On Wednesday, December 7, 2011, event and tradeshow professionals will gather in the Las Vegas Convention Center for IAEE’s annual Expo! Expo! The event, which brings together event organizers and suppliers, is often considered the ideal place to debut new products, demonstrate new technologies and generate new business.
In fact, registration for the event is showing strong numbers compared to last year.
“We are consistently seeing strong numbers each week compared to 2010 and have been ahead each week by comparison,” said Susan Brower, vice president of marketing and communications for IAEE. “We are expecting a great turn out.”
On average, Expo! Expo! attracts an audience of over 2,000 people. About 58 percent of these people hold a senior executive, vice president or director title with their company.
As for exhibitors, there will be quite the range on the show floor. Among the variety of companies exhibiting at this year’s Expo! Expo! are the Austin Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, the Exhibition Services & Contractor’s Association, Smart City and Three Way Logistics.
“We are on track to have the same number of exhibitors, if not more than last year,” said Brower.
Along with more exhibitors and attendees are more educational sessions. This year, Expo! Expo! will feature sessions dedicated to topics like Hybrid Events, ROI and Global Marketing. The session on Hybrid Events, for example, will discuss the differences between virtual events and virtual tradeshows, as well as how incorporating a hybrid event into a current show can yield a positive outcome.
Also among the educational sessions will be a discussion on social media’s worst practices, which will provide examples of how not to execute a social media strategy. This educational conference will lead participants to improved results in the realm of social media.
On Tuesday, December 6, the IAEE will host a charity event to benefit the John F. Miller School for Special Education, which serves children that have mental handicaps. Participants of this charity event will travel to the school to read to the children and assist with activities.
And on Wednesday, December 7, the general opening session will present a state of the industry address by Chairman Vinnie Polito, where he will make announcements on behalf of IAEE, including the launch of the Public Relations Campaign. Over 65 organizations have collaborated to support this campaign, which explores opportunities for joint efforts across the tradeshow industry.
“We will be announcing the PR Campaign at the Opening General Session,” said Brower. “It is something that will positively affect all exhibitions and events industry professionals.”
The Opening General Session will also feature keynote speaker Dr. Michio Kaku, who has been featured on the Discovery Channel, History Channel and MSNBC. Dr. Kaku received his PhD in physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1972 and has been a professor at City University of New York for almost 30 years. He is a co-founder of string field theory, and will discuss the basic human instinct to unite face-to-face and learn, buy, sell and grow.
And finally, as part of IAEE’s list of events for first timers, which includes a free networking lunch, the Each One, Reach One program helps first-time attendees make the most out of their Expo! Expo! experience. Each One, Reach One matches newcomers with knowledgeable colleagues in the IAEE family who are willing to help share their expertise, making it a memorable and informative Expo! Expo! for all who attend.
