McConnell, Essink Make Their Moves
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 8/20/2007
Two major business-to-business media firms with tradeshow divisions, Advanstar Communications and VNU, are losing top executives.
Laura McConnell has resigned her post as executive vice president of Advanstar's Fashion Group, effective Sept. 14, and Jime Essink is leaving VNU Exhibitions for CMP Asia in November.
McConnell had been with Advanstar since 1997, taking on increasingly important management responsibility for MAGIC Marketplace, a semiannual fashion-industry tradeshow, and Advanstar's largest face-to-face property.
Before joining Advanstar, McConnell held various sales and marketing positions in the apparel business.
"Advantar's Fashion Group is a vital part of our portfolio and, although Laura will be missed by all who worked with her, strong MAGIC, Project and Pool management teams remain in place to continue to provide exceptional service to our customers," Advanstar CEO Joe Loggia said in a statement.
Project and Pool are other Advanstar fashion properties. The company has 91 events, and 216 publications and Web sites. In addition to fashion, they serve the life sciences, and power sports and automotive industries.
An Advanstar spokeswoman said McConnell had no specific future plans as of press time.
United Business Media hired Essink to become CEO of its subsidiary CMP Asia. Essink is now CEO of VNU Exhibitions Europe and president of VNU Exhibitions Asia. At CMP, he will succeed Peter Sutton, who will assume a consultant role as CMP Asia's president.
The 51-year-old Essink is a 15-year veteran of the global exhibition business. He has been with VNU Exhibitions since 1999, rising to his present position in 2006. Before joining VNU, Essink was director of the Netherlands operations of Miller Freeman for six years.
With a staff of 500 headquartered in Hong Kong, CMP Asia produces approximately 80 tradeshows annually. The company has some 20 publications and Web sites in addition to the shows.
CMP Asia's various media serve the beauty, construction, fashion, furniture, health care jewelry, manufacturing, maritime and paper industries, among others.
