Help wanted: Ideal candidate will have ability to keep eye on the ball, nose to thegrindstone, ear to the ground and shoulder to the wheel. Must remain in that position 26 hours a day, eight days a week, always come in under budget and on time.
No doubt there have been days when you were certain that only by hiring the paragon described in that hypothetical ad could you survive working in the exposition industry.
In the real world, however, any new hire -- whether a show manager or a support person -- must indeed possess certain professional skills and personal characteristics in order to work effectively in this demanding industry. Determining the qualifications, identifying the people who have them, and then training those people to produce the results you expect, will ultimately make your job easier and your company stronger.
Pinpointing qualifications
Certain abilities are required for any position in the exposition industry. Topping the list is good communication skills. They are particularly important to David Amati, Manager of the Exhibits Division for the Society of Automotive Engineers International Inc. Amati, who recently hired two exhibit development and marketing representatives -- the equivalent of show managers -- explains, "We have 250 full-time people here, and we do most things internally. A showmanager must communicate with all these divisions to get materials produced and to coordinate efforts. Also, we have to be very service- and customer-oriented. You can't do that unless you can pick up the phone instinctively whenever necessary."
Another must is problem-solving skills. "This business has problems on a routinebasis," Amati says with masterful understatement.
Placing similar emphasis on problem-solving, Scott Sillcox, Manager of New Venturesfor Advanstar Expositions, believes that "more than anything, a person must be a clear thinker and have a common-sense approach to things."
Being detail-oriented is also vital. Dollars, reputations, even lives may be at stake.Thus, people must understand the importance of carrying out 100 percent of theirresponsibilities, overlooking nothing and never cutting corners -- either intentionally oraccidentally. Other basics are good time management skills and "multi-tasking" -- the ability to handle several things at once.
An individual hired at the show manager level would naturally need eperience in the exposition industry.
For Darline Daley, Director of Meetings for the American Water Works Association,experience with another association rather than, say, a public show is helpful. But for Daley and others, knowledge of the industry served by the show is usually less important.
"I'd expect the person to understand marketing principles and all facets of showoperations," says Brian Casey, Director of Shows for Smith, Bucklin & Associates Inc. "I'd be interested in the ability to grow shows, some sales ability and very strong communications skills." Casey finds industry-specific experience helpful, but not necessary: "If they're smart enough, they can do research to get themselves up to speed quickly."
Yet in some instances, even the individuals reporting to the show manager needindustry-specific experience. For example, Robert Galley, President of TalleyManagement Group Inc., recently hired an exhibit manager and a marketing manager for the Digital Equipment Corporation Users Society show. "This is a new show, and a new field for us," explains Galley, whose company provides management services to associations and corporations. "The strongest, most believable statement we could make would be to have management personnel with reputations in the industry."
The exhibit manager for DECUS sells exhibit space, provides exhibitor support servicesand serves as a liaison with the general contractor and other suppliers. The marketingmanager is responsible for developing the overall marketing theme and promoting theshow to exhibitors, attendees and the media. Both managers also have responsibility for budget development.
"The exhibit manager must be systematic and detail-oriented, and do meticulous day-to-day work," says Halley. In addition, "We needed specific experience in the computer exposition industry. For this client, we didn't want to go through any kind of learning curve."
For the marketing manager, other abilities are required: "The marketing manager puts together concepts and decides how we market. So he must be very creative."
And there's one more concern: "The exhibit manager and the marketing manager workclosely together. We need a good team relationship so the show manager doesn't have to be a referee."
Starting the search
Many people tap the network when they want to fill a position. "People in the businessunderstand what you're looking for," Casey explains. But the network alone won't alwaysdo it; in many cases, advertising is also necessary. As Daley rightly points out, "Youcan't know everybody out there."
There's general agreement that if exposition experience is desired, it makes sense toadvertise in industry publications. Talley, who says he always starts a search byphoning people he knows and respects, runs ads as well. When he needed people forDECUS, he used an industry publication, and would have advertised in computer industrymagazines if he hadn't found enough candidates. "The last resort is to go into an areanewspaper," says Amati. "You get further away from what you need, and the process getsdrawn out."
Going nose-to-nose
You've identified the qualifications you need. Networking, advertising or a combinationhas turned up candidates. Now comes the hard part: interviewing the candidates to determine who is and is not right for the position.
Amati's assessment of an individual's competence begins even before the interview. "Ilook at the whole process of setting up the interview -- the person calling to verify theappointment, being there on time and so on," he says. "If the candidate doesn't have thoseskills, it's very obvious."
During the interview itself, you'll learn little about the candidate by asking, "Are youdetail-oriented? Are you creative? Can you work under pressure?" You may not faremuch better with a trite, "Tell me about yourself," or "Where do you hope to be in fiveyears?" There are many books that teach jobseekers how to prepare effective answersto such questions. True, strong answers reveal that the candidate is sufficientlyinterested in the position to have made the effort to prepare. But you need to dig moredeeply to find out if he or she can meet your performance standards. Another caveat: Youcan't assume that the person can successfully handle everything that is listed on aresume.
There are approaches that work well. "I ask people to describe a certain kind ofsituation, so I can find out about their experience," says Casey. "The answer tells me twothings. First, how well they can communicate - if they can describe a situation that'sbeen somewhat stressful. Also, I like to know what they consider one of their betteraccomplishments."
When Talley interviews applicants, "I ask questions that reveal their thought process. For example, I'll ask, 'If you were writing the job description for this job, what would you want it to be? What's the perfect job?"' When they mention requirements or conditions, he continues with, "Why do you want that? Why is that important?"
High ethical standards are crucial for Halley. "Don't give me a hotshot performer whoseethics are shady. We're going to be in business a long time," he says emphatically. Thus,he needs to find out not only a candidate's technical background, but also whether or notthe person shares his company's ethics. "I ask specific questions relevant to an ethicalsituation. It's easy to come up with a good ethical question," he maintains.
One of Amati's clues is the way the person responds when hearing about the jobrequirements. "I want to see, for example, how they react to having to manage fourshows with 100 exhibitors each." Amati is looking for an expression of confidence inhandling such a responsibility. Yet he says that an overconfident reaction would makehim wonder if the person was trying to cover up a weakness.
Casey finds that candidates occasionally self-select. "There have been instances wherepeople come right out and say they prefer to handle one task at a time," he recalls. "Thatkind of person probably wouldn't be effective in this industry."
Because there are no clear-cut techniques for evaluating a job applicant, and because it'sso important to determine who will fit into the corporate culture, applicants are usuallyinterviewed by more than one person in the company, and may see those people morethan once. When Advanstar hires a show manager, says Sillcox, an applicant sees thepresident of the parent company -- Advanstar Communications -- and the president ofAdvanstar Expositions. Then he or she sees either the group manager or, if the positionbeing filled is that of group manager, other show managers. In all those interviews, saysSillcox, "We try to get a feel for the personality fit. Does the person share ourphilosophy of running shows?"
Interviews at Halley Management also begin with the company president. The reason,says Robert Talley: "We're a small company. It's an important part of my job to build theorganization with the right people." The applicant then proceeds to Talley's partner, thevice president. There's an age difference between the two executives, and Halley thinksthat balances the assessment: "I tend to be more conservative. He's younger and moreliberal." The third interview is with the director of the exhibits division, whoseservices the new person will be using. "I want to be sure that everyone feels like a partof the team," Galley explains.
Strong candidates go through a second round of interviews with the same people. "In thatsecond interview, it's very important to listen to the candidate's questions," Talleystresses. "That tells you a lot about the person's thought processes, how well hearticulates, and his level of interest in the position."
Sometimes the interviews by a company's own personnel are supplemented bypsychological tests given by an outside firm. Amati says that everyone hired by SAE mustfirst undergo a full day of oral and written evaluations. "That identifies any significantcharacteristics that may not show up in the job interview or the work history. It keepsus from hiring someone with a radical personality quirk."
When Advanstar had some concern about a candidate's eye for detail, the company used apsychological test to confirm its own conclusions and did hire the person. But Sillcoxpoints out that such a test is not routinely used.
Reference checks will tell you about the individual's level of performance. "I look forreliability - if the person gets to work on time, can work independently, is committed tothe job, if he will be loyal to the company," says Amati. "Those things come out in abackground check." But Amati doesn't necessarily query an applicant's current orprevious employer -- he might contact a general contractor or supplier.
A reference check also reveals whether or not the person actually has the experiencethat he or she claims. That could be a concern when hiring an assistant or support personnot yet known in the industry.
Do people really lie on their resumes? CBS Radio commentator Charles Osgood recentlyreported on a study showing that one person in three has some deliberate misinformationon a resume. And he mentioned that someone had called an executive at Osgood's own station -- a complete stranger -- to ask for a list of defunct radio stations. The caller actually admitted that he intended to claim he had worked for some of these stations, knowing that it would be impossible to verify the references. Too many uncheckable references on a resume should obviously be a red flag.
Sink or swim?
New hires at any level need training and orientation. For support staff who are notfamiliar with the exposition industry, Casey tries to give them the big picture bycomparing a show to the hub of a wheel. He then explains the "spokes" of the wheel --marketing, registration, contractors, exhibitors, attendees, housing, transportation andso on. To help bring that picture to life, he arranges a visit to a service contractor'sfacility.
At the other end of the spectrum are experienced show managers. Talley introduces themto his way of doing business by showing them such things as letters to clients, weekly or monthly reports and budgets. He also guides them into the company culture. "In thetraining process we tell people that if they're anticipating something good, they shouldlet us know. But if they see something wrong, they should also let us know, so we can put a task force on it. New people must have a sense that they can come in and say, 'I made a bad decision.'"
Besides the initial training in procedures, mentor relationships can ensure that trainingand guidance are offered whenever necessary. At AWWA, a mentor is assigned to everynew hire. "The mentor can answer questions, look out for the new person and make him or her feel more welcome," says Daley. The assignment is not for any specified period of time; it simply fades when it is no longer needed.
SAE's program matches a mentor and a new employee with the same title for one year. "We believe that an individual needs a year to feel comfortable," Amati says. "If a person feels comfortable in two or three months, that's wonderful. But the assignment is for a year."
Amati points out that this is far from the only guidance a newcomer gets. Management urges regular attendance at industry meetings to keep up on developments and network with suppliers. There is a corporate Total Quality Management program -- involving 40 hours of training per year -- and many TQM techniques are applied to exhibit management activities. Regular staff meetings and small team meetings are also considered part of the ongoing training. Still, there's a need for the mentor. As Amati puts it, "Even an experienced person needs to learn the culture of the organization."
