Boston, MA – Mary Dolaher, the former vice president in charge of E3 Expo for the Entertainment Software Association, landed the top job at IDG World Expo today amid media speculation that the company was about to launch a video game trade show of its own at the Los Angeles Convention Center. IDG World Expo produces Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, RoboDevelopment Conference & Expo and numerous other events in the technology sector.
Dolaher came aboard at IDG World Expo with the title of executive vice president, although the company confirmed she was stepping into the job vacated Nov. 3 by CEO David Korse and will head up the entire business unit.
The move was not formally announced by IDG pending an announcement next week about an unidentified new show that the high-tech industry press is certain involves a replacement for E3.
E3 Expo is undergoing a radical repositioning in 2007 that will include a move from the Los Angeles Convention Center to a more-subdued base in Santa Monica. Now known as the E3 Business and Media Summit, the July 11-13 event will be spread out among hotels in the upscale coastal community with exhibits quartered at Barker Hangar, a 38,000 square-foot facility at the Santa Monica Airport that is used as a sound stage and an exhibition venue.
By comparison, the final E3 Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center in May 2006 spanned 540,000 net square feet of exhibit space and hosted about 50,000 attendees.
IDG is led by founder and Chairman Patrick McGovern. Dolaher will report to Bob Carrigan, president of the IDG Communications unit.
Reach Mary Dolaher at (508) 879-6700 or mary_dohaler@idg.com; Bob Carrigan at (508) 879-6700 or bob_carrigan@idg.com
