Chris Meecha, currently general manager of Fern Expo in Louisville, Ky., will become the new show director of Equip Exposition, the international landscape, outdoor living and equipment exposition, effective Sept. 16. Meecha joins the show three years into its rebranding and continued expansion under the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI)‘s full ownership and management.
In 2022, Equip set new attendance and exhibitor records. More than a million square feet of exhibit space and 30 acres in the Outdoor Demo Yard were booked out and the show attracted roughly 27,000 attendees in 2023.
“Chris is well known in the show management world as a leader and innovator and will help take Equip to the next level,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI. “We’re building a world-class event, and it was the perfect time to have him join the team three years into Equip’s rebranding.”
Meecha spent 14 years at Fern, one of the country’s leading trade show and exposition service providers. He served as general manager of the firm’s Louisville office, one of its principal locations. He brings 30 years of trade show industry experience and was a show director before joining Fern.
Hiring Meecha is part of the evolution of the award-winning show, Kiser said. The show received two Grand Awards in Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 Awards program: “Most Innovative Show” and the “Slam Dunk Award: Best New Idea.” It has been nominated for three more Gold 100 awards in 2024. Meecha, like Kiser, is also a University of Louisville graduate.
With more than 1.2 million square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibit space, Equip Exposition is one of the largest trade shows in the U.S., bringing in more than $25 million to Louisville annually.
