May 30, 2022
Spring continues to blossom with a slew of new hires and promotions and newly created positions at trade show and event-related organizations across the U.S. and abroad. Here’s the latest news about hard-working professionals in the trade show industry that you need to know!
Spiro
Spiro, the brand experience agency within the GES Collective, has named marketing, PR and digital media content veteran Beki Winchel its thought leadership and innovation director. Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, she will focus on creating impactful thought leadership content, strategies and campaigns designed to… more
May 16, 2022
The second quarter of the year continues full steam ahead as organizations covering all facets of the trade show and events industries continue their strong hiring and promoting activities to fill key positions and reward hard-working staff with elevated titles. Check them out!
CloserStill Media
London, U.K.-based CloserStill Media, a leading global exhibition business, has tapped exhibition industry veteran Yancy Weinrich as president of North America. In this newly created position, the award-winning trade show executive will spearhead the company’s major U.S. expansion and high-growth… more
May 09, 2022
Born and raised in the Hawaiian islands, Teri Orton’s passion for the hospitality industry started early. In fact, it’s part of her family legacy. Both her parents worked in hospitality, so she was born into and exposed to the industry as a small child, yet never felt the need to rebel against or stray from the family business as a young adult.
After majoring in communications at the University of Hawai‘i and advancing her training in hospitality management through various certifications with Starwood and Hilton Hotels, Orton stayed the course, spending more than 25 years holding an array… more
Apr 26, 2022
Event industry suppliers, CVBs, marketing and tech companies throughout the U.S. and abroad are fine-tuning their departments and promoting team members as the industry continues its robust hiring and promoting trend. Take a look!
Spiro
Spiro, the brand experiences agency within the GES collective, has named Carley Faircloth chief marketing officer, responsible for Spiro’s global brand launch and beyond.
Bringing extensive experience leading brand-building strategies in the events and experience sector, Faircloth previously spent just under six years at Freeman, most recently serving… more
Apr 25, 2022
Some people are fortunate enough to be born into their life’s calling. Chef Purvill Chaney is such a lucky individual. A consummate culinary professional who discovered his passion for cooking while working as a chef in his parents’ restaurants in his hometown of Flint, Mich., the budding chef wasted no time in embarking upon a professional career path in hospitality after college, cutting his teeth as a sous chef at a local Hyatt Regency. Since then, Chaney’s long and storied career has included more than 27 years with Hyatt at a dozen different locations in multiple cities followed by a 15-… more
Apr 12, 2022
Sometimes the path to a rewarding career is made up of happy accidents. Like many who work in the trade show industry these days, Yancy Weinrich “fell into” the profession via the jewelry industry, working for the American Gem Society and exhibiting at jewelry trade shows. One of those major events happened to be JCK, a leading annual jewelry event produced by RX, which later hired her to sell exhibit space for its jewelry portfolio comprising JCK and its sister event, Luxury.
“I can’t say that I ever thought I would be in jewelry or events—I really fell into both,” Weinrich explains. “I was… more
Apr 11, 2022
Event-related organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad are continuing to scoop up new team members and elevate executives as the industry-wide hiring and promoting frenzy continues unabated. Check them out!
Visit Seattle
Following a nationwide search, Visit Seattle and its board of directors have tapped hospitality veteran Tammy Blount-Canavan to be its president and CEO, starting May 9. As Visit Seattle’s first female CEO, she replaces 15-year leader Tom Norwalk, who retired earlier this spring.
With a rich leadership history spanning two countries and three decades, first in the… more
Apr 06, 2022
Sherrif Karamat is a life-long learner with an impressive list of credentials—an MBA and post-graduate certificates in business, management, strategic negotiations, data intelligence and big data, to name a few. But some of his greatest lessons—personally and professionally—have come over the past two years of the pandemic.
Capitalizing on those lessons is one of his top priorities as he guides the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and its members in successfully moving forward in the evolving events environment.
Reinvention is key, according to Karamat.
“Our industry… more
Mar 28, 2022
The trade show industry’s hiring and promoting trend continues its forward trajectory as event-related organizations throughout the U.S. appoint new executives, elevate top-performing staff and welcome new team members. Take a look!
Choose Chicago
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Choose Chicago have tapped Lynn Osmond as the CVB’s new CEO, effective May 9. As the first woman to helm the city’s tourism agency, Osmond brings deep knowledge of Chicago’s tourism and hospitality community to her new leadership role, most recently serving as president and CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center… more
Mar 25, 2022
He's worked alongside some of the world’s top chefs, but Eric Vaughn’s fondest culinary memories are of his childhood, creating delicious Sunday meals with his parents and sister and learning how to bake with his grandmother.
“It was our family tradition, and we learned a lot, especially how much fun we were having together discovering new dishes and ingredients,” he said. “It was the start of my fascination with food, touching it and seeing how it was affected by heat, and working with some of the most unique things I had ever seen food-wise—cooking things like chicken strudel with phyllo… more
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact