by Celestia Ward
EXHIBITORLIVE, the much-anticipated gathering of tradeshow professionals and corporate event marketing managers, is set to take place in Louisville, Kentucky April 23-26. We sat down with Dan Raynak, President and CEO of Exhibitor Group, to find out what EXHIBITORLIVE has in store for 2023.
Celestia Ward: How is this year’s show different from past events?
Dan Raynak: The first big difference is that we have moved the show from Las Vegas to Louisville. The second big difference is that we have redrawn our show floor. The purpose of the new configuration is to provide more high-traffic floor space (ie, more valuable real estate for more exhibitors). You will also see that we turned EXHIBITORLIVE into an acronym. LIVE stands for Learn, Interact, View and Explore. We wanted to make sure it was easy for someone to explain to their management and friends what EXHIBITORLIVE was all about.
We are all in the business of delivering memorable experiences for our clients, and we are doing everything we can to create an amazing experience in this new setting. We are having Steve Buttleman, the official bugler for the Kentucky Derby, kick off the show for us. We have a blanket party planned during Thunder over Louisville, where we are inviting people to join us for the largest fireworks display in the country. Lastly, we are hosting a CEO roundtable at Churchill Downs, with about 30 leaders coming together to enjoy a very exclusive experience as well as discuss the biggest issues facing our industry.
Celestia Ward: After many years in Las Vegas, why is the show moving to Louisville?
Dan Raynak: Prior to our acquisition, a decision by the previous ownership was made to move the event to Louisville, so we moved forward with executing the event there. After interacting with the folks at Louisville Tourism and the Kentucky International Convention Center, I can tell you that they are all first-class people who know how to hold an event.
Celestia Ward: What’s your vision for the show floor configuration?
Dan Raynak: The floor is laid out in four quadrants: Learn, Interact, View and Explore. We will be conducting flash sessions in the Learn quadrant, where show attendees will gain deeper knowledge on particular topics. In the Interact quadrant, we will have a fun game called Roll-A-Derby for guests to enjoy a Kentuckian experience. The View quadrant will be the place for exhibitors’ New Product Showcase. And the Explore quadrant is where our charitable organization, Second Stride, will be located. Second Stride is a nonprofit providing retraining and placement for retired race horses to enjoy the second part of their lives.
Celestia Ward: What other improvements have you made to the show?
Dan Raynak: We have an investment mindset. During the pandemic, a lot of businesses were pulling back (including Exhibitor). We purchased this business with the intent of growing it, and we are focused on three things: modernizing, digitizing and globalizing Exhibitor. And we are doing that across nearly all parts of our business. For instance, we have modernized our CTSM brand logo through a significant redesign. We have added four (incremental) digital issues for our content for 2023. We are expanding our education outside the United States by creating what we are calling FastTrak Germany, a one-day workshop in Dusseldorf this fall where we will be conducting best-in-class principles for exhibiting in the US market. After Germany, we have plans to expand into many more markets.
Celestia Ward: What are your plans for the future of EXHIBITORLIVE?
Dan Raynak: We are in the process of reimagining the Exhibitor brand and what it means to our industry. This means looking at every aspect of our business and evaluating what we should stop doing, what we should continue doing, what we can do better and what we can do that is new. Education is our foundation, and that will remain a key focus for our brand. As to location, we are still finalizing our plans for 2024 and beyond, but we are keeping all of our options open. Regardless of what we do or where we go, we will be focused on delivering a great experience for all who attend. We are all in the experiential marketing business, and our goal is to ensure that the people who design, produce and deliver experiences for others also have a chance to enjoy new experiences themselves.
