WHITE PLAINS, NY, September 18, 2014… Emerald Expositions announced today that three veterans of the tradeshow industry, and long-time members of the NY NOW sales team, have been promoted. Randi Mohr and Scott Kramer have been appointed to the new positions of Vice President, Show Directors for NY NOW, and Allison Garafalo has been promoted to Sales Director. These three internal promotions, all of which are effective immediately, include a restructuring of the Market’s senior leadership roles and responsibilities.
In these new roles, Mohr will assume responsibility for NY NOW’s sales processes and systems management, in addition to her continued direction of NY NOW’s HOME Collection. Kramer will continue to oversee NY NOW’s LIFESTYLE and NEW! Collections, with new additional responsibility for oversight of NY NOW’s HANDMADE Collection as well as the concurrent Artisan Resource. As part of this restructuring, the role of Senior Vice President, NY NOW – formerly held by Christian Falkenberg – has been eliminated and both Mohr and Kramer will report directly to Christopher McCabe, Executive Vice President, Emerald Expositions.
Allison Garafalo also has been promoted to Sales Director, with continued responsibility for Artisan Resource and new responsibility for NY NOW’s HANDMADE Collection. Additionally, Garafalo will play a supportive role with Emerald Expositions’ International Sourcing efforts. Garafalo will report to Kramer, and Michelle Karol, HANDMADE Sales Manager, now will report to Garafalo.
“These changes will strengthen NY NOW’s already strong foundation and will position it for continued success,” said McCabe. “These internal promotions emphasize Emerald Expositions’ commitment to recognizing and rewarding very talented people, and the related restructuring of NY NOW’s sales team allows for the seamless sharing of best practices and an efficient use of resources as Emerald Expositions continues to grow and evolve.”
Kramer, a gift and home industry veteran, most recently served as Sales Director for NY NOW’s LIFESTYLE and NEW! Collections, overseeing the Market’s Baby + Child, Gift, New York’s Newest, Personal Accessories and Personal Care + Wellness categories. Kramer’s industry sales and marketing experience includes senior sales responsibilities for gift shows in Boston and Las Vegas and eight years as the owner-manager of a gift retail operation. Kramer graduated in 1988 from the University of Hartford with a BA in Organizational Communications.
Mohr, a veteran member of the New York Market sales team, most recently served as Sales Director for NY NOW’s HOME Collection, with responsibility for Accent on Design®, Home Furnishings + Textiles and Tabletop + Gourmet Housewares categories, as well as manager of sponsorship and digital sales. Prior to joining the company in 2003, Mohr graduated from Iona College, in 2003 with a B.A. in International Business, and in 2006 earned an MBA in Management with an International Business Certificate.
Garafalo, a 10-year tradeshow veteran, most recently served as Sales Manager for Artisan Resource, and was instrumental in that event’s launch in 2012 and subsequent expansion and development. Prior to joining the company in 2004, Garafalo earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hofstra University in New York. She also holds a Master of Tourism Administration from the George Washington University School of Business in Washington, DC.
The winter 2015 edition of Artisan Resource will take place Saturday, January 31, through Tuesday, February 3, 2015, at New York City’s Pier 94, alongside NY NOW. Artisan Resource is managed by Emerald Expositions and organized with the assistance of ByHand Consulting. Participants are selected based on their products and production capabilities, experience in meeting export demands, and commitment to design innovation, cultural preservation, social enterprise and sustainability. Additional information and registration is available online at www.artisanresourceny.com.
The winter 2015 edition of NY NOW, the Market for Home + Lifestyle, will run Saturday, January 31, through Wednesday, February 4, 2015, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Pier 94. NY NOW’s comprehensive collections – HOME, LIFESTYLE, HANDMADE and NEW! – will encompass 100,000 products in 400+ product categories. Attendees from all 50 U.S. states and more than 80 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nynow.com.