Dallas, TX – Jeff Price, president of Cygnus Expositions and current chairman of the International Association of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE), will join the executive management team of Freeman on July 1. As executive vice president, a new position in the company, Price will develop and direct strategies to support both exposition services and corporate events, working directly with clients as well as Freeman’s internal sales and operational units. He will report directly to Joe Popolo, president of Freeman.
“Jeff is one of the industry’s most respected and credible leaders, with a wealth of proven experience in managing organizations and providing strategic direction,” said Popolo. “More importantly, his personal values, reputation and ethical standards are an exact match with our company culture.”
For the past six years, Price has been president of Cygnus Expositions, one of the largest independent show producers in the U.S. with over 40 expositions and events. He is the former president/CEO of Dallas Market Center Expositions and was vice president of Wyndham Travel Management, Inc. He served as director of trade shows for the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association and as group show director for Cahners Exhibition Group (now Reed Exhibitions).
Price was elected chairman of IAEE for the 2007-2008 term, and serves as Trustee for the Exhibition Industry Foundation. He is a past chair of the National Association of Consumer Shows (NACS).
Price said he was excited about the unique opportunity. “Freeman is one of the greatest organizations in our industry, with wonderful people, and I am looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial career there.” Price will relocate from his current home in Minnesota to Dallas, home to Freeman’s corporate headquarters.
Freeman is the nation’s largest general service contractor and a leader in producing corporate events, conventions and exhibit programs for its clients. Founded in 1927, Freeman has offices in 26 cities across North America. It is privately owned by the Freeman family as well as its employee owners through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
No immediate announcement was made on who would step into the president role at Cygnus Expositions or when a search would begin.
Reach Jeff Price at Cygnus Expositions until June 29 at (952) 808-3309 or jeff.price@cygnusexpos.com; Joe Popolo at (214) 445-1000 or joe.Popolo@freemanco.com
