International Market Centers Announces New Executive Leadership Team, Unveils Long-Range Plans

November 7, 2018

On the heels of its recent merger with AmericasMart in Atlanta, International Market Centers has announced a new executive leadership team and a preview of its long-range plans for its furnishings, home décor, gift and apparel Markets and continued capital investment.

Boasting more than 150 years of collective experience in the gift, home furnishings and apparel industries, IMC’s new executive team includes: 

  • Greg Avitabile, Executive Vice President, Operations
  • Dorothy Belshaw, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer
  • Scott Eckman, Executive Vice President, President of Furniture and Home Décor Leasing
  • Bill Lacey, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  • JoAnn Miller Marshall, Executive Vice President, President of Tradeshow Leasing
  • Carrie Messina, Senior Vice President, Human Resources
  • Dave Savula, Executive Vice President, President of Gift and Apparel Leasing

Working from offices in Las Vegas, High Point, North Carolina and Atlanta, IMC will function as one company with one mission, implementing best practices across the organization and leveraging expertise and customer relationships to not only support corporate goals but also improve the customer experience.

“This thoughtful, thorough and strategic corporate structure positions our exceptional leadership and their teams to have maximum impact on the business and drive enhanced value to our customers,” said Bob Maricich, CEO of IMC, which is known as the world’s largest owner and operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home décor, gift and apparel industries.

He continued, “We remain committed to continued investment, customer focus and sustained growth across all of our properties and Markets. We have a proven record of making significant investments in our Markets and this sets the stage to amplify our commitment to providing the most effective, efficient and compelling B2B platform for both our buyers and our tenants.”

With IMC as its corporate brand and parent company, all three venues and the individual Markets will retain their own identities, branding and unique features, according to IMC officials, while permanent showroom leasing responsibilities will be industry-based and market-wide for furniture and home décor. 

Ensuring its customers are able to maximize results and achieve national distribution, IMC will extend its current centralized “key account” management structure for tenants who participate in both High Point and Las Vegas to now include tenants who also participate in Atlanta. 

JoAnn Miller
JoAnn Miller Marshall

 

Meanwhile, gift and apparel leasing will continue to be managed by venue in both Atlanta and Las Vegas.

In addition, trade show leasing will apply expertise and expanded resources to grow existing temporary presentations in Atlanta, High Point and Las Vegas, and IMC’s temporary exhibit sales teams will be campus-specific, better enabling existing staff to maintain each Market’s unique personality and differentiating features.

Trade show leasing will also identify opportunities to maximize occupancy at the new Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas, set to break ground in January and scheduled to open in July 2020. 

Totaling more than 300,000 gross square feet and able to accommodate more than 1,000 temporary exhibitors during major gift and home Markets, the new facility will be built for optimal trade show presentation and will be contiguous to Las Vegas Market’s buildings.  

Marketing will be a centralized function enhancing the end-to-end customer experience, driving increased buyer acquisition across all Markets, and developing digital tools and services to improve the at Market experience for buyers and tenants.

Beyond these customer-facing strategies, IMC will centralize and streamline Accounting and Lease Administration to create efficiencies for customers, and Information Technology will roll out upgraded and state-of-the-art systems and business applications to help provide seamless vendor support. 

This significant upgrade is part of an extensive and on-going strategic IT evaluation to create best-in-class systems and infrastructure to enable IMC to scale and extend capabilities beyond the existing portfolio. 

“We know our success is in direct correlation with the success of our tenants and the satisfaction of the buyers, and we remain committed to creating and hosting Markets that continually improve and evolve to serve their needs,” Maricich said.

In tandem with organizational improvements, IMC is also conducting a long-range planning process to identify initiatives to drive IMC’s next stage of growth and development. 

High level initiatives include leveraging national reach of the combined organization to accelerate buyer acquisition in all Markets, expanding product offerings in relevant new verticals and investing significant capital in public space improvements at all locations in addition to construction of the new Expo Center on the Las Vegas campus.

“The planning process, which should be completed by year-end, incorporates quantitative and qualitative third-party research of our customers and our customers’ customers to identify their needs and develop markets and tools to enrich their experience and drive enhanced value,” said Maricich. 

He added, “IMC remains committed to sustained growth and enrichment of the business and our customers can expect continued capital re-investment across all three campuses.”

 

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Partner Voices
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? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. 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.