he trade show industry gave a standing ovation to its standouts this

month at the annual Trade Show Executive Gold 100 Awards & Summit.

CEOs, vice presidents, exposition manag-ers and organizers from industry associa-tions and international for-profi t companies gathered at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Southern California for two days of networking and discussion that culminated with the presentation of the TSE Gold Grand

Awards for the top trade shows of 2012.“Th e Gold 100 is traditionally the time when the trade show industry looks back to the best events of the previous year and what lies ahead in the coming year,” said Darlene Gudea, president of Trade Show Executive Media Group. “We saw some great success stories in 2012 and the prospects for another good year in 2014 when trade shows and exhibitions will continue to help fuel economic growth.”

HONORING THE BIGGEST AND BRIGHTEST TRADE SHOW STARS

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GOLD 100 RECAP

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Th e highlight of the event was the presen-tation of the Gold 100 Grand Awards in 16 categories. Th e Gold 100 is a ranking of the 100 largest trade shows of the year in terms of net square feet of paid exhibit space.

Th e International CES easily won the honors as the “Largest Annual Trade Show” of 2012. Th e electronics extrava-ganza covered more than 1.8 million square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Center and drew thousands of buyers to see the latest new gadgets for consumers. Seven Gold 100 shows were managed by Reed Exhibitions and seven by Emerald Expositions, resulting in a tie for the honors as “Th e Top Organizer in Number of Gold 100 Shows.”

Other distinguished events were hon-ored at the Gold 100 in categories other than size, such as “Marketing Genius,” “Highest Global Impact,” “Best Hosted Buyer Program,” “Best Use of Social Media,” “Th e Greatest Show on Earth,” and more. See full list of winners in the sidebar on page 49.

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The Top Show Organizer

in Number of Gold 100 Shows: Tie: Reed Exhibitions and Emerald Expositions, (7 shows each)

The Largest Show:

International CES, organized by the Consumer Electronics Association Gold 100 Show #1: 1,862,097 nsf

The Largest Non-Annual Show:

International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) Gold 100 Show #2: 1,240,863 nsf

The Largest Semi-Annual Show: MAGIC MARKET WEEK - August Gold 100 Show #6: 952,741 nsf

The Top Show Brand in

Number of Shows Worldwide:

UBM Canon, with 25 events serving the $3 trillion medical manufacturing industry, including MD&M West Gold 100 Show #46: 361,848 nsf

The Fastest-Growing

Gold 100 Show:

MINExpo International, organ-ized by Hall-Erickson, with a blended growth rate of 43.2%Gold 100 Show #9: 862,530 nsf

The Show Which Generated

the Highest Economic Impact:

International CES, organized by the Consumer Electronics Association Gold 100 Show #1: 156,153 attendees generated $199 million in non-gaming revenue for Las Vegas

The Show with the

Highest Global Impact:

Tie: Th e SEMA Show, organized by the Specialty Equipment Market AssociationGold 100 Show #5: 1,000,000 nsf,

and Summer Fancy Food Show, organized by the Specialty Food AssociationGold 100 Show #54: 307,000 nsf

Leading Newcomer

to the Gold 100 List:

E3 - Electronic Entertainment Expo, organized by IDG World Expo Gold 100 Show #40: 401,241 nsf

The Best New Show Launch:

PAX Australia, organized by Reed Exhibitions

The Best Co-Location

or Partnership:

AG CONNECT, organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers

The Best Hosted Buyer Program:

Tie: AIBTM (Th e Americas Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings exhibition), organized by Reed Exhibitions, and M6 Mobility xChange, organized by nGage Events The Most Commendable

Green Initiatives:

Summer Fancy Food Show, organized by the Specialty Food AssociationGold 100 Show #54: 307,000 nsf

The Marketing Genius Award:

Cosmoprof North America, organized by North American Beauty Events Gold 100 Show #94: 198,271 nsf

The Best Use of Social Media:

Interop, organized by UBM Tech

The Greatest Show on Earth:

Off shore Technology Conference, organized by the Society of Petroleum EngineersGold 100 Show #19: 642,625 nsf

1 t Who's Who? Nearly 20 organizers proved their mettle and won a Trade Show Executive Gold Grand Award and crystal trophy for being the biggest, the best or the newest in 2012. Grand Award winners included:

(1) Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association and its International CES topped the list as the nation’s “Largest Show,” here with PRG’s Jim Kelley.

(2) The Offshore Technology Conference was judged the “Greatest Show on Earth,” and Craig Moritz (R) accepts the honors from Experient’s Jeff Fugate and TSE’s Diane Bjorklund (L) and Darlene Gudea (R).

(3) UBM Canon’s Marco Pardi (center) and Natalia Wodecki (L) is honored for the “Top Brand,” organizing 25 MD&M events worldwide. TSE’s Danica Tormohlen (R) shares the stage.

(4) TSE’s Carol Andrews and GES’s Steve Moster present the crystal trophy to Hall-Erickson’s Carol Fojtik, who organized the nation’s fastest-growing show, MINExpo.

(5) E3 was hailed as the “Leading Newcomer” and IDG’s Marci Yamaguchi (R) was on hand to accept the honors from (L) TSE’s Carri Jensen and Hargrove’s Mark Shadwick.

(6) A full house from the SEMA Show was on hand to accept the award for the “Highest Global Impact.” (L to R) Thomas Myroniak, Peter MacGillivray, Tom Gattuso and Jamie Erickson with TSE’s Darlene Gudea and Visit Orlando’s Fred Shea.

(7) nGage Event’s Phil McKay, organizer of M6 Mobility xChange, wins one of the trophies for the “Best Hosted Buyer Program.” Fellow Bostonians James Rooney and Maureen Shea Baker of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority present the award.

q (8) Reed Exhibitions earned three crystal tro-phies including one for the “Best Show Launch.” Reed’s Nancy Walsh and Ken McAvoy accept the award from Atlantic City CVA’s Gary Musich.

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GOLD 100 RECAP

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In Full Swing. Trade Show Executive's Gold 100 Awards Gala was the highlight of the week.

(1) Host Richard Simon of United Service Companies thanks sponsors for their support and guests for attending the Gold 100 Awards & Summit, and without further ado, got the awards presentation underway.

(2) TSE staff in their fi nest: (L-R) Carri Jensen, Marilou Delosantos, Linda Braue, Hil Anderson, Diane Bjorklund, Darlene Gudea, Kathleen Maloney, Carol Andrews, Bob Dallmeyer, Danica Tormohlen and Irene Sperling.

(3) CompuSystems’ Jen Mitchell and Pat Fallon (R) present the trophy for the largest semi-annual trade show to Advanstar’s Tony Calanca.

(4) Rochelle Burt of Lightfair International won the raffl e for two of the latest gold iPhone 5s – his & her versions.

(5) Victoria Papageorge of Victoria’s Event Productions set the mood for the Gold Gala with another masterpiece in the banquet room.

(6) Unable to claim his two awards due to a scheduling confl ict, the Fancy Food Show’s Chris Nemchek creates a humorous video acceptance video in which he toasts his staff — and playfully engages in an unexpected chest-bump.

(7) Cosmoprof’s Daniela Ciocan was named GCI magazine’s "People To Know in the Beauty Industry” in 2011, and now is Trade Show Executive’s 2013 Marketing Genius.

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GOLD 100 RECAP

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Fashionable Entrances. The award for best-dressed went to . . . everyone!

(1) John Riddle, dressed to the hilt in his kilt, poses at the Gold 100 “step and repeat” with his wife Judy, and Susan and Kenji Haroutunian of Emerald Expositions.

(2) Here’s a jovial crew: Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s John Caparella, with The Venetian | The Palazzo’s Chandra Allison and Tyler Stewart, and the Sands’ Eric Bello.

(3) Clarion Events North America’s David Audrain, Trade Show Executive’s Danica Tormohlen, Freeman’s Robert Priest-Heck, MCCA’s Jim Rooney and SEMA Show’s Peter MacGillivray, on the red carpet.

(4) National Trade Productions’ Andrew Ortale, Ryan Brown, Stacey Correcha-Price and Bob Harar show off their plaque with the Coverings Show placing 47th in the Gold 100.

(5) Lightfair International lights up the night with Americas Mart Atlanta’s Michael Turnbull, JoAnn Miller-Marshall and Rochelle Burt, who are joined by Mark Sussman of the Atlanta Convention Visitors Bureau.

(6) Two perennial Gold 100 winners: Karen Malone of HIMSS and Howard Britt of Premiere Show Group.

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www.TradeShowExecutive.com | October 2013 53

THE GOLD 100 HONOREES

CLASS OF 2013

Mega-Show Masters. It was lights, camera and action as deserving honorees showed off their awards:

(7) Jason McGraw of InfoComm International, which placed #32 on the roster of the 100 largest trade shows.

(8) Randall-Reilly’s Alan Simms keeps on truckin’ with his show making the Gold 100 this year.

(9) Senior management from Reed Exhibitions and Emerald Expositions, who shared top honors as the top show organizers. (L-R) John Schreiber of the LVCVA; Liz Crawford, Lori Jenks and Kenji Haroutunian of Emerald Expositions; Reed’s Nancy Walsh; Emerald’s Margie Lelvis and Karalynn Sprouse; and Reed’s Ken McAvoy.

Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau

Congratulates

anaheimoc.org/tradeshow | 855-267-0372

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GOLD 100 RECAP

Riveted to their Seats. The Gold 100 Summit included all-star panelists and outspoken audience members.

(4) nGage Events’ Phil McKay led the session on thriving in a muddled economy. His panel featured (L to R) Nancy Walsh of Reed Exhibitions, Mary Pat Heftman of the National Restaurant Association, and Karen Malone of HIMSS.

(5) Jason McGraw of InfoComm International takes it all in.

(6) Reed’s Mike Alic jots down some notes for further refl ection.

(7) Balluun founders (L) Karl Heinz Koch and Peter Koch, masters of social commerce platforms, enjoy their fi rst Gold 100.

(8) Former IAEE CEO Steven Hacker of Bravo Management Group speaks about the Javits dates fi asco with SISO Chairman David Audrain of Clarion Events North America in the Point-Counterpoint session. On that subject, there were no counterpoints . . .

(9) Karen Gephart of Helicopter Association International is amused during a light-hearted moment at the Gold 100 Summit.

www.TradeShowExecutive.com | October 2013 55

State of the IndustryTh e Gold 100 Summit provided a full day of panel discussions featuring top show organizers discussing the current state of the industry and how trade shows are adapting to the evolution of the post-recession economy.

Keynote speaker Jeremy Gutsche encouraged trade shows to continually innovate in order to remain irresistible to exhibitors and to the attendees who attend trade shows to increase their knowledge of their industry and look over the latest products and equipment.

Wolfgang Marzin, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt, was the guest of honor at an on-stage interview with Trade Show Executive columnist Bob Dallmeyer. Marzin spoke about his team, and how together they built Messe Frankfurt into the fourth largest show organizer in the world. (See Power Lunch page 38).

Continued on page 62

Advancing the Field. The Gold 100 Summit got off to a fast start on Thursday.

(1) Keynote speaker Jeremy Gutsche urged Gold 100 organizers not to get complacent but to catch the next big trend that will carry their shows forward.

(2) Emerald Expositions’ Karalynn Sprouse listens attentively.

(3) Aiming for honest answers on private equity opportunities and pitfalls, Advanstar’s Joe Loggia prodded panelists Christian Donohue of Tennenbaum Capital Partners, Robert Castillo of Invision Capital and Eric Rindahl of Roth Capital Partners.

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GOLD 100 RECAP

Exhibitors. Attendees. Organizers. All in Perfect Harmony.

Orchestrate perfection with CompuSystems’ ConnectME Ecosystem. Easily manage an environment where impactful interactions occur during the entire cycle of the event. These interactions transpire among organizers, attendees and exhibitors in harmony throughout the ConnectME Ecosystem by seamlessly integrating attendee and exhibitor registration dashboards with CompuSystems’ smartphone and tablets apps; while giving you a tool to effectively communicate with all in attendance of the show. Conduct your opus with the ConnectME Ecosystem today.

Visit compusystems.com or contact a Sales Executive at (708) 344-9070 to learn more about CompuSystems’ ConnectME Ecosystem.

Insights and Ideas. A wide range of speakers, representing Millennials, Generation X-ers, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation shared their expertise at the Gold 100 Summit.

(1) National Trade Productions executives Stacey Correcha-Price, Ryan Brown and Andrew Ortale.

(2) New Orleans Convention Center’s Tim Hemphill.

(3) Howard Britt of Premiere Show Group and Chandra Allison of The Venetian | The Palazzo discuss the proceedings during a networking break.

(4) Choose Chicago’s Darrell Baker and Stefanie Brown of the American Wind Energy Association.

(5) Closing keynote speaker Gary Shapiro, author of two best-selling books and head of the Consumer Electronics Association.

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GOLD 100 RECAP

A Dignifi ed ‘Food Fight.’ There were hardly too many cooks in the kitchen competing in the Gold 100 Culinary Challenge.

(1) UBM’s Marco Pardi gets the rice just right at the sushi station while onPeak’s Michael Howe and HIMSS’ Elli Riley admire the handiwork.

(2) Autographed celebrity chef’s coats were presented to the winners of the Gold Culinary Challenge.

(3) Feast your eyes on what Rochelle Burt of Lightfair International and Freeman’s Kathryn Howle cooked up.

(4) Former L.A. Laker A.C. Green can outrun Stefanie Brown of the American Wind Energy Assn. on the basketball court, but we’re betting she can outmaneuver him on the show fl oor.

(5) Karen Malone and Elli Riley of HIMSS serve up smiles.

(6) The elegant dining room at the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach awaits the culinary masterpieces of the nation’s top show organizers.

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GOLD 100 RECAP

Masters of Mingle. The Good as Gold 100 Opening Reception, sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, got the Gold 100 off to a great start. Shown here:

(1) Freeman’s Katy Wild, Reed Exhibitions’ Ken McAvoy and Las Vegas Sands’ Eric Bello.

(2) John Patronski of Global Experience Special-ists (GES) and Carol Fojtik of Hall-Erickson.

(3) Jason McGraw of InfoComm International along with Pat Fallon of CompuSystems.

(4) Emerald Exposition’s Margie Lelvis, Experient’s Shawn Pierce, PRG’s Jim Kelley, and NAMM’s Cindy Sample.

(5) SMG’s Gregg Caren, TSE’s Danica Tor-mohlen and Creative Expo’s Cherif Moujabber.

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GOLD 100 RECAP

The most nonstop flights to Chicago.united.com/meetings

Jorge Ramirez, President, Chicago Federation of Labor

“ If there’s nothing out there like it, we’ll build it.”

No city is more committed to bringing your ideas to life than Chicago. Find out how easy it is to work with us at ChooseChicago.com/reasons.

Continued from page 54

Fab Foursomes. The name of the game was golf on Wednesday at the Gold 100 Golf Classic:

(3) The foursome with the best score of the day included L to R: Sellers Expositions’ Warren Sellers; CompuSystems’ Chris Williams and Pat Fallon; and Randall-Reilly’s Alan Sims.

(4) L to R: Rosemont’s Bill Anderson and Chris Stephens, together with Metro Expo’s Marty Glynn and nGage Events’ Phil McKay.

(1) Taming the Links. Host Rick Simon (R) of United Service Companies monitored the links along with former NFL star Tony Parrish.

(2) Golden Moment. Metro Expo’s Marty Glynn launches one down the fairway. Prizes for longest drive and a hole-in-one were at stake.

www.TradeShowExecutive.com | October 2013 63

“ If there’ we’ll bu

Th e agenda also had plenty of time for the networking with colleagues, which makes the Gold 100 the spawning ground for future deals and partnerships. Former Los Angeles Laker A.C. Green and ex-NFL defensive back Tony Parrish joined attendees taking part in the Gold 100 Golf Classic and Gold 100 Culinary Challenge.

“Th e ingredients all came together to

create one of the most-successful Gold 100s, and it set the stage for next year’s Fastest 50 and Gold 100,” said Diane Bjorklund, vice president of events. More coverage on the event, including a video recap, is at www.tradeshowexecutive.com

Reach Diane Bjorklund at (630) 312-8915 or dbjorklund@tradeshowexecutive.com

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