People News: Hiring Picks up Speed Across Trade Show Industry

September 5, 2012

Overall unemployment in the United States still might be down, but hiring in the trade show industry has continued to pick up speed though the summer and into the fall.

L.A. Mart proudly recently brought back Frank Joens as senior vice president and general manager of the venue in Los Angeles.



Joens returns to the L.A. Mart after a brief break in his decade-long tenure of service with the building. He began his career at the L.A. Mart in 2001 as director of marketing and then two years later was promoted to director of leasing, where he helped his team achieve a more than 90 percent showroom occupancy rate.

Derse made four new additions to its team:

Account Executive Bryan Kenny brings 22 years of industry experience. As in previous positions, Kenny will continue to manage existing client business, generate new business and work closely with clients to help develop their marketing programs.

Todd Sussman, creative director, has 16 years of design experience. He is focused on the creation of three-dimensional spaces from the trade show floor to interior space environments, and has won an Ex Award (sponsored by Event Marketer) and several Best of Show awards during his career (National Association of Broadcasters 2012, most recently).

In her account director role, Jill Waite will utilize 25 years in the brand marketing world to provide account leadership, program development and program management. She also will consult and guide Derse clients through all the service phases - from strategic planning and design to production and logistics.

As production supervisor, Louie Szi draws on 32 years of experience and previous leadership roles including shop foreman, project management, and production and operations management

VisitPittsburgh, the official tourism promotion agency for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, has hired Pittsburgh native Angela K. Corvello as its new director of convention Sales.

Corvello began her new position at VisitPittsburgh Aug. 20 She will assist the vice president of convention sales in managing the sales team responsible for convention sales for Pittsburgh and the entire Allegheny County area and also will handle a convention sales market, bringing future meetings to the Pittsburgh area.

Experient, the source for integrated meeting and event solutions, announces the promotion of Jenny Van Riper to director, association strategic account management, and welcomes the newest members of its sales team, Jim Nirmaier, strategic sales executive and Gordon Ransom, national account manager.

Van Riper most recently was manager, meeting and event operations for Experient’s Washington, D.C., office. In her new role, she will oversee all strategic account managers in the D.C. area and focus on continued growth of the association market.

Nirmaier fills the role of strategic sales executive on the association and government strategic sales team and will focus his sales efforts on the religious and faith-based market exclusively. He joins Experient from the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he was vice president of group sales.

Ransom is the newest member of the Experient Sales Network (ESN) - a team of independent business development specialists known as Experient National Account Managers (ENAMs) located in primary customer markets throughout the world.

He comes to Experient with a background in the Alaska hospitality business, where he was a partner and member of the Executive Management Committee of Alaska’s Boardwalk Lodge.

The Expo Group recently hired a new director of business processes and development, Corey Kelley.

Kelly previously worked at KAC, where he played key operational roles addressing systems needs such as inventory and asset management.

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Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started. Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind. “Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for." What’s New – AT&T Discovery District Located in the heart of Downtown Dallas, this new district on the AT&T corporate campus is tailor-made for groups of all sizes. It boasts a multi-sensory experience, including outdoor event space, the AT&T Theater, and multiple dining outlets including JAXON Beer Garden and The Exchange, a bustling food hall. Hotels Coming Soon Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond. JW Marriott This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar. InterContinental Dallas  Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.   Hotel Swexan Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.