EDPA AUGUST NEWSLETTER
EDPA Awards Are Now Open for Submissions
EDPA is now accepting submissions for the 2021 EDPA Awards. This year’s awards will be presented during ACCESS 2021 on December 2nd, 2021 at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood Florida.
Award categories include:
The Hazel Hays Award - recognizes an individual for outstanding contribution to the experiential/exhibit industry overall. The award is the highest honor bestowed by EDPA.
The Ambassador Award - acknowledges an individual for outstanding service or contribution to EDPA and the industry.
Designer of the Year Award - acknowledges a designer who works to enhance the professional standards of experiential/exhibit designers.
The Eddie Awards - recognizes outstanding creative achievements for self-promotion within the experiential/event industry across categories.
International Collaboration Award - recognizes companies which have formed international partnerships to deliver outstanding work for their clients.
Future Leaders Award - honoring the best and brightest young professionals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities.
Chapter of the Year Awards - acknowledges outstanding chapters for their diligence and hard work in promoting EDPA, and its innovative ways in forging ahead.
Enter now! The deadline for the awards is Friday, October 1, 2021. Find the award submission instructions on EDPA.com.
EDPA Opens Nomination Process for the Future Leaders Class of 2021
EDPA’s Future Leaders committee is pleased to open the nomination process for the Future Leaders Class of 2021. Focusing on a positive outlook and momentum for the exhibition industry, the EDPA Future Leaders Program honors the best and brightest young professionals who are already making a difference with their day-to-day contributions and thought leadership.
To be considered for this honor, candidates must be:
An EDPA member or work at an EDPA member company
Sponsored by an EDPA member company or employee
A non-C-Suite professional
A leader or manager of people, projects, etc.
Demonstrating professional characteristics as determined by the committee
Under the age of 40 as of October 1, 2021.
Nominations are limited to two submissions per member division/location. The fee for each submission is $100.
According to Liz Nacron, Partner at Live Marketing, and the committee chair for the Futures Leader Program, “This is an opportunity for EDPA to create a new and unique value proposition for young professionals within our ranks. This award continues a targeted stewardship for those in the industry showing up and making a difference.”
Start your entry for the Future Leaders Award on EDPA.com. The deadline for submissions is Friday, October 1, 2021. Video submissions will be accepted in addition to the completed form.
Registration is Open for 2021 Atlanta Randy! The Atlanta Randy is back this year on September 27 at Berkeley Hills Country Club to support our friends and families in the exhibition industry who have suffered severe tragedies or face insurmountable medical expenses. Now more than ever we are looking forward to getting our community back together in support of this great cause.
Date: Monday, September 27, 2021
Course: Berkeley Hills Country Club
2300 Pond Rd. Duluth, GA 30096
Find out more and register at www.rsmgc.org
EDPA Member Blog - After the Covid Fog
Dan Cantor – Chairman, Hamilton
dcantor@hamilton-exhibits.com
The good news is that the convention business is beginning to wake up, with events coming back on the calendar with some regularity. We expect to see a steady increase in show participation by exhibitors in the coming months once the short-term impact of the Covid Delta Variant has subsided.
Some events have already restricted attendance to vaccinated persons — this trend is likely to continue.
In addition to the ordeal of rebuilding and re-energizing our internal teams, event marketing solution providers are encountering some new challenges that are not unexpected but are worthy of mention.
Client company personnel — our client contacts — are changing at a rapid rate. This is not a new phenomenon, but the pace has accelerated dramatically. We will need to be in ‘education mode’ like never before, orienting these new client contacts to the nuances of the North American trade show model. (Translation: ‘We can predict but cannot control many of these costs, are here is why.’)
Transportation providers are very challenged with labor shortages, new training needs, and accelerating operating costs, making schedules more unpredictable and shipments more expensive.
General contractors and installation and dismantle companies are also facing labor shortages, creating both labor quality and labor quantity issues. Wait times for freight unloading are very long and unpredictable. Set-up times are longer and also harder to predict. Post-Covid, field supervision and project management roles will be more demanding.
Other venue services which require labor with specific skills and credentials were challenged beforeCovid. We can expect this condition to worsen, at least for the short-term. Fortunately, the ‘trades’ as a career path seem to be getting more attention in the US, but it will take some time before our industry benefits from this trend.
All this means that we will need to spend a lot more time explaining to our (new) clients why they are facing higher costs. Their budgets, which are already limited and in the process of getting rebuilt for this fall and 2022, will be under more stress. This will mean that our ability to provide effective solutions will be more constrained at a time when performance measurement is getting more attention. There will be more of desire to measure outcomes without adequate investment in the tactics that create good outcomes. Not a good scenario.
One positive outcome of these times is that our uncompetitive trade show pricing model will be ripe for adjustment. High-cost events will be under competitive pressure from new shows, operated by organizers and contractors who are more customer-focused and efficient. Pre-Covid, our shows were three times the cost of events in Europe and five times the cost of shows in Asia. The planet is smaller now and global price disparities will not be sustainable.
The Covid fog is lifting, and our industry is coming back to life. Prosperity at all levels will be determined by how we cope with these challenges and morph them into new opportunities.
EDPA SoCal
Event Title: Helping Clients Succeed in a Changing Environment, Part 2
Event Date: August 26, 2021
Event Location: Zoom
Time: 12:30pm-1:30 pm PST
Event Description: We are happy to continue our series “Helping Clients Succeed in a Changing Environment Part II.” with Sheila LeMaster, CMP | Vice President of Exhibitor Services at GES. Sheila will share the new trends and resources GES is doing to help events and exhibitors improve their show experience as face-to-face returns.
Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/edpa-california-helping-clients-succeed-in-a-changing-environment-pt-2-tickets-166530550359
Northern California
Event Title: Happy Hour
Event Date: August 19, 2021
Event Location: Bay Area (Exact location TBD)
Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm PST
Event Description: Our first in person event to kick off the reopening of the chapter. Connect with those we have not seen in over a year and meet new additions to our industry! This happy hour will include drinks, appetizers, games and networking in a local Bay Area bar/restaurant.
Registration link: Coming soon!
SE EDPA
Event Title: Get Out of the Gutter . . . for a good cause!
Event Date: August 26, 2021
Event Location: Bowlmor Lanes
Time: 4:30pm EST
Event Description: Join the SE EDPA Chapter for the 14th Annual Get Out of the Gutter event to help support the Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic.
Registration link: https://www.123signup.com/register?id=kjqdt
EDPA Northeast Chapter
Event Title: Exhibitor Advocacy
Event Date: August 26, 2021
Event Location: Virtual Meeting
Time: 4:00pm EST
Event Description: Continuing on our discussion of events advocacy and current experiences in the exhibitor world of events, hear from Amanda Helgemoe, CEO of NuVista Event Management Services, on her updates and perspective of the status of the events world. Amanda will be bringing a special guest to turn this round table discussion into a dynamic learning experience.
Registration link: http://edpanortheast.com/events/2021/8/26/virtual-meeting-series-thur-aug-26
EDPA Northeast Chapter
Event Title: "The Classic" EDPA Northeast Annual Charity Golf Tournament 2021
Event Date: September 13, 2021
Event Location: 146 Shaker Road Harvard, MA, 01451
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm EST
Event Description: EDPA Northeast “The Classic” returns live for 2021. Players can register in teams of two or individually and will be placed with other golfers to complete a foursome. Proceeds benefit the EDPA Foundation Scholarship Program. “The Classic” uses a scramble format. A shotgun start will begin promptly at 9am. Registration, putting green and driving range will open at 7:30am. Breakfast and boxed lunches will be provided.
Registration link: http://edpanortheast.com/events/classic2021
Texas
Event Title: Weekly Happy Hour (Wellness Check)
Event Date: Every Wednesday
Event Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00pm CST
Event Description: Casual Conversations about life, the industry, with adult beverages for those who wish to partake
Registration link: Free to all, just email Matthew Little at mlittle@nuvistaonline.com for an invite
WOMEN IN EXHIBITIONS
Event Title: Bi-weekly Zoom Share
Event Date: Starting January 20, 2021, and continuing bi-weekly on Wednesday throughout the year.
Event Location: Zoom
Time: 1:00 – 2:00PM PDT
Event Description: If you are a woman in the exhibitions industry please join us for our bi-weekly Zoom calls. Topics are timely to our current events and are always highly informative and insightful. Registration and details can be found on the Women in Exhibitions LinkedIn Group. Please request to join for access to the Zoom registration link.
Registration link: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/151235
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