Reed Expo Shifts Medical Show Managers
By Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 2/20/2006
Reed Exhibitions has made some changes to its medical event groups, placing Senior Vice President Vinnie Polito in charge of global strategy and hiring Diversified Business Communications' Megan Forrester as his replacement.
Polito was chosen to head Reed Medical Education when the show unit was created in late 2004 with sister company Elsevier Health Services. At the time, the company produced two life sciences shows. Reed Medical Education and the North American Healthcare and Life Sciences group by year's end will have five life science and five health care congress events under their belt.
Among the existing shows are the INTERPHEX pharmaceutical manufacturing events in New York and Puerto Rico, and Oncology World Congress, launched last November in New York. The inaugural Community Oncology Conference, held Feb. 8–10, in Washington, D.C., drew 300 attendees.
In his new position as senior vice president for global health care and life sciences strategy and development, Polito will develop an integrated strategy for worldwide business. The move is in keeping with Reed Exhibitions Chairman Mike Rusbridge's desire to develop global businesses and brands.
"We do see a lot of opportunities to grow. But we do have a fairly rigorous process when launching a product. We've already looked at some ideas and passed on them," said Polito, adding that one that passed muster is a women's health event planned for the West Coast next fall.
Forrester will work as senior vice president for the North American Healthcare and Life Sciences group, as well as Reed Medical Education. Previously senior vice president for business technology events at Penton Media, Forrester for the past two years has been managing director of Diversified's five-member incubator group, which last February launched the Intl. Complementary and Natural Healthcare Conference & Expo in New York with 1,200 attendees and 100 exhibitors. A West Coast version of the event was held last October in Los Angeles. A Sydney, Australia, version is slated for April 21–23.
"She combines the ability to manage very large events with the ability to take an idea and a vision and turn it into an event as well," Polito said.
Reed Exhibitions isn't the only show manager exploring the medical events field. M¦C Communications has built up a large roster of medical education events, and Advanstar Communications recently retooled its medical education group.
"There is a lot of competition in the medical event field," Polito acknowledged. "But there's also a lot of need."
Diversified plans to continue the incubator unit, which focuses on show launches. Advanstar Communications veteran Brian Randall, who joined Diversified last year to oversee the company's ethnic food shows, has been named as Forrester's replacement.
"The incubator group concept remains strong under the leadership of Brian Randall, who also heads up our cultural food events," said Diversified CEO Nancy Hasselback.
