Contact: Susan Brower +1 (972) 687-9207 sbrower@iaee.com Mary Tucker +1 (972) 687-9226 mtucker@iaee.com CEIR President and CEO Doug Ducate, CEM, CMP Receives Hazel Hays Award DALLAS, 5 December 2007 - The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) announced today that president and CEO Douglas L. Ducate, CEM, CMP, has received the Hazel Hays Award from the Exhibit Designers & Producers Association (EDPA). This is the highest honor bestowed by EDPA for dedication and service to the exhibit industry. The award was established in 1976 to honor the achievements of Hazel Hays for her service rendered to EDPA and the industry. Regarded by industry professionals as a distinct mark of achievement, nomination criteria include: Significant contributions to the knowledge and literature of the exhibit industry, Design or invention of material, equipment process or technical services within the exhibit industry, or Influenced the trade show industry.
“I am very proud to receive this honor from EDPA,” said Mr. Ducate. “Being selected for the Hazel Hays Award is especially meaningful because of the high esteem in which I hold EDPA members as the premier marketers and champions of the exhibition industry. I am truly humbled to receive this prestigious award and to join the group of highly distinguished past recipients.” Mr. Ducate has now received an unprecedented five major industry awards from four different organizations in the industry: The Pinnacle Award (formerly the William Hunt Eisenman Award) in 1993 and the Distinguished Service Award in 1988 from the International Association of Exhibitions and Events; the Distinguished Service Award from the Trade Show Exhibitors Association in 2003; and induction into the Convention Industry Council’s Hall of Leaders in 1995. Background
Doug Ducate, CEM, CMP joined CEIR in April 1998 after serving for three years as president of PGI Exhibitions and senior vice president of PGI, a global business communications, meetings and exhibitions, and multimedia production company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Prior to his tenure at PGI, Mr. Ducate served with distinction for 26 years as the associate executive director of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). At SPE, an international association with 53,000 members in 126 countries, he was responsible for all the income producing activities including all meetings and exhibitions. SPE produces some 30 conferences and 15 exhibitions a year in most of the oil producing provinces in the world. It was under his direction that the first U.S.-based private exhibition was held in Beijing, China in March of 1982. SPE is particularly well known for their production of the annual Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston, Texas. Mr. Ducate served as general manager of the event for its first 26 years. Under his leadership, OTC became the largest annual conference and exhibition in the United States. At its zenith, OTC attracted some 120,000 registrants from 96 countries. The exhibition included some 2500 companies and spanned 1.5 million square feet of exhibit space at the Astrodomain complex, now Reliant Park. Mr. Ducate is a partner and president of The Augusta Group (TAG), a consulting firm that specializes in advising on convention center development, destination marketing, meeting and exhibition planning, and other matters related to the meetings and exhibition industry. TAG has provided services to numerous cities in the United States, Canada, and abroad. A recognized leader and innovator within the meetings and exhibitions industry, Mr. Ducate has achieved both the Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) and Certified Exposition Manager (CEM) designations. His memberships in industry associations and organizations have put him on the forefront of industry innovation and have been recognized with senior positions. Mr. Ducate served as chairman of the Convention Liaison Council, was president of the Trade Show Bureau (now CEIR) and was president of the International Association for Exhibition Management. Mr. Ducate has been a frequent author and presenter for the American Society of Association Executives and the Professional Convention Management Association where he served on their Board of Directors for three years. He also served as a Trustee on the PCMA Foundation Board of Trustees. Mr. Ducate received the International Association for Exhibition Management Distinguished Service award and its highest honor, the William Hunt Eisenman Award. He was inducted into the Convention Liaison Council Hall of Leaders in 1994. Most recently he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Trade Show Exhibitors Association in 2003 and the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association's highest honor, the Hazel Hayes award in 2007. Mr. Ducate is a member of the Union Des Fiores Internationales (UFI) a Paris based non-political association that studies problems concerning the organization and efficient methods for developing international trade fairs and exhibitions. He served on the Committee de Direction from 1989 to 1991. About CEIR
The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) serves to advance the growth, awareness and value of exhibitions and other face-to-face marketing events by producing and delivering research-based knowledge tools that enable stakeholder organizations to enhance their ability to meet current and emerging customer needs, improve their business performance and strengthen their competitive position. For additional information, visit www.ceir.org.
###
| 
