update 1. 3D Exhibits Inc.’s Executives Inducted into Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame The University of Illinois at Chicago inducted 3D Exhibits Inc. president and owner Gene Faut, and founder, Bill Dixon, into its Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame earlier this year, recognizing their role in growing the exhibit design and fabrication agency over its 17-year history. Faut and Dixon were cited as innovators and industry leaders in the Chicago area, exemplifying the entrepreneurial spirit through their hard work, dedication, and innovation. The UIC Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame award is the Chicago-area’s oldest entrepreneurial recognition for those who found and grow local businesses. 3. Exhibition Industry Posts Strong Rebound According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, after three consecutive years of declines in the exhibition industry, numbers are trending upward in every metric measured, and the industry grew by 2.7 percent overall in 2011. That growth outpaced the gross domestic product by 1 percent, and bested industry predictions by 15 percent, the recently unveiled CEIR Index Report states. To establish growth or decline in the industry, CEIR researchers measure four metrics: net square feet, number of exhibitors, number of attendees, and real revenues. Each showed improvement, ranging from 2.3 to 3.4 percent higher figures than last year, with government and business process-related exhibitions logging the highest increases at 7 percent and 11 percent respectively. CEIR analysts predict the recent momentum of the trade show industry will continue over the next 36 months. “Knowing that the CEIR Index serves as the barometer for the exhibition industry, I am excited by the 2011 overall results and even more so by the future outlook,” CEIR chairman of the board Chris Brown says. 2. Visa Pilot Program Boosting Business Travel to the United States So far, government officials say, the Visa Interview Waiver Pilot Program is having a dramatic impact on the number of business and leisure travelers entering the United States, as well as significantly altering the process some must go through to get here. Responding to criticism that U.S. visa requirements stymie travel for millions of would-be visitors, in January President Obama announced an initiative intended to expedite low-risk visa applications, beginning with applicants from Brazil and China. Previous regulations required a face-to-face interview for visa processing, though such interviews often took months to schedule and came at great inconvenience to travelers due to the scarcity of consular agent interview stations. Under the pilot program, those renewing visas less than 48 months old can have the interview requirement waived. With that change in effect, consular offices in China and Brazil processed 50 percent more visa applications in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 than during the same period last year. A number of associations, including the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, the Consumer Electronics Association, and the Global Business Travel Association have led the charge for reform, saying international travel to U.S. trade shows is a fraction of what it should be due to visa regulations. As such, IAEE president Steven Hacker told the New York Times, international business is going elsewhere to buy and sell, and the U.S. trade show industry is losing ground as emerging countries capture that market. The U.S. Travel Association has reported that enabling international travel for U.S. business meetings, trade shows, conventions, and leisure could boost the economy by $263 billion and support 1.7 million jobs. Government officials said the Interview Waiver Program may be broadened to additional countries in which face-to-face interviews are currently required.