Issue link: https://tradeshowexecutive.epubxp.com/i/76788
FLASHES FROM THE FIELD rebuilding of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Chappell told Trade Show Executive it was particularly fitting that Shepard an- nounced its giſt in Houston, a city he said Fore had helped put on the exhibition map in the 1960s at a time when the con- vention scene was dominated by Chicago. Industry colleagues established the Jimmie Fore Endowment Scholarship at the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restau- rant Management. Te scholarship will assist in the early training of students who may eventually become leaders of the trade show industry. [The Fore endowment and the Gary Sain Memorial Scholarship Fund] are both valuable and show there are places where members of the industry can make contributions where they will really help. Wayne Chappell, VP OF TRADE SHOW RELATIONS, GREATER HOUSTON CVB Te Fore endowment was joined re- cently by a scholarship fund established in memory of the late Gary Sain, the long time CEO of Visit Orlando who died sud- denly this Spring. "Tey are both valuable and show there are places where members of the industry can make contributions where they will really help," Chappell said. Contributions can be made to the Jimmie Fore Endowment Scholarship by contacting Miguel Cabrera, program manager, development, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Man- agement, University of Houston, at (713) 743-1523 or mcabrera3@uh.edu. Reach Wayne Chappell at (713) 427-5219 or wchappell@ghcvb.org; Carl Mitchell at (404) 720-8600 or cmitchell@shepardes.com The Pennsylvania Convention Center did away with its 8% labor management fee effective July 1. Te center will also begin posting its labor rates at www.paconvention.com at a later date. Dropping the fee was made in response to customer input and coincided with mandatory "hospitality training" for approximately 700 center employees. Reach Ameenah Young, president and CEO, at (215) 418-4700 or ayoung@paconvention.com. . . . . . . . The San Jose Convention Center began work on the addition of 125,000 square feet (sf) of flexible meeting and ballroom space that will be available in Fall 2013. Te $120 million expansion will bring the center's meeting space up from the current 49,495 sf to 74,495 sf. Te MLK Library was torn down to make way for the expansion, and much of the concrete from the de- molition was recycled for use in the new foundation. Reach Bill Sherry, CEO of Team San Jose, at (408) 295- 9600 or bsherry@sanjose.org ......... Stronco marked its 60th anniversary of serving the Canadian exhibition market. Jack Strachan formed the com- pany in 1952 and introduced the first booth draping in Canada. Stronco con- tinues to operate as a family business in suburban Toronto. Reach J. Ralph Strachan, president, at (905) 270-6767 or jrs@stronco.com ............... ON24, Inc. was among the first trade show suppliers to adapt its virtual-show and webcasting technology to the Microsoſt Surface tablet. Te new solu- tion will be available in the Fall. Chief Product Officer and CTO Jayesh Sahasi said ON24 didn't hesitate to jump aboard the Surface bandwagon due to its commitment to supplying products for the widest possible technology range. Reach Jayesh Sahasi at (415) 369-8000 or Jayesh.Sahasi@on24.com .. ........ Cobo Center entered the third and final phase of a major renovation this Summer. Te steel truss that will be a keystone of the new ballroom and meet- ing space inside the former Cobo Arena was liſted into place at the waterfront venue in downtown Detroit. Te third phase of the $299 million project also in- cludes construction of a glass atrium and additional meeting rooms. Reach Tom Connors, general manager, at (313) 877- 8249 or tconnors@cobocenter.com . . . .