Award Winners Named at Inaugural TSNN Event Excellence Awards Celebration

Show organizers and technology suppliers celebrated growth and innovation in the trade show industry last night at the inaugural TSNN Event Excellence Awards dinner at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel.

Collocated with the MTO Technology Summit, the awards dinner was hosted by Adam Schaffer, president of Media Revenue Partners and past-publisher of Tradeshow Week magazine.

The first TSNN Event Excellence Award of the evening for Best Performance by a Trade Show went to ABC Kids Expo, which had been a five-time winner on Tradeshow Week's Fastest 50 list of growing shows.

TSNN Event Excellence Award Winners

Larry Schur, president and COO of All Baby & Child and ABC Kids Expo, accepted the award. "Wow - here we go again! It's like déjà vu," Schur said. "I want to thank all of you - TSNN, MTO and Adam - for coming back and making this a wonderful event."

Other TSNN Event Excellence award winners included The Shot Show for Best Performance by an Association Show, which was accepted by Reed Exhibitions' senior vice president Dennis MacDonald, and the TSNN Event Excellence Best Newcomer Award went to the Texas Computer Education Association, which was accepted by Kristy Breaux, director of conventions and expositions.

During the evening, Bob Harar, founder and chairman of National Trade Publications, also was honored with a TSNN Event Excellence Award for Distinguished Leadership.

"This is a real honor … as you know, this is a fabulous business," Harar said. "I want to thank my friends and colleagues I have known over the years."

Earlier in the day at the MTO Summit, five MTO Technology award winners were announced - QuickMobile, mingle360, A2Z, Inc., Alliance Tech and Fixation Marketing. At the awards dinner, the Best Overall Technology Award was given to eTouches.

"After a hiatus in 2009, we are pleased to be able to resume the MTO Tech awards this year for the technology providers that have taken this industry to the next level of innovation," said Stephen Nold, president, Tarsus Advon and MTO Summit founder. "They have helped to reduce costs, streamline business processes and generate revenue streams in what has been a challenging year in the meetings industry. We congratulate them and thank them for their contributions."

The final TSNN Event Excellence Award winner of the evening was Hanley Wood Exhibitions for Best Performance by a Show Organizer. Group Director Tom Cindric was on hand to accept the award. "I am privileged to work for this company," Cindric said. "They do push the envelope. … This is a great event and we look forward to participating in the future."

This first TSNN Event Excellence Awards evening event was the foundation for weekend-long celebrations in future years - where the best and the brightest in the business will gather to network, connect and celebrate working in an industry like no other - and acknowledging and embracing the success that we have mutually achieved.

"The goal of the evening was to create in the industry an important event to recognize the accomplishments that occur day in and day out by the terrific people that we're all so lucky to call our colleagues," Schaffer said.

The inaugural TSNN Event Excellence Awards were sponsored by The Expo Group, Wyndham Jade and PSAV.

The location for next year's event will be announced soon, as well as the submission process for shows. A look inside the inaugural TSNN Event Excellence Awards celebration is available here. Video shot by Convention News Television.

The TSNN Event Excellence Awards and MTO Summit are owned by the U.K.-based Tarsus Group.