submitted by EDPA
For nearly two decades, Exhibitor Group and the EDPA University Affiliation Program have provided an exhibit space for Bemidji State University and FIT/NY design students to introduce themselves and to share their portfolios with prospective employers at EXHIBITORLIVE. The students also use this time to attract design companies to sponsor them for internship opportunities to augment their curriculum.
Education is our foundation
“If education is our foundation, and design is at the center of creating memorable experiences, then we must bring it all together to inspire our industry,” said Dan Raynak, President and CEO of Exhibitor Group. “EXHIBITOR has a longstanding relationship with EDPA’s University Affiliations program, Bemidji State University, and the Fashion Institute of Technology, to help provide valuable exposure on the EXHIBITORLIVE show floor for these future industry leaders, where they have the opportunity to present their design portfolios to hundreds of potential employers. We are proud to carry on that tradition again this year in Louisville.”
Education is our Foundation
EXHIBITORLIVE is about bringing the trade show industry together to Learn, Interact, View, and Explore, and our industry is about creating dreams and memories through experiences. Each year, before EXHIBITORLIVE officially opens the doors to the exhibit hall, EDPA provides a guided tour to meet different types of exhibit industry suppliers, EDPA members, and supporters of the program. The purpose of the tour is to see the exhibit hall in what may appear to some in a state of chaos and anxiety. The students also learn to be aware of what they design, as someone has to build it. This period of installation is a reality check that most will not see until the show opens the next day. Fork lifts, ladders, carpenters are gone and replaced with the smiling faces of booth staff reps eager to showcase their services with lights on and monitors flashing.
Students Game from Attending
“The insight the students gain from attending EXHIBITORLIVE is invaluable,” said Dana Esposito, EVP, Strategy, BlueHive Exhibits, and a co-chair to the EDPA University Affiliations Committee. “We are so thankful to OCTANORM and EXHIBITORLIVE for providing a space designated for the FIT and BSU students. This is an important opportunity for the students to network for their future and to practice showing their portfolios. The students pay to travel to the show and participate in educational tours, and it is a big deal all around! This partnership has become more important through the years, as many of these students will be members of our future workforce.”
We invite you to meet the next generation of designers from BSU and FIT at EXHIBITORLIVE, April 23-27, 2023, at the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), in Louisville, KY.
