ME Productions, the Hollywood, FL - based events company, announced its selection once again as program and event producer for the International Association of Duty Free Stores (IAADFS) tradeshow introduction event to be held April 17-19, 2005 at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa, Ft. Lauderdale.

This is the 20th consecutive year that ME has been selected to produce the IAADFS event.

Over 3,000 people are expected to attend the four-day program which brings together an international contingent of concessionaire and supplier members, duty free buyers from cruise ship and airline in-flight duty free stroes, duty free border stores, Caribbean duty free stores, and non member airport duty free stores.

The theme of this year’s Duty Free program is “The Beach Is Back.” ME Productions will handle all ground logistics, entertainment, and corporate theater events for Duty Free’s four-day agenda.

Highlights of the entertainment schedule include a laser-show welcome reception showcasing Steel Away, a pan/calypso band from St. Martin; a high-energy percussion performance during the tradeshow ribbon-cutting opener; and a final night gala.

The pan/calypso band, Steel Away will perform during the welcome reception. The trio is from St. Martin, Netherlands Antilles near the British Virgin Islands..

ME Productions’ Creative Production Director and designer of the final night gala, Lee Stabler, describes the dinner and stage show: “Our objective is to create a continuously changing dining environment by using lights, fabrics, sound and projecting visuals.

This year’s staging includes an actual ‘water wall’ downstage, that is colored with high tech lighting techniques. The entire ballroom will be draped and lit with intelligent lighting splashing colors of a beach-inspired palette throughout.”

The first segment of the ME stage production is entitled, “Turn Up The Heat,” and features a high-energy dance number and female vocalist performing Gloria Estefan’s Get on Your Feet!

The second segment, “Wipe Out,” features the acrobatic act, Fat Boys performing the creative break dance seen recently on David Letterman’s The Late Show (CBS). The third segment “South Beach,” features a multi-talent act including dancers, fire jugglers and acrobats performing to Turn the Beat Around.

For the Grand Finale, the legendary rock and roll band, The Drifters, will perform their well-known hits such as Under The Boardwalk, This Magic Moment, and There Goes My Baby.

The Duty Free Show of the Americas offers an opportunity for the key players in the industry to meet, conduct business and view new products. Nearly 3,000 representatives of the duty free industry attended the 2004 Orlando show and 175 companies exhibited their products in the exhibit hall of 296 booths.