Global Leader: Sharon Enright

You only have to visit one of Sharon Enright's showfloors to see her sense of aesthetics at work. Maybe that's because she went straight from an education in art history at the Atlanta College of Art to a job with David Cheifetz's Conference Management Co. in the mid-'80s.

Although the Norwalk, Conn., native has worked on all kinds of events, Enright's destiny seems to have been tied to one significant sector: fashion. As Fashion Accessories Expo (now AccessoriesTheShow) moved through a series of owners, Enright eventually found herself in her current position as general manager of tradeshows for Business Journals, back in her hometown of Norwalk.

Enright joined the publishing company as director of operations in 1997, when it bought the remaining interest in the accessories show it had held a 50-percent stake in for several years. At that time, Accessories had about 150 booths and 2,000 attendees twice a year. Today, it takes place five times per year, and the thrice-annual New York version has 800 booths and 14,000 attendees. In the meantime, Business Journals has added the fame, moda and MRKet brands to its tradeshow portfolio, for a total of 17 events per year in New York and Las Vegas.

Tradeshow Week Senior Editor Heidi Genoist spoke with Enright about how she has turned a drive to constantly reinvent her shows into success in a highly competitive sector.

Question: What is Business Journals' strategy for its tradeshow division?

Answer: We definitely have a philosophy here and that is: We're only as good as our last show. The fashion industry moves very quickly. You're not doing one show a year; you're doing several a year, and for the type of audience we're serving, newness is very important. If you become stagnant, that's a red flag.

Q: How does that translate into your management of the shows?

A: After every show we do, we look at what we did well and what we didn't do well. And we constantly try to improve. Sometimes when you do something well, the important thing is to understand why it went well, and not just take for granted that it went well. Why did it resonate with the audience? As much focus goes into both.

Q: Is that why you have a new theme for every show?

A: That's why we change the look of our show each season. We have our branding, which is consistent; the experience of our show is consistent; but we always try to make it fresh and new. We achieve that by giving it a new look, changing up the floorplan. It definitely would be easier, on economies of scale, to just leave things the way they are and recycle and keep moving the wheel. But we realize how important it is, especially in the fashion industry, to stay fresh.

Q: How would you describe the growth strategy of the tradeshow division? More organic or through acquisition?

A: Right now, it's been organic. It's certainly always an opportunity to go outside that.

Q: Like the recent acquisition of West Coast Exclusive?

A: True, that was not organic, but it was within the same industry, and we do have the leading magazine for men's wear retailers, MR. So, it's organic in the sense that the company already had a strong presence in that business, and the expansion into the tradeshow piece of it was natural.

Q: Is it accurate to say Advanstar's 1999 acquisition of the Larkin Group left a void in the New York fashion tradeshow industry that created opportunities for others like your company?

A: Well - to try and make a long story short - I think what was happening with the Boutique show model that Larkin was using was (that it was) no longer effective for that industry. When we came onto the scene, we had an opportunity because we had a leading magazine, Accessories, and also because we felt close to the industry and understood what it was looking for in that platform.

What they needed was better merchandising, better representation. Boutique was a very large show with a lot of sectioned-off product. We brought a new level of amenity, presentation and merchandising, and that resonated. People were looking for that.

Q: What are the dynamics in the New York fashion industry that affect its tradeshows?

A: It is a highly competitive industry. There is also a high demand for space and not much space. The first issue is date securement. Because these are market-driven, they have to be on a certain date. There's no flexibility. … It starts with that. If there's something I lose sleep about, it's that.

Q: The right dates?

A: Yeah, and the right space. It's not necessarily, in either Las Vegas or New York, your competitors you're up against; it's other industries too. There's a lot of different groups looking to go into those two different cities. You have a city looking at your business trying to determine where it fits in; you have your competitors looking for the same dates you're looking for; and you have a fashion industry that demands a high level of customer service.

Q: Do you think the fact that fashion is a design- and personality-driven business makes your exhibitors more difficult to please than the average show's?

A: They are a very demanding client. You really have to be on your toes at all times. Everyone talks about customer service, but I like to talk about smart customer service. To me, that's when you make a decision you know you can apply to everyone. That's so important in this industry because it's very interconnected.

Q: Is there an upside?

A: When there was an economic downturn, our shows were healthy compared to some others that were suffering. That's because these clients are really dependent on tradeshows for their sales. A lot of them are not the size to have their own showrooms. We're there as a marketplace for a lot of smaller companies that can't afford large sales forces.

Q: Why did you decide to expand into the Las Vegas market when you did (August 2005)?

A: Our customers were asking us to do it. It took a while for us to find the right venue and the right dates. It was a two-year research process. It got to the point where you couldn't walk down the aisle without an exhibitor saying, “When are you going to Vegas?”

Vegas is a lot like New York was. There is segmentation, but there isn't the level of amenity and the level of focus on the high-end market. So, doing what we do well in New York, we felt we could bring that to vendors and retailers in Las Vegas.

Q: Has it turned out to be a good decision?

A: Absolutely. It's helping us extend our brand. We are reaching more retailers, both domestic and international, by being in Las Vegas. Cross-breeding is taking place as well. Retailers from the West are looking at our New York shows and vice versa. It's turned out to be a really great decision. We're really glad to be there.

Q: How far out do you hold dates, both in New York and Las Vegas?

A: As far out as I can get. I'd say a year to two years. As the calendar changes, there are so many variables.

Q: Along the lines of holding onto dates and venues, does New York fashion organizer ENK Intl.'s acquisition of shoe show organizer WSA Global Holdings concern you?

A: While WSA may try to affect our business in Las Vegas, having a competitor is nothing new. Over the years and I'm sure into the future, competitive pressures will always be present. What I've learned is, be aware of those competitors but focus on your property. Producing great shows is what solidifies a show in its market.

Q: What's different about producing a show in Las Vegas and New York?

A: Both cities need just as much attention. Working in Las Vegas is just as challenging as working in New York. Both have date constraints. Las Vegas is a major convention city, but there's still a lot of companies looking for them to expand, so you still have a lot of the same issues. One's not easier or worse than the other.

Q: Do you have plans to expand to other destinations?

A: Not at this time. We're really focused on New York and Las Vegas. We feel they're the two most important markets for our industry right now. If we start to hear other ideas from our customers, we'll look into it, but that's not happening right now.

Q: How do you gauge what you did and didn't do well? Customer satisfaction? Revenue?

A: All levels. Obviously, financially, we're looking at the numbers to make sure it's a sound business. Business Journals believes in reinvesting in its events and, if it's not making a proper margin to allow that, it's something we need to look at. We also, most importantly, look at customer satisfaction.

Q: What's the biggest challenge tradeshow producers in all industries face right now, in your opinion?

A: Showing a return on investment for their exhibitors and their attendees. It has to work both ways.