Overhead on the Showfloor
-- Tradeshow Week, 6/30/2008
“Don't hate me; I own a virtual tradeshow.”
–John Grosshandler, eComXpo founder, at the Exhibition & Convention Executives Forum (June 19, Washington, D.C.)
“The (D.C.) center doesn't have a hotel attached to it, and what is there to do for people who are visiting there?”
–Tina Sampson, vice president of sales and marketing at the Gaylord Natl. Resort & Convention Center in Natl. Harbor, Md., on the difference between the two venues
“He's the guy that has the guys with the money.”
–Gordon T. Hughes, president and CEO of American Business Media, referring to Bob Liodice, president and CEO of the Assn. of Natl. Advertisers, at ECEF
“They had a good thing going, and the split didn't help it, and now where do we go from here?”
–Barbara Boyle, Techtronix senior manager of marketing and communications, on the fate of telecom show NXTcomm (Las Vegas, June 17-19)
“ROI is one of the ills of American business, because it usually means short-term ROI.”
–Fred Young, president and CEO of Forest City Gear, at ECEF
“The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority won't like that I'm saying this, but until they actually break ground and start doing stuff, I don't worry about how (the planned expansion) is going to affect the show.”
–Wayne Crawford, NXTcomm's executive director, at NXTcomm
“We had a terrible elevator speech, and it went on for four or five hours.”
–Mickey McManus, president and CEO of MAYA Design, on how he would try to explain his company in its earliest days, at ECEF
“For us Canadians, it's hot here.”
–Bill Sandiford, InfoComm Intl. attendee, on the 108-degree temperature in Las Vegas (June 18-20)
“A lot of people like to come (to Las Vegas). You can go to the show all day long and then party all night long.”
–Jason McGraw, InfoComm Intl.'s vice president of expositions, at InfoComm Intl.
“Las Vegas and New York are fun, whether we go to the show or not. It's a good write-off.”
–Cleve Barham, president of Fine Eyes Eyewear and a regular Vision Expo attendee, at ECEF
“Could you be a little more honest, please?”
–ECEF organizer Sam Lippman in a tongue-in-cheek response to Barham, at ECEF
“The destination doesn't make a difference. It's hot (in Las Vegas), and it's hot (in Orlando).”
–Ricardo Chen, Canon U.S.A.'s technical marketing manager, on InfoComm's decision to rotate the show between the two cities, at InfoComm Intl.
“I am not a not-for-profit organization, so I appreciate your support.”
–Lippman, thanking attendees for their participation, at ECEF
“I had a double serving of tomatoes with my omelet this morning, and I'm going to have a triple serving of tomatoes for lunch.”
–John Toner V, vice president of the United Fresh Produce Assn., referring to the recent tomato scare, at ECEF
