Industry Associations Guide

Ask anyone and they'll tell you: Even the smallest of tradeshows requires a ton of work from a multitude of people to come off without a hitch. They take months of planning by organizers, meeting and travel scheduling by exhibitors and buyers, booth designing and manual construction by craftsmen, along with audiovisual wiring, catering, seminar content compiling and all the logistical hauling of exhibits to the facility which itself must be maintained and booked.

With this much effort demanded from so many people, it's no wonder the tradeshow industry claims its fair share of associations to help adjust to changing times and address the needs of its many members. And, with so many meetings, convention and exhibition industry associations to choose from, all with snappily concise acronyms, the task of distinguishing one well-meaning organization from another can appear daunting. Yet, knowledge is power, and just figuring out where to go, how to get there and who to talk to when arriving can save oodles of time and money.

The following is a list of some of the major U.S.-based industry associations and their contact information.

American Society of Assn. Executives (ASAE)

1575 I St. N.W. • Washington, D.C. 20005 • (202) 626-2723 • www.asaenet.org • asae@asaenet.org • John Graham, President

Members are association executives and their suppliers … Offers ongoing education to those in leadership positions at associations; produces one of the industry's largest annual conventions and exhibitions … Planning to merge with cross-town counterpart, the Greater Washington Society of Assn. Executives

Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR)

2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Suite E 1002 • Chicago, Ill. 60616 • (312) 808-2347 • www.ceir.org • ceir@mpea.com • Douglas Ducate, President and CEO

Made up of companies in all segments of the exhibition industry … Compiles and distributes research intended to promote value and benefits of the tradeshow industry … Private-sector association management firm SmithBucklin will take over managing CEIR by end of this month

Computer Event Marketing Assn. (CEMA)

19 Intermediate Unit Drive, Suite 203 • Coal Center, Pa. 15423 • (724) 938-0432 • www.cemaonline.com • cema@cemaonline.com • Trinette Cunningham, Executive director

Many members are exhibit managers from tech firms … Reaching out to larger information technology events industry – event managers, marketing professionals, show managers and industry associates … Focus is on networking and education … Following dot-com bubble burst at the turn of the century, CEMA rallied members to conduct audits and otherwise improve the performance and measurement of their events

Convention Industry Council (CIC)

8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300 • McLean, Va. 22102 • (703) 245-9030 • www.conventionindustry.org • mpower@conventionindustry.org • Mary Power, President and CEO

Consortium of 30 different convention, meeting, tradeshow, travel and tourism organizations … Each group selects a single representative to participate in CIC activities … Focus is on industry problems, development of industry-wide programs and promotion of the scope and effectiveness of tradeshows … CIC's latest initiative, the Accepted Practices Exchange, or APEX, aims to standardize paperwork and processes across industry

Exhibit Designers & Producers Assn. (EDPA)

5775-G Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Suite 500 • Atlanta, Ga. 30342 • (404) 303-7310 • www.edpa.com • edpa@edpa.com • Peter Dicks, Executive director

Exhibit designers/producers, systems manufacturers, show service contractors, exhibit transportation companies and other exhibit service providers … Goal is to improve its members' tradeshow marketing programs with educational, leadership-building and networking activities … In an effort to foster tomorrow's tradeshow professionals, EDPA sponsors an annual student design competition

Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Assn. (EACA)

2214 N.W. Fifth St. • Bend, Ore. 97701 • (541) 317-8768 • www.eaca.com • jimwurm@eaca.com • Jim Wurm, Executive director

Membership encompasses all exhibitor-appointed contractors, including I&D, exhibit transportation, audiovisual, floral, furniture, photography and security companies … Originally conceived as the little guy's answer to ESCA (then dominated by the Freemans and GES's of the world), EACA now counts among its members the large general contractors, who also sometimes act as exhibitor-appointees … Offers education, safety awareness, career development and a nationwide networking forum for showfloor professionals

Exhibition Services & Contractors Assn. (ESCA)

2260 Corporate Circle, Suite 400 • Henderson, Nev. 89074 • (877) 792-3722 • www.esca.org • info@ESCA.org • Susan Schwartz, Executive director

General service contractors, specialty contractors, unions and labor organizations, floor managers and suppliers … Attempts to promote cooperation throughout all areas … ESCA and EACA recently cooperated on the development of best practices guidelines

Greater Washington Society of Assn. Executives (GWSAE)

1300 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. • Washington, D.C. 20004 • (202) 326-9500 • www.gwsae.org • general@gwsae.org • Susan Sarfati, President and CEO

Until recently, members were association professionals based in Greater Washington, D.C. area, home base for many major national and international organizations … Set to merge imminently with big sister ASAE … Annual Springtime, one of fastest-growing industry events, moved this year to Washington Convention Center from hotel ballroom

Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Assn. (HCEA)

5775-G Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Suite 500 • Atlanta, Ga. 30342 • (404) 252-3663 • www.hcea.org • cwilson@kellencompany.com • Carol Wilson, Director of meetings

Exhibiting companies, supporting vendors and associations in the health care industry … Managed by the Kellen Co., HCEA has been busy lately keeping tabs on national regulations affecting the way health care companies market themselves … Hosts one of the industry's largest annual conventions and exhibitions

Hospitality Sales & Marketing Assn. Intl. (HSMAI)

8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300 • McLean, Va. 22102 • (703) 610-9024 • www.hsmai.org • bgilbert@hsmai.org • Robert A. Gilbert, President and CEO

HSMAI produces the Affordable Meetings series of tradeshows around the country, targeted primarily at meeting planners … Members are hospitality industry executives who want to improve their business strategies while promoting the art and science of hospitality marketing management

Intl. Assn. for Exhibition Management (IAEM)

8111 LBJ Fwy., Suite 750 • Dallas, Texas 75251 • (972) 458-8002 • www.iaem.org • news@iaem.org • Steven Hacker, President

Arguably the largest association in the tradeshow industry … Puts on the industry's biggest annual event, Expo! Expo!… Goal is to provide education, services and resources for exhibition managers and industry suppliers … Board's current plans are for IAEM to evolve from a professional association to a more advocacy-based trade group

Intl. Assn. of Assembly Managers (IAAM)

635 Fritz Drive, Suite 100 • Coppell, Texas 75019 • (972) 906-7441 • www.iaam.org • dexter.king@iaam.org • Dexter King, Executive director

Comprised of public assembly facility managers … Works to advance the development and general awareness of public assembly facilities … Busier than most since Sept. 11, revising and disseminating security procedures and practices

Intl. Assn. of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB)

2025 M St. N.W., Suite 500 • Washington, D.C. 20036 • (202) 296-7888 • www.iacvb.org • info@iacvb.org • Monique Helstrom, Manager of meetings and events

Members are CVBs and various destination management organizations … Conducts research, provides education and develops resources and partnerships … Over the last year has responded to blame and scandal many CVBs have been subjected to during the economic downturn with a series of white papers and conferences addressing sales and booking practices

Major American Trade Show Organizers (MATSO)

11786 Valley Ridge Circle • Fairfax, Va. 22033 • (703) 691-9348 • www.matso.org • meg@ellashow.com • Meg Ellacott, Managing director

Has about 100 representatives from 32 member organizations … All put on some of the largest tradeshows in North America … Goal is to address developments and challenges surrounding the organizing of these gargantuan events … Low-profile group is in the middle of a revitalization, evidenced by the appointment of Ellacott and launch of a new Web site

Meeting Professionals Intl. (MPI)

4455 LBJ Fwy., Suite 1200 • Dallas, Texas 75244 • (972) 702-3000 • www.mpiweb.org • rrobichaud@mpiweb.org • Ricky Robichaud, Meeting and tradeshow planner

Planners, suppliers and students in the meetings profession … More than any other industry organization, MPI addresses the needs and interests of women and minority professionals … Has concentrated recently on a major expansion into the European meetings business … Puts on nation's largest annual gathering of meeting planners

Natl. Assn. of Consumer Shows (NACS)

147 S.E. 102nd St. • Portland, Ore. 97216 • (800) 728-6227 • www.publicshows.com • info@publicshows.com • Michael Fisher, Executive director

Approximately 300 members, all of whom organize, manage or supply consumer shows … Formed to encourage the growth and sophistication of consumer show organizers and the staffs of the industries that support them

Professional Convention Management Assn. (PCMA)

2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1001 • Chicago, Ill. 60616 • (312) 423-7262 • www.pcma.org • nolson@pcma.org • Nancy Olson, Vice president, meeting services

Associations and other nonprofit organizations involved in meeting, convention and exposition planning … PCMA produces the largest annual meeting of convention planners

Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO)

7000 W. Southwest Hwy. • Chicago Ridge, Ill. 60415 • (708) 361-0900 • www.siso.org • siso@tradeshownet.com • Mary Beth Rebedeau, Executive director

Made up of owners and senior officers who produce shows, conferences and expositions for for-profit companies … Seeks to maximize its members' profit potential and professional growth through peer support, strategic positioning, networking, educational programs, research studies and communications … Started years ago as a splinter group of IAEM members who felt their needs as for-profit managers weren't being addressed … Currently being sought out by IAEM board for a possible reunion

Trade Show Exhibitors Assn. (TSEA)

2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1005 • Chicago, Ill. 60616 • (312) 842-8732 • www.tsea.org • tsea@tsea.org • Keith Ogulnick, Education and meetings director

Members are exhibit and event marketing managers and industry suppliers … Intended to give members an edge in exhibiting success through its many components … TSEA hosts annual gathering of exhibit managers, TS2, rivaled only by publishing company-produced Exhibitor Show