IAEE's Expo! Expo! Headed to Houston in 2013

The Intl. Assn. of Exhibitions and Events has chosen Houston for the site of its Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeting & Exhibition in 2013.

The event will be held Dec. 10-12 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, and the Hilton of the Americas will be the headquarters hotel.

“We are very pleased that we will be holding our annual event in Houston for the first time since 1988,” said IAEE President Steven Hacker. “Because so many members attend Expo! Expo!, partly to visit potential sites for their own event, we are excited to showcase all that Houston now offers.”

He specifically pointed to the city's sustainable convention center, as well as its trendy shopping pavilions, restaurants and a wide variety of entertainment venues, as examples of new offerings.

IAEE's selection process invites interested CVBs to submit proposals, which are then awarded points based on the following criteria: general appeal of venue, management of sales process, center and housing package, airlift and “the level of support toward IAEE's commitment toward its constituents,” according to IAEE officials.

“We are pleased to be hosting Expo! Expo! in 2013,” said Greg Ortale, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Houston is an ideal city for events and exhibitions, and I'm excited to show off our city to the delegates and exhibitors, especially if they haven't visited recently.”

Tradeshow Week's Fastest 50 event, celebrating the 50 fastest-growing tradeshows in the United States and Canada, also will be held in Houston Nov. 13-15. This year's Expo! Expo! will take place Dec. 8-10 in Atlanta.