The Amazing Life and Legacy of Stan Einzig

Boynton BeachFlorida — For 30 years, Stan Einzig could be seen at trade shows around the world, carrying his iconic 6-foot ladder on one shoulder and his cameras on the other. Stan, a friendly face and friend to some of the biggest names in the industry, has passed away. He is survived by his wife (and business partner for many years) Marlene and three children: David, Steve and Nancy. Stan turned 80 in August and was able to spend this milestone day surrounded by his loved ones.

What some may not know about the Stan they knew at their trade shows is that he started his career in a very different environment. After apprenticing with famed society photographer Charles Leon and then with some of the Associated Press’ top photographers in the 1960s, he was lucky enough to photograph Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—for the covers of Life, Vogue and Cosmopolitan, among others—and became the only photographer she gave access to. The former first lady, known for her private nature, “adored Stan,” recalls his son David, founder of VIP Guest Invites and IndustryConnect. “If she was going to let anyone photograph her life, it would be him.”

Stan also became the personal photographer of eccentric surrealist painter Salvador Dali, working to photograph and catalogue his works and various events such as birthdays, and eventually becoming his friend.

One of the highlights of his career was the chance to be backstage with The Beatles at the Ed Sullivan Theater on the night they introduced rock and roll to the world. “My dad was a crazy photographer at the time, doing all sorts of crazy things, when he got an assignment at the New York Colosseum that changed his life,” David recalls. That’s when he discovered trade shows and Einzig Photographers was born.

He was able to bring his fresh, artistic eye to the show, including the very first Consumer Electronics Show (CES). “Stan was our official photographer since CES began in 1967 in New York and worked with us well past the turn of the century,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, organizers of CES. “He was more than just our photographer; he was our friend and a member of our team. He was always kind, positive, patient and worked hard without complaint.”

“I loved his stories about Jackie Kennedy and still wonder what happened to his shoe boxes of photos that were never shared with the press!” Shapiro said. “Of course, he was also great at trade show photography, from ribbon cuttings to crowd shots to VIPs to group shots to crowded exhibits and aisles. I picture him now at the entrance, ordering the crowds of entering VIPs to ‘Look this way!’ as he recorded their entrance for posterity.”

“He had a way of capturing the essence of the show so that it seemed crowded with people meeting and doing business,” David said. “If you were an exhibitor, you would say, ‘I have to be at this show!’”

Over the next few years, Stan had the opportunity to photograph American presidents, including Bill Clinton and George Bush, as well as some of the biggest names in American business at their most important moments, including Apple’s Steve Jobs at the launch of the iPod. He won numerous awards, including the prestigious Diamond Award from the Professional Photographers of America.

But those in the trade show industry will always know and love him as… Stan.

“My father was an extraordinary character, full of enthusiasm, passion and humor. He may have worked harder than anyone else at those shows, covering everything from one end of McCormick Place to the other, but he always had a big smile on his face and made everyone he met happier,” David said.

Here are some memories from his friends and colleagues in the sector:

• “Stan was the person behind the creativity that made others look good,” said Rick Simon, chairman and CEO of United Service Companies. “And while he worked with many famous people, he was humble in his manner and treated each person he came to work with as if they were special. Most notable was the business he built in the trade show industry. From obscurity behind the camera in the days of big lenses and flashes, he became a sought-after person to photograph these special exhibitors.”
• Anthony (Tony) Calanca, Principal of Calanca & Associates, who has managed national and international trade and consumer shows for Reed Exhibitions (RX), Advanstar, UBM and Informa, met Stan both at the show and through their shared passion for shark fishing in the waters off Montauk, Long Island. “Stan was the gold standard for trade show photography. He made trade show photography an industry. For 30 years, we used him as our exclusive photographer for hundreds of shows. And a nicer guy than you could ever hope to meet.”
• Robbi Lycett, President of Lycett Consulting, met Stan while working in the trade show industry over 40 years ago. “He was the best in his field and taught many people his trade show photography tricks to get those great shots. Stan was a dear friend who I adored. He had a great sense of humor and was so caring and kind. He loved his family, his friends and his job, which he always seemed to enjoy doing. I got sick on his fishing boat, I got a little embarrassed by a joke or two he told me, I listened and loved his stories about the famous people he photographed and I introduced my family to his. My daughter still calls him Uncle Stan. Stan was a good man who will be missed by many of us.”
• “Stan was a pioneer in the events industry and a truly fantastic business partner to everyone he worked with,” said Chris Brown, executive vice president of conventions and business opportunities for the National Association of Broadcasters. “He had a smile on his face and was a pleasure to know. He was one of the best, someone who had a lasting impact on an industry and everyone he touched.”
• “As the official photographer of some of the greatest exhibitions of his time, Stan Einzig chronicled some of our industry’s historic moments. For those of us who ‘grew up with him,’ we knew that when he showed up, the show was on. We knew him as the professional who was everywhere, always with a smile and a nod, as important a statement as anyone else on the floor. His legacy and memory are deeply felt and appreciated,” said Sam Lippman, Producer, Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF), Attendee Acquisition Roundtable, Exhibit Sales Roundtable, Large Show Roundtable, Digital Summit.