Harris to Retire, but Remain on CGS Board
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 2/20/2006
Bruce Harris, founder of Conferon and president of Conferon Global Services, plans to retire next month but remain on the board.
Harris, who started CGS in 1970 with a $3,000 loan from his parents, will continue to maintain an office in the company's Cleveland area headquarters, and work on industry relations, training and maintenance of customer relationships.
He has overseen the expansion of Conferon through both internal growth and acquisitions. In 1999, Harris sold his majority interest to the Riverside Co. That funded the acquisition of Cramer Event Management in 2000, meetings.com owner Bellwether Group in 2002 and Jackson Marketing Group in early 2003. In May of that year, Conferon combined with the much-larger ExpoExchange to become CGS.
The acquisitions were intended to create a company that provided a broad array of services to tradeshow organizers and meeting planners. CGS now employs 650 people in 11 offices and three divisions. Conferon provides assistance with site selection, hotel contract negotiations, meeting planning, marketing and tradeshow sales and management. ExpoExchange offers registration and lead retrieval and ITS offers transportation and housing services.
Harris became president of CGS when Conferon acquired ExpoExchange. Since then, he has helped oversee integration efforts and conduct an executive search that ended with the selection of Coca-Cola executive Ed Shartar as CEO in November 2004.
A 2004 inductee into the Convention Industry Council Hall of Leaders, Harris was also the 2005 recipient of Destination Marketing Assn. Intl.'s Spirit of Hospitality Award. CGS will mark Harris' career achievements at the company's August annual meeting.
