On the city side

Mark Liberman

President and CEO, LA Inc. the Convention & Visitors Bureau

Los Angeles is nothing if not exciting — and its tradeshow industry is, well, getting there. This year, Liberman got some good news (Marriott Intl. will develop a convention center hotel within the massive L.A. Live cultural development) and bad news (the city's 60,000-attendee E³/Electronic Entertainment Expo will be substantially downsized). Nevertheless, Liberman continues to work on drawing shows to L.A. and, with avid support from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the next few years are likely to be better than the previous few.

Myles T. McGrane

General manager, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (New York)

Maybe his training as a former Navy pilot and instructor equipped him with the level-headedness needed to run one of the busiest convention facilities in the United States. Wherever he got it, McGrane has shown the ability to stay calm in the eye of a few storms. One was Sept. 11, 2001, when he led the center's conversion to an emergency operations unit, then helped get it back in business in no time.

Tim McGuinness

Senior vice president, sales and convention center expansion, NYC & Co.

NYC & Co. hired McGuinness, a 17-year Reed Exhibitions veteran, in 2004 to grow the city's convention business and keep the Javits center expansion moving forward — and he's delivered. Not only is the Javits finally expanding, but the city is redeveloping Piers 92 and 94. Meanwhile, McGuinness has helped the city keep its No. 4 spot for the most TSW 200 shows.

Steve Moore

President and CEO, Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau

Moore is overseeing the massive $600 million expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center. Doors opened on the new 156,000 sq. ft. West Conference Center in July. Construction has already begun on the second phase, creating what will eventually be 900,000 sq. ft. of space, tripling the size of the entire old facility and — Moore hopes — vaulting Phoenix into a new competitive set when it comes to tradeshows.

Tom Muldoon

President, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Muldoon has been at the helm of the Philadelphia CVB for more than 20 years, spearheading development of the $522 million Philadelphia Convention Center in 1993. Now he's overseeing a $632 million expansion of the center. After years of labor unrest, Muldoon helped alleviate problems with unions by getting all parties to agree to work with a single manager.

J. Stephen Perry

President and CEO, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Perry personally updated the bureau's Web site every two hours and directed his staff — scattered around the country — to individually contact customers. Perry and the city continue to face the uphill battles of image control, attracting shows and reopening hotel rooms.

Jim Rooney

Executive director, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority

Thirty years ago, Rooney was a laborer with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Today, he's arguably one of the most powerful people in Boston, having shepherded the development of the two-year-old Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. In August, the BCEC successfully hosted the ASAE & the Center Annual Meeting & Exposition, just a few weeks after a ceiling section in a tunnel to the airport fell.

Carol Wallace

President and CEO, San Diego Convention Center Corp.

When the San Diego facility became the first publicly managed center to take over its own sales and marketing in 2004, Wallace and her team changed everybody's idea about the way things are done. Her credentials include top facility positions in Dallas and Denver, with a major role in building and opening the latter. The IAAM past president now manages a staff of 530 and a budget of $25 million.Mark Zimmerman

General manager, Georgia World Congress Center

Although he hails from Michigan, Zimmerman is in reality an Atlanta lifer. He began his career with the GWCC in 1984 as a concessions supervisor, was promoted a few times, had a three-year stint as assistant GM of the Cobb Galleria and returned to GWCC in 1995. In August, the center hosted the largest edition of the biennial Intl. Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair — U.S.A., No. 10 on the 2005 TSW 200. The show has been in Atlanta since 1986.