All trade show industry professionals In the Atlanta area are encouraged to support this important RSMGC (Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic) local event.    For more information on “Get Out of the Gutter” contact Sandra Braun at sbraun@nthdegree.com.

Chicago Chapter News

Chicago Randy Announcement

The organizers of the “Chicago Randy” urge everyone to mark their calendars with the date for this year’s event.    The Chicago Randy Golf Outing will take place this year on Monday, August 3.     As usual the event will begin with a 1 pm shot gun start at Maple Meadows Golf Course in Wood Dale, IL.    Additional details about participation and sponsorship will be available in the near future.

NPE2009 – Hanging Signs Now Permitted

In late January, the NPE2009 Committees approved hanging signs as an option for NPE2009. This would offer exhibitors an opportunity to compare costs associated with hanging signs versus use of a floor supported truss system and allow them to select the method that best meets their budget requirements.

The hanging signs rule for NPE2009 is as follows:

Rule 31. HANGING: DISPLAYS, SIGNS, BANNERS

Hanging signs/grid work from the ceiling will be permitted but must comply with facility rules and regulations, as well as applicable show display rules and regulations. Management permits ceiling-hung corporate identification for exhibiting companies occupying 400 square feet or more in an island or peninsula space configuration. Hanging signs will be permitted in South Halls A1/A2, North Hall B1, and West Hall F1/F2 with the exception of the front of the West Hall where the ceiling height is 20 feet. Hanging signs are not permitted in North Hall B2. The bottom of the sign must be a minimum of 12 feet above the floor and the top of the sign must not be higher than 20 feet above the floor in an island booth and not higher than 16 feet above the floor in a peninsula booth. Should the wording on any sign be deemed by show management to be contrary in any way to the Principal Purpose, exhibitor shall make such changes requested by show management and assume responsibility for any expense incurred (also refer to Rule 49, Signs).

It is imperative that all procedures be followed properly:

1.  Management approval is required by April 21, 2009 for all hanging signs (see NPE2009 Booth/Display Approval Form).

2.  McCormick Place/FOCUS One's Hanging Items Approval/Request Form (HM1) is due by May 26, 2009 (please review Hanging Items requirements on page 5 of the McCormick Place Exhibitor and Utility Ordering Guide).

3.  Freeman's Hanging Sign Labor Form is due by May 28, 2009 (also see Freeman's Hanging of Signs in McCormick Place Procedures and Rules).

Las Vegas Chapter News

EDPA Foundation Event Announcement

Please join the EDPA Las Vegas Chapter, working in conjunction with the EDPA Foundation, at The Seventh Annual Tradeshow Industry Education Scholarship Golf Classic on June 12th, 2009. We will have a great day of golf at the beautiful Rhodes Ranch Golf Club in Las Vegas.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Hamilton Exhibits hires MaryBeth Gieser   <Exhibitor’s Daily> Indianapolis-based Hamilton Exhibits expanded its team of marketing specialists with the addition of MaryBeth Gieser as executive account director in Denver.

MaryBeth brings a 25-year career in the exhibit and event industry to Hamilton. She began with management positions at Skyline Exhibits in both Denver and Los Angeles. Professional opportunities allowed her to move into senior management roles at both Abex Exhibit Systems in Los Angeles and, most recently, as minority stockholder and VP of Sales with Proctor Productions in Denver.

Bayside Expo Center in foreclosure <Exhibitor’s Daily>  Lenders are foreclosing on the Bayside Exposition Center in Dorchester, Mass., which is scheduled to be auctioned off on May 28.

The Boston real estate development firm Corcoran Jennison Cos. owns the property.

In 2006, state officials changed the law to allow the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center to book consumer shows that were larger than 250,000 square feet. That change spelled problems for smaller convention centers and was the beginning of the end for Bayside, since it can only accommodate about 235,000 square feet of exhibit space.

TSEA FOUNDATION TO PRESENT RED DIAMOND AND  EXHIBITORS' CHOICE AWARDS AT GALA FUNDRAISER EVENT     The Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA) Foundation will present the Red Diamond and Exhibitors' Choice Awards at the Inaugural Exhibit Industry Education Foundation Gala on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 in conjunction with TS2 2009, Total Solutions Marketing for the Exhibit & Event Professional, in Chicago, IL.  

The Exhibitors' Choice Awards will allow exhibitors to nominate and vote for their preferred shows and vendors.   TSEA is asking exhibitors to submit nominations in any or all categories. Nomination forms can be found at tsea.org <http://m7.tm00.com/r/No3FIxGhEzouqmLf.org> and should be submitted to reddiamondawards@tsea.org by Friday, May 15, 2009.

Voting for the top five nominated companies and shows will take place on tsea.org  from May 20 – June 15, 2009.    The following is a list of categories:

• Favorite Convention Center
• Favorite Exhibit House
• Favorite General Contractor
• Favorite Installation and Dismantling Company
• Favorite Transportation/Freight Company
• Favorite of the Rest
• Favorite Show Manager
• Favorite Show of 2009
• Favorite Show – 50,000 sq. ft and under
• Favorite Show – 50,00 – 100,000 sq. ft
• Favorite Show – 100,000+ sq. ft
  

In addition to the current honors, Distinguished Service, President’s and Chairman’s which are presented at the TS2 opening ceremonies, TSEA will also present the Red Diamond Awards at the Gala.  These awards will recognize outstanding Active and Allied TSEA members and include:

• Exhibit Manager of the Year
• Allied Member of the Year
• Perfect Partner of the Year
• Michael Seymour Chapter Leader of the Year
• Tom Bowman Green Award
• Master’s Award
• Emerging Leader Award
  

For the Red Diamond Awards, TSEA is asking members to submit nominations in any or all categories.  Nomination forms can be found at tsea.org <http://m7.tm00.com/r/DhkAUjKyclhiFt0z.org>  and should be submitted to reddiamondawards@tsea.org by Friday, June 5, 2009.

The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.

---Frank Lloyd Wright                      American architect (1867-1959)

Publisher's statement.   The Showfloor Buzz is a publication of the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association (EACA) which is dedicated to "raising the level of service excellence on the showfloor." 

This publication is sent free of charge to all EACA members each Wednesday, and to non-members four weeks later.   Annual subscriptions to current issues of the Buzz are available to non-members for $49.95.    Please send subscription requests to jimwurm@eaca.com.

EACA members are also permitted to submit job postings to the Buzz free of charge for a one time listing.   Member job postings can be extended for additional weeks in the Buzz as well as posted to the EACA web site.    The costs for extending your job posting are one month for $50, 2 months for $85, and 3 months for $125.

If you have news from the tradeshow floor that you feel is important to the success of our members,  or our industry's customer, the exhibitors, please forward it to the EACA  @ 541-317-8768 or email us @ jimwurm@eaca.com