Emerald Expositions Makes Another Buy with InterDrone Expo

March 13, 2017

Emerald Expositions is continuing its buying streak by snapping up the International Drone Conference and Exposition (“InterDrone”), a commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) trade show and conference based  in North America, from BZ Media LLC.

Launched in 2015, InterDrone quickly has established itself as one of the top events focused on the commercial applications for UAVs, according to Emerald officials. 

“Congratulations to Ted Bahr and his team at BZ Media for successfully identifying this market opportunity and building a strong event that provides a platform for commercial interaction and education to this burgeoning industry”, said David Loechner, president and CEO of Emerald Expositions.

He added, “We have seen first-hand the emerging interest in drones in our two professional photography shows, and we are excited at the prospect of leveraging our scale, experience and expertise in trade shows and conferences to deliver even greater benefits to attendees, sponsors, exhibitors at InterDrone and to the entire UAV industry.”

In their March 2016 report, Drones Reporting for Work, Goldman Sachs estimated the global market for commercial application of drone technology at about $2 billion, and projected the market opportunity during the next five years at more than $100 billion.

In its second year, the InterDrone 2016 show attracted more than 150 exhibitors and over 3,500 attendees from 50 states and 54 countries.

The breadth of non-defense UAV markets represented at the show demonstrates the broad application of this technology in commerce. Such markets include aerial photography, surveying & terrain mapping, construction & building inspection, agriculture, real estate, cinematography and more.

The 2016 show was the only major commercial drone show selected by FAA Chief Michael Huerta as a speaking venue that year.

InterDrone 2017 will take place Sept. 6–8 at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV, and, in addition to two large exhibition floors, features three subconferences for attendees, making InterDrone the go-to destination for UAV educational content in North America.

More than 120 classes, panels and keynotes are presented under Drone TechCon (for drone builders, engineers, OEMs and developers), Drone Enterprise (for enterprise UAV pilots, operators and drone service businesses) and Drone Cinema (for pilots engaged in aerial photography and videography).

“We are very proud of InterDrone and how it has emerged so quickly to be the industry leading event for commercial UAV applications in North America,” said Ted Bahr, President of BZ Media.

He added, “We decided that to take the event to the next level required a company of scale and expertise like Emerald Expositions. We look forward to supporting Emerald through the 2017 and 2018 shows and working together to accelerate the show’s growth under their ownership over the coming years”.

This acquisition is the most recent in a string of them for Emerald, including the CEDIA Expo, American Craft Retailers Expo (“ACRE”), RFID Journal LIVE! Event and National Pavement Expo, to name a few. 

Also, according to a January Reuters report, Emerald is rumored to be on the sales block for $2 billion. Loechner declined to comment on the possible sale at the time.

Corporate Solutions, LLC of Westport, Conn., was the exclusive advisor to BZ Media in arranging and negotiating this transaction. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed

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Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? 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Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.