Trade show coordinator joins The Waterways Journal
From Illinois Business Journal news services
ST. LOUIS – The Waterways Journal, Inc. recently hired an experienced meeting planner, Jennifer DeLuca, as trade show coordinator.
In addition to facilitating the third annual Inland Marine Expo being held May 10-12 at America’s Center in St. Louis, Mo., DeLuca will help kick off the inaugural Docks Expo later this year. The latter event will be held Dec. 2 to 4 at Union Station in St. Louis.
The Docks Expo will be held simultaneously with Docks and Marinas©, a nationally recognized educational course presented by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The trade show is expected to draw several hundred of the top decision-makers in the marina industry to the Gateway City. Docks is presented by Marina Dock Age, the leading magazine for marina and boatyard management for more than 25 years.
“I am ecstatic about joining The Waterways Journal and working with such a wonderful team of people,” said DeLuca. “The Waterways Journal has had proven success with the Inland Marine Expo, and the Docks Expo, in its inaugural year, is shaping up to be just as fruitful.”
DeLuca will be responsible for planning events and trade shows hosted by The Waterways Journal, including helping to design the event layout, managing venue coordination, verifying meeting dates and streamlining the process to ensure all parties benefit from the events.
DeLuca has more than a decade of experience in event planning and managing. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2000 and obtained her Convention Industry Council Certified Meeting Professional certification in 2010.
DeLuca’s event planning experience includes 13 years managing events as an event manager, sales manager, and scheduling and contract manager at the St. Louis Convention and Visitor’s Commission at America’s Center and the Edward Jones Dome. DeLuca also spent a year working as the commodity classic coordinator with the American Soybean Association.
Waterways acquires Ripple Custom Media
The Waterways Journal, Inc. recently announced the purchase of Ripple Custom Media and the merger of that business with its own WJ Custom Media division. The resulting company will operate under the name Ripple Custom Media. The new division of WJ will be responsible for its consumer publications and will offer custom publishing and marketing services to outside customers.
Ripple Custom Media’s in-house publications include HeartLand Boating, a recreational boating magazine for the freshwater market; Terrain, the only magazine devoted exclusively to outdoor recreation, fitness and adventure in the St. Louis bi-state area; and Quimby’s Cruising Guide, an annual book known for more than 50 years as the essential resource for cruising the rivers of the U.S.
The Waterways Journal is a full-service media company that produces trade magazines, trade shows, directories, websites and related communications. It is a family owned business operating in St. Louis since 1887. In addition to the titles listed above, the company publishes The Waterways Journal Weekly, Inland River Guide, Inland River Record, International Dredging Review and Marina Dock Age, and produces the Inland Marine Expo and the Docks Expo. It also provides custom publishing services. To find out more, go to www.wjinc.net.
