Perhaps no place in the world has a collection of events spaces as unique and sustainable as Singapore, which has a well-earned reputation as one of the world’s best places for tradeshow success.
Officials for the Onex Corp. have reached an agreement to acquire Nielsen Expositions from its parent, an affiliate of Nielsen Holdings N.V., for $950 million in cash consideration.
Plans have gone into action to build a 1,000-room Marriot Marquis hotel next to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston as members of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau (GHCVB) recently celebrated the organization’s 50th anniversary.
PMMI, the owner and producer of the PACK EXPO tradeshows, recently announced PACK EXPO East, a new regional event coming to Philadelphia in February 2015. PMMI will stage the event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) recently released preliminary figures for the 2013 NAB Show, the world's largest electronic media tradeshow. The event was held April 6-11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) released the CEIR Index Report, an analysis of the 2012 Exhibition Industry and Future Outlook, today at the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) CEO Summit.
We tap into our best creative minds to deliver a visually stunning and engaging exterior engineered with service efficiencies in mind.
Soon you will be at the Exhibit City News People on the Move page. In the meantime, do you recognize anyone? Many tradeshow professionals have changed positions, been promoted or joined a new company. Send us yours!
Take advantage of prime advertising space on ExhibitCityNews.com. Sponsor your favorite section or category. The new Exhibit City News website offers new and exciting interactive modules, sections and categories. There are numerous advertising placement opportunities, giving you a wide variety of...
A meetings industry veteran has been named to fill a new executive vice president position at the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (NOCVB) as the organization undergoes a measure of realignment....
Officials at Hanley Wood Exhibitions have announced the promotion of an employee to vice president.
GenieConnect, a digital solutions provider for the events industry, has announced the recruitment of a director.
Developing new business and overseeing programs designed for existing clients is the role for a seasoned Adcraft account executive new to the company that specializes in exhibit design, construction and...
Experient, the source for integrated meeting and event solutions, announces the expansion of its sales team by three to the Experient sales network. The sales network is a team of independent business...
Cosmoprof North America (CPNA), named as one of “Top 25 Fastest-Growing Trade Shows” by TSNN, will debut a new look this year that further reflects its European heritage and design-centric...
National Travel and Tourism Week is celebrating its 29th year in 2013 with the theme “Travel Effect.”
Exhibit City News Publisher Don Svehla visits AFR Event Furnishings and EP&M International on the showfloor at EXHIBITOR2013.
Officials for the Onex Corp. have reached an agreement to acquire Nielsen Expositions from its parent, an affiliate of Nielsen Holdings N.V., for $950 million in cash consideration.
While face-to-face interaction remains the primary driving force in the tradeshow industry, a new report from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) indicates there are significant...
Officials at ACE Conference Center announced that renovation and refurbishment of the Philadelphia-based event destination is now complete.
Expo Nacional Ferretera, the largest event in Mexico and Latin America market serving the hardware, construction and electrical markets, has joined the Reed Exhibitions portfolio of brands and brings with...
Perhaps no place in the world has a collection of events spaces as unique and sustainable as Singapore, which has a well-earned reputation as one of the world’s best places for tradeshow success....
Officials for the Meetings Show UK, the major new event for the inbound and outbound UK meetings and conference industry, have announced event technology provider DoubleDutch will create the official...
A record number of international industry professionals – 36,206 – from 150 countries attended the 2013 International CES, officials for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), owner and...
Palace Theatre My appreciation of historic theaters began early in life. I grew up in a small Ohio town called Marion. One of the highlights of my childhood there was visiting the historic...
Greetings my fellow tradeshow enthusiasts! It’s May, summer is around the corner and temperatures are rising. It is in this germane that this month’s lesson is about what’s “hot”...
One of my sales guys forwarded me an article the other day that caught my interest. I have written about generational differences several times over the years. This one poses the question:...
Getting off "on the right foot" in starting your search for a new employee is a very sensitive and very important procedure. Most of it involves gathering pertinent information---about and...
Cirque du Soleil is using its considerable genius and influence to help make clean water available to every human being on our planet.
| Bask in Olympic Gold, or live in tarnish? |
| Written by David Cizmar |
| Monday, November 02 2009 09:41 |
|
Members of the tradeshow community in Chicago engaged in a collective sigh of relief as the Windy City was eliminated as a candidate for the 2016 Summer Olympics last month. With an economy battered by the recession, many were concerned the Olympics would have a catastrophic effect on the industry. The Olympics are one of the premiere sporting events in the world, with thousands of spectators and the spotlight of the entire world on your city for a three-week period. One would think Chicagoans would welcome this event as a way to showcase their hometown, but almost half of city residents were opposed to the event being held here. Potential host cities see the huge amounts of money that surround the games and desperately desire the income that it can bring. It seems, at times, as if they are willing to do whatever it takes to land the games, even if the price they pay exceeds the most optimistic projection of economic benefit. The sad reality of hosting the games is that they rarely make any money and often leave the host city with a mountain of debt after the party is over and everybody has left. The taxpayers must make up difference between the expenditure and the income. For example, it took Montreal 31 years to pay the debt incurred during the 1976 Olympics. There is an enormous amount of infrastructure that has to be provided before a city is considered. Stadiums, or perhaps a Luge track or Velodrome, must be constructed before the games can proceed. This can cost a lot of money and can have dubious value after the games are over. The International Olympic Committee is very demanding about the standards before they will even consider a city. Potential host cities often engage in an auction-like frenzy where ego-based competition takes the place of prudent financial decision making. Politicians often assure the citizens the games will pay for themselves and then expose them to enormous financial obligation in order to comply with their promises to the International Olympic Committee. Recent Olympic history is a good example of this. The costs of the Athens games in 2004 doubled their original estimates and London in 2012 has almost tripled their initial projections to over $16.5 billion. If the games were to be held in Chicago, McCormick Place would have been the center of administrative activity and indoor athletic competition. This was the major concern for the tradeshow industry because it would have meant a great deal of work before and during the games. The shows normally booked during this period would have been displaced and relocated to other cities. These other cities would have graciously welcomed such a windfall during these tough economic times but would have fought like hell to retain these shows. I’m sure they weren’t pleased when they found out Chicago didn’t get the Olympics. The Olympics began in ancient Greece and were revived in 1894 in an attempt to foster mutual respect and friendship through the pursuit of excellence in athletic competition. However, over the years, political exploitation, professionalism of the athletes and corporate influence have changed the way we think of the games. In a real sense they have become a victim of their own success, as its popularity has transcended the original philosophical objectives and became a self-perpetuating behemoth. This is the reason many are glad Chicago won’t be hosting the games – 76 percent of Chicagoans were opposed to having the games here if it meant public funds would be used to pay the costs. The International Olympic Committee knew this and chose a city willing to underwrite the illusion and perpetuate this farce. I wish Rio the best, I hope the three weeks you spend basking in world attention is worth it. |
