Late last month exhibitors arrived at the first TSEA Red Diamond Congress in Orlando, FL on a mission.
Collaborative and mutually beneficial change was the call to action as the two-day event brought together over fifty industry leaders, including senior exhibit managers, to engage as change agents, progressing toward mutual definition and common understanding of several key areas critical to the exhibition industry: fundamental labor practices; convention housing practices; and third-party audits. Exhibit managers were brought to the table and encouraged to start with the simplest of tasks – to “have a conversation” about the issues that concerned them most and significantly challenged their abilities to deliver quality and value-added programs.
Day two of the event offered exhibit managers the opportunity to participate in an honest dialogue with show organizers. They used the time to better understand organizers’ perspectives as they “walked a mile” in organizer shoes and listened to thoughtful and informative responses to issues raised. Attendees felt insights offered by the organizers were very helpful and they were encouraged to continue collaboration toward achieving recommendations for best practices. Both sides were able to move quickly and offer potential solutions over the course of the exchange.
The end of the caucus signaled a call for all exhibit management professionals to come together and to act as a single group. By working together, the voice of exhibitors will be heard by all stakeholders in the exhibition industry. I look toward McCormick Place as an example of that beginning to happen outside of the Red Diamond Congress. Legislators in Illinois interviewed all stakeholders to define what they needed from McCormick Place. The exhibitors, show organizers, the Chicago Convention and Visitors Bureau, general contractors, and union officials were asked to testify about what the issues were and asked for solutions. What we have now is a pending bill awaiting the governor’s signature that will forever change the face of McCormick Place and, quite possibly, save the exhibition industry in Chicago. I look forward to this happening on a grander scale.
The next step is so simple.
All the stakeholders in the exhibition industry need to sit down together and communicate with each other on a national and international scale. When we all learn what it is like to “walk a mile” in each others’ shoes, honest dialogue will happen and we can truly find a model that will work for all parties.
In the spirit of fostering this dialogue, what questions do you have? And who would you direct those questions to?
