Ungerboeck Software announced the launch of a venue-focused, e-commerce solution for exhibitor sales and service.

The Exhibitor Service Center works to increase the volume and value of exhibitor orders while simultaneously improving communication with exhibitors and operations alike.

“Exhibitors are demanding a true Amazon-type experience while buying their services and I am excited that our venue customers will now be delivering that,” said Ungerboeck Software CEO Manish Chandak. “This product puts venues back in the driver’s seat in terms of exhibitor sales and revenue. With marketplace features like this, it’s just an incredible opportunity to open the floodgates on a whole new revenue stream.”

Services like electrical, internet, security, rigging and items such as furniture and catering are presented via a branded website with a familiar, Amazon-like user experience. Recommendations, suggestions, required services, related upgrades and bundled packages make upsells and cross-sells easy and natural, while the ability to designate featured items draws attention to best-sellers and offerings with higher profit margins. Easy access to important information like deadlines for advance and standard pricing cutoffs, item descriptions and instructions cuts down on time-intensive back and forth with exhibitors, while the immediate availability of submitted orders in both the Ungerboeck database and to the operations team eliminates confusion with venue staff.

“The real value of the solution is that it ties the front-end experience to all of order processing including payments, inventory, item placement and delivery times,” said Ungerboeck Vice President of Product Marketing Shannon Terrill. “Just in the short time it’s been available to our Beta users and early adopters, there have been some significant year-over-year increases in exhibitor sales and satisfaction – and this is all as they’ve spent less time and energy focused on exhibitor sales and service.”

Tammy Koolbeck, executive director of the Venuworks-managed Iowa State Center, announced the promotion of Holly Boman to director of marketing.

Boman has more than 15 years of experience in advertising, marketing and management and is deserving of the promotion, according to Koolbeck. “Holly has been an integral part of our staff since VenuWorks assumed management of the Iowa State Center,” Koolbeck said. “She stepped up to take on more responsibility earlier this fall and earned this promotion with her creativity and work ethic.”

Boman joined the marketing team at the Iowa State Center in 2014 and quickly advanced to the role of director of marketing. Prior to her position at the Iowa State Center, Boman served in management positions with the Des Moines Register and the Daily Tribune, responsible for managing classified and retail sales teams, training and budgeting.

As marketing director at the Iowa State Center, Boman will oversee marketing operations, while guiding the definition and demonstration of VenuWork’s vision for the center.

Continue Reading →

Dean Dennis is a 20-year veteran in the convention center world and has seen and done a lot, but his newest professional opportunity is one that has him excited as he prepares to lead the 600,000-square-feet Atlantic City Convention Center.

“I consider it a real honor to be tapped by Spectra to make the move to Atlantic City,” said Dennis, who arrives from the Owensboro (KY) Convention Center that he opened in 2014. “My 20-plus years of experience in the hospitality and venue industry have provided the skill set I feel is essential to managing a venue the size and scope of Atlantic City. Having spent most all of those years with Spectra, I know well the valuable resources our company offers and the synergies I can build upon with our other similarly-sized managed venues.”

As the new general manager, Dennis will be responsible for supervision and oversight of the convention center as well as Boardwalk Hall. He will serve under the direction of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), the state’s key economic development agency for Atlantic City, which oversees the center through Spectra’s contract.

“Atlantic City is a fantastic meeting destination and I look forward to creating partnerships and enhancing the existing efforts of the CRDA, Meet AC and our Spectra Team,” Dennis said. “I am also very excited about participating in the upcoming capital improvements planned for the center to ensure it remains competitive and a top destination in the meetings industry.”

“It has been a privilege to be involved with such a wonderful and progressive community,” he said. “My wife, Michelle, and I moved to Owensboro in early 2012 to open the new venue and we have created wonderful friendships which will certainly be missed. Stepping aside from my business development role into an operations role for Spectra was a great move for me. I have enjoyed creating a great team of employees and organizational structure to deliver quality service and exceed expectations for our clients.”

The Queensland Government has re-appointed AEG Ogden as managers of the award winning Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) for a five year period from 1 July 2017, together with a five year option.

AEG Ogden, the leading venue management company in the Asia Pacific with venues throughout Australia, Asia and the Middle East, has managed BCEC since its opening in 1995.

The re-appointment of AEG Ogden as venue managers, acknowledges the effectiveness of the management of the Centre which this year was voted The World’s Best Convention Centre by the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC), in July 2016 confirming Queensland’s reputation as a world-class destination for globally recognized conferences and events.

Queensland’s Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, Jackie Trad said, “It’s wonderful news that BCEC will again be in these capable hands. Since it was built on part of the former World Expo site, the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre has been a centerpiece venue for the people of Brisbane, Queensland – and in a very real sense, the world. BCEC continues to be a major contributor to boosting Queensland’s economy.”

During 21 years of successful and continuous operation, BCEC has hosted 18,000 events and 14 million guests delivering $3.87 billion in economic benefit to Queenslanders.

The Centre’s financial performance has been outstanding, funding operating and asset management costs from profits since opening, and continues with the Centre celebrating its biggest October ever this year. The October performance follows very strong monthly results delivering its best ever results for the first four months of a financial year during the Centre’s 21 year history.

In an increasingly competitive environment, BCEC is looking at strong future growth having secured 140 new conventions for Brisbane during the 2015/16 Financial Year with 1,400 future bookings right through to the year 2029 bringing more than 900,000 guests and an added economic benefit of $1billion.

AEG Ogden Chairman and CEO, Harvey Lister paid tribute to management and staff at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on securing a long-term extension to manage the venue. 

Continue Reading →

IAVM would like to welcome Bryan Lansing as the Guest Experience & Crowd Management Conference’s featured speaker:

Bryan is a dynamic speaker and generational junkie who uses humor and poignant personal stories to impact lives and bridge gaps in the workplace and marketplace. Bryan has been speaking for over 10 years in front of a wide variety of audiences including Target, 3M and General Mills. Regardless of who is in the room, he delivers with a fun, dynamic style that can capture the attention of any audience. As a representative of the Millennial generation, Bryan strives to combat Millennial fatigue and show that just because the newest generation works differently doesn’t mean they don’t work just as hard. He is a generational bridge builder who expertly paints the picture of who each generation is, why they behave the way they do, and what traits they bring to the workplace. With his energy, positivity, and professional poise, Bryan lights up the stage and delivers insightful strategies that create meaningful change long after he’s left the stage.

Four distinct generations are working together shoulder to shoulder, each with a unique set of attitudes, values and work styles. It used to be that older workers were bosses and younger ones took orders. Now, roles are all over the map and rules are being rewritten. Organizations are feeling the pain of generations as they struggle to manage productivity and morale while maintaining high standards of quality and service in a challenging economy. Bryan’s GuestX session will give you the tools to convert this form of diversity from an obstacle into an opportunity.