March 28, 2024 3:56 PM
Search
Close this search box.
Share this post:

Employee-owned Freeman keeps evolving

After 85 years in business, the employee-owned Freeman has grown into one of the largest full-service tradeshow firms on the planet with 4,500 full-time workers and some 32,000 part-timers. But even one of the largest companies in a global industry faces significant challenges as well as opportunities now and into the future.

Joe Popolo CEO of Freeman

Joe Popolo, CEO of Freeman

Freeman CEO Joe Popolo spent some time with Exhibit City News during the recent IAEE Expo! Expo! annual meeting in Orlando and gave some insights into where Freeman is headed. Moving forward requires looking back, and Freeman this year released its inaugural annual report for its employee-owners as well as clients and business partners to help map out its future.

“We have had a significant amount of evolution in our business over the last few years particularly,” said Popolo. “We thought it’d be a great time to help communicate to our customers and to our employees about those changes and the evolution of Freeman from a pure tradeshow-logistics provider to a company that has a full line of products and services in the experiential marketing arena.”

Much like a tradeshow, that communication involves a great deal of personal interaction to emphasize where Freeman is headed.

“We spent a lot of time visiting face to face with all our employees so they understand the unique differentiators within Freeman in terms of creative and technology and customer service, but also that we have the most complete set of products and services and that the advantage for the customer in coming to Freeman is you can get all of these services in one company,” said Popolo.

Closely communicating with clients and customers also is a key element to Freeman’s future, which likely will include expansion into overseas markets.

“As we have tried to do for our first 85 years, we’ve tried to stay close to our customers and with them determine which products and services make the most sense,” said Popolo. “By listening to their challenges and trying to anticipate their needs, we will continue to build out our products and services based on where we see the industry going and where our clients need us the most. We continue to be asked by more of our clients to help them with their non-North American event-marketing needs. So, I anticipate we will continue to grow our presence outside the U.S.”

If things go according to plan, Freeman’s presence will increase on several continents.

“We’re looking to serve our clients wherever they go. We currently have an office in London (England) dedicated to serving our North American clients as they take their event-marketing needs anywhere in the world,” said Popolo. “Clearly, Western Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia are the key markets where our clients are looking for assistance. And, over time, we will continue to grow our support for them in those key regions.”

freeman-booth

Freeman has been serving the tradeshow industry for 85 years.

While growing its presence in overseas markets is a key element for continued success, Freeman also is looking to expand its efforts in experiential marketing.

“We hired Chris Cavanaugh as president of our marketing-solutions division, and Chris will help us to continue to grow our capabilities, primarily with our corporate clients to help them move from event marketing to experience marketing and help provide them with more solutions in the experience-marketing space,” said Popolo. “He will work with our clients and help them make sure they are taking every opportunity, whether it’s an exhibit, corporate program or tradeshow, to make sure they are connecting with their communities. Not just having an event, but really making it an experience for both the buyers and the sellers.”

For Freeman, experiential marketing goes far beyond show-floor planning.

“It’s a totally immersive environment. It’s not just about the floor space. It’s about how you connect, in the physical environment, digitally, with social media and in general creating a more compelling environment,” said Popolo. “It’s all about moving from purely the physical and logistical to it being an immersive, 360-degree, 365-days-a-year way to help the communities connect buyers and sellers.”

To help provide that around-the-clock service every day of the year, Freeman recently created its Freeman Technology Suite product to enhance its experiential marketing.

“Part of our overall strategy is being the best technology provider in the industry, and the Freeman Technology Suite brings together some of the best-in-class applications we’ve developed to make it easier for our clients,” said Popolo. “It’s tied in with our strategy of being the best in class, whether it’s creative or customer service or technology. We are making it easier to do business with us for our show organizers, for our event-organizer clients and it helps make the exhibiting experience easier.”

With a new marketing strategy and tools in place, Popolo and Freeman have their sights set on developing new business opportunities while strengthening traditional markets that are struggling with the economy during what otherwise has been a good start to a new fiscal year for Freeman.

“There are still great opportunities for us in our core tradeshow market, with our audio-visual customers and with corporate America,” said Popolo. “And while the event-marketing medium is maturing in the U.S. as the economy has slowed, I think there is still great opportunity for us.

“We are seeing mid single-digit growth year over year. We are particularly seeing growth with our audio-visual businesses and our corporate clients.”

While a positive fiscal year is underway, Freeman and its employee-owners will continue working collectively to maintain that momentum into 2013 and beyond while striving to provide the best service possible.

“Employee ownership has been a key part of our success. Our employees treat our clients as their own clients because they are,” said Popolo. “They look out for our company as if it were their own because it is. It has allowed us to attract and retain some really great people who get excited about serving our clients. It all comes back to treating the clients and treating the business and having the dedication in going that extra mile that I believe employee ownership engenders.”

After 85 years in the tradeshow industry, Freeman and its employee-owners are poised to maintain the firm’s status as one of the best with which to work, even with economic and other challenges looming in 2013.

  • Superior Logistics

Related Stories

Trending Now

  • Employco
  • Full Circle Events Sidebar Ad