Obituary
Remembering
Andy Center
In early August, the industry learned of the
sudden passing of Andy Center, co-founder
of CloserStill Media and a highly respected
trailblazer and entrepreneur
A
dynamic force in
the UK and global
exhibition industry, Andy
Center was at the heart of
numerous acquisitions and
launches and made a lasting
impact on all who knew him.
He was a true entrepreneur
who took great pride in
the success of CloserStill
Media (his choice of name,
combining two Joy Division
albums) and the fact that all
staff were issued with shares.
He was passionate about
business, about the industry
and about his family and
has left a lasting impact
and legacy in the world of
exhibitions.
Andy’s roles in the industry
included marketing director
at Reed Exhibitions, and
marketing director and
then CEO of Independent
Exhibitions. Independent
was acquired by Cleveland-
based publishing group
Penton in 1997. Andy led a
£2.2m buyout, backed by
10 — September
NVM Venture Capital, of
Penton’s European trade
shows, and this entity
became Ithaca Media. Ithaca
was then sold to UBM in
2007.
Andrew Dedman, who
worked with Andy from the
late 80s until 2001, when he
was marketing director at
Independent Exhibitions,
recalls: “Nobody has ever
come close to his creative
and strategic thinking in my
experience. He was the go-to
guy for problem-solving and
new ideas, not only for the
marketing team but also the
sales team and especially
me, the MD. That he went
on to become a brilliant
businessman is no surprise.
It’s a tragedy that he was so
young and leaves behind a
beautiful family. I will miss
him.”
Dedman remembers
the night that the sale of
Independent Exhibitions
was completed. They had
been negotiating for months
with intimidating American
lawyers and finally finished
at about 2am.
“We were exhausted,” he
says. “Walking down Fleet
Street looking for a cab and
Andy said, ‘this is going to
change my whole life. I’m
always haggling over price,
and now I don’t need to
haggle any more. What it
costs is what I’ll pay’.
“Just as he finished talking
a cab came by, and Andy
asked how much it was to
Hammersmith. The driver
said £35, and Andy said,
‘what kind of idiot do you
think I am?’”
Peter Hodson, a partner at
NVM, tells EN: “I couldn’t
help wanting to back Andy
to do the MBO of Penton
UK when we first met. He
was utterly compelling. We
started CloserStill in the
café of the Landmark hotel
on one sheet of A4, setting
out the strategy with a series
of scribbles.
“It goes without saying
that there was nothing
conventional about him, he
was hugely inspirational and
just a little bit frustrating all
at the same time. I respected
him immensely, particularly
his obsession with making
sure financial rewards
were shared by everybody
right down to the cleaners.
His entrepreneurial spirit
challenged more conformist
thinking and I don’t think
I have met anybody that