ESCA Changes Drivers

By Heidi Genoist -- Tradeshow Week, 7/3/2006

At its annual meeting in Vail, Colo., June 11–14, the Exhibition Services & Contractors Assn. revealed the outcome of an RFP process for the contract to manage the organization.

The result, which came as a surprise to some ESCA members, was a change in management, from 5-year executive director Susan Schwartz to Larry Arnaudet of the Dallas-based Augusta Group.

Schwartz, who is president and co-founder of Las Vegas-based show management firm ConvExx, had a part-time contract with ESCA, which she said "had really become a full-time job."

ESCA, meanwhile, recognized the need for an executive who could devote him- or herself to the job exclusively. A year ago, the organization enacted a new strategic plan that calls for sweeping reform in its mission and services.

ESCA President Tom Drullinger, of general contracting firm George E. Fern, said, "As we evolved through the new strategic process, we started to go through a more involved RFP process." The management contract, which was up for bid, had entailed a 5-page RFP in past years. This time around, it was more like 30 pages.

"We focused on day-to-day needs, short- and long-term goals, specific duties and responsibilities. There was no room for interpretation," Drullinger noted.

Thirty-five year general contracting veteran Larry Arnaudet turned out to be the man for the job, in ESCA's opinion. Drullinger said the all-volunteer board of directors felt Arnaudet possessed the "combination of strong executive skills, and time and energy to devote to implementing our strategic plan. ... And he also had the resources of the Augusta Group."

Arnaudet retired from Freeman and joined Augusta in January 2005. The exhibition-industry consultancy advises several associations, but doesn't have any other contracts for association management per se.

With Arnaudet's appointment, the ESCA executive director becomes a full-time paid position. Although Schwartz's management contract doesn't expire until Dec. 31, the parties are negotiating a possible early transition to Augusta's contract.

Asked if changes being made by ESCA included plans to partner — or possibly consolidate — with other industry organization, Drullinger said, "We want to engage other associations, but our first focus is on our core mission. Sometimes the two go hand-in-hand; sometimes they don't."

Although he declined to comment on specific plans until he officially takes the reins, Arnaudet said he hoped to bring to bear his extensive background in general contracting. "I was in that business for so many years and understand the issues," he said.

For her part, Schwartz said she would go back to dedicating herself completely to ConvExx, which operates the SEMA Show, along with several other events in the auto, truck and motorcycle industries.

Drullinger said, "Susan has been an integral part of ESCA for the last five years, and our place in the industry is due to her."