New TSEA President: Schuldenfrei Is Ready to Listen
Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 7/11/2005
This year will not be the first time Stephen Schuldenfrei has attended TS2 — The Trade Show About Trade Shows. But it will be the first time he's attended as president of the Trade Show Exhibitors Assn.
TSEA's board of directors named Schuldenfrei to head the association in April, replacing Michael Bandy, who left to start his own business. Schuldenfrei's background includes a mix of show management and association management experience. He took a moment to speak with Tradeshow Week Associate Editor Margo McCall.
Question: What are your main priorities for TSEA?
Answer: We are talking about a number of new publications, mostly done electronically, because most of our members are almost never in their offices. We've already started a lot of them. One of them is News Flash. We're not trying to compete with anybody. We're trying to get the news of interest to our membership base.
We're also beefing up and making a little bit more newsy our semimonthly meeting e-newsletter, our newsletter that used to be on paper.
Q: Is the tradeshow industry rebounding?
A: Every number I see seems to indicate that the face-to-face medium is gaining strength. We're getting back to where we were before 2001. The industry was in a bit of a decline before 9/11, but 9/11 made it much worse than it would have been. We're beginning to see the light, and I don't think it's an oncoming train.
Q: What's on exhibitors' minds these days?
A: Cost control, cost control, cost control. That is the key. Prices are going up, whether it's for floor space or services, and at a rate higher than the rate of inflation.
The dollar amount spent on exhibit marketing against the dollars spent on sales force management is narrowing. If exhibiting costs keep increasing, it may get to a point where marketing executives and chief marketing officers start to say, "Why is this a better medium, and why are we spending all this time and money?"
Q: Do you see audits as a key tool in gauging ROI?
A: I have always said that audits are important, except it sounds so bean-counterish. In a bean-counter race, tradeshows are not the winner. Body counts are not it. What I want are good profiles of attendees, what are they spending. A very good research program is very important.
Q: What will TSEA be doing at TS2 now that the show has been sold to Natl. Trade Productions?
A: At TS2, I will be spending a lot of time in the booth. I want as many people as possible to come in and talk to me. I want to listen. The show will be a little bit bigger than last year and a lot better.
Q: What can show managers do to make exhibitors happy?
A: Keep costs down. Give them good information. Be partners with them, instead of acting as a supplier. Listen to them when there's a problem.
