Cautious optimism was in the air at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center during ASAE & The Center's Springtime Expo, held May 27.

Said to be the largest one-day meeting in the hospitality industry, CVB execs, hoteliers, and resort owners all agreed that business is coming back although no one is declaring that the "great recession" is completely over.

"We were thrilled with the mood and other exhibitors shared our feeling as well. Traffic was good and we got good quality RFPs from the show," said Jeffrey Vasser, president, Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. "People were just so optimistic which was refreshing. Springtime was an apropos name for this year's event as it feels as if it is springtime and we're all coming out and feeling good about things. The fact that people are in a buying mode that in and of itself is a positive."

This year, the total number of 3,908 participants included 2,030 attendees and 1,878 exhibitors who represented 538 exhibiting companies. The ratio of attendees in the expo hall was 52 percent buyers and 48 percent who were sellers.

At the opening brunch keynote session, Janine Driver, founder, president and lead instructor for the Body Language Institute, proved to the audience that actions speak louder than words. Driver spent more than a decade as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives training law enforcement officers, lawyers, and judges in the art of separating fact from fiction. She spoke to the Springtime audience about nonverbal communication and how people express their thoughts and feelings without saying a word.

Colors are an incredibly important part of how we're perceived, she argued. For example, people who dress in dark colors, such as all black, are frequently viewed as more powerful and authoritative. Conversely, lighter colors make you look more friendly and approachable.

Protest Staged

A group of "protesters" gathered outside the convention center Thursday morning, during Scott Cullather's presentation, "Production on a Budget: The Seven Habits of Highly Cost-Effective Meetings." Cullather, founder and managing partner, inVNT, a specialized communications agency focused on the creation and execution of meetings and events, knows how to create buzz and he staged this protest. Fifteen protesters held signs highlighting the habits of cost-effective meetings that coincided with his presentation. Not only did the protest help drive people to his session, but it caused Twitter chatter about inVNT's presence at the show that lead to three new business prospects for the company.

"It was a protest against the event industry status quo," he said, adding that business is booming. "There is just no substitute for face-to-face, personal interaction. We've seen larger investments in live events, especially in the last six months." New clients include Gatorade, Barnes & Noble for the launch of the nook, its new e-reader, MySpace, E & J Gallo Winery, The Society for Human Resource Management, Associated General Contractors, and Active International. inVNT has also expanded its headcount by 40 percent in 2010.

Other education sessions included, "Creating the Future While Managing the Present," by Jeffrey Cufaude, president and CEO, Idea Architects; "Events 2.0: Using Social Media to Enhance Your Event," by Jessica Levin, president and chief connector of Seven Degrees Communications; "How to Better Market Your Meetings," by consultant Elliott Jaffa; "Personalizing the Attendee Experience," by William Reed, senior vice president for strategic sales at Experient; "Accelerated Problem Solving," by Francie Dalton, president of Dalton Alliances; and "Meeting Planning 101," by Alan Kleinfeld, chief advisor of CMM Advisors.

"There is nothing better than networking at face-to-face events like Springtime," said ASAE & The Center President and CEO John H. Graham IV. "Springtime is the biggest one-day show in the meetings industry and a great opportunity for exhibitors and members of the association community to connect, develop new contacts, and learn about new association services. With lots of great energy throughout the day, this year's event was clearly a success." This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy