The boxes are packed, the plans made, and we are counting down the days to another VenueConnect! A huge shout out of appreciation to our incredibly hard-working VenueConnect Chair, Kim Bedier, CFE, and her committee, and special thanks to them for putting in place a Legacy Event, allowing our members to give back to the community. And to our local host, Bob Johnson, his team, and their partners goes our deepest gratitude. Without their support, this event would not be nearly as amazing as I’m sure it will be. I can promise you, you don’t want to miss the trade show this year; it’s going to be full of surprises.

We are still rolling along very well in membership, and although we have been pacing behind on exhibit sales, we have closed much of the gap with increases in registration and sponsorship, as well as with a few expense reductions. Continue Reading →

One of the best things about our industry is that we’re not limited by geography or cultural boundaries. Because each country has its own exhibiting style, rules and practices, it’s important to acquaint yourself and your team with the differences so you don’t go into this process blindly.

During my career, I’ve had the opportunity to manage global brand activations for many clients, and I’ve developed practices that provide the best opportunity for success.

Here are my top four that you need to know if you’re exhibiting internationally:

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Hearing Opens on Stadium Rigging
–Fox Sports

A hearing opened Wednesday into collusion by construction companies that led to bid rigging and price fixing on projects for the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

A tribunal will decide whether to confirm fines totaling $147 million for 15 companies that agreed to ”rigged” projects in the general construction industry in South Africa from 2006-11. Continue Reading →

With 76 million members, generation Y is “the most talked-about, researched, marketed-to generation ever,” according to Melissa Lavigne-Delville, vice president of strategic insights and culture education at NBCUniversal.

That’s a mouthful of a title; what it means is Lavigne-Delville analyzes demographic data to help the media conglomerate’s sales executives sell commercials and ad space throughout its portfolio. Among the division’s projects is “Y Now,” a comprehensive report/film on millennials and how to reach them.

What Lavigne-Delville and her team found might surprise you: For one thing, millennials are older than we generally think of them. With the generation spanning those born between 1977 and 1995, the average Y-er is 25. Combine that with the statistic that the average age to have a child is 26, and you quickly realize that “This is the next generation of heads of households,” Lavigne-Delville said at Variety’s Massive Advertising Summit. “It’s the generation right now of moms, of dads and of modern families.”

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In a move to support what is best for the venue management industry, IAVM through the generous funding of the IAVM Foundation has filed an amicus brief on behalf of a member venue’s litigation involving anti-trust and government immunity that regardless of the court’s final decision will have industry-wide implications.

IAVM made its decision to support the San Diego Convention Center Corporation and by extension any venue’s right to manage its building by filing the brief backing the venue in litigation between United National Maintenance , Inc., and the SDCCC.

At issue in the litigation is UNM’s desire to utilize its own contracted help for cleaning services at the venue, while the SDCCC counters that while any of its customers may hire a firm of their choosing, due to branding, security and revenue concerns those customers are required to use only the venue’s trained labor force to do event cleaning at the building.

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