Sales gurus

Eric Bello

Vice president, sales, Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and Sands Expo & Convention Center

Bello's sights are on the booming Asian market, but he's still got a foot in Las Vegas, overseeing Las Vegas Sands' sales in Las Vegas, Macau and Singapore. Bello's responsible for filling more than 4,000 suites at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas and 5,500 in the upcoming Venetian Macau and Singapore's Marina Bay Sands. Meanwhile, at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, he's busy keeping more than 1.9 million sq. ft. of showfloor and meeting space full.

Joel Davis

President and CEO, JD Events

Davis likes a show that needs a little dusting off. He charges its battery, gives it a new sparkle, and puts it back in the marketplace. In 2002 he bought ad:tech from the now-defunct Imark Corp., retooled it and sold it to dmg world media. And with kiosks and self-service stations popping up everywhere, from airports to drug stores, Davis is ahead of the game with his 2005 purchase of the KioskCom series of shows and last month's acquisition of their competitors.

Kerry Gumas

President and CEO, Questex Media Group

Snagging one of the top B-to-B deals of 2005 when he led the formation of Questex from several operating divisions of Advanstar Communications is just one of Gumas' success stories. He's worked at the top level of more than one for-profit management company. Think Reed Exhibitions, IDG World Expo and Advanstar Communications. And you can add to that his hands-on participation in the construction and development of the 250,000 sq. ft. Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore.

Charles McCurdy

Chairman and CEO, Canon Communications

Just eight months after Apprise Media bought Canon in 2005, McCurdy, Apprise's chairman and CEO, stepped into the top spot at Canon. He moved quickly to expand the company's tradeshow portfolio, buying three Reed Exhibitions events put on the market earlier this year: Assembly Technology Expo, Natl. Manufacturing Week and the Intl. Powder & Bulk Solids Conference/Exhibition. Canon already had two 2006 TSW 200 shows, and the three new ones will expand its presence on the list.

Chris Meyer

Vice president, convention center sales, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

Las Vegas certainly has its share of good salespeople, but nobody knows — or sells — the city like Meyer does. Short of Sheldon Adelson, Meyer is probably the best known Vegas player in the exhibition industry. None of this is by chance. He got his business degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas; has held sales positions at the Flamingo, Tropicana, Sands and Venetian, to name a few; and has been part of four major facility openings and expansions.

John Mooney

CEO, M|C Communications

For the last 12 years, Mooney's M|C Communications has managed the annual American Institute of Architects' Natl. Convention & Design Exposition, a 2006 TSW 200 event.