Overheard on the Showfloor
-- Tradeshow Week, 4/28/2008
Overheard during the Society of Independent Show Organizers' CEO Summit April 6-9 in St. Petersburg, Fla.:
“I encourage everyone in the audience to either buy a house or remodel their kitchen. I'd appreciate that.”
–Frank Anton, Hanley Wood CEO
“There's a perfect storm brewing here. In one word, this sector sucks. As you may have heard, consumer confidence is at an all-time low.”
–Skip Farber, CEO of WSA Global Holdings, owner of The WSA Show, on the state of the retail industry
“I had a minority partner, and she consulted a numerologist about the name Take Me 2 Tea Expo. I really learned to hate that name.”
–George Jage, president of World Tea Expo, explaining his show's name change during the “Extending the Brand” session
“It's not a build-it-and-they-will-come, it's a build-it-and-we-will-drag-you-there.”
–Scott Mozarsky, executive vice president and COO of United Business Media, talking about the company's sponsor-heavy events for which attendees are flown in
“You may have heard we have some time clear on our calendar next year.”
–Mary Beth Rebedeau, SISO executive director and president of The Rebedeau Group, referring to SISO selecting new management
