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This Just In

IAEE’s New Edition of The Art of the Show Keeps Up With Changing Times

HIL ANDERSON, SENIOR EDITOR

Dallas, TX – The International Association for Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) in January will release an updated version of The Art of the Show, the comprehensive textbook for aspiring trade show managers in the U.S. – and now the world.

The fourth edition of The Art of the Show, subtitled: An Introduction to Exhibition Management, is the product of more than 40 veteran contributing editors from within the industry. Their cumulative knowledge and savvy was acquired on the forefront of a trade show market that has seen a surge of globalism and technology in recent years.

The knowledge they contributed will be a major part of the Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) Learning Program, which is the professional gold seal of approval for show managers. “This edition of the textbook is an important element of IAEE’s strategic initiatives,” said David DuBois, president & CEO of IAEE. “Training current and future professionals in the industry will become increasingly important in the years ahead.”

The Art of the Show is a hefty 421 pages and is available to IAEE members for $79.95 and $109.95 for non-members. The book is included in the $100 enrollment fee for the CEM designation.

The seven sections of the book cover the gamut of what show managers have to know when it comes to the planning, marketing and operational side of a successful trade show. Lead editor Glen Ramsborg, a Certified Meeting Planner and former director of education for the Professional Convention Management Association, for example. Most of the material may be second nature to senior show organizers, but the objective-based format provides a valuable resource for both veterans and rookies.

The accelerated expansion of the exhibition industry worldwide resulted in a tightening of the industry terminology used, particularly in describing “exhibition organizers” and other job titles that might mean something else, or nothing at all, to readers overseas. The editors used the Convention Industry Council Accepted Practice Exchange (APEX) as much as possible for the terminology.

A new thrust for IAEE was in making the best use of the Internet and social media in the marketing of an exhibition both in the U.S. and abroad. The book lists 16 steps for putting together an effective social media strategy that are a welcome change from just a few years ago when the field had more of a Wild West feel to it.

Susan Brower, IAEE Vice President, Marketing and Communications, and one of the editors of the chapter on marketing, said the industry had gotten enough of a handle on social media that a set of best practices could be laid out. “Social media is still evolving,” she told Trade Show Executive. “But it is an effective strategy to reach both current and untapped markets as exhibitions are introduced.”

Reach David DuBois at (972) 458-8002 or ddubois@iaee.com; Susan Brower at (972) 458-8002 or sbrower@iaee.com

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