Several trade show companies lent a helping hand to those in need during the holiday season, giving away warm coats to kids, donating funds, iPads and iTunes gift cards to a school for special education and giving funds to a program for people with intellectual disabilities and a shelter for homeless and abused women and children.

Dallas-based Hanley Wood Exhibitions set a goal of collecting as many warm coats as possible for kids in its local community through the Winter Coats for Kids Donation Drive.

Shows in the Hanley Wood portfolio, such as World of Concrete and Remodeling/Deck Expo/JLC Live, formed teams with creative names - World of Concrete were the JingleJanglers – and got to work collecting coats for Captain Hope's Kids, which serves more than 40 shelters in North Texas and focuses on the critical needs of homeless children.

The goal was to collect 209 coats, and Hanley Wood donated 209, the largest coat amount the charity had ever received. The donation equaled more than $3,500 worth of boys and girls warm jackets.

“This was really fun for our office and the staff really got into it,” said Tom Cindric, who oversees World of Concrete.

He added, “Our timing was also perfect, as the weather here in Dallas was getting cold, and there were many kids that could not go outside to play because they did not have coats.”

Global Experience Specialists also got into the holiday giving spirit and not only gave away iPads and iTunes gift cards to the John F. Miller School for Special Education, but also, with the help of the Iverson Foundation, raised $15,000 for the school at this year’s Humanity Rocks event held during the 2011 International Association of Exhibitions and Events’ annual meeting.

GES selected the school as its holiday project, and a team of 40 employees transformed the multi-purpose room into a winter wonderland and created a video, link here. 

For every viewing of the video, GES will make a donation toward iPads and apps for the school through the end of the year. 

“The GES team is honored to support the John F. Miller School for Special Education by donating 10 iPads and 10 $50 iTunes cards on behalf of our clients,” said Steve Moster, GES’ president.

He added, “Research continues to show the positive impact iPads are having for those with special needs, and we look forward to donating additional iPads and iTunes cards as video views continue through the end of December.” 

Following the launch of IMEX America in October in Las Vegas, the IMEX Group, along with The Estoril Congress Center of Portugal, recently donated $6,000 to two Las Vegas-based charities - Opportunity Village and The Shade Tree.

Opportunity Village employs more than 1,600 people with intellectual disabilities at three employment training and business service center campuses and at a thrift store.

The Shade Tree provides more than 80,000 nights of shelter per year, as well as employment and housing services to homeless and abused women and children - making it the largest shelter of its kind in the state of Nevada.

”This will make a huge difference in supporting our activities,” said Rachel Allen, Opportunity Village’s Sales Account Executive.

She added, “We will be able to purchase supplies for our Art Enrichment Program where the special individuals that we serve can do what they love … creating art.”

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, said of the donations, ”Especially in today’s challenging economic times, it is so important that we come together as business people around the world to assist those in need. Opportunity Village and The Shade Tree do amazing work and we - along with Estoril - are thrilled to be able to lend a helping hand through education, access, greater awareness and through donation.”