Showfloor Buzz – January 31, 2022

EACA News

Happy New Year.   The EACA would like to wish all our members a Happy and Prosperous New Year for 2022.   We also wanted to let members know that the Showfloor Buzz will now be published at the end of the month so we can better capture all the important news that impacts our members and our industry.

Chapter Zoom Calls.   At the Board meeting in December the EACA committed to organize quarterly Zoom calls with our Chapters so we can better understand your challenges and serve your needs.  Invitations to join these calls will be sent out as meetings are organized.  If you would like to assist in organizing a call for your Chapter please contact Jim Wurm at [email protected].  The current schedule of calls for Q1 of 2022 is as follows:
  • Feb. 9 @ 11am PT                             Las Vegas Chapter Zoom
  • Feb. 16 @ 1pm ET                             Boston Chapter Zoom

Billing & Collections Reminder.  The Executive Committee authorized a reminder to all members about our Best Practices on Billing & Collections.

As many of you might recall, billing and collections has proven to be troublesome in the past – particularly after our industry experiences a slowdown or shutdown.

Third party clients, like many in our industry, struggle with cash flow after work slowdowns or stoppages.     We first authored our Best Practices on Billing & Collections after 9/11 when many members experienced a rash of slow pay and no pay accounts.   This document was revisited and updated after the 2008 recession and was revised again in 2017.   Upon review of that version it is clear that another revision is warranted and is in process.     Meanwhile, here are the current recommendations from the Executive Committee:

  • The EAC community is the only stakeholder in the business event industry that has a history of granting unsecured credit.     This practice leads to slow pay and no pay accounts.
  • Request and receive deposits when at all possible, particularly from New clients and International clients.
  • Take deposits by money transfer as credit card deposits can be disputed.
  • Generate estimates for deposits on jobs internally.  Clients have a tendency to under estimate the total number of men or hours which causes problems with show floor operations and then collections later.

EACA Member News

Eagle Management Unveils New Logo.   Eagle Management recently announced the launch of its new company logo.    While they are updating their company brand, Eagle maintains its commitment to its core principles, values and best practices.

Momentum Announces Promotion, New Hire <Exhibit City News>  Momentum Management recently announced the promotion of Brent Driskel to the position of Central Florida Manager.   Driskel moves into the position previously held by Walt McCreary Sr. who will continue his role as Director of Field Operations.    Momentum has also hired Doug Stone as their new Las Vegas Floor Manager.  Stone entered the trade show industry in 2015 and has been working as field service manager prior to joining Momentum.

David Woods Retires from Laborinc.ca Brian Kearns recently announced that Mr. David Woods retired on December 17, 2021, from LABOR-INC and the exhibit industry. With 45 years of service within the exhibit/event industry while holding executive positions at custom design/build firms, portable solution companies and service companies, David has decided to step away from the industry and begin writing his next chapter.

Five HR Trends to Watch for in 2022 < Employco USA>  Many human resources (HR) functions were quickly reimagined in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and organizations can continue to expect new employment-related challenges in 2022. Here are five HR trends to monitor this upcoming year – Read more.

 

Industry News

Trade Show Industry Leaders Share Predictions for 2022  <TSNN>  TSNN had the chance to ask several industry leaders what they predict for the exhibitions industry in 2022.  Here’s what they believe we can expect to see in the year ahead.

ExpoDevCo Taps Danica Tormohlen <TSNN>   On Jan. 3, award-winning trade show industry journalist, Danica Tormohlen, assumed the newly created role of SISO’s content director, publisher and editor-in-chief, responsible for all of the organization’s media activities, communications and content creation. She joins the SISO management team full-time after working as an independent contractor on multiple case studies and communications projects for SISO over the last 14 months.

Supreme Court Stays OSHA ETS Vaccine and Testing Mandate. On Jan. 13, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled to stay the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS). The ETS was developed to establish a mandatory vaccination policy requirement for private employers with 100 or more employees.

As of Wednesday, January 26, OSHA has withdrawn its workplace vaccine mandate rule along with the Biden administration.  In its place the Biden administration has called on businesses to voluntarily implement the requirements.

Former SISO Chair James Bracken Passes Away.  James Bracken passed away on Jan. 18. He was 87.   Bracken served as SISO’s chair in 2004, and SISO officials expressed gratitude for his service to the association and the industry over the course of his career, as well as condolences to his family and many friends and colleagues in the industry.

Don Vaughn Passes Away.  Don Vaughn was an early advocate of the need to promote the use of exhibitions to bring products to market. He had a unique career in the industry first as an exhibition organizer (NAHB), then a major facility manager (Astrodome/Astrohall) and finally an executive with the largest general service contractor in the industry (Freeman). Vaughn was one of the founders of what is now the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (initially formed as the Trade Show Bureau).