Running On All Cylinders

In 1992, Jennifer Hoff — now Natl. Trade Productions' vice president of conferences and operations — told her friend Tamara Christian about a contract job doing market research analysis at her office. With an MBA from George Washington University and experience analyzing research, Christian seemed like a perfect fit for the position.

Was she ever. Since then, Christian has worked her way up the NTP ladder — to executive director of managed shows in 1998 and president in December 2000. Today, she oversees the company's three proprietary shows, its 20 managed shows and a creative services division. Under her leadership, NTP has doubled its portfolio of managed shows, increased revenue by 240 percent and grown its staff by 80 percent.

Recently, Christian spoke with Tradeshow Week Senior Associate Editor Heidi Genoist about her vision for NTP and the tradeshow industry, how it's affected by her personal ethic, and how she happened to be named Woman of the Year by the Washington D.C. chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Question: In the last few years, NTP's proprietary events division has launched GOVSEC, Ready! and U.S. Law Enforcement Conference & Exposition. Why launch instead of acquire?

Answer: Mainly because we had an idea that we really thought could work, and we developed and expanded that idea. It's made more sense to go ahead, take what was successful and brand it, and we'll continue that. Just three years ago, NTP was 22 people. Now we're more than 50. Being smaller means that we can't go out and buy four shows. That's not part of our risk model, but it is part of our vision to own more shows.

Q: What else do you have planned?

A: We're looking into other branding elements of our current shows. But we're always interested in show purchases. If the right thing comes along, we're poised to do that now. It would be our first time, and we'd like to do it.

Q: You have been in a leadership position during a difficult period for both the industry and the economy. How has that affected your business strategy?

A: We got kicked after 9/11. It's harder to get people to the shows and keep exhibitors in the shows. Companies are putting more labor into sales calls, and it's taking longer to get the same number of sales we had before. We're spending more money on attendee marketing. We're looking for ways to do things differently, but there aren't too many. There are certain components that are constant, and you stand out by doing them well.

Q: What have the last several years taught you about tradeshow management in general?

A: No matter what industry a show that you're managing is in, or how differently things are done, there are an incredible number of similarities from one show to another. For every show, there's one major, overriding issue: You want to give exhibitors ROI, and you do that by bringing buyers to the show. If you do that you'll be successful, and if you don't you'll start struggling. It's not rocket science, but it's true across the board.

I've also learned that people who aren't in the tradeshow industry don't understand it at all. At cocktail parties, when you try to tell people what you do, they look at you blankly.

Q: What does that tell you about the industry?

A: I believe we need more self-promotion and marketing — a "Got milk?" type of campaign. We need to educate on a few different levels.

Q: What are those?

A: First, the budget- and decision-makers need to understand what value they're getting when they send their employees to a show to look at new products. Second, they need to understand what value they're getting from exhibiting their products at their shows. Also, we need to make sure people who are now kids in grade school and high school — who grew up with computers — will see the value of face-to-face. This generation will be the driver of this industry 20 and 30 years from now.

Q: How would you do that?

A: That's a huge question. I think I would put together a task force, involving executive directors from Tradeshow Week 200 events, decorators, show management companies, registration companies — representatives from each facet that benefits from the business. I would pull them together to create a mission, an overall objective. Then it would go to, where would the money come from, and how can we convince everyone in the industry to contribute to some type of campaign so that selling it would be possible. They would create a multi-faceted plan depending on how much money they could raise — maybe ads in Fortune, maybe mailings, maybe going to major business events and speaking. There are a lot of avenues to take, but they're expensive and difficult to measure.

It would be tough, but if it were done and did make a difference, a lot more companies would be willing to contribute.

Q: You're active in several exhibition-industry associations. Any plans to increase your involvement?

A: I am a believer in, instead of spreading yourself out thinly, concentrating more. So right now, I'm more involved with SISO and IAEM. The other thing I'm doing, outside the industry, is the Young Presidents' Organization. That's an incredible networking and learning opportunity. I think it is important to see different businesses and how others are developing their strategy outside this industry.

Q: What are the greatest challenges facing organizations like IAEM and SISO?

A: One is extremely high-level education.

Q: Within a mere 12 years, you've worked your way up the ladder to practically the very top of NTP. What's the most important thing you've learned about the company along the way?

A: That we can accomplish anything.

Q: Not everybody can say that about the company they work for. What about NTP made that possible?

A: Teamwork is an important part of our culture — empowerment, the ability to make decisions. We create an environment where people feel it's safe to come together and find a solution, instead of being afraid to make a decision. I think this culture really pushes innovation and new ideas. We get good people and they stay.

Q: You're a triathlete. How do you find time to run, swim and cycle, even as your responsibilities at NTP increase?

A: I believe that good physical health leads to good mental health. Keeping myself physically healthy is one of my top priorities, so working out is a noncompromised part of my schedule.

Q: Are you training for a race right now?

A: No, I still get my workouts everyday, but I haven't had the time to do the full training schedule. But it's not the tradeshow industry that's kept me from doing a triathlon.

Q: What is it?

A: My work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Q: Tell me about that.

A: I've been lucky my whole life. I have a great family and wonderful friends. I love my job and work with (NTP Chairman) Bob Harrar, who supports me unconditionally in everything I do. I'm healthy and happy, and this year I made it my goal to give back.

This society, in its 42 chapters, has five businesswomen and five businessmen go out and raise money for research. When the society approached me, they said to expect it to take a lot of my time. And it did — probably 20 hours a week for 10 weeks. But I went to Bob and told him I wanted to do it, and he was 100-percent supportive. The company formed a committee. We approached the tradeshow industry, and it responded unbelievably. I had 35 donations from companies and 100 or more from individuals. It was an incredible outpouring of support.

Q: How much did you raise?

A: $82,000 in 10 weeks. It was the highest amount among the local chapters — maybe even the most in the entire country.

Q: Why leukemia and lymphoma?

A: It's a cause that's very close to my heart. My great uncle died of leukemia; a 7-year-old cousin died of leukemia. A childhood friend of mine was struck with the disease — it left such an impression on my mind to see this great, energetic, smart kid lying in a hospital dying. One of our client's sons died last year of leukemia.

When the society approached me in November of 2003, I thought about it long and hard and decided it would be too much for me. So, on Dec. 19, I had on my to-do list to call them and tell them I couldn't do it. The day before, I received an e-mail from a friend's husband who told me my friend had just been diagnosed with the disease. So I called the society and told them I would do it with every ounce of my spirit.

The campaign started on March 29. That day, I found out my friend was in remission.

Q: What's it like being a spokesperson for a cause like this?

A: Well, my face will now be on metro buses in D.C. as a thanks from the society for being Woman of the Year. I believe NTP really stood behind that so they could see me getting exhaust fumes blown in my face all day. I'm sure they're all out practicing mustache drawing right now.