This July marks a historic moment for Exhibit City News – 20 years of reporting on the tradeshow, exhibition and convention industry. From a regional “voice of Chicagoland’s tradeshow workforce” in 1994, the compact newsletter known as Exhibit City has matured both in appearance and coverage along with the trade. Expanding from a one-page bulletin into a full-fledged newspaper, our publication has since become an internationally read digital and print resource for exhibit suppliers and vendors.
Relocating to Las Vegas, the leading tradeshow destination in the U.S., Exhibit City News is now the nation’s only tradeshow industry newspaper, serving local and overseas markets. Well positioned to cover regional, national and international news and trends, our publication looks forward to providing even more industry resources and developments for years to come.
Wrapping up our first two decades of sharing the ups and downs and truly incredible changes of this dynamic field, the 20th anniversary issue of Exhibit City News will be filled with fond remembrances, significant achievements and evolutionary trends as well as brand new adventures ahead.
Exhibit City News through the years:
To commemorate the past 20 years, help us celebrate you in our historic book!
- Send in photos and stories of your dearest memories
- Share your favorite Exhibit City News column or article
- Nominate industry trendsetters of yesterday and tomorrow
- Name your most significant memories of the industry
Email us at newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com.
Mail to:
Exhibit City News
Attn: Managing Editor
1675 E. Desert Inn Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89169
EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK
Behind acronyms: The evolution of associations
By Kristan Obeng
Prevalent in the exhibitions industry is the usage of acronyms, identifying constantly evolving organizations that may be much different than when they first started.
IAEE
Each time the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) changed its name it reflected the globalization and evolution of the industry and the people who fueled it. The association has been known as the National Association of Exhibit Managers (NAEM) and the International Association of Exposition Management (IAEM), later changed to the International Association of Exhibition Management.
CEIR
When Trade Show Bureau (TSB) started in 1978 to promote the exhibition industry, the organization ran into a problem: There was no research available to prove event organizers’ claims about the value of tradeshows. To reflect its purpose as an independent research agency for the exhibition industry, TSB was renamed Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) in 1993.
E2MA
As an advocate for exhibitors, Jim Wurm managed the Exhibitor Appointed Contractors Association (EACA) since 1998. He also became the one to contact when Tradeshow Exhibitors’ Association (TSEA), faced financial difficulties. Under his guidance, the two organizations merged in June 2012, combining their missions and members to become Exhibit & Event Marketers Association (E2MA).
IFES
While the International Federation of Exhibition and Event services (IFES) didn’t go through any name changes, its membership-selection process did. Beginning in 1985 as a federation that held 12 national associations, the organization sought to bring attention to the contributions the exhibition sector makes to the economy and professionalize the industry to move toward international standards.
To reserve your edition of Exhibit City News’ 20th anniversary issue or for sponsorship opportunities, contact us at 702-309-8023.
