From its origin the tradeshow industry has introduced technological advancements that have not only revolutionized modern society but the industry itself. From pop up displays to LEDs, telephones and radio to smartphones, the industry has been at the forefront of advancement.
The Greater Columbus Convention Center and Legends Global announced the appointment of Dean Dennis, CVE, as general manager of the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC). Dennis succeeds John Page, who has stepped into a new position of regional vice president of venue operations for Legends Global.
San Antonio International Airport
Airport Code: SAT
Location: 9800 Airport Blvd, San Antonio, Texas
Overlooking the scenic San Antonio River Walk, the Henry B. González Convention Center (HBGCC) (900 E. Market Street) stands as a centerpiece of the city’s vibrant downtown and one of Texas’s premier event venues. Built as the San Antonio Convention Center in 1968 for Hemisfair ‘68, its name was changed in 1977 to honor Congressman Henry B. González, a respected civic leader who championed the city’s development.
Opening in 1957 as the Dallas Memorial Auditorium, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (KBHCC) (650 S. Griffin Street) has gone through multiple expansions and a few name changes throughout the decades. Renamed the Dallas Convention Center in the 70s, the center’s final name came in 2013, in honor of former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.
In keeping with Texas’ expansion and redevelopment of convention centers (see our Dallas CC Spotlight) Austin is revamping the Austin Convention Center (500 E. Cesar Chavez Street), but in a typically Texas big way: the old Austin Convention Center was demolished to make way for an entirely new venue due to open in September of 2029 (just in time for South By Southwest). The project’s named Unconventional ATX and plans to create a bigger, newer convention center with the latest in tech, amenities, and more.
Laying in the heart of downtown Houston, George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) (1001 Avenida de las Americas) was named after Houston entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader, George R. Brown. The Texas Eastern Transmission Company (of which Brown was an investor) donated over half the real estate needed to build the center, which opened in September of 1987. It replaced the old Albert Thomas Convention Center.
William P. Hobby Airport
Airport Code: HOU
Location: 7800 Airport Blvd, Houston, Texas
Messe Dusseldorf Group President & CEO Wolfram Diener is the new non‑executive director on the ET GLOBAL Board. Diener has been with Messe Dusseldorf for over seven years. He’s served as project director at Hamburg Messe GmbH, managing director in Asia for Messe Frankfurt, general manager at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, vice president conventions & exhibitions with Marina Bay Sands, vice president Sands China (in Macau), and senior VP at Informa Markets in Asia before he joined Messe Dusseldorf as managing director in 2018.
In January of 2024, the Exhibitions Industry Collective was born. Made up of six exhibition industry organizations (ECA, ESCA, EDPA, IAEE, IAVM, and SISO), the collective was created “To bring our shared knowledge together to create a visible, meaningful and lasting foothold on careers in the exhibitions ecosystem,” said IAEE president and CEO, Marsha Flanagan, M.Ed., CEM in the organization’s first press release.
Earlier this month, Jessica Sibila, CMP, CTSM, executive director The Exhibitor Advocate, held a webinar with Joe Federbush, president and chief strategist, of EVOLIO Marketing: The Uncomfortable Truth, What Exhibitors Really Think and Why It Matters. Sibila and Federbush wanted to discuss the results of an ongoing survey The Exhibitor Advocate and EVOLIO Marketing are conducting to analyze the current state of event marketing from an exhibitor perspective.
Jeff Quade has been promoted to president at GES – Global Experience Specialists. Quade has been with GES for over 28 years. He
