Company: CEA, Arlington, VA
Company Description: The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry. Its 1850 members represent more than $100 billion in industry sales.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Sales Executive

Nomination Title: Dan Cole, VP of Sales, CEA

1. Tell the story about what this nominee achieved in 2004 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

For Dan Cole, chief of the team that sells the world’s largest annual consumer
technology trade event, 2004 was about surpassing the phenomenal year-over-year
growth previously achieved.  Cole was convinced that if he and his team were to
replicate their success, they would have to once again reinvent themselves and
avoid complacency at all cost.  Cole encourages his crew to strive for excellence but
not for perfection.  The results speak for themselves.  Once again, the International
CES is ranked as one of the largest annual trade events on the planet.

Cole deploys what he calls a “rhinoceros mentality,” preaching to his
salespeople the necessity of having thick skin, hunting for new business opportunities and aggressively charging them down—but never at the expense of even one customer. Under his leadership, the CES sales team succeeded in markedly raising revenues, industry exposure and the overall success of the 2005 International CES to its highest levels ever.

In addition to helping catapult the International CES into trade show industry
dominance, Cole’s 2004 achievements include: leading his 20-person sales team to
floor a record number of 1.5 million net square feet of exhibit space, growing
overall show revenue, drawing a record number of exhibitors and attendees and increasing international attendance figures to peak levels. No other technology event comes close in comparison.

His passion revolves around a philosophy and strategy that he coined:  TRACER. The acronym is about a dedicated focus on six primary areas:  Training, Recruiting,
Activity, and Customer interaction, an Environment of urgent enthusiasm and
Results.  While his team spends all year selling and devising customer solutions for the International CES, Cole is adamant about the need to create perpetual
relationships of good will throughout the year leading up to and immediately after the show.  In fact, even before the CES is over, his team puts together an immediate post-show game plan, which includes a nationwide blitz of key customer visits. 

Among the specific accomplishments that Cole achieved in 2004: championing the idea of a new ‘behind the scenes” product preview program for exhibitors at the
International CES targeted to the media.  The smashing success of the event ultimately resulted in a long waitlist and over 500 media attending.  The press coverage was overwhelming.  In addition, Cole helped created a new exhibit area called Innovations Plus. This area featured award-winning products and special showcases of new and emerging technologies and product solutions.  Cole’s creative vision helped bring this area to life and gave his sales team another new revenue stream as well as another powerful option for companies interested in showcasing their products.

Dan Cole is a mentor and role model for his team.  According to Jason Stookey, a
CES sales manager, “He has a great open door policy, which means that he is truly
available to us whenever we need him, 24x7.  Sometime we’re instant messaging each other after dinner at home.  Whenever I have a question, he is right there with a response.”

2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]:

1.  Profile of Dan in Expo magazine --
http://www.expoweb.com/Past_Issues_NovDec_2004/ND200410282004110102AM.htm

2.  Official news release about the 2005 International CES
http://www.cesweb.org/press/news/rd_release_detail.asp?id=10675

3.  CNN article on the 2005 International CES
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/ptech/01/10/ces.wrap/index.html

4. News release on Cole sales training at the annual conference of the
Exhibition and Event Association in Australasia
http://www.eeaa.com.au/upl_images/Conference%20Press%20Release.pdf

3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about this nominee:

As the vice president of sales and business development for CEA, Dan Cole oversees business development for CEA’s membership department and market research product and sales for the International CES.  Cole also is an accomplished motivational speaker.

Prior to joining CEA, Cole served as vice president of sales for Yellowbrix
where he built a nationwide sales team consisting of 80 sales representatives.  Before Yellowbrix, he served as group show director for Advanstar Communications with responsibilities and oversight for six information technology events.  He began his sales career at Lanier Worldwide as a sales representative and manager.