Executive Shuffle Marks End of Year

As 2007 came to a close and 2008 kicked off, a number of groups made announcements involving tradeshow executives being hired or promoted, or resigning.

Topping the list was the Consumer Electronics Assn.'s high-profile hire of tradeshow-industry veteran Nick Orfanopoulos as a senior adviser for Intl. CES' content and entertainment community and exhibits. The 2008 CES was held Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas.

Orfanopoulos spent more than 20 years with the Natl. Assn. of Television Program Executives, running its NATPE tradeshow before leaving in September to open his own consulting firm, the Orfanopoulos Group. Intl. CES was his first client, Orfanopoulos said.

“CES has more and more exhibitors from the content community. He's helped them in the past and knows their unique needs,” said Karen Chupka, CEA senior vice president of events and conferences.

As senior vice president of sales for NATPE's conference operations and sales, Chupka said, Orfanopoulos was instrumental in guiding the organization's expansion of its annual conference, exhibition and year-round sponsorship opportunities.

Now, CES will benefit from that expertise as it looks to sign on more exhibitors from the content community. A few of them, including Sony Pictures Television and the digital division of NBC Universal, have already shifted most of their efforts from NATPE to CES for the upcoming show, Chupka said.

Orfanopoulos said he initially contacted CEA and pitched the idea of working with them. “It's a great marriage, bringing together devices and content,” he added.

One of CES' conferences, Digital Hollywood, has focused on content for a number of years, Chupka said, “and now, with exhibitors, we're making the final step.”

Orfanopoulos said his primary goal would be to work with the staff at CES to help them develop the content on an exhibitor level. “Hopefully,” he added, “we'll be able to bring in more attendees. There's tremendous potential to bring in more television people.”

Rick Feldman, president and CEO of NATPE, said Wayneston Harberson, the organization's operations manager, would manage the upcoming show, Jan. 28-31 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

In another executive shift, Margaret Pederson announced Dec. 14 that she was leaving her position as president of the Exhibitions Group at Penton Media to spend more time with her family before her son leaves for college.

“I've achieved the goals that were set when I arrived: growing both revenue and profits, launching new businesses, forging strategic alliances in multiple industries, transforming vendor relations to strategic partnerships and implementing processes to make our exhibition business more efficient,” Pederson said. “Now, it is time to move on to new challenges and adventures.”

Pederson said she will remain in her role until mid-April to help with the transition.

“I am sure she will be back,” said Cherif Moujabber, a 30-year industry veteran who worked with Pederson at Reed Exhibitions. “She is exceptionally smart and approachable, yet very principled and thorough, with intellectual rigor.”

Pederson joined Intertec, a Penton predecessor company, in 1999.

“I have enjoyed working with Margaret and appreciate her hard work and dedication,” Penton CEO John French said.

As part of other restructuring moves, Penton promoted Fred Linder of New Hope, a Penton Media company, to senior vice president. French said Linder would head an expanded product group including all Penton events and report directly to French.

Penton will consolidate event management under Alan Peterson, head of New Hope Events, with support from Scott Owen, New Hope's executive vice president, French added.

More than a year ago, as part of a reorganization at another company, Julie Ichiba, then-show director of ASD/AMD Trade Show Las Vegas, left VNU Business Media (now Nielsen Business Media). More recently, Tarsus Group's Off-Price Specialist Center hired Ichiba to be executive show director of the Off-Price Specialist Shows.

“We are very enthusiastic about Julie's addition to our team,” said Stephen Krogulski, CEO of USA Operations for the Tarsus Group. “It's great to have someone with a diversity of tradeshow experiences driving the Off-Price Show. Her insights, ideas and resources have already made an impact in the short time she has been with us.”

Beyond VNU Expositions, Ichiba, a 21-year veteran of the tradeshow industry, also has worked for SmithBucklin, Reed Exhibitions and Advanstar Communications.

According to the Off-Price Specialist Center, one of Ichiba's responsibilities will be leading the launch of the new Off-Price Retail Summit & Expo May 5-7 at the South Point Casino Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas.

“The Off-Price Show is first and foremost an order-writing marketplace, so the networking and sharing of ideas oftentimes takes a back seat at our February and August shows,” Ichiba said. “The May event is the perfect venue for these critical industry functions to take place, especially in a more intimate resort setting with a smaller mid-season show.”