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Dan Cole, vice president of sales and business development for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), will serve as chairman of the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission (EEIAC). The EEIAC is an independent organization composed of exhibitor and event organizer personnel who are charged with monitoring a consistent set of event and trade show audit standards which independent auditors must follow in order to have their audits certified.
As the vice president of sales and business development for CEA, Cole oversees business development for International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology trade show. In addition, he manages CEA’s sales training and customer retention program that he created in 1995, and is an accomplished motivational speaker and sales trainer around the world including Australia, Great Britain, Mexico and the United States.
Cole stresses the benefits and importance of auditing events: "Most all trade shows have seen their sales and marketing processes undergo radical changes over the past 10 to 12 years. Accordingly, prospects and customers are much more informed and results-oriented. They evaluate events from higher levels of authority and decision-making; they are savvier and they want results. Strategic discussions between decision makers and event organizers focus upon return on investment (ROI) first and logistical details second. There is no better instrument to demonstrate ROI than the audit. Shows that utilize audits embrace their value, not cower from data that a customer might ‘question’.
"Audits demonstrate integrity. They help the event organizer to be transparent, and provide the sales and marketing teams with valuable, third party-endorsed data. I feel privileged to continue my involvement on the commission’s board, and as chair, I hope to channel my enthusiasm to help the industry embrace audits as one of the most effective and important tools that shows can employ."
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
