Tradeshow veteran Kevin Gaffney is the new show director of Medtrade and Medtrade Spring, according to a June 6 news release from Nielsen Business Media, the events’ owner.

“Kevin’s knowledge of the tradeshow industry and his proven success in business development, sales and operations will enable the Medtrade events to directly respond to the home health-care industry’s current challenges,” said Joe Randall, Nielsen senior VP, in the news statement. Randall had been acting as Medtrade show director since the departure of previous show director Kevin Bird earlier this year.
Randall will continue to work on the Medtrade events, as well. Following a sharp drop in attendee and exhibitor numbers at Medtrade Spring, in Long Beach, Calif., in May, Randall and Nielsen released a “Contract with Homecare” with a goal “to change the current state of our industry and our trade events.”
Gaffney most recently served as the sales & marketing director for the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association, and teaches in the University of Georgia’s Meeting Certificate Program.

Medtrade is scheduled for Oct. 28-30 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. A pre-event educational conference takes place Oct. 27. For more information, visit www.medtrade.com.