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Contact:
Susan Brower
+1 (972) 687-9207
sbrower@iaee.com
Mary Tucker
+1 (972) 687-9226
mtucker@iaee.com
Fifth Annual Edition of CEIR Index Released
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Travel & Tourism Industry Center at the University of South Carolina
Contributes Vital Data
DALLAS, 3 April 2008 - The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) will release its 5th Annual CEIR Index on 7 April 2008. A new contributor this year is the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Travel & Tourism Industry Center at the University of South Carolina, which provided economic analysis for the Index. Other contributors to the Index this year are: The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc. (JEGI) as title sponsor, Trade Show Executive magazine as publishing sponsor, Veris Consulting, LLC, American Business Media (ABM), the Exhibition Industry Foundation (EIF), the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and The Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO).
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Travel & Tourism Industry Center is based at the University of South Carolina. The University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality, Retail, & Sport Management prepares students for careers in travel and tourism, events and exhibitions, and destination marketing and management. In 2003, the college partnered with the university’s Moore School of Business to propose to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York City that a new industry center focusing on travel and tourism be established. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Travel & Tourism Industry Center became a reality in the fall of 2004, with the announcement of preliminary Sloan funding and the awarding of two major research projects.
The Industry Centers are the original elements of the Sloan Industry Studies program. The first Industry Center was established in 1990 - the International Motor Vehicle Program at MIT. Since then a total of 26 centers have been established at 19 universities across the United States. Each Industry Center consists of a multidisciplinary group of faculty and students who study many aspects of a single industry. All the centers generally involve faculty from economics and a wide variety of business and technical disciplines. In addition, depending upon the industry and the issues of importance to that industry, centers include faculty from the other social sciences (e.g., anthropology, sociology), the humanities (e.g., history), public policy, industrial relations, law, agriculture, medicine and public health.
The Sloan Travel & Tourism Industry Center has a research focus in the exhibition industry as a significant contributor to the overall MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and events) economy. Without the economic clout of the exhibition industry, many U.S. destinations would be without one of the most consistent performers related to leisure and business travel. The center expects to conduct many more exhibition-related research projects and programs in the near future.
The Travel & Tourism Industry Center has made a substantial impact on the travel and tourism industry, directly impacting federal policy through its study of the future outbound Chinese tourism market to the United States. The project was undertaken with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI) and the Travel Industry Association (TIA). These partners have helped expand the center’s influence and reputation throughout the U.S. travel industry. The results of this project will foster government and industry competitiveness in travel and tourism.
The center is directed by Dr. Rich Harrill. Author, lecturer, research, consultant and traveler, Dr. Harrill is also director of the International Tourism Research Institute at the University of South Carolina. The institute provides both local and international projects and research, while the Sloan center focuses on U.S. tourism industry competitiveness. His academic and professional experience combines tourism with economic development and urban planning, giving him an uncommon perspective on, and familiarity with, all three. Dr. Harrill worked with CEIR to produce the economic analysis of the Index.
Dr. Harrill earned his Ph.D. in parks, recreation and tourism management and his master’s degree in city and regional planning from Clemson University. He holds a B.A. in political science from the College of Charleston. He has published his research in urban planning’s top three journals - Journal of American Planning Association, Journal of Planning Education and Literature and Journal of Planning Literature. In 2003, he authored Guide to Best Practices in Tourism and Destination Management (American Hotel & Lodging Association), with a second volume published in 2005. Dr. Harrill is editor of Fundamentals of Destination Management and Marketing (American Hotel & Lodging Association, 2005), the first comprehensive textbook for the destination management industry. He is coeditor of the International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research and Research Notes Editor of Tourism Analysis.
Dr. Matthew T. Brown is an associate professor in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management at the University of South Carolina. He teaches and researches in the areas of sport business and finance. Dr. Brown’s research has led to publications in the Journal of Sport Management, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Entertainment and Sport Law Journal, the International Journal of Sport Finance and Sport Management Review. He has also made more than 40 national and international research presentations. Dr. Brown is a research associate for SportsEconomics and does consulting work for the Columbia Blowfish. Previously, he was treasurer for Southern Ohio Collegiate Baseball and Chief Financial Officer for the Southern Ohio Copperheads. Dr. Brown currently serves as treasurer of the North American Society for Sport Management and is a member of the North American Association of Sports Economists.
The Alfred P. Sloan Travel & Tourism Industry Center at the University of South Carolina is fast becoming recognized as a leader in the travel and tourism industry, providing useful, practical and unbiased analyses and cross-industry linkages. The exhibition industry is important to the center’s research program. This research is a valued resource for the tourism industry and its various segments, including events and exhibitions. It is a recognized industry partner locally, regionally, nationally and throughout the world.
The 5th Annual CEIR Index will be presented by CEIR President and CEO Douglas L. Ducate, CEM, CMP on 7 April 2008 during the SISO CEO Summit in St. Petersburg, Fla. The CEIR Index measures the economic performance of the exhibition industry over time and year-to-year from 2001-2007. The Index can be used to analyze past performance of the exhibition industry overall, as well as by 11 different industry sectors, and can also be used as a predictive tool. Visit www.ceir.org for more information.
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, go to www.ceir.org.
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