First of all… Mark Galstaun has been promoted to Vice President of Northwest Operations. Mark has been an integral part of Edlen’s growth in the Northwest market since joining Edlen in 1999 to open the Seattle branch.

Liz Brostrom has recently been promoted to the role of General Manager in the Seattle office.  Liz joined Edlen in 2008 after managing various technical services at the Washington State Convention Center

Felicia Gray has been promoted to Senior Event Manager in the St. Louis office.  Felicia joined Edlen in 2007 and has worked on such events as ACE Hardware, ASAE and the St. Louis Auto Show

Will Hyun has been promoted to Assistant General Manager at Edlen’s Mandalay Bay office.  Will’s customer service and management experience have served as an asset at Mandalay Bay, where Will has been awarded “THEaward” for exceptional service on numerous occasions.

Also from Edlen’s Mandalay Bay office, Michelle Arguello has been promoted to Senior Event Manager.  Michelle joined Edlen in 2009 with five years of industry experience and has also been a recipient of Mandalay Bay’s “THEaward” on several occasions

Julie Pazina has been promoted to Director of Sales in the Las Vegas office.  Julie joined Edlen in 2006 with nearly ten years of sales and management experience.  She is currently serving as President-Elect of the Las Vegas Hospitality Association and was named 2011 Young Professional of the Year by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events

For more information, visit www.edlen.com.

“It is with deep regret that MC² must report the death of Keith Hishon, MC² account executive in our Detroit office. Keith passed away suddenly on Feb. 13. He is survived by his wife Penny and his children, Alexander, Abby, and Nathan. In the two years Keith was with MC², he had a positive impact on our business and on all of us who worked with him.  Everyone at MC2 will miss him as a friend, mentor and business associate. Our condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and industry associates.”

~ Rob Murphy, CMO, MC²

Editors Note: We covered Keith’s arrival at MC² about 2+ years ago with this post.

Rob Cohen, VP of DS&L said “the addition of Mike to our account management team is a big plus… Mike’s 10 years of service to the display industries places another industry insider on the DS&L team who understands the demands and needs of our customers.”

Upon accepting this position, we learned from Mike that he was “excited to join the team of DS&L professionals who are known for their dedication to the industry and delivery of exceptional customer service. I look forward to expanding DS&L’s presence in the Nevada marketplace and working closely with industry professionals to assist in the creation of dynamic displays and environments”.

And there you have it. It’s always great to hear about a new job. More info at www.dslgroup.com.

“Kraig has proven to be a great leader for our team in Sioux Falls during this interim period,” said Global Spectrum Regional Vice President Shura Lindgren. “He is the ideal candidate to serve as Global Spectrum’s General Manager at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and we are excited at the many opportunities his extensive experience will bring to the operations.”

Pomrenke joined Global Spectrum in April as the Assistant General Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. A native of Virginia, Pomrenke has called Sioux Falls home for the last seven years. Prior to joining Global Spectrum, Pomrenke worked for Hegg Companies as the Vice President of Hospitality and a Hospitality Broker Associate since 2005. Pomrenke has over twenty-nine years of hospitality industry experience and was the Assistant General Manager of the Convention Center from 2003 to 2005 when the Convention Center was managed by John Q. Hammons.

“Kraig will be a strong general manager for the Sioux Falls Convention Center,” says Teri Ellis Schmidt, the Executive Director of the Sioux Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau.  “With his background and experience in the hotel industry, he understands the expectation of the customer and knows how to deliver it!”

More at siouxfallscc.com

Prior to joining GES, Salmon held senior management positions with agencies such as Dick Clark Productions, Jack Morton Worldwide and TBA Global.  He adds expertise in the areas of major branding initiatives, sales meetings, customer events and product launches. Salmon specializes in putting custom teams in place from creative development through project execution.

For more information, visit ges.com or the GES blog at defyingconvention.ges.com.

White was one of two finalists interviewed by the Board of Directors after an extensive, nationwide search for candidates. The RSCVA Board of Directors will have to come up with a new course of action, as the organization looks to fill the position… again.

The RSCVA told us that their Board of Directors will likely “entertain an agenda item” at a future meeting that will allow it to take action on the search for a new President & CEO. Conjures up an interesting mental image, does it not?

Find out more at VisitSaltLake.com and RSCVA at VisitRenoTahoe.com.

Algarin brings more than 10 years comprehensive experience in directing and conducting market research for companies including Synovate, Lieberman Research Group, Satmetrix Systems. OTX Research, Research International, and Ipsos Insight. She

Algarin  holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of South Florida and will be located at the Exhibit Surveys Inc. headquarters in Red Bank, New Jersey.

More info at www.exhibitsurveys.com.

We’re told that, during this economic slowdown, many MG Design clients have expressed the need for rental exhibit components to accomplish their strategic marketing goals without breaking their budgets. Kelli Steckbauer will focus on MG Design’s recently expanded portfolio of rental solutions, Showscape, created by the same experts creating MG Design’s custom exhibits. Steckbauer will highlight Showscape’s functionality and features that will help clients to stretch their imagination and their budgets. Steckbauer began her career with MG Design in February 2004 as Manager of Global Business Development and Training and, most recently, held the position of Director of Client Services.

Sheila Bryant has held various roles in the exhibit and events industry including show services manager, account manager, corporate account executive and, most recently, account executive managing the trade show marketing success for several Fortune 500 companies. In her new position, Bryant will continue to identify growth opportunities and service her key accounts from MG Design’s West Coast office.

“These positions are important anchors of our growth initiatives for MG Design,” said Gail Behun, vice president, sales, MG Design. “We are very fortunate to have Kelli and Sheila’s talent, experience and expertise, along with their passion for making things happen. The market is definitely picking up and we’re prepared to help our clients grow their programs in smart and effective ways including our enhanced rental program and applying our marketing ingenuity to their brand experiences.”

More info at www.mgdesign.com.

According to Lynn Maxon, owner and operator of the company, VanderMallie will be responsible for developing new business and managing key accounts for Crown, which provides dynamic, cost-effective exhibit solutions for trade shows, meetings and events.

“We’re very excited to welcome Kim on our team,” says Maxon. “Her diverse experience in professional sales, particularly within the exhibit business is an ideal fit for Crown.”

Prior to joining Crown, VanderMallie was an Account Executive with RES Exhibit Services. In addition, earlier in her career she spent eight years with Exhibit Group/Giltspur. VanderMallie resides in Farmington.

Gardner comes to MC² from George P. Johnson, where as a senior account executive, she handled event management and exhibit services for multiple automotive clients both domestically and abroad. Prior to this, as an event manager, she conducted vendor bid processes, managed auto shows and event sponsorships, and served as a purchasing agent for onsite service goods. Gardner is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a B.S. in business administration.

“We are very excited to have Emily Gardner join us here in Birmingham,” said Keith Hishon, MC² senior vice president of sales. “She has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the automotive events marketing arena. She brings the best of both worlds: operations background and event experience which enhances customer satisfaction.”

Hishon heads the Birmingham office, recently opened outside of Detroit, focusing primarily on clients in the automotive industry.

More info at www.mc-2.com.

Also see Emily on the Wall of 100 Spilled Beans.