ASI Names Rita Ugianskis-Fishman VP and GM of The ASI Show

TREVOSE, PA – January 6, 2014 – The Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI) today announced it has named Rita Ugianskis-Fishman the new vice president and general manager of The ASI Show.

Ms. Ugianskis-Fishman is now responsible for leading all key strategic initiatives at ASI Show and developing and delivering additional benefits for suppliers and distributors while exploring expansion opportunities.

Each year, about 20,000 distributors, representing the vast majority of total industry sales, attend ASI shows. In addition to five national trade shows in Orlando, Dallas, Long Beach, New York and Chicago, ASI Show manages the Advantages Roadshow, the industry’s most popular traveling show, and fASIlitate, ASI’s growing hosted buyer event.

At ASI, Ms. Ugianskis-Fishman reports to Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI and president of its sister company, The ASI Show.

“I’m very excited Rita is joining us to lead the ASI Show team,” said Andrews. “She is a proven professional with great success in finding creative ways to attract and retain both exhibitors and attendees, in many economic and competitive environments, and is known for her collaborative approach with partners and potential partners,” said Andrews. “She is also extremely sales and marketing-focused and customer-oriented, which makes her a perfect fit for ASI.”

Matthew Cohn, vice chairman of the ASI family of companies and founder of ASI Show, said of Ms. Ugianskis-Fishman: “Rita is an experienced manager with a 20-year track record and we are thrilled to welcome her to ASI Show. I am certain she will work very hard on behalf of our members to deliver superior show experiences while growing our existing show platform.”

Ms. Ugianskis-Fishman is an accomplished trade show executive who comes to ASI after 14 years at Penton Media, a B2B media company based in New York City, with 1,300 employees who develop leading digital, print and live events in 17 major markets.

Most recently, Ms. Ugianskis-Fishman was managing director of Penton’s Waste Industry Group and assumed P&L responsibility for all products serving the waste and recycling industry, including the WasteExpo trade show (named one of the fastest growing shows of the past two years), its controlled circulation print magazine and the associated website.

Previously, she worked at Reed Exhibition Companies, the world’s leading events organizer with a global network of 35 worldwide offices, where she was director of marketing and industry development.

Ms. Ugianskis-Fishman graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

For more information, contact Dawn Marie, manager of public relations, at 215-953-3119 or [email protected].

About The ASI Show
The ASI Show was created for active ASI member distributors and suppliers, and attracts more distributors than any other industry show, with 20,000 attendees. Offering a full education conference, networking opportunities and a manageable one-floor/one-hall layout, The ASI Show provides a complete trade show experience. In five host cities per year (Orlando, Dallas, Long Beach, New York and Chicago), The ASI Show is ideal for advertising specialty businesses searching for new ideas and new business. Additionally, The ASI Show runs the Advantages Roadshow, the ad specialty industry’s most popular traveling show, and fASIlitate, ASI’s hosted buyer event.

About ASI
The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) is the largest media, marketing and education organization serving the promotional products industry, with a network of over 25,000 distributors and suppliers throughout North America. ASI leads the industry in technology solutions, providing cloud-based e-commerce, enterprise resource planning software (ERP) and customer relationship management software (CRM). ESP Web^® is the industry’s leading tool for sourcing hundreds of thousands of products. A family-owned business since 1962, ASI also provides online research, marketing, advertising opportunities, trade shows, education, award-winning magazines, newsletters, custom websites and catalogs to help members sell, market and promote their brands. Visit ASI at www.asicentral.comand on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the CEO’s blog.