Overheard on the Showfloor
-- Tradeshow Week, 2/4/2008
“We're that terrible part of the industry known as the supplier, but you can't live without us.”
–Jo-Anne Kelleway, Info Salons CEO, during the China Expo Forum for Intl. Cooperation (Chengdu, China, Jan. 14-16)
“Everybody knows India has become the back office for the whole world and China has become the world's factory.”
–Atul Delakoti, August Intl. president, at CEFCO
“Everybody said the PLA was the right thing. ... Somebody lied. They looked us in the eye and said one thing, then did another.”
–Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, chair of the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, on union leaders' apparent intention to renege on a project labor agreement they had backed in October for work on the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion, at an LVCVA board meeting (Las Vegas, Jan. 8)
“I have a document with 16 (out of 17 unions') signatures. The last one was directed by its national office not to sign because of unsatisfactory jurisdictional dispute resolution language. ... I would bring to your remembrance the South Hall project.”
–Steve Ross, head of the Southern Nevada Building Trades and Construction Council, responding to the board's frustration with a reminder about a work stoppage on the last LVCC construction project
“For this event no plants were harmed. ... Oh, and no meeting planners.”
–John Christison, president and general manager of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, talking about the center's environmental efforts during the Professional Convention Management Assn.'s Annual Meeting (Seattle, Jan. 13-16)
“Thirty-nine percent (of the people polled) read visitor critiques online. ... Only 31 percent read critiques from credentialed journalists.”
–Peter Yesawich, chairman and CEO of YPartnership, presenting poll results on people's travel habits and their use of online reviews before taking a trip, at PCMA
“This has been 52 years of anxiously awaiting the arrival of PCMA into Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.”
–Don Welsh, president and CEO, Seattle Convention & Visitors Bureau, at PCMA
