See You on the Showfloor ...

Well, friends ... I have been hanging out with all of you long enough that I caught the bug. This probably falls under the category of "careful what you wish for" but, after five wonderful years here at Tradeshow Week, I am expanding my publisher role and adding tradeshow organizer to the resume.

As you have read, I am moving to 1105 Media to join Neal Vitale and his team. I don't officially leave until the end of this week, but I did recently get back from Las Vegas, where one of my new shows, Recharger World Expo, floored for three successful days at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

The fun part was meeting a new industry and a new staff, seeing my dear friends Richard Harper and Jennifer Muna, having the honor of being their client, really seeing why they are just so damn good at what they do and, most importantly, just feeling comfortable on a showfloor.

The challenging part was helping exhibitors understand why their electrical costs were higher then expected, explaining what the term drayage really means and learning the intricacies of the re-sign process when customers actually want to expand their space. The good news was that, after actually listening to many of you for five years, I was on top of my game, and these issues were not foreign concepts.

While I am excited and enthused about taking on new challenges (we also have shows in Prague, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Mumbai), I am saddened to leave my terrific team behind. I am deeply proud of the entire TSW staff both professionally and personally. This ship is in good hands with Michael Hart and Heidi Genoist leading the editorial mission, Nancy Walker and Michael Jortner guiding advertising and sponsorships, Michael Hughes continuing as resident guru and industry authority, and Dana Myers and Carri Jensen producing the killer directories that are truly the bibles of the industry. On the marketing side, Amy Fujimoto and Maggie Moe will continue to brilliantly spearhead our events.

My managers here, Reed Business Information CEO Tad Smith and Entertainment Division Publisher and President Charlie Koones, are deeply committed to Tradeshow Week and will continue to oversee its success and important place in the industry. On a personal note, I want to thank both of them for their guidance and support over the past five years. They are both first-rate executives and professionals.

With that said, let me share my (somewhat random) wishes with you for the future of the tradeshow industry. I dream that:

• the Intl. Assn. of Exhibitions & Events and the Society of Independent Show Organizers will find common ground and work together,
• drayage will no longer be a four-letter word,
• every hotel in the world will go non-smoking,
• the Transportation Security Administration will learn to implement real security and stop yelling at old ladies,
• the airline industry will get back on its feet so it can bring customer service back as an actual product,
• marketers and exhibitors will consider themselves part of the tradeshow industry,
• unions will understand it does not take three guys to screw in a light bulb, and
• that each and every one of you will only see continued success.

Finally, I want to remind you all to keep an eye on the TSW Fastest 50. This is the fifth anniversary and the folks in Atlanta have put together a truly amazing weekend. The city is on fire (apologies to Margaret Mitchell) economically and culturally, and you will experience all of this in Nov. 2–4. It will be a terrific event, and I truly hope you will all attend. We are announcing the winners shortly — and it's an impressive list.

With that I say thank you ... and I will see you on the showfloor.