Winter 2002

O n October 2, 2002, Continental Exposition South (CE South), located in Nashville, TN, announced its decision to merge with the George E. Fern Company, with the clients' interest at the forefront of this decision.

CE South, a full-service exposition contractor, has been in Nashville for nearly 15 years, but has roots in New York. Continental Exposition Services was founded in New York in 1983 as an exposition contractor, then opened its Nashville office in 1988 and its regional sales office in Florida in 1993, thus becoming CE South. Following the opening in Nashville, CE South experienced rapid growth in its business.

The principal owners of CE South, Jennifer Fiske and Mitchell Isaacs, are very excited about this merger and the added resources that will be available for clients. "We wanted and were ready to take CE South to the next level. Merging with the George E. Fern Company was the best way to do this," said Fiske.

CE South and the George E. Fern Company share the values of providing the client with top-quality equipment and personal service with attention to detail. This merger brings many benefits to CE South's clients as well as George E. Fern's, including expanded national transportation, state-of-the-art digital graphics capabilities and an increased inventory of equipment and furnishings.

Together the George E. Fern Company and CE South will continue to make the client and the success of the event their top priority. CE South will maintain their current office atop the Renaissance Hotel/Nashville Convention Center complex for the foreseeable future, but has combined their warehouse space with George E. Fern's new Nashville facility. Nate Issaacs will continue to operate the Florida office.

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Exhibitors, national as well as international, displaying an array of products from motors to wire stripping and tension devices, mingled with other exhibitors and attendees from their industry. Held at the Cincinnati Convention Center from October 15-17, the Electrical Manufacturing and Coil Winding Expo 2002 went very smoothly.

With approximately 3,000 attendees and 42,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit space, the Expo was considered a success by the Electric Manufacturing and Coil Winding Association (EMCW), sponsors the show. The show has taken place for over 30 years and has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception.

Chuck Thurman has been with the EMCW since the start of the Expo and has been nothing short of impressed with the quality of service the George E. Fern Company provides. "I give the George E. Fern Company 10 stars. The entire crew did a fantastic job, taking care of every detail from exhibitor manuals to on-site set-up to efficiently fulfilling all service orders."

According to Thurman, there are mainly two categories of exhibitors at the show and they display all sizes of equipment. One category consists of businesses that provide materials used to build electrical products such as magnet wire, tapes, resins and electrical steels. The other category includes businesses that build the process equipment for contructing electrical devices, motors, transformers and any kind of electrical process containing wound conductors. Thurman also notes that there is a large cross-section of exhibitors from the auto industry.

The EMCW Expo has been held in Cincinnati for the past five years, with the George E. Fern Company servicing the show during its entire run in Cincinnati. Next year, the show moves to Indianapolis. According to Thurman, "I can positively say that I could not be more satisfied with the work the George E. Fern Company provided to me. I look forward to working with and seeing the entire staff next year in Indianapolis."

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The National FFA Organization kicked off a two-year-long 75th anniversary celebration at their annual convention held at the Kentucky Fair & Expo Center from October 30 to November 2. Members proudly sported their trademark blue corduroy jackets.

Originally named Future Farmers of America, the FFA has always emphasized leadership, personal growth and career success for their members.

This year the 50,000 conference attendees could hear five motivational speakers and attend workshops by student leaders on topics such as dressing for success and how to think "outside the box." Any student in grades 7-12 who is enrolled in an agriculture course in a public high school may join FFA. Representatives from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands gathered in Louisville for the convention.

George E. Fern Company account executive Sheila Pannell has worked on this convention for over 20 years. "One of the most unusual things about doing this show is that the attendees never age," said Pannell. "Some of the attendees from 20 years ago are now advisors. It's always fun to be a part of this convention." "Putting everything in place for the National FFA is a tremendous team effort, and the George E. Fern Company is a star player on that team," said Bill Stagg, director of communications for the FFA. "In particular, Sheila Pannell's many years of handling our complex convention provides the insurance that only an experienced pro can deliver. We could not be more pleased."

 

One of the biggest attractions for participants is the FFA National Agricultural Career Show. Companies and universities of all sizes exhibit there, giving FFA attendees information about their businesses, the agriculture industry and educational pathways. This year over 320 exhibitors displayed everything from cheese and sausage to large tractors.

The Career Development Events, or CDEs, also allow students to explore many different careers, ranging from agricultural communications to environmental and natural resources to livestock selection. In this area alone Stagg estimates the George E. Fern Company used up to 15,000 feet of drape.

The National FFA Convention will be held in Louisville through 2005, then it moves to Indianapolis from 2006 to 2012, where the National FFA headquarters is located.

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Once upon a time, there was a magical fair held especially for boys and girls who enjoy reading. At this fair, boys and girls had the chance to win prizes, such as books and autographed basketballs, and could even scale a rock wall.

On Saturday, October 19, at the Kentucky International Convention Center, the Jefferson County Police Department sponsored their second annual Youth Outreach Literacy Fair in Louisville.

The George E. Fern Company contributed to this worthy event by donating the booths, staging materials, tables and chairs as well as other materials. Barb Arbuckle, from George E. Fern's Louisville office, volunteered her time and resources. For more than six months prior to the show she coordinated with exhibitors, created the floor plan and obtained door prizes. She also volunteered on-site for set-up during the event.

Approximately 1,200 parents and kids attended the fair. Each of the Jefferson County police districts and a few county agencies had booths, which featured educational games, at the fair.

Other events included a rock-climbing wall, obstacle course, football throw, golf challenge and Velcro wall. There was also a DJ providing music for everyone. Various community businesses and organizations donated door prizes.

Lt. Col. Jackie Cooper, who coordinated this event, was very pleased with everything the George E. Fern Company did for the event. "Their help was unbelievably great. Barb [Arbuckle] provided excellent advice and expertise. She is an asset to the project and the George E. Fern Company. I cannot say enough good things about the George E. Fern Company - everything was perfect!"

Lt. Col. Cooper was also grateful for all the support she received from the officers. "Many of the officers rearranged their schedules in order to work this event. I could not have done this without their dedication, time and effort."

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The George E. Fern Company serves as the official exposition contractor for more than 900 events annually. Here is a partial list of recent contracts.

• Western Farm Show - Annually in February 2005, 2006, 2007, in Kansas City, MO

• Do It Best Corp. – May and October, 2003, 2004, 2005 in Indianapolis, IN, January, 2004 in Orlando, FL; January, 2005 in Phoenix, AZ

• National FFA Convention– Annually in October, 2003, 2004, 2005 in Louisville, KY, and November, 2006 in Indianapolis, IN.

• Society of Decorative Painters – Annually in May; 2004 in Phoenix, AZ; 2005 in Tampa, FL; 2006 in Nashville, TN; 2007 in Salt Lake City, UT; 2008 site TBD.

• National Conference of National Academy of Family Physicians – Annually in August, 2003; July, 2004; August, 2005 in Kansas City, MO.

• House-Hasson Hardware Dealer Market – Biannually in January, 2003 in Nashville, TN, and July, 2003 in Knoxville, TN.

• Indiana Black Expo – Annually in July, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 in Indianapolis, IN.

• Showpower – Annually in March, 2003 in Charlotte, NC; April, 2004 in Dallas, TX; August, 2005 in Kansas City, MO.

• National Athletic Directors Conference – Annually in December, 2003 in Indianapolis IN; 2004, in New Orleans LA; 2005 in Nashville, TN.

• Mobile Electronics Retailer Association – Annually in February, 2003 and 2006 in Nashville, TN; 2004 and 2005 site TBD

• Furniture Supplier Show – Annually in 2003, 2004 and 2005 in Hickory, NC.

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