Industry Joins Tsunami Relief Effort

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 1/31/2005

The exhibition industry has joined in efforts to help South Asia recover from the Dec. 26 tsunami, which killed an estimated 250,000 people and spread destruction over thousands of miles. Response among industry members was widespread:

• About $10,000 was collected at the Jan. 6–9 Intl. CES; cash registers in registration areas were designated for attendee contributions to the American Red Cross Intl. Response Fund.
• Action Sports Retailer and several industry associations raised $40,000 by selling black "Band Together" wristbands to support SurfAid Intl.'s tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia at VNU Expositions' ASR Trade Expo in San Diego, Jan. 14–16. The wristbands are also being sold at VNU's Jan. 29–Feb. 1 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City.
• VNU also contributed €200,000 ($260,000) to Co-operating Relief Organizations, which coordinates relief efforts among such groups as the Intl. Committee of the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and UNICEF. It also established a victims' long-term aid program with matching contributions from its 35,000 employees worldwide.
• Messe Duesseldorf donated half a euro for every square meter rented at boot 2005, 36th Intl. Boat Show (Jan. 15–23), for a total of €50,000 ($65,000). Collection boxes were also at all fairground entrances and central areas.
• The Advertising Specialty Institute, sponsor of The ASI Show!, is matching funds donated by employees and ASI members to tsunami relief through the Red Cross or other relief organizations.
• Exhibit and display company Nimlok contributed $14,000 to the American Red Cross to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Nimlok matched its employees' contributions dollar for dollar.
• Roadway Express and Medco Health Solutions transported over 9 million doses of critically needed medicines to AmeriCare on Jan. 14.
• A booth will be available at the SEMA Spring Expo and SEMA Offroad shows for donations to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Also, members of the Light-Truck Accessory Alliance will make a $1,000 donation to the fund on behalf of Led Foot, a band that will play during the LTAA annual banquet. The shows are being held at the Indiana Convention Center Feb. 4–5.
• The Intl. Assn. of Convention & Visitor Bureaus gave $1,000 to the Tsunami Recovery Fund of sister organization Pacific Asia Travel Assn. Foundation to help rebuild the skills and livelihoods of tourism employees in the affected region. IACVB encouraged all destinations to participate, and urged restraint in travel advisories regarding the affected countries, since tourism operators in many of the areas are ready and able to welcome visitors.
• Participants at three recent ENK Intl. tradeshows — Accessorie Circuit, Intermezzo Collections and Children's Club — donated over $20,000 to children suffering because of the disaster. ENK joined Kids in Distressed Situations in collecting cash donations for World Vision Intl. for shipping to the affected areas of Southern Asia.
• NYC & Co. launched a hospitality industry-wide effort to distribute special donation envelopes to members, industry partners and others so they can make them available to patrons. George Little Management is distributing contribution envelopes at the New York Intl. Gift Fair, Jan. 29–Feb. 3, coordinated through GLM's SOURCES booth in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center lobby. The SOURCES show, held each May in New York City, features some 500 producers of gift and home products, all from outside the United States, with nearly 50 percent from Asia (including many from areas directly impacted by the tsunami).
• Starwood Hotels & Resorts' Tsunami Relief Fund, supported by corporate and individual donations, is helping Starwood employees and communities affected by the disaster. Starwood hotels in affected areas distributed food, clothes and care packages, and donated rooms to relief workers.
• Jewelry design firm Tamba pledged 5 percent of all sales generated at AccessoriesTheShow at Javits, Jan. 9–11, to South Asian tsunami relief efforts. Tamba will also donate 5 percent of all sales generated at the New York Intl. Gift Fair to the effort.
• Freeman is collecting employees' used logo apparel (in good condition) from all its branches. Intl. Relief & Development accepts the clothing, sorts it, and distributes it worldwide, including to regions affected by the tsunami. So far, Freeman has accumulated half a trailer load of clothing.