What’s trending for service contractors who serve the trade show and events market? AI, sustainability and inflation were hot topics on the program at this year’s Exhibition Service Contractors Association (ESCA) Summer Educational Conference (SEC), held June 23-26 at the historic Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va.

This year’s annual conference drew more than 200 executive- and senior-level leaders who represent service contractors large and small – from public companies like GES to family-owned businesses like Expo Convention Contractors Inc. New attendees and exhibitors reflect the health and relevance of any event, and ESCA delivered more than 35 first-timers in 2024.

If you weren’t able to participate, TSNN attended the event and has the scoop on what you missed.

1. Exhibits. The event featured 22 exhibitors – ranging from United Rentals and Veloxity to ExpoCAD and Emerald Carpets. Breakfast and breaks were held in the ballroom where the exhibits were displayed, so attendees could meet with exhibitors during the program for a total of four and half hours. Each exhibitor got to pitch their companies and products during a two-minute presentation on the main stage. One new exhibitor, August Robotics, showed off its Lionel robot, which streamlines the floor marking and show set-up process. Stay tuned for our interview with the August Robotics team.

2. Networking. From the opening party with falconry to an afternoon pool party with sips and dips, ESCA offered memorable events for attendees to mix and mingle. The conference kicked off with an opening party on the expansion lawn at the Omni Homestead. Other evening networking events included: karaoke, a BBQ with games and s’mores by the fire, and a closing party that featured a 360-degree video experience and a model serving champagne from a hoop skirt.

3. Sessions. With three days of education in the morning, SEC featured more than seven hours of learning about the latest industry, economic, and political trends. Sessions topics ranged from The Disruptive Trends That Are Shaping Tomorrow and A Strategic Approach To Engaging Stakeholders In Venue Design to Legal Updates In the Labor World and Building A Sustainable Future.

4. Expert speakers. ESCA tapped a variety of industry leaders and outside experts into its program. Notable speakers from outside the industry included the former CEO of WD-40 Garry Ridge, Sage Policy Group Chairman and CEO Anirban Basu and Future Today Institute Consultant Samantha Jordan. The Industry Executive Panel featured International Association of Venue Management (IAVM) CEO Brad Mayne, Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) Executive Director Dasher Lowe, Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) CEO Vincent Polito, International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) CEO and President Marsha Flanagan and ESCA Executive Director Julie Kagy.

5. Wellness. ESCA is well known for its afternoon activities to get attendees out and about in nature for networking. This year’s event did not disappoint, with options to connect in the breathtaking Allegheny Mountains. Attendees played golf, hiked in the Cascades Gorge, rode horses on a mountain trail, participated in archery and ax throwing, shooting clays and lounged by the Allegheny Springs pool.

6. Women in Exhibition Network meetup. For the second year in a row, the Women in Exhibitions Network North America hosted a meetup at ESCA. About 50 attendees—women and men—got an opportunity to make connections before the opening reception. Sponsored by Expo Convention Contractors Inc., the event attracted female exhibition executives, including The Exhibitor Advocate Executive Director Jessica Sibila, GES Senior VP Business Development Julia Smith and Brumark VP of Sales Leah Webster.

7. Venue. Established in 1766, the Omni Homestead Resort is known for its Southern hospitality and remote but upscale setting that’s 64 miles from the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. A renovation of the resort’s 483 guest rooms, public spaces, meeting rooms, and restaurants was completed in October 2023. Fun fact: 23 presidents—Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and John F.Kennedy—have visited or stayed at the hotel, according to an article in USA Today. 

8. Location. Besides the beautiful backdrop, previous presidents were likely drawn to the area for its Warm Springs Pools, which are a part of about 100 thermally warmed springs along the edge of the Virginia and West Virginia border. The original octagonal stone basin that held the water for bathing was built in 1761, establishing it as the first spa structure in America, according to the Omni website. Following the completion of a 14-month, $4 million rehabilitation, the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Bathhouses were restored to the historic wood structures as they were when the resort acquired them in 1925.

9. Connections. The attendee list featured a who’s who in exhibition services companies, labor leaders, association executives and press. Top industry executives in attendance included Aluvision CEO and Owner Anne Vancoillie, Freeman COO Event & Exhibit Services Chris Schmik, Boomer Commerce Owner Debbie Leander and ExpoCAD CEO Rich Stone—to name a few. The full attendee list is available here.

10. Recognition. ESCA honored two industry association leaders who are retiring in 2024: Mayne, who has led IAVM for eight years after working in venues since 1973,  and IAEE COO Cathy Breden, who worked at the association for more than 21 years and served as the first female CEO on an interim basis before Flanagan took the helm last December.

Looking ahead

The ESCA Winter Celebration & Awards will be held 6-10 p.m. PT on Dec. 15 in Los Angeles, the day before the IAEE Annual Meeting and Expo!Expo! opens. The 2025 SEC will be held June 29–July 02 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Photos: Courtesy of Oscar & Associates