John Jastrem, President of GES, Named to CEIR Board

Center for Exhibition Industry Research Names John Jastrem to 2010 Board of Directors

Las Vegas, Nev. (PRWEB) January 15, 2010

GES Exposition Services today announced the appointment of John Jastrem, president of GES, to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) 2010 Board of Directors.

Members of CEIR’s board were selected by a nominating committee and announced during the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) annual meeting last month.

Jastrem brings more than 30 years of experience in marketing, sales growth, client satisfaction, and strategic planning to the CEIR board. Prior to joining GES, he spent eight years as an executive with Omnicom, the world’s largest advertising and marketing services company. During his tenure, Jastrem headed two of the company’s subsidiaries, Rapp Collins Worldwide Dallas, Omnicom’s leading direct response marketing and database management company, and the Marketing Arm, an agency specializing in branded experiences through entertainment, music, sports, and events.

“I appreciate the opportunity and I am privileged to join this group of industry leaders,” said Jastrem. “Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s largest brands in all areas of marketing and customer engagement. I believe that face-to-face meetings and events represent the most intimate components of the marketing and media mix. However, the industry needs to do a better job quantifying ROI so events are fully appreciated. CEIR has the opportunity to lead and advise the industry to better match the growing needs and interests of business leaders today, and I will do my best to make a contribution to this important effort.”

“We are pleased to welcome John to the CEIR Board of Directors,” shared Cathy Breden, CAE, CMP, executive director, CEIR. “His broad marketing experience and proven leadership will bring another insightful voice and added innovation to our group.”

About GES
Las Vegas-based GES Exposition Services, Inc., a Viad Corp (NYSE: VVI) company, is a leading provider of exhibition and event marketing services. Given its recent consolidation with Exhibitgroup/Giltspur and Becker Group, GES provides an even wider range of services, including turn-key official show services, cutting-edge creative and design, marketing and measurement services – all with an unrivaled global reach. GES produces many well-known shows including the International CES, Spring Fair Birmingham, International Woodworking Fair (IWF), MAGIC, and CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE. For more information, visit http://www.ges.com

About CEIR
The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) is a non-profit organization with the mission of advancing 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 30 years, CEIR has been highlighting the importance of exhibitions in today’s business environment with the goal of promoting the image, value and growth of exhibitions. This is accomplished through producing primary research studies that prove the effectiveness and efficiency of exhibitions as a marketing medium and incorporating those findings within a targeted, ongoing promotional campaign.

###