As the Lights DIM!
April 27, 2026
Logic, logic, and a bit more logic. But wait? What if I want to change my thoughts on something, what happens?
Logic, logic, and a bit more logic. But wait? What if I want to change my thoughts on something, what happens?
Joyce Leveston brings a depth of operational expertise and global perspective to her new role as the president and CEO of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (Javits Center) with more than three decades of experience in the convention center and venue management sector. Javits Center is a six-block venue on Manhattan’s West Side, right by New York City’s most up-and-coming neighborhood, Hudson Yards. As a model of reinvention, the center is a sustainability leader with a living green roof and urban wildlife habitat, as well as a national space where business, culture, and ideas intersect.
Turns out, this guy Darwin was on to something with his theory of evolution. If you’re going to survive in the ultracompetitive tradeshow Installation & Dismantle (I&D) world, you’ll learn to adapt to a constantly changing environment.
Joseph Patrick Esposito, Jr. died on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at age 51.
Esposito worked in the tradeshow and live events industry in the Chicago market, including roles with TRU Service Group and Octane Group. His career included city management and showfloor operations. His work involved maintaining relationships with show contractors and venue staff, helping with scheduling, and coordinating labor and trades for events.
Sometimes we wonder how people ever survived the 1800s without electricity, cell phones, computers, 7-Eleven and Starbucks, for God’s sake. Children of the next century may contemplate what life would have been like without artificial intelligence (AI).
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.
I was excited to attend ISC West at the Venetian Expo Center in Las Vegas from March 23–27. Year after year, ISC West stands as the most influential gathering in physical security, public safety, and security‑driven technology. It’s where innovation, investment, and operational strategy converge. The 2026 event once again drew tens of thousands of leaders and more than 700 exhibitors, reinforcing its role as the industry’s central marketplace.
The exhibit and event industry is expanding. The talent pipeline to sustain it may not be. That is not a workforce issue, necessarily. It is more of a visibility issue.
Most young professionals do not know this career exists. They graduate with degrees in marketing, design, communications, and business, yet few are introduced to an industry where creativity meets strategy, where logistics meets storytelling, and where real-time problem solving drives measurable business results.
From generative design tools to predictive analytics, AI is embedded in how events are planned, marketed, and measured. But amid the excitement, event professionals are grappling with a nuanced question: How do we use technology to enhance human connection, not replace it?
Across the global exhibition industry, leadership roles—particularly at the CEO and executive level—remain predominantly held by men. While this imbalance exists worldwide, it is often more pronounced in Latin America, where cultural norms, structural barriers, and limited access to executive networks have historically slowed women’s advancement to top decision-making positions.
Growth isn’t the problem. The business just can’t keep up with what it’s being asked to do.
From the outside, it looks like momentum. Revenue is up. The pipeline is active. The team is bigger than it’s ever been.
Inside, it feels different.
It’s two weeks before the show opens and your phone rings. The client has decided the configuration is wrong. Not the graphics — the entire layout. The booth they approved six weeks ago, the one your crew has already started prepping, needs to come apart and go back together differently.
