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February 2009
| | | ESCA Management Starts New Year with $21,000 Challenge Grant
The ESCA Board of Directors is extremely grateful to executive director Larry Arnaudet for the $21,000 "challenge grant" he and Augusta Group Management recently made to the Strategic Plan Fund. In making the grant, Arnaudet challenges all other members to do what they can in these tough economic times. While thanking Arnaudet, ESCA President Steve Hagstette said "With similar support from our membership, ESCA will continue to grow and add new and meaningful member service as outlined in our Strategic Plan."
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Registration Open For The 2009 Summer Educational Conference! We are pleased to extend an invitation to you to join us for ESCA's 20th Annual Summer Educational Conference and Exhibition at the Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico from June 14-17, 2009.
In these tough economic times all of our members are surely looking for ways to reduce their costs and operate as efficiently as possible. Well, we've got some good news for you. Please review the SEC Flight Comparison below to see the VERY reasonable travel and lodging costs associated with this year's Conference. In order to take full advantage of the potential savings, however, we strongly recommend that you reserve your room early insuring that you are in ESCA's discounted room block.
ESCA is YOUR association and we look forward to seeing you there! If you have any additional question or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 469-574-0694 or mitt@esca.org. |
Exhibition Worker Identification System Adds Facilities to List
The George R Brown Convention Center in Houston and the World Market Center in Las Vegas are the latest venues to confirm endorsement and implementation of the ESCA WIS program. ESCA executive director Larry Arnaudet met with the GRBCC staff and contractors in Houston to announce the program on February 18 and will be meeting with the contractors in Atlanta on March 23. ESCA will start the registration procedures and issue badges shortly thereafter. An exact deadline for use of the badges for entry into the exhibition areas is still pending from GWCC and GRBCC management. GWCC has established July 1 as the deadline for entry into the exhibition areas with the ESCA WIS badge. An exact deadline for use of the badges is still pending from GRBCC management.
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Your Chance to Speak Up!If you speak up, we'll listen! In March we'll ask you to participate in an electronic survey about ESCA's member service offerings to our members. Among the survey's topics will be benefits and HR issues at your company. We look forward to hearing from you! |
The Value of Meetings For many Americans, the negative press coverage of AIG's private executive event in December, right after the TARP (troubled Asset Relief Program) bailouts, painted a picture of corporate meetings as frivolous indulgences. This perception is erroneous and unfortunate, because the health of the meetings industry is essential to our economy's recovery. |
Keep America Meeting
Several key industry organizations and members have come together in a grassroots initiative to raise awareness of the role of events, meetings and incentive travel play in the U.S. economy. The announcement of the Keep America Meeting initiative comes just days after the U.S. Travel Association and industry leaders issued guidelines for recipients of TARP funding that outline acceptable business travel practices for companies that have received emergency government lending. The Keep America Meeting campaign asks supporters to go online to www.keepamericameeting.org and sign an online petition to draw attention to the positive economic impact of meetings and events
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Washington Convention Center Authority Selects Team of Underwriters to Manage Financing for New Headquarters Hotel The Washington Convention Center Authority (WCCA) announced today the selection of a team of underwriters to manage the Tax Increment Funding (TIF) Bond issue that will finance its contribution to the construction of the new Convention Center Marriott Marquis Hotel headquarters hotel. The contract was awarded to Goldman Sachs who will serve as the senior manager, and Siebert Brandford Shank & Co. will serve as the co-senior manager. The firms of Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Loop Capital Markets will serve as managers on the underwriting services for the headquarters hotel.
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|  CEIR Reports on Cost Effectiveness of Exhibitions DALLAS, 24 February 2009 - The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) released today SM 37 The Cost Effectiveness of Exhibition Participation: Part I, which includes comparative data taken from a survey conducted among sales and marketing managers of organizations from all sectors of the industry. |
 Client Alert: Posting OSHA Form 300A Beginning February 1, many employers must post a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred last year. Employers are only required to post the summary form (OSHA Form 300A) - not the OSHA Form 300 Log - from February 1 to April 30. This is an annual reporting requirement. |
 Important Changes to FMLA Rules for Business With 50 or More Employees Most U.S. companies with 50 or more domestic employees are subject to the Family Medical Leave Act ("FMLA"), which requires them to provide certain types of unpaid job-protected leave to eligible employees. Last month extensive new FMLA regulations went into effect, which include significant changes. To assure company protection against FMLA-related claims, employers need to bring their FMLA policies and practices in line with the new regulations immediately. |
| Thank you for your continued support of ESCA! Best Regards, Mitt Arnaudet Member Services Director |
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