Mark Temple-Smith Tapped to Lead Informa Fashion Portfolio

September 6, 2018

Following the combination of Informa and UBM, Informa Exhibitions has appointed Mark Temple-Smith as managing director for the Group’s Fashion Exhibitions business, which includes leading brands such as WWDMAGIC, COTERIE, PROJECT and PROJECT WOMENS, which all run twice a year in Las Vegas during MAGIC.

“We are pleased to have Mark take on this essential role as we focus on rolling out such an initiative so important to the fashion marketplace and dedicating the right resources – management, technology and branding – to supporting our customers’ success,” Informa Exhibitions CEO Charlie McCurdy said.

He added, “We believe the combination of Informa’s global approach to B2B events marketing and our customer-first focus, with UBM’s history and strength in Fashion particularly in the US and Asia, is a powerful engine for growth in the fashion events market.”

Temple-Smith has more than 20 years’ experience in the exhibitions market. He was most recently Commercial Director for Informa Exhibitions, responsible for new growth initiatives in its EMEA and Americas businesses.

Prior to joining Informa, he was CEO, Asia for Tarsus Group and managing director, Asia for ITE Group, where he was instrumental in growing their Asian business from a start-up to some 50 exhibitions and over 400-plus colleagues.

In his new role, Temple-Smith will oversee a previously-announced three-year plan to bring new investments to the Fashion brands and show experience, as well as enhancements in areas such as marketing, content, digital and customer service.

The plan is designed to better enable exhibitors and attendees to connect, discover new leads, showcase products and further grow and achieve business success through these in person and online platforms during a time of fast change in the industry.

“Fashion is a highly international, increasingly digital and fast-changing market. I’m looking forward to enhancing our brands and platforms and working closely with our customers to understand and find solutions to their business needs and support their year-round marketing priorities,” Temple-Smith said.

He added, “In taking on this role, I will be working with a strong team that has extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of branding and marketing in the fashion events space.  Our fashion group serves the needs of the $1 trillion global fashion industry through 21 show brands across seven marketplaces that cover all major fashion categories, and we will continue to focus on strengthening our relationships with the industry’s global community of brands and retailers.”

 

 

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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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