Heidi Genoist

Goodbye, and Thanks
January 9, 2008

I was saddened by the news of the death of Michael Hough. Of all the industry leaders who’ve passed away in the seven-plus years I’ve been covering the tradeshow business, Hough had the most direct impact on me.

His general industry influence may have been relatively small compared to, say, Bob Krakoff. But his opinions were huge and smart, and he shared them freely.

I hadn’t been at Tradeshow Week two weeks before my editor in chief got her first e-mail from Hough complaining about something in one of my stories. Although I was devastated then, I don’t even remember what it was now. I could’ve said something like a show was semiannual when it was actually biennial. He noticed those things – using “exposition” in a show name that should’ve been “exhibition”; being off on a show’s dates by a day or two.

But he noticed other things as well, and as time went on, he began sharing them with me personally. At industry meetings he’d pull me aside to say he liked the story I did on marshaling yards, for instance, but it could’ve been better if I’d included more about the burdens of city politics. Or, next time I reported on exclusives, I should talk to such-and-such attorney, or so-and-so exhibitor.

In other words, he offered perspective. Not just his own, but that of his contractors and suppliers and customers, whose views he always seemed as interested in as those of his fellow show managers.

As TSW matured under the leadership of Adam Schaffer and Michael Hart, Hough’s input matured too. No longer needed to help us dot our “i”s and cross our “t”s, our most avid reader focused his energy on using us to keep everyone else as smart and informed as he was – by acting as the conference consultant for our Fastest 50 event, for example.

Yes, Hough was a pain in the neck sometimes. Take it from someone who had to do more than one correction following those early calls. But I think, judging from the rest of the feedback (or lack thereof) that we get at TSW, he was that way because he cared more deeply about the industry than the majority of his peers.

Posted by Heidi Genoist on January 9, 2008 | Comments (1)