International Market Is Focus of Fifth ECEF
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 6/12/2006
The June 15 Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum at the Washington (D.C) Convention Center will focus on the international market and making events a success.
Michael Hough, president of MRH Associates, and Sam Lippman, president of integrated show management & marketing, organize the invitation-only gathering for tradeshow executives.
They expect this year's event to draw 150 registrants, a 15-percent increase over 2005, Lippman said. Among them are 75 association executives, 55 independent executives and 20 members of the press or other industry executives. Lippman said that, in order to ensure a strict 5-to-1 ratio of attendees to sponsors, only 23 sponsors would be allowed.
ECEF's aim is to present a wide-ranging discussion of issues affecting conventions, exhibitions, tradeshows and conferences, along with providing networking opportunities.
At this year's ECEF, attendees will get an overview of the international exhibition industry by Sandy Angus, chairman of Montgomery Exhibitions and the Intl. Assn. for Exhibition Management, and Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Assn.
Ellis Booker, editor of BtoB magazine, will interview William Pate, BellSouth chief marketing officer, and Roselle Anderson, Siemens Medical Solutions USA vice president of communications, on their companies' involvement with exhibitions, specifically concerning ROI.
Keynote speakers will be Paul Mackler, president and CEO of Cygnus Business Media, and Barbara Tulipane, president and CEO of the Electronic Retailing Assn.
Tom Conley, former president of the Toy Industry Assn., and Michelle Finn, a VNU Expositions vice president, will discuss keeping events fresh.
Michael Pusateri, COO of the Travel Industry Assn. of America, will talk about her association's strategy in buying TravelCom from JD Events.
Intl. Sign Assn. President and CEO Lori Anderson, Group C Communications President Ted Coene, Rosen Group President Wendy Rosen and Air-Conditioning Contractors of America President and CEO Paul Stalknecht will participate in a panel discussion on how they are responding to their most important challenges.
In addition, ECEF will mark its fifth anniversary with a slide show and recognition for those who have attended all five meetings.
