For many years, facilities have allowed general service contractors and sub-contractors to provide the utility services (Electrical, Plumbing, Telecommunications, Staging and Lighting Production, AudioVisual, Booth Cleaning, Floral etc.) inside of their buildings. Often, these facilities were in need of operating revenue, but reaped only a small financial benefit from these services.

Historically there has been a shortage of highly qualified management and technical service personnel within the trade show and convention industry. As a result, utility services were treated as an ancillary product. While many facilities have made efforts to take their services in-house, they were met with obstacles, such as incremental or seasonal revenue, or a large permanent staff that handled only electrical outlets. Because of the large staff required to handle the customer service, accounting and labor, they were not bringing revenue to the bottom line. Instead, they were getting additional overhead costs.

The Technical Exposition Account Management Company (TEAM Co.) was developed to provide facilities with the perfect "in-house" alternative. The company provides a qualified, trained staff and labor source alternatives to service their customers while they help them reap more financial benefits. TEAM Co. recognized that the exposition industry is ever changing and that the needs and desires of the exhibiting customers have become much more sophisticated and technical in nature. TEAM Co.'s professional personnel helps facilities keep up with their customer's ever-changing needs by requiring and implementing the latest, safest and most efficient equipment available. TEAM Co. takes steps to get involved in "Code" issues, designs and insists on high standards relating to the convention industry.

TEAM Co.'s management group has over 60 years of technical and managerial experience in the trade show and convention industry. TEAM Co. President / CEO, Norman Yahraus, developed and holds patents for several items which have wide spread usage in electrical installations for trade shows and conventions. Mr. Yahraus has also implemented safe methods of hanging and supporting overhead production equipment used for the more technical expositions. The TEAM Co. staff has a highly successful relationship with many show management organizations. Those relationships help TEAM Co. advance and grow by continuing to offer only the highest quality training, services and products. Even stronger than its relationship with show management organizations and facilities is TEAM Co.'s attention to detail.

The TEAM Co. objective is to provide individual facility clients with the highest level of customer satisfaction while requiring little to no capital investment or day-to-day management by facility operating personnel. With ingredients such as true cost accounting, single point of customer contact and unsurpassed "in-house" services, TEAM Co. is a powerful recipe for success.

Finally, as with other services, TEAM Co. also looks to other markets that may have potential revenue streams. TEAM Co. has experience in expanding the reach of a facility into a specific market. Many of the in house services that a facility provides are also needed in non-convention settings. Due to high efficiencies, centers may find that they can provide services elsewhere at little to no additional cost.

Norman J. Yahraus,
President & CEO
TEAM Company

Norman Yahraus is recognized as a leading authority in the area of temporary power distribution. The endless time and knowledge that he has contributed to the convention and trade show industry has earned him overwhelming respect from facilities, trade associations, exhibitors, and contractors. In the early 60's he was hired as an electrician by the Nevada Test Site, where he was later promoted to General Foreman. Remaining in the electrical field, he took a job with Electronic Specialties, which became the first electrical convention contractor in southern Nevada, followed by Nevada Electrical in the early 1970's. Nevada Electrical was the electrical subcontractor to Las Vegas Convention Services (LVCS) which provided set-up, decorating, freight and power distribution services to trade shows exhibiting in the fledgling Las Vegas Convention Center, then consisting of only the Rotunda and north Hall. After LVCS created its own electrical division, Norm remained with the company while it evolved into Greyhound Exposition Services and the current GES Exposition Services. As the company evolved, so did Norm's career, where he advanced from General Foreman to Account Executive, to Manager of Electrical Services, to Assistant to the President. In 1990, GES formed its own technical services division called Trade Show Electrical (TSE). Norm was responsible for the creation, organization and supervision of TSE which provided power and plumbing services to 80% of the conventions and trade shows that took place in Las Vegas, as well as many of the conventions in 14 other cities. While heading up TSE, Norm advanced from Vice President of Electrical Services, to Executive Vice President of GES Expo Services, to Corporate Vice President, and an officer of the Dial Corp. During his career with the company, facility engineers and builders to provide input on the design of power distribution systems for various convention centers throughout the United States called him upon. While at GES he was presented with several awards acknowledging his efforts and expertise, and is still consulted with during major trade shows throughout the year. . In 1995 Norm was hired by the Sands Expo and Convention Center to create a new in-house technical service division. This division provided in-house electrical, plumbing, telephone, staging and lighting and Internet services. He is now a requested speaker for several national convention and trade show organizations at their industry meetings and conventions, and the National Association of Exhibit Managers (NAEM) has designated Mr. Yahraus as the most regarded professional for technical services in the trade show industry.

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Deanna Lowell
Vice President & CFP
TEAM Company

Deanna Lowell first started in the convention industry working for GES Exposition Services in the customer service department. Deanna excelled in the industry and was rapidly promoted within GES to Las Vegas City Manager for Trade Show Electric / GES. Deanna then took her expertise to the Sands Expo where she was in charge of all technical billing and operations for the nearly 1 million square feet of exhibit space. During her time with the Sands, Deanna managed accounts that totalled over 22 million dollars and maintained an accounts receivable percentage at an unheard six tenths of one percent for the total amount. Deanna has tremendous expertise in every area of the convention field. Her strengths lie in electrical and telecommunications. From the Sands, Deanna moved to Smart City Networks, a major telecommunications provider for convention and hotel facilities. While at Smart City, Deanna managed all of the customer service and was responsible for the corporate centralization of all billing and order processing. Deanna brings an invaluable wealth of knowledge and an ability to forecast revenue that is rarely ever more than a few percent from the actual numbers. Deanna is a very personal and pleasant person to be around and customers respond very favourably to her.

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Dennis Quish
Legal Advisor
TEAM Company

Dennis Quish is the in-house legal advisor for Convention Technical Services As a former attorney for GES Exposition Services, Dennis was responsible for the negotiation of various contracts that exist to this day. From GES, Dennis went to work as the labor attorney for the Teamsters Union in Las Vegas. His responsibilities were to negotiate contracts with all of the General Service Contractors and to look out for the best interest of the union members. Dennis decided to come to work for TEAM Company as a facility supervisor for the Mirage Event Center. In this capacity, Dennis interfaces with the General Contractor, all of their sub contractors and the Show Management groups and acts as a liaison for the facility. Dennis continues to provide valuable legal advise and assistance to both TEAM Company and the facilities they service. It would be difficult to find someone with a greater understanding of how the convention industry operates. Dennis knows both sides extremely well and uses that knowledge to make equitable arrangements for both the facility and the contractors.

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Linda Hartman
Account Executive
TEAM Company

Linda Hartman joined the TEAM Company staff after 13 years as the Banquet and Exhibit manager for the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Linda is provides valuable link between the convention industry and the hospitality industry. As an account executive, Linda works with TEAM Company's hotel properties to ensure that their needs are being met and that their customers are being satisfied. Linda has a strong background in all formats of the room reservation system and the room-blocking program that is commonly used by the facilities.

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