ME Productions was pleased to mark its 23rd consecutive year serving as program and event producer for the 40^th year anniversary of the International Association of Airport Duty Free Stores (IAADFS) trade show, welcome reception, gala and events.

Over 3,000 people attend the trade show, which brings together an international contingent of concessionaire and supplier members, duty free buyers from cruise ship and airline in-flight duty free stores, duty free border stores, Caribbean duty free stores, and non member airport duty free stores.

This year, the final evening gala was even more spectacular than ever, marking the milestone anniversary of the organization and its event. Held Wednesday, April 9 at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Ft. Lauderdale, over 250 guests enjoyed a multi-media experience and dance show throughout the course of the gala dinner.

Four decades of change were brought to live by a dazzling array of dance and music that celebrated the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today.

Highlights of this year’s show included dozens of choreographed dance numbers that spanned four decades of song and included performances to popular hit songs performed by the Horizons Dance Band that included “It’s Raining Men,” “Disco Inferno, “Thriller,” “Smooth Operator,” “Something to Talk About,” and “Let’s Get Loud.”

The room’s décor was entirely transformed incorporated the following elements: Video Projecting; Lighting Package; crush overlays and seat sashes; full room perimeter backdrop; raised performance stage; and theme logo throughout all elements of the event and incorporated with room décor, place settings, and video modules.

"Keeping a client coming back year after year, is always a challenge," said Hal Etkin, CEO of ME Productions. "As the event planners, we face a significant hurdle: to keep knocking their socks year after year so this client and others will come back year after year, whether at a South Florida venue, in Central Florida, or nationally or even overseas.”

Other long-term clients that have returned time and again to ME Productions include the Miami Heat Family Festival (10 years); and such popular venues as the Fountainebleau Hotel and Resort which has been one of ME’s long running preferred host locations for over 25 years for thousands of ME client events over the years.

“ME never gets complacent,” says Etkin. “The essential key element to keeping long term clients remains being able to deliver on basic essential. Always stay within budget and always deliver on time.  The other “secret ingredient,” is getting to know the client. Understand what they want and why and then turn that vision into a reality that delivers smiles and leaves a positive impact.”