Dallas—Douglas Ducate, president-CEO of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research since 1998, announced he will step down by the end of the year. Ducate made the announcement during a speech at the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association's Annual Summer Educational Conference in Dallas. CEIR deserves “younger and stronger legs to carry some of the new initiatives to success,” he said, according to a statement issued by CEIR after the announcement. In the speech, Ducate said he is not retiring and will remain active in the exhibition industry, the statement said. A successor has not been named.