Nearly 7,000 Attend Deaf Expo 2003 West

From: Deaf Expoâ„¢ - Dec 16, 2003

Nearly 7,000 Attend Deaf Expo 2003 West;
“Deaf Eye for Hearing People” Show a Hit

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The 12th consecutive DEAF EXPO(tm) show held Nov. 7–8 at Long Beach Convention Center attested once again its ability to attract thousands of patrons. Service providers and exhibitors announced new products and service enhancements. By Saturday evening, total attendance had hit 6,729 patrons from 23 states.

A “Deaf Eye for Hearing People” show, hosted by David “DJ” Kurs and based on the “Queer Eye” TV program, appeared four times on the Deaf World Performing Stage. Four interviews, with Phil Bravin as the host, were taped in front of live audiences on both days for CSD-TV, which made its launch at Deaf Expo 2003 West.

Greater Los Angeles Council on Deafness (GLAD), California's largest state-funded social service agency was one of the four sponsors of Deaf Expo 2003 West. GLAD personnel gave presentations on health and employment topics in an area designated as the “GLAD Room.” Its subsidiary, Lifesigns, was the official interpreter referral service for the show, venue and hotel.

Sprint Relay, the national sponsor, announced new features in its video relay service powered by CSD (www.usavrs.com). Sprint and CSD, parent organization of Deaf Expo(tm), are longtime partners in the provision of telecommunications relay services. Deafywood performed skits featuring video relay in Sprint's exhibit.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A., Inc., the third sponsor, made its debut at Deaf Expo 2003 West by displaying the fully redesigned Solara sport coupe and the updated 2004 Highlander sport utility vehicle.

“We were very pleased with our experience at Deaf Expo,” said Tracy Underwood, TMS national corporate contributions manager. “The show was an excellent opportunity for Toyota to connect with the deaf and hard of hearing community in a meaningful way.”

The fourth sponsor was Wynd Communications Corporation, the official wireless service of Deaf Expo West 2003.

“Six years ago, when Wynd introduced the first wireless service for the deaf community, we chose Deaf Expo to make that announcement,” said Joe Karp, director of marketing for Wynd Communications. “From that first event, Deaf Expo has consistently provided Wynd with the attendance, visibility, and professionalism critical for successful trade events. This year's show again proved to be a great success.”

Altogether, 80 businesses and organizations participated at the show with 130 exhibit spaces. Among them were TDI from Silver Springs, Md., a telecommunications advocacy organization selling TDI memberships and the blue international TTY directory, and Deafworks from Provo, Utah, who displayed the eFlasher which works with PCs and Macs to flash when there is incoming e-mail, TTY or video calls. Louis Schwarz with Schwarz Financial Services, LCC, a financial planning company based in Bethesda, Md., made his second appearance at Deaf Expo this year.

Pagers continue to be a hot commodity, with two announcements made on availability of live relay capability via pagers. The Deaf Village, an area in the exhibit hall for art and crafts and home businesses, was bustling with activity. Nearby was the Sign Language Playhouse for sign language and deaf culture students to practice their signing and participate in signing games. This new program first premiered at Deaf Expo 2003 West in Philadelphia last May and continues to be a popular attraction.

A brand new program also debuted at this show: “Teenage Block.”

"We wanted to complement our various programs with activities that deaf, hard of hearing and hearing teenagers could participate in,” David Rosenbaum, expo manager says, “I am pleased that we were able to launch this program in Long Beach!"

Attending Deaf Expo 2003 West is not just fun and games. Along with shopping for terrific products at competitive prices, patrons get to meet old friends, network with counterparts and engage in program activities, all which were signed and also voice-interpreted for maximum accessibility. Inside the exhibit hall entrance, patrons could look at schedule on a large video screen on the wall and TV monitors scattered throughout the exhibit hall. This visual announcement system was made possible by Sorenson Media, and the video was also piped to the MVP Lounge across from the exhibit hall, where patrons could rest, eat and drink.

Along with Sorenson Media, MCI and AT&T IP Relay were also underwriters. Long Beach Airport Marriott was designated as the official hotel of Deaf Expo 2003 and graciously provided continuous shuttle service to and from the convention center. Evening events — “Deaf Expo Playhouse” on Friday evening and the Deaf Film Festival on Saturday evening — were both held in the Grand Ballroom of the hotel. On Saturday evening, a brand new film, “No Talking Allowed,” produced by CSD-TV was shown for the first time, along with last May's production of “Dormitory,” which was made possible by AT&T IP Relay.

Deaf Expo is expected to announce soon the dates for both DEAF EXPO 2004 shows on the east and west coasts. For more information, contact the Deaf Expo hotline at toll-free TTY: (877) 890-9458, toll-free voice: (866) 295-4899, e-mail:deafexpo@deafexpo.org or visit the official show web site at www.deafexpo.org, where you can also sign up to “Keep Me Updated!” at http://www.deafexpo.org/signup.html

-END-
______________________________________________________________________
Deaf Expoâ„¢ is a registered trademark of Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc.