Ideas at Work Arena

Innovative Expo Floor Setup Surrounds Attendees with Ideas

Published in December 2006 The Idea Factory 2006 in Review

The Three Waiters were one of many “Hot Event and Entertainment Ideas” presented by Michael Cerbelli during a featured session that had Idea Factory attendees packing into the Ideas at Work Arena.

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The Idea Factory revolves around ideas, and nowhere was this more apparent than in the innovative setup of the expo floor this year, with the new Ideas at Work Arena smack-dab in the middle.

A result of the partnership between Event Solutions and show producer Planning the Globe of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., the Ideas at Work Arena was a stage in the round where featured speakers energized attendees during general sessions and contests and presentations kept them busy as they explored the trade show floor.

“Because The Idea Factory presents unique and different ideas for all aspects of events, we knew we had the freedom to come up with something really out of the box,” says Vicki Carson, Event Solutions’ trade show director.

“The Ideas at Work Arena inspired attendees to think about their events in the same out-of-the-box fashion, while making the expo floor more of a focal point for attendees, exhibitors and featured speakers — and they loved it!”

Attendee Michele Brouse, president of Northfield, Ill.-based EventCorp Inc., was among its fans. “I thought that was great,” she says. “I come from non-profit trade shows, so I’ve seen very bad and very good. I think [it] was definitely very well organized.”

Michael Cerbelli, the first featured speaker, was once again a hit with his “Hot Event and Entertainment Ideas,” which offered everything from The Original Butt Sketch to Dave the Horn Guy. The Annual ICA Cocktail Competition took the stage afterwards, giving lucky attendees a chance to taste competing concoctions, followed by the announcement of Project GRAMMY teams and the Rocky Mountain Showdown design project recruiting participants for its hands-on workshop.

The second featured speaker, Jean McFaddin — legendary producer of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and owner of McFaddin Associates LLC in New York City — was true to form with her spectacular entrance, complete with a marching band and streamers. After her presentation, “Reinventing your Event,” a series of award-winning chefs took the stage to share presentation and recipe tips for various food items.

On the last day of the conference, celebrity party planner David Tutera wowed attendees with the inside scoop on celebrity clients and tips on how to increase their media savvy. As attendees lined up to speak to him after his presentation, Chef Eric LeVine of Chef Eric Catering & Events set up for his presentation, which was followed by Stephen Shapiro of 24/7 Innovation’s session on SpeedInnovating, his idea-generating technique.

For McFaddin, it was the theatrical energy and the sense of presentation in the Idea Stage that set The Idea Factory apart from other industry trade shows.

“I thought it was a fantastic conference,” she says. “It was an extremely good audience to speak to — the questions afterwards were some of the best questions that I’ve ever had after a speech. It was just such an energetic, spirited group, so I loved it.”