Having successfully mediated a recent dispute between IDG World Expo and the Exhibitors Appointed Contractors Association (regarding labor exclusives), the International Association for Exposition has announced a "Summit" meeting for the exposition industry, July 26, at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The meeting will focus on ways to reduce or contain exhibitor expenses, and thus keep expositions more viable in the current economic slump.
All exposition industry associations in North America will be invited to send delegates to the summit to examine ways to streamline processes so that exhibitor costs can be contained. "Make no mistake about, the issues to be discussed will be highly provocative, sensitive, and for some threatening," states an IAEM press release. "Nevertheless, it’s time to honestly face the issue of how we must serve our customers, the exhibitors more effectively and at less cost to them."
There will be a morning plenary session, followed by break outs, with each team focusing on a particular area, such as work rules, cost shifting, building exlcusives, etc. The session will wrap up with another plenary session at which an industry "manifesto" will be created that will serve as an industry roadmap on these issues.
For more information, contact IAEM at (972)458-8002; www.iaem.org;.