Showfloor Buzz – December 15, 2020

Happy Holidays!

The EACA would like to extend warm wishes to all our members and industry colleagues for a happy, healthy and joyous holiday season with your families and friends.   Understanding that your celebrations this year may be different than in years past we still hold hope that you are able to find the kind of connection with all your loved ones that will renew your spirit and fill your days with wonder and excitement for a happier 2021.

We at EACA also want to extend our thanks as we are grateful for the ongoing support of all our members through these challenging times and for the positive spirit and energy that you display in everything you do.

EACA News

EACA to Support Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA).   The industry coalition of trade show associations known as GoLiveTogether that was formed to lobby Congress for financial stimulus and relief for all trade show related companies has created a plan to go forward as the ECA, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance.   The ECA will represent the common interests of the U.S. exhibitions and conferences industry to legislators. It will promote the impact of the sector, drive general industry awareness, monitor legislative issues, advocate for the industry’s common interests, and work with partners globally as needed, in order to maintain a favorable operating environment within the U.S.

As an original member of GoLiveTogether, EACA has pledged to support the ECA as a supporting charter member.

EACA Webinars.   The EACA has added the following webinar programs to its webcast section on the EACA website.

  • Update on COVID Relief Negotiations.  Last week (December 11) we reached out once again to Tim Heffernan of T3 Expo, Kevin Binger of Cassidy Associates and Chris Griffin of Crew XP to discuss the current status of COVID relief and stimulus negotiations with Congressional leaders.   Click here to view full program.
  • EDPA ACCESS Recap.  Today (December 15) at 1pm ET we will be welcoming our panel of David Holloway, Eagle Management, Colleen Johnson, Sho-Link, Chris Griffin, Crew XP and Don Svehla, Exhibit City News to provide a recap of their experiences and findings at the recent EDPA Annual ACCESS in San Antonio.  Click Here to tune in at that time. You will also need the following passcode to enter the room.    215843
  • COVID Vaccine Q&A.  On Friday (December 18) at 1pm ET we will be welcoming Rob Wilson and Jason Eisenhut of Employco USA to provide insights, guidelines and answers to questions about the what, when and how they should communicate with their employees about the immunization process.   Once events begin to re-open it may be necessary for showfloor workers to provide evidence of a negative test, or that they have been immunized.  Click Here to tune in on Friday.

Momentum Grows on Capitol Hill for Relief Package <Washington Post>  A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday released two bills they said would provide the nation with emergency economic relief as senior congressional officials sounded more hopeful about the odds of approving new relief than they have in weeks.

The bipartisan group unveiled one $748 billion package that includes new unemployment benefits, small business aid and other programs that received broad bipartisan support. The second bill includes the two provisions most divisive among lawmakers — liability protections for firms and roughly $160 billion in aid for state and local governments — with the expectation that both could be excluded from a final deal to secure passage of the most popular provisions. This second bill could end up falling out of the final deal if lawmakers don’t rally around it amid broad opposition among Democrats to approving the liability shield.

The bipartisan stimulus legislation includes 16 weeks of unemployment benefits at $300 per week for jobless Americans, as well as 16-week extensions in base unemployment benefits and the unemployment program for gig workers and independent contractors. The plan also devotes $300 billion in small-business relief, including a second round of Paycheck Protection Program funding, according to a summary of the document provided by a congressional aide.

EACA Member News

Freeman Names Dell as President/COO.  <Exhibit City News>  Freeman recently announced the appointment of Janet Dell to president and chief operating officer as of Nov. 1. In this new role, Dell will lead the company’s global business operations, overseeing strategy, creative, design, business development, customer experience, event management, supply chain and logistics.

OSHA-10 Training Available for Local Workers in Las Vegas   Las Vegas Teamsters Local 631 is still offering Zoom classes for all local Las Vegas workers who want to get their OSHA-10 Safety Certification.   Contact the Training Center to find out when the next class will be scheudled.

IBT To Offer OSHA-10 Training to All Others. The Int’l Brotherhood of Teamsters are offering OSHA-10 certification for all trade show professionals who reside outside of Las Vegas.

Industry News

Sparks Acquires Group Delphi’s Tradeshow & Events Business  <Exhibit City News>  Sparks, a global brand experience agency, is launching a multi-phase growth plan by acquiring Group Delphi’s tradeshow and event business. As part of the transaction, Sparks acquires Group Delphi’s trade show and event services, assets and facilities in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Paris, France, and welcomes the 40 Group Delphi employees associated with these various functions and locations. Group Delphi will continue to operate out of its Alameda, California, facility focusing on museum exhibit fabrication, all-in-one restaurant solutions, fine arts and custom acrylic fabrication.

Sparks now has local offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Detroit, Michigan; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Ridgefield, Connecticut, with international offices in Paris, France and Shanghai, China.

Sweet & Snacks Moving to Indianapolis in 2021, Back to Chicago in 2022  <TSNN>  he National Confectioners Association will move Sweet & Snacks Expo, which has taken place in Chicago every spring in its 23-year history (except for 2020, which was canceled), to Indianapolis next year. As the confectionary and snack industry’s premiere event, the 2021 Sweets & Snacks Expo — which typically features approximately 800 exhibitors and draws 15,000 attendees from 90 countries — will take place June 22-25 at Indiana Convention Center.

A complete schedule for the 2021 Sweets & Snacks Expo will be available by February 2021, show officials say. As of now, the show is planned to return to McCormick Place May 23-26, 2022.

PCMA to Acquire Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) as New Division <Exhibitor Magazine>  PCMA and the Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), the premier community for event marketers, are pursuing an agreement wherein CEMA will be acquired as a wholly-owned division of PCMA. This acquisition will propel both organizations into an exciting new chapter as businesses and organizations adjust to the evolving role of business events in an omnichannel world.