On the Move
Workin’ It
Scharff Weisberg Lighting was the first company in the Northeast to take delivery of the highly anticipated Vari-Lite® VL500™. Corporate events and consumer marketing firm TBA Global Events announced the development of a new entertainment group to be directed by Geoff Thomas. MAC Meetings and Events added a new division, MAC Sports & Entertainment, a representation agency for athletes, speakers and entertainers, to be directed by Reggie Blackwell. AEG and KB Urban, a high-density, mixed-use division of KB Home, formed a partnership to facilitate the financing and development of the 1100-room downtown Los Angeles convention center headquarters hotel. AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions, U.S. division, announced the formation of a new selling unit, the Business Development Group. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. announced a luxurious new hotel rising in Orlando, Fla.’s Maitland Center corporate park that will be flagged as a Sheraton and is slated to open in the summer of 2006. University Place Conference Center and Hotel revealed new guestrooms as part of its $13 million renovation project; all 278 rooms will be open to guests by March 2006. The Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau published its enhanced, 128-page 2006 Meeting & Event Planning Guide. The Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, in partnership with Richmond.com, launched a new, enhanced website, www.visit.richmond.com. Chicago-based Hinda Incentives, in association with The Grass Roots Group, BitTime and Accumulate, formed the World Award Alliance – a worldwide group of incentive companies – to serve clients with global branding and marketing needs.
On the Job
AV Concepts hired Elisha Berkowitz as an in-house project manager in its San Diego office. American Exposition Technologies named Ron Penhall the new senior technical services manager. Sara Rosenberg joined Matthew David Events as a producer. David Hardbarger was named director, account operations for Delphi Productions of Alameda, Calif. Rob Majerowski of MG Design Associates was promoted to vice president, creative. Jeannine Sherman was named public relations manager for VISIT Milwaukee. Conferon Global Services added two new national account managers: Joe Soto, CMP (central region) and Debbie Taagen (Western region). Jack Slattery and Brian Hite joined Heritage Exhibits•Chicago’s sales team as account executives. The Association for Convention Operations Management elected a new president, Larry Wilson, who is general manager for SMG at the John Paul Jones Arena at the University of Virginia. Scharff Weisberg added Walter Elzey to its staff as senior account executive.
Awards and Achievements
Association management company SmithBucklin announced that it had added 24 new client organizations in 2005. The National Association of Home Builders announced a new attendance record at its recent show in Orlando with 105,263 registered attendees. Trade Show Exhibitors Association’s Windy City Chapter of Chicago recognized Francesca Lendrum, director, marketing services, NAVTEQ, as the 2005 Active Member of the Year. Las Vegas’ The Mirage, Treasure Island, Mandalay Bay and THEhotel were honored with 2006 AAA Four Diamond awards. Nine MGM MIRAGE restaurants also received the prominent award. PUNTACANA Resort & Club was ranked ninth among the Top 20 International Golf Courses in American Airlines’ Celebrated Living magazine, among other distinctions. Doug Neilson, president and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee, received the 2005 Instrument of Peace Award from the Milwaukee branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Birmingham, Ala.-based ExpoDisplays won the award for best national sales pavilion from the National Sales and Marketing Council.