"You meet people from all walks of life and all backgrounds," Svehla said. "My moniker was Mr. Tradeshow because when you work the installation of a major show you want to lick your wounds while the show is running, but I was charged with staying and helping and so I got to see all the new products and services from all over the world."

But at the time, there was a downside to the business.

"We used to all sit in the basement of McCormick Place (convention center) in Chicago at 6 a.m., and no one knew what shows were coming up next," he said. "You had to find your own work and if you didn't have something lined up you'd end up sitting on the sidelines looking in, and if you didn't get enough hours you would lose your benefits."

That prompted Svehla in 1993 to launch Exhibit City News, a national publication that now covers 12 industry segments, including venues, labor and associations.

What began as a "church-type bulletin" that Svehla founded in his spare bedroom now has a national circulation as well as readers in Europe and Asia. The monthly tabloid runs 48 to 72 pages and reaches 20,000 people nationwide with the print edition.

Svehla now also publishes Tradeshow Lifestyles, which focuses on dining, entertainment and attractions. In addition, the company publishes a standalone directory - ECN Showfloor Go-To Guide, which is used by exhibit managers and was previously part of Exhibit City News.

Although Svehla said Exhibit City News - formerly based in Chicago until Svehla relocated to Las Vegas in 1998 - has been profitable from its inception, he faced some hurdles along the way.

"We got a certified letter from the legal department of Metropolitan Pier and Exhibition Authority, which runs McCormick Place, and they said even if it is free you can't distribute it on our property," Svehla said, adding that MPEA later emerged as a regular advertiser. "They offered to let me do a column in their glossy that goes out to suits, but I was trying to do something more for the workforce, which is kind of an unknown industry. The average citizen does not understand the importance of convention centers, and Las Vegas has three of the 20 largest convention centers in the U.S."

Svehla seems to have found his niche in the multibillion-dollar industry.

"The overall size of the tradeshow and event industry in the U.S. is $37 billion," he said, "and out of that $37 billion the exhibit services component is 14 percent, or $5.2 billion, and that's our core readership."

Like many small-business owners, Svehla said recruiting and maintaining quality employees is among the challenges he faces.

"You can't do it without the right people and if you take care of them they will take care of you," he said. "But Las Vegas is even trickier for people on both sides of the fence - those hiring and those looking for work - but my motto is 'I will succeed in spite of myself' and I think I am a living testament to that. We have an incredible staff and customers, some of whom have been advertising for eight or 10 years running."

Mike McDaniel, sales director of Texas-based The Expo Group - a general contractor for trade show which also designs and builds custom and custom rental exhibits - said his company is a longtime advertiser and supporter of the publication.

"We have been advertising for half a dozen years or so, and they are the only nationwide publication for our industry, so they literally cover the whole gamut of our potential customer base," McDaniel said. "Our company is only about 20 years old, so we are younger than our larger competitors, so it provides exposure and credibility with organizations that may not be familiar with us."

He went on to say that the staff is responsive and professional, and that The Expo Group also cosponsors events that Exhibit City News does at tradeshow industry conventions.

Eugene Winther, owner of Sacramento-based Expon Exhibits, is also a proponent of Svehla and his publication.

"I have advertised in it and I have known Don since the labor side of the business when he was a floor set-up guy many years ago," Winther said. "He has been very influential in bringing the respect of labor companies as well as the employees of labor companies and how they look upon their positions and treat the client - in the old days it was not necessarily a good working environment, but Don is one of those advocates bringing professionalism to the industry."

Svehla said the industry had a downturn after 9/11, but he likens it more to a correction - a necessary weeding out of companies.

"But it's a different industry now and people expect more for less," he said. "Both the customer and company are forced to do more with less, so it's a leaner, meaner machine."

As for the future of the company, "The industry continues to grow and we plan to grow right along with it and launch some new publications concerning convention centers and meeting places," he said.

In closing, Svehla offered the following advice to other small-business owners.

"You've got to have determination and focus on what's in front of you," he said. "When you look back it's amazing what you've put together. You also have to make sure you have a written plan and really live by it and be prepared to put in a lot of effort - you're not going to be watching Ray Romano twice a night, and success is not going to be landing in your lap."