: Exhibition Services & Contractors Association ESCA Announces Selection of Augusta Group to Manage Association

13th of June, 2006

ESCA Announces Selection of Augusta Group to Manage Association

ESCA Announces Selection of Augusta Group as Choice to Manage Association, Industry Veteran Larry Arnaudet to Serve as Executive Director

Announcement Comes After Completion of Search Process

VAIL, CO—ESCA, the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association, the unified and respected
authority on tradeshow and event contract services and related industry issues, announced the
selection of Augusta Group Management, LLC as its management firm. Larry Arnaudet, 37 year
industry veteran, will be executive director.

“The selection of the Augusta Group and Larry Arnaudet as executive director is an exciting
development for ESCA. The search process was conducted by a committee of our members as
requested by membership under the direction of the board, seeing the results of their work and
being able to make this announcement is a great milestone in ESCA’s history and a great
foundation for the significant work ESCA’s members and board have engaged through ESCA’s
strategic plan.” said Tom Drullinger, President of ESCA at its annual summer educations
conference in Vail, Colorado where the announcement was made to ESCA membership. “Our
existing association management, led by Susan Schwartz as executive director has done an
outstanding job of helping ESCA transform itself, as we look to the future, we will not forget our
past and appreciate Susan’s critical role in building ESCA to its current industry position”
continued Mr. Drullinger.

The board of directors has formed a transition committee to facilitate the implementation of the
agreement with the Augusta Group. Susan Schwartz will remain executive director throughout the
transition process.

Based in Dallas, Texas, the Augusta Group is a consulting firm to the exhibition industry
comprised of 16 associates with extensive industry experience, including; association management,
facility management, convention bureau management, hotel sales and management, general service
contractor sales and management, meeting transportation, marketing, and event management. The
current associates of the Augusta Group collectively have over 400 years of industry experience
and continue to service in major roles in industry associations.

Larry Arnaudet, a past president of ESCA, has 37 years industry experience, primarily in various
roles for major general service contractors, including 23 years at Freeman where he was most
recently Executive Vice President. Since 2004, Mr. Arnaudet has been consulting for his firm the
Arnaudet Group and in 2005 joined the Augusta Group.

--ESCA—

Mission Statement

ESCA is dedicated to the advancement of the exhibition, meeting, and special events industries. Through the education, information exchange, and level of professionalism shared by members and their customers, ESCA promotes cooperation among all areas of the exhibition industry.

For more information related to this news release and general ESCA information contact Susan Schwartz (sschwartz@esca.org), at (877) 792-ESCA for information related to the Augusta Group contact Larry Arnaudet (larrya@augustagroup.org), at (214) 876-6521.

Digital logo images, photographs, etc. related to this news release, or ESCA available upon
request.