Phoenix, AZ – Steven Moster was named the president of Global Experience Specialists (GES) today. Moster had been executive vice president/chief sales and marketing officer at GES from 2008 until early 2010. A search for a permanent replacement had been underway since March when John Jastrem retired following a brief tenure that began when Kevin Rabbitt left the company in 2009. Paul Dykstra, chairman, president and CEO of Viad Corp., the parent company of GES, had been directing GES while a search was underway.
Moster joined GES in 2004 as vice president of exhibit furnishings. He later became executive vice president of products and services and was credited with producing double-digit growth in the products and services division of GES, including a doubling of the size of its logistics business.
Viad announced its Third Quarter earnings on October 22, which included the performance and outlook for GES. Moster will find a GES that evolved quickly as it rode out the worst of the recession. The company slashed costs by roughly $10 million, ramped up productivity, and consolidated various facilities and functions. “We are beginning to see improvement in the exhibition and events industry and are happy to report that our same-show revenues were up 8.6% over the Third Quarter of 2009,” said Paul Dykstra, chairman, president and CEO of Viad.
The remainder of 2010 was projected to be on the slow side with an upward trend continuing in 2011.
Reach Paul Dykstra at (702) 263-1560 or pdykstra@gesexpo.com; Steven Moster at (702) 515-5500 or smoster@ges.com
