| New Members Elite Exposition & Event Services | | Registration Numbers for the Summer Educational Conference 5% Ahead of Last Year!
 Last year at this time we had exactly 110 people that took advantage of the early registration discount and in spite of the tough economic conditions in our industry this year 116 attendees have already registered. This could be a result of the fact that attending the SEC will cost approximately 35% less than 2008 (based on comparison of airfare and hotel costs).
We are pleased to extend an invitation to you to join us for ESCA's 20th Annual Summer Educational Conference 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.
| | ESCA Introduces New National Badge Program - ESCA WIS
The Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) has launched the Worker Identification System (WIS) which will be used by convention facilities to identify tradeshow labor when they are onsite. The Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta is the first venue to adopt the program. Mark Zimmerman, general manager of the GWCC, was interested in WIS from the beginning. "I knew," he said, "when I first heard about it that this was a program we would want to be involved with." | ESCA's Member-Get-A-Member Program Only you can best communicate to your colleagues and business partners the value that ESCA brings to you and your company.
Just recruit new members to ESCA and win - it's that easy! For each new ESCA member you recruit, you receive one raffle ticket. Just make sure your recruit lists your name as the "referral" on the membership application. The more members you recruit the greater your chance of winning.
Let ESCA do the work for you! List your prospects on the back of the flyer or email mitt@esca.org and ESCAHQ will send membership information on your behalf. If your prospect joins you will be eligible for a raffle ticket for the monthly drawing as well as the final raffle at the 2009 Annual Business Meeting in Atlanta.
We know the best form of recruitment comes from personal referrals and we look forward to growing our membership with your help. | | ESCA NEWS ALERT: Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) The ESCA Advocacy Committee and ESCA Executive Committee authorized the below letter to be sent to all ESCA members to inform the membership of the legislative status of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) that is currently being debated.
ESCA's position supports the status quo, which allows both card-check recognition and secret ballot elections to establish union representation. Current Federal laws exist that protect employees and employers from illegal coercion activities and "bad faith" bargaining on either side. EFCA, if adopted as currently written, could likely reduce the ability of employers to negotiate a fair contract with a union that has won recognition through the card signing process. | | First Show Canceled Due To Swine Flu
Tradeshow Week, The Food Marketing Institute has canceled its Future Connect and MARKETECHNICS events scheduled May 6-8 at the Dallas Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency in Dallas because of concerns about the recent swine flu outbreak. Show organizers had estimated about 3,500 food retailers, wholesalers and suppliers would have attended the event. "At this time, our industry's leaders must be in their communities to be actively engaged in a time of potential crisis," said FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin in a statement.
| | Stop Congress From Banning Companies From Hosting Events and Conferences!
Sen. Kerry has introduced legislation that would ban all 421 firms including the nation's largest banks that received money from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) from hosting, sponsoring or paying for conferences, holiday parties and entertainment events. | | The Convention Industry Council (CIC) Announces Hall of Leaders Inductees for 2010 Alexandria, VA- March 12, 2009 - Five meetings, conventions, exhibition and travel industry pioneers will join 97 fellow leaders immortalized in the Convention Industry Council's (CIC) Hall of Leaders. The five individuals were selected from a group of extraordinary nominees representing the most outstanding leaders and innovators in the industry. The honorees will be inducted at the 2010 Hall of Leaders Gala in January held in conjunction with the Professional Convention Management Association's Annual Meeting in Dallas, TX. | Advertise With ESCA! Did you know that the ESCA homepage gets over 300 hits daily and we have two advertising opporutnities available? The Vertical Banner space at the lower left of the page of the ESCA home page is available for advertising for member and non-members. Note that the rotating banner will appear on all pages of the website, not just the home page. A link can be established to the advertiser's website or event. The Featured Member window on the homepage is available at no cost to General and Specialty Contractor Members only. This rotating window only apprears on the homepage and has a direct link to the member's lising in the Directory.
Note that there is a three month minimum required for the advertising.
| |  Center for Exhibition Industry ResearchPlease find attached the two final reports from CEIR's Cost Effectiveness study. Part I, released in February, quantifies the costs to identify new leads, while Part II, which will officially be released next week, determines the costs to close a sale with and without a lead from an exhibition. |  How SESCO Clients Should Respond to the Swine Flu Outbreak Today, April 30th, the CDC reports additional confirmed infections, hospitalizations and unfortunately, the nation's first fatality from this flu outbreak. The CDC is suggesting that a pattern of more severe illness associated with this virus may be emerging in the U.S. Most citizens will not have immunity to this new virus and, as it continues to spread, more cases are expected in the coming days and weeks. |  Greenwald Doherty LLP Employment Law Advisor
In This Issue: - ADA amendments expand coverage - How your business may be affected
- Criticized professor alleges discrimination and retaliation
- Does merely calling in sick trigger FMLA protection?
- Employers beware - Don't let emotions get the best of you when making a firing decision
Learn More |  Corbin's March/April 2009 TechTalk Newsletter In This Issue: - NEW ARTICLE: Web 2.0 and Social Media -- A New Paradigm for Meetings
- NEW VIDEO: Meetings Media Minute Interview
- NEW VIDEO: How Web 2.0 is Giving Power to the People
- NEWS
- 22 WEB BOOKMARKS FOR MEETINGS, BUSINESS AND FUN
- QUOTES OF THE MONTH
- RECENT ARTICLES WITH "QUOTES FROM CORBIN"
- CORBIN'S CALENDAR and the fine print
Learn More | | | Thank you for your continued support of ESCA! Best Regards, Mitt Arnaudet Member Services Director | | |
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