Today we’d like to introduce you to Lewis Shomer.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I worked for Sheldon Adelson when he owned the largest Trade Show in the country, COMDEX. I left and started my own company, Shomex Productions, based in Santa Monica. For twenty-five years Shomex was one of the leading producers of Career Fairs in the country and was the leading producer of Diversity career fairs. In 1998 I joined the Board of Trustees for the NAACP.
I was also elected to the Board of Directors of the Society of Independent Show Organizers where I became Chairman, and met my present business partner David Korse.
In 2008, both the economic decline as well as the increase in internet recruiting caused Shomex to close its business and then Shomex was chosen to administer SISO and I was selected as the organization’s Executive Director. In the same year, David Korse and I bought the portfolio of shows known as Abilities Expo. and since 2008 expanded from 2 shows to 7 shows in the US and a partnership in Canada. We trebled revenue and profits and created the largest consumer-oriented show for the disability community.
At the same time, as Executive Director of SISO, I had to re-define membership qualifications, re-engineer revenue streams and establish the organization as being relevant. Electing not to renew my contract with SISO in 2016, I left the organization with a reserve 10 times as large as when I took over, expanded the membership to include over 30% of its members being international and creating an organization considered the elite of the Trade Show industry.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Owning your own business is like life itself, there are ups and down along the route. There were many mistakes, plus many successes. The most difficult time we had was our Career Fair sponsored by the NAACP in New York on September 11, 2001!
We were setting up our show at Madison Square Garden and our attendees were queuing up outside when we were informed about the first plane hitting the twin towers. Because of travel restrictions during the next 12 months and the money we had spent on promoting the show we had a spiral that we were never able to get out of.
The following years saw less and less hiring and our business was never the same and was a struggle every day, until we just decided to stop producing career fairs in 2008. In 1989. as we were the leaders in affirmative action hiring we planned educational conferences to assist Human Resources professional understand the compliance issues. our first conference was scheduled in San Francisco, and the week prior to the conference was the San Francisco earthquake which made us cancel the conference.
We were tenacious and able to survive these two events that greatly impacted our business.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about 5NET4 Productions – what should we know?
My present company is in the business of “changing people’s lives”. As Chairman, I oversee sales and marketing and what I and my partner David are most proud of is the number of “wow” moments we have at each show where we have witnessed a non-verbal child with CP talk for the first time when he said, “mamma, horse, mamma, horse”, as he was pushed past the service horses on display. Or the 45-year-old who had a traumatic brain injury climb on a climbing wall attempting to ring the bell at the top.
What sets us apart from any other conference of its kind is the owner’s emotional and physical commitment to the event and the community. Being a part of the community, as I was with the NAACP, means that we understand the needs of the community and are able to work from within the community to enhance people’s lives and independence.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Certainly, David Korse is a major part of our success in Abilities and as CEO was responsible for expanding Abilities while I was holding two positions, one as Chair of Abilities and the other as Executive Director of SISO. My mentor, was/is Sheldon Adelson, CEO and Chairman of Las Vegas Sands (LVS, NY Stock Exchange), as when I was the VP Marketing and Sales at COMDEX his visions and his ability to anticipate markets and implement strategies to meet demands created a lasting impression on how to attack and target markets.
He also taught me the pursuit of excellence and that details count! I believe that I was able to implement excellence to develop SISO and leave it in the shape I did and to deliver the best product in the industry with Abilities. Also, my wife, who was my business partner as well as my spiritual partner with Shomex was the steadying influence to allow us both to go through the ups and downs together. That partnership made it much easier to dust oneself off and start all over again as we did several times, yet being able to enjoy the successes we appreciate today.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.abilities.com
- Phone: (323) 934-3153
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Stephen Hacker
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