Back in March of this year, we posted Part 1 of this discussion topic and cited examples from President Obama’s Export Council, IAEE President Steven Hacker and from EDPA’s recent participation in Duesseldorf, Germany at EuroShop 2011. In that blog I wrote, “If we want to be truly competitive in the larger global marketplace, it is going to mean change.”
Fast-forward approx. three months to last week at the JW Marriott in Washington DC, where the President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) Gary Shapiro told the 10th annual Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) that “the US exhibition industry needs to share innovation strategies to improve it’s competitiveness on the world stage.”
Looks like we’re all saying the same thing! But what can be DONE about it?
One thing seems pretty evident; if we’re not willing to challenge the tradeshow business model in the USA, there will be little growth, no real development and the status quo will bog-us-down in the end. And there will be an end…
Speaking for the EDPA, I can tell you that as an association we’re willing to go anywhere to have an open, honest (and civil) discussion about our industry’s model and how we can improve it to make it easier and more cost effective for the end-user exhibitor.
To this end, the EDPA Board of Directors has been invited to attend and participate in the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association’s (ESCA) Summer Educational Conference in Branson Mo. later this month. Not only will we hold our next quarterly board meeting there on Tuesday, June 28th, but I will personally be participating in an industry-wide coalition panel discussion with my fellow directors from ESCA, IAEE, IAVM and SISO.
What are you willing to do to bring positive change to our industry?
