CGS Unveils New Organizational Structure
By Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 5/22/2006
Capping months of personnel changes, including the departure of its founder, Conferon Global Services is reorganizing into six teams to address specific service areas.
CEO Ed Shartar said the new structure represents the final step in integrating CGS' separate Conferon, ExpoExchange and ITS divisions.
"We have a new strategy. We have a new organizational structure. In my opinion, we have the ideal leadership team to take this company forward," he said.
The teams will tackle attendee management, customer service, research and contracts, technology implementation, operation services and quality assurance.
Of most importance to show organizers will be the attendee management division, which includes pre-registration, on-site registration, housing and lead retrieval. It will be headed by Senior Vice President David Beckett, who will be based in the Frederick, Md., office.
"That is probably the group that comes closest to the customer," said David Erich, the former British Airways executive who was named two months ago to the newly created position of executive vice president and COO of the firm.
Jeff Clark will head operation services, which covers logistics, facilities and resource scheduling. Denise Farrell, based in Twinsburg, Ohio, will lead the research and contracts group, which is responsible for site selection, contract review, sourcing and research.
Mark Simons, vice president of information technology, was put in charge of the technology implementation group. Executives haven't yet been picked to lead the customer service and quality assurance teams.
Another key appointment came in February when Brad Weaber became chief customer officer of the newly created sales and account management group.
Shartar recalled that when he was hired as CEO of CGS in November 2004, Conferon, ExpoExchange and ITS all operated as distinctly managed entities, each with its own legacy. When Conferon acquired the much-larger ExpoExchange in spring 2003, it opted to keep the brands of the two companies and ITS separate.
"What we're doing is building a new legacy and twisting it a little bit," Shartar said. "Much of what you're seeing is all about the integration of three businesses into one strong entity."
Under the old structure, Conferon provided assistance with site selection, hotel contract negotiations, meeting planning, marketing, and tradeshow sales and management. ExpoExchange offered registration and lead retrieval, and ITS was in charge of transportation and housing services.
The company handles 3,000 events per year, and according to Shartar, would like to be considered "the leading provider of integrated meeting and event services."
Conferon was founded in 1970 by Bruce Harris, who retired as president in February but remains on the board.
