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"There are three very exciting moments in my work," said Deborah Luongo, conference manager with Reed Exhibitions in Norwalk.

The first is when the trade show keynote speaker accepts Luongo's invitation to speak. The second is "watching the conference revenue number climb toward the goal." he third is 7 a.m. on the opening day of the show.
"I enter the quiet convention center, say 'Good
morning' to the security guards, walk through the empty hallways toward my office, and think, 'It's show time!' And I love it."
Luongo is a key member of a Reed team that produces large trade shows for associations and groups nationwide each year about 50 shows in all. Luongo has responsibility for five of those shows, all related to the manufacturing industry. "I develop the educational conferences and special events," developing as many as 40 educational sessions, including breakout-session topics and speakers.
"I research the topics and presenters through industry publications," she said . I also have discussions with the industry associations. I have a limited knowledge of what's happening in a manufacturing plant in Ohio, but the association has its finger on the pulse in their sector of the manufacturing industry." For the Assembly Technology Expo in Chicago in September, Luongo worked with six manufacturing associations to develop breakout sessions, keynote speakers and special events.
Event planning Luongo's background isn't related to conference management. She worked 20 years as an outside salesperson in industrial chemical sales with a privately owned company in Danbury, where she and her husband, Mike, live. "That gave me the knowledge of how to work with a lot of men, an edge coming into the manufacturing sector," she said. "I'm relaxed and comfortable and confident working with mew, 98 percent of our attendees at the manufacturing industry shows portfolios I work on are men."

Before joining Reed Exhibitions in 2002, Luongo ran a small side business planning corporate events, such as golf outings, annual meetings and corporate social events, including the annual summer and holiday gatherings for Network Support Co. in Danbury.
"I enjoyed planning events and wanted to do it full time," she said. But rather than building up her small business into a full-time career, "I wanted to have full-time and steady work Our son was graduating from college, which allowed me the freedom to work in the trade show industry because there's a lot of hours and travel involved."
Her sales and planning skills were blended together for her work at Reed in trade show management.
Attractive careers
"The tirade show industry is unique," said Beth Blake, Reed's public relations director.
"Most people don't set out to have a career in trade show management. Somehow the skill set necessary to achieve success in a prior field can be applied to producing trade shows."
Few colleges offer courses of study in the industry. "There's probably just a handful of colleges in the United States that even acknowledge there is a course of learning for trade shows," Blake said. "Deb's background in industrial sales and corporate planning can be applied with great success in managing conventions."
What makes the trade show industry attractive to people, she said, is that people can bring skill sets from other careers "and apply those skills to bring together once a year a three- or four-day industry gathering.

All those different skill sets are blended together into teams that work on the various aspects of a large trade show. Luongo's team includes a vice president and a small committee. "As conference manager, I develop the educational sessions along with industry associations," then brings her recommendations back to her committee for final review and decisions.

The right fit
"Planning for the next show begins just about the day the show ends," Luongo said. "While I'm at the show, I'm always networking with speakers and presenters. It takes one year to produce a show, to do research, gather the information and structure it into the program."
While she is developing educational sessions and searching for keynote speakers, "Reed is doing the rest of the show," she said. "The majority of the show is the exhibits, so we have a strong sales team that locates the exhibitors and sells them into the show. Reed provides the floor space and a large marketing campaign. It's a great team effort, and all the wheels must turn together."
To find the right keynote speaker, "I research the industry to find the person who fits our audience, a keynote that represents a large brand the majority of my audience will recognize.
This year's Assembly Technology Expo keynoters were John Ratsenberger, host and producer of the "Made in America" show on the Travel Channel and an advocate for American manufacturing; Christopher Salvo, mission manager for the Mars Exploration Rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory; and Karl Eberle, vice president and general manager of Harley Davidson Motor Co.
Dealing with gatekeepers
Luongo lucked out with Eberle. A year ago, she was in a discussion about Harley Davidson's reputation for quality and innovative manufacturing processes when someone mentioned Eberle as a potential and outstanding keynote speaker. "I did some research, picked up the phone and called his office," cutting through gatekeepers and reaching him directly to invite him to this year's trade show.
"Usually they have great gatekeepers and you have to deal with the media contacts or public relations person," she said. "I have to sell the show to them first so that they see that their company is a good fit. Once you sell the media or public relations person, they put you in contact with the person they think is the best fit for the show."

"I get through all the administrative details," Luongo said. "They're all necessary and all have to be done, have to be buttoned up - finding the appropriate presenter and keynote speakers right down to ordering the coffee and everything in between.
"But the part I enjoy the most is research and development. I thrive on the hunt, finding the proper speaker and presentations for the show. That energizes me."


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