Podcasts about iaee

Senior visiting research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Dr Shihab-Eldin joins us on The afikra Podcast to discuss his extensive career in nuclear and solar energy research, particularly his work in Kuwait on pioneering solar energy projects. We explore the challenges and potential of transitioning away from fossil fuels, the energy trilemma of affordability, security, and sustainability, and the role of decarbonization technologies. Dr Shihab-Eldin also reflects on the historical and future perspectives of energy supply and demand, the impact of carbon emissions, and the viability of nuclear power. We conclude with a discussion on climate change impacts in the Arab world and the necessity of international cooperation for future energy solutions.00:00 Introduction 01:12 Early Career and Solar Energy Initiatives04:10 Challenges and Opposition to Solar Energy05:37 Energy Reserves and Future Predictions09:19 The Energy Trilemma11:57 Environmental Impact and Efficiency23:40 Global Emissions and Climate Change29:51 Global Race and Industrialization31:04 Direct Air Capture Technology33:33 Scaling and Cost Challenges34:33 Political Will and Global Cooperation40:35 Renewable Energy and Solar Power43:59 Global Warming and Climate Change in the Arab World54:11 Nuclear Energy: Past, Present and Future59:24 Final ThoughtsAdnan Shihab-Eldin is a senior visiting research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and a board member of the Kearney Energy Transition Institute. A former research physicist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, he has held academic and visiting positions at institutions such as Kuwait University, UC Berkeley, Harvard, and CERN. He previously served as director general and board member of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, and held senior roles at organizations including the IAEA, UNESCO, and OPEC. A long-standing member of the World Federation of Scientists' Energy Permanent Monitoring Panel, he also co-chairs its Management of Catastrophic Risks panel. Shihab-Eldin has received numerous honors, including the IAEE's 2023 award for Outstanding Contributions, the 2022 Spirit of Salam Award, and UC Berkeley's 2017 Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award.Hosted by:Mikey Muhanna

In this episode of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tormohlen interviews Chris Skeith, CEO and Managing Director of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, who started in this role in January 2025I. Skeith shares insights about his career path, including his tenure at the Association of Event Organizers UK, and discusses his new role at UFI, aiming for evolution and not revolution. The conversation highlights his top priorities in his first 100 days, focusing on member needs and improving the organization's functionality. They delve into global trends affecting the events industry, such as talent acquisition, sustainability, and the growing role of AI. The episode also covers UFI's 100th-anniversary celebrations and their significant events scheduled for 2025. Skeith shares his optimism about the future of face-to-face events and provides a glimpse into his personal experiences, including receiving an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to the industry during COVID-19.  Our guest Chris Skeith, who has served in the exhibition industry for more than 30 years, is Managing Director & CEO of UFI, The Global Association for the Exhibition Industry, which represents more than 900 organizations in more than 90 countries who build, maintain, and support the world's market places: trade show organisers, venue owners and operators, service providers, and national, as well as international associations, of our industry.  Skeith has built a career in the not-for-profit sector, starting his exhibition career in media auditing at the Audit Bureau of Circulations, where he later led on the development of their auditing products for the event sector.  In 2006, Skeith started working in the associations sector in the UK, merging two event associations in the service supplier sector to form ESSA (Event Supplier & Services Association). In 2010, he also became Director of ESSA's sister association, AEV (Association of Event Venues). In 2014, he took the role of CEO of their sister association, AEO (Association of Event Organisers), which represents UK-based organisers who operate worldwide.  During this time, AEO created groups and events which connected the community which grew to over 100 members via special interest groups, and class leading events. He also held several voluntary positions to help raise the profile of the sector to Government and regulators, including Chair of the UK Government's Events Industry Board for the Department of Culture Media and Sport, member of the Department for Business and Trades Professional Business Services Committee, and Chair of UKEVENTS a partnership of all leading associations in the UK event industry. He has previously served as an UFI Board Member and chair of their associations committee.  In the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2021, he was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, for services to the Events Industry.  Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Group Content, Meetings, Sports, Travel for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News, BizBash and Connect's portfolio of in-person events. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event, association meeting, experiential marketing and exhibition industries.  Tormohlen currently serves as president of the Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA, DI and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few. 

Trade Show Talk Podcast Host Danica Tormohlen interviews Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group, at the IMEX America 2024 event in Las Vegas. They cover Bauer's career journey from her first IMEX Frankfurt show in 2003 to overcoming challenges like digital transformation and sustainability. They discuss empowering teams to stay ahead of trends by attending various events, experimenting with new technologies, and enhancing customer experiences with innovations like Blue Dot technology for Google Maps-style navigation on the show floor. Strategic conversations around attendee engagement were highlighted, noting the increase in pre-scheduled meetings and attendance despite impacts from Hurricane Milton. Plans for future events at Mandalay Bay through 2027 are confirmed, and Bauer's upcoming engagements include attending a Brand USA event in London and preparing for next year's goals.  Plus, we are introducing a new segment to Trade Show Talk where we discuss the latest public policy issues impacting our industry with Tommy Goodwin, VP of the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance. Our goal to inform event professionals about ECA's work on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, and in state houses and city halls nationwide, to advocate for public policies that will allow the exhibitions and conferences industry—which employs 2.6 million Americans and drives $399 billion in spending annually—to continue to serve as growth engines for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and communities nationwide. In this episode, we talk all about the November 5th election in the U.S. Goodwin shared insight on the recent launch of ECA Votes, a one-stop resource for everything the business events industry needs to know about the November 2024 election. Our guest: Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX Group  Bauer is passionate about the business events sector and its impact on the world, taking a particular interest in issues around sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and mentoring the leaders of tomorrow. She also takes a keen interest in leadership development, and organizational best practice and culture.   Throughout her career, Bauer has been an active member of the meetings industry. She's past chair of the AEO Council (2021-2023) and the EIA (2021-2022), as well as past president of the SITE Foundation (2020). She previously served on the Board of the MPI UK Chapter and on global committees for MPI and PCMA.   Bauer is the proud recipient of a number of industry awards including the SITE Richard Ross Past Presidents' Award (2022), PCMA Wayfinder Award (2021) and ICCA Inspirational Women Awards (2018). In 2023, she was inducted into the Events Industry Council Hall of Leaders. Earlier this year, she received AEO's Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award.  Appointed CEO of IMEX Group in 2009 following the expansion of IMEX into America, Bauer has been part of the IMEX team since the very beginning, joining in 2002 as marketing and operations director with the original launch team.   She enjoys spending time with her family (she's a mother to two boys) and traveling for work and pleasure. She is an adventure sports enthusiast with a particular love for climbing and skiing. In her spare time, Bauer works with a variety of local charities and is chair of the Brighton and Hove Albion Foundation—using the power of football to help people get active, learn and stay well throughout Sussex.   Connect with her on LinkedIn here or email at carina.bauer@imexevents.com Our guest: Tommy Goodwin, VP of Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA)  Thomas F. (Tommy) Goodwin is the Vice President of the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), an umbrella association of leading professional, industry, and labor organizations that represent the unified advocacy voice of the business events industry. In this role, he leads ECA's efforts on behalf of the interconnected ecosystem of exhibitors, show and event organizers, suppliers, venues, and destinations that comprise the business events sector.  Prior to joining ECA, he spent more than 20 years leading a wide range of government relations and public affairs efforts for several globally recognized organizations, including Oracle, AARP, and the Project Management Institute (PMI). He was also a research fellow at Harvard Business School focused on the international political and legal environment in which businesses operate.  Recognized by The Hill as one of Washington, DC's “Top Lobbyists” each year since 2020, he was also named a Leading Association Lobbyist by CEO Update in 2023, an Association Innovation Leader by DCA Live in 2022, and and one of the Top 21 in 2021 advocacy leaders by The Advocacy Association. Within the business events industry, he received the 2022 Industry Support award from TSNN and was named a 2022 Changemaker by MeetingsNet.  He has a B.B.A. from The George Washington University, an M.B.A. from Auburn University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in European Union Law from King's College London. He also holds a Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), where he is an ASAE Fellow, a Project Management Professional certification from PMI, and a Certified Meeting Professional certification from the Events Industry Council.  He is a past president of the National Institute of Lobbying & Ethics and a past chair of ASAE's Advocacy Council.  Connect with him on LinkedIn here. Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen  An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Group Content, Meetings, Sports, Travel for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News, MeetingsNet, BizBash and Connect's portfolio of in-person events. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event, association meeting, experiential marketing and exhibition industries.  Tormohlen currently serves as president of the Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA, DI and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few. 

In this episode of Trade Show Talk, host Danica welcomed Chris Griffin, President and CEO of CREW XP, a company that has been providing trade show labor and event services since 1994. He shared his career journey—starting from his first job at Putnam Investments in college to becoming a sales executive at Skyline in Dallas and eventually a business owner. He talked about his company's specialization in turnkey exhibit solutions for other exhibit houses and experiential agencies, highlighting their operations in Orlando, Fla., and Las Vegas. Discussion topics included the industry's response to the pandemic, challenges with labor and cost, visa delays affecting international participation, and the importance of choosing the right business focus. Finally, he offered advice for first-time entrepreneurs, based on his 20+ years of experience as a business owner.   Join Griffin at the Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classic on Sept. 26 at Chateau Elan in Braselton, GA. The golf tournament is a fundraiser to help families in the exhibition industry who have suffered severe tragedies or face insurmountable medical expenses. Since its inception in 1995, the Randy Smith Memorial Golf Classics have provided more than $2 million in assistance to more than 170 trade show families. Donate here or apply for assistance here.  Our guest: Chris Griffin, President and CEO, CREW XP  Chris Griffin is the President and CEO of CREW XP, a provider of turnkey exhibit solutions and logistical support. With more than 25 years in the trade show and experiential marketing industry, Griffin is a distinguished leader and advocate. He has authored numerous online and instructor-led courses, training thousands of industry professionals. He has served for a decade on the board of the Exhibitor Appointed Contractors Association (EACA), including two years as President, and currently holds positions on the Board of Directors for the Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) and as Secretary/Treasurer of the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA).  A respected industry advocate on Capitol Hill, Griffin is also an active trainer and lecturer, teaching trade show courses at the University of Central Florida and advising the Orange County Convention Center's Intern Training Program. Under his leadership, CREW XP continues to excel in providing innovative solutions across major event cities in the U.S., with fabrication facilities in Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla.  Griffin is also the host the Experience Builders Podcast, featuring interviews on business fundamentals that help experiential agencies and exhibitors.  Connect with him on LinkedIn here.  Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen  An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Group Content, Meetings, Sports, Travel for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News, MeetingsNet, BizBash and Connect's portfolio of in-person events. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event, association meeting, experiential marketing and exhibition industries.  Tormohlen currently serves as president of the Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA, DI and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.  Thanks to our sponsor Connect Marketplace: Where Events Business Get Done. Connect Marketplace is hosting five regional events this fall and winter in Seattle, Los Angeles, Greenville, SC, Frisco, TX and Washington DC. Don't miss your opportunity to join passionate event experts for unparalleled networking, one-on-one business meetings, and inspiring education sessions. Find out more at Connectmeetings.com 

Elli Riley joined Trade Show Talk to share her experience as the VP, HIMSS Global Conference & Exhibition, for Informa Markets. Riley joined the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) in December 2002 and has more than 28 years of experience in the meetings industry. Last summer, the HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition was acquired by public company Informa, and Riley joined the Informa team in September 2023. Today Riley is the business lead for the HIMSS Global Conference & Exhibition and oversees the marketing, sales, content and operations teams. In March, the 2024 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition attracted 26,800 healthcare technology professionals and 971 exhibitors across 440,066 square feet of exhibit space at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. We talked about moving from the association to the independent organizer side. She shared insight on what was new at this year's trade show — the first to be produced under Informa's ownership. Our guest Elli joined the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) in December 2002 and has more than 28 years of experience in the meetings industry.    While at HIMSS, Elli successfully managed the growth of the annual conference exhibition, which doubled in size and number of exhibitors and sponsorships during her tenure at association. She was also part of the core team that launched two of the HIMSS international conferences in Europe and Asia. Last summer, the HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition was acquired by Informa, and Elli joined the Informa team in September of last year. After making the move from the association to the independent organizer side, today Elli is the business lead for the HIMSS Global Conference and oversees the marketing, sales, content and operations teams.   In March, the 2024 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition attracted 26,800 healthcare technology professionals and 971 exhibitors across 440,066 sq. ft. at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Elli has a B.S. from Ball State University where she majored in Communications with a minor in Public Relations and is currently seeking her masters degree. She grew up in northeast Indiana and now resides outside Nashville, TN with her husband, two children and two pups.  Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves on the executive committee for the Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few. Thank you to our sponsor!  What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI   

Lindsay Arell joined Trade Show Talk to share her experience as the CEO of Honeycomb Strategies, a consulting firm she launched in 2009 to provide innovative sustainable operational strategies for the hospitality, sports and events industry. Today some of her clients include: SoFi Stadium, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Informa, Emerald, Freeman and VISIT DENVER. In April 2024, she was also appointed chief sustainability officer of ASM Global, a venue management company that operates more than 350 convention centers, arenas, stadiums and theaters around the globe. We talked about her ambitious plans to execute a portfolio-wide framework for reaching sustainability goals like diverting more than 50% of waste overall and eliminating front-of-house single-use plastic by 2025. She shared insight on sustainability trends and challenges right now and what's meaningful when it comes to event and venue certification. Find out why she thinks sustainability has (finally) shifted from obligation to opportunity in 2024. Our guest Lindsay Arell has been pioneering sustainability efforts for the live event industry for two decades for professional sports teams, venues and events of all kinds. She began her career in the industry in 2003 as event manager at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. She also worked at Freeman before returning to the Colorado Convention Center as the country' s first Sustainability Manager for a convention center. Her first big event was the Democratic National Convention, in which the Denver mayor had the goal for the most “sustainable convention in history.”   After that success, she launched Honeycomb Strategies in  2009. Honeycomb Strategies is a consulting firm devoted to innovative and sustainable operation strategies for the hospitality, sports, and events industry. Going beyond the environment, the company approaches sustainability as an opportunity to engage and create community. Rather than a checklist, they work with partners to understand their goals, priorities, and impacts of today and for the future. Today some of her clients include: SoFi Stadium, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Informa, Emerald, Freeman, and VISIT DENVER. In 2022, Arell was tapped to led the development of the ASM Global Acts Sustainability Plan, an ambitious, portfolio-wide framework for reaching sustainability goals for the world's largest venue manager. In 2023, ASM rolled out its plan to convert its portfolio into the most sustainable venues on Earth. In April 2024, she  was appointed chief sustainability officer (CSO) for ASM Global. Arell is past Chair of the Event Industry Council Sustainability Committee. She is based in Crested Butte, Colo. Her LinkedIn profile is available here. Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves on the executive committee for the Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few. Thank you to our sponsor!  What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI 

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman joined Trade Show Talk to share his experience as the leading advocate for the $1.1 trillion U.S. travel and hospitality industry. In this role since September 2022, Freeman talked about recent lobbying wins, including the Congressional passage in March of $50 million in funding for the U.S. Department of State to reduce visitor visa interview wait times — welcome news for business events, with average wait times of 400 days for top markets like Mexico, Brazil, India and Columbia. We did a deep dive into the data from a Tourism Economics forecast that revealed international inbound travel and domestic business travel will continue to remain below pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Find out what he thinks it will take to bring back international travel to the U.S. and domestic business travel to pre-pandemic levels.    Want to know more about what U.S. Travel? Here are links to recent news: U.S. Travel Applauds Much-Needed Funding to Lower Visitor Visa Wait Times Stunning New Research Ranks United States Nearly Dead Last in Competition for Global Travelers Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel Hundreds of Travel Advocates from 50 States Call for Action on Capitol Hill Top legislative priorities at U.S. Travel's Destination Capitol Hill (fly-in): Lower visitor visa wait times, which average 400 days for top source markets Lower customs wait times, which can reach up to two hours at peak times at major U.S. airports Fully fund the office of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism for FY 2025 Advance the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill Seamless & Secure Travel Commission Field Visit to Las Vegas Spotlights TSA Innovations U.S. Travel on FAA Reauthorization Committee Passage: Get Compromise Bill to President's Desk NEW Forecast Predicts United States will Continue to Struggle for International Inbound, Domestic Business Travel Bio As president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, Geoff Freeman is the leading advocate for the $1.1 trillion U.S. travel and hospitality industry.  In this role, Freeman is charged with ensuring the industry's full recovery from COVID-19, positioning the industry to seize emerging opportunities in a post-pandemic market environment and further establishing travel as a vital economic force in the United States. Freeman is a seasoned association CEO with a proven track record of building successful organizations that unite member interests, grow member value, increase revenue and unlock growth opportunities. Prior to joining U.S. Travel, Freeman was president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association, the trade association for America's $2.1 trillion food, beverage and consumer products industry. During his tenure, Freeman launched a strategic campaign to transform the association into a powerful, modern advocacy organization aimed at driving growth and delivering sound regulatory and legislative outcomes that benefit industry leaders and consumers. During his tenure, Freeman grew membership by 35 percent and boosted total revenue by nearly 50 percent. Freeman joined the Consumer Brands Association after serving for five years as president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA). In that role, Freeman led a successful effort to reform and modernize the AGA, build public support for the gaming industry and open new pathways for industry growth. Under his leadership, the AGA spearheaded a multi-year, research-driven campaign to demonstrate gaming's broad support across the political spectrum and promote the industry's role in spurring economic growth, job creation and tax revenues in communities across more than 40 states where gaming is legal. That campaign created the tailwinds needed to advance AGA's signature initiative achieved under Freeman – the legalization of sports betting in the United States. While leading AGA, Freeman drove a 200 percent increase in membership and doubled association revenue. Freeman previously served as COO of the U.S. Travel Association from 2011 to 2013, helping to conceive and lead a campaign that resulted in the passage of the bipartisan Travel Promotion Act, which was hailed as “the industry's biggest legislative victory in a decade.” In the aftermath of 9/11, Freeman created a blue-ribbon panel headed by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to analyze how to improve travel security without compromising travel efficiency. This effort led directly to the creation of TSA PreCheck. Both the Travel Promotion Act and TSA PreCheck demonstrate Freeman's ability to identify industry opportunities, craft a winning policy response and drive campaigns that succeed in gaining broad support among diverse stakeholders. Freeman's previous experience includes roles at APCO Worldwide, America's Health Insurance Plans and Freddie Mac. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Freeman lives in Arlington, Va., with his wife and three children. His LinkedIn profile here. Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees editorial for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.   Thank you to our sponsor!  What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI  

You only need to be in ProAV for one trade show cycle to see that we've got a long way to go with acting on DEI: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The obvious gender disparity is only bested by the lack of people of color within the industry. AVIXA's SVP of exhibitions and event services, Rochelle Richardson, is representative of the future as she's both a woman and person of color. She's not only actively working in our market to support solutions but is also in the global trade show space. This work garnered her IAEE's (International Association of Exhibitions and Events) DEI Impact Award. Watch this to learn about the state of progress in AV and how you can help.

Hillary Smith joined Trade Show Talk to share her experience as a female entrepreneur in the event industry. In 2008, Hillary co-founded Koncept Events, a destination management company (DMC) that was named an INC 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America in both 2018 and 2019. After building a client base that included Fortune 500 & 100 companies like McKinsey & Company, Bank of America, Proctor & Gamble and Nike, she sold the business in 2019 to PRA, a DMC powerhouse that was itself acquired by PE-firm Eagletree Capital in March 2023. She talked about joining the PRA team for five years to establish a centralized function for strategy and creative within the organization's 250+ people across 29 destinations. In 2023, she struck off on her own again and founded Smith + Stone. Find out why she launched this new creative leadership and consulting business and how she's empowering organizations through innovative strategic design processes.  Our guest Hillary Smith, CMP, CSEP, has a passion and proven track record of leading and cultivating cultures of creative thinkers. She is an award-winning visionary who has mastered the Design Thinking Process, a method of creative problem solving used by megabrands like Starbucks, Amazon and Apple. Smith has more two decades of experience leading strategy in the meetings and events creative space. She is a true disruptor and change agent with the ability to follow through with tactical implementations. An entrepreneur at heart, Smith co-founded Koncept Events in 2008, a leading destination management company in North America. There, she designed events for many Fortune 500 & 100 companies including McKinsey & Company, Bank of America, Proctor & Gamble, and Nike. Koncept Events was named as one of the INC 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America in both 2018 and 2019.  Around that time, PRA acquired Koncept Events, and Smith was brought on to establish the centralized function of Strategy and Creative within the organization of more than 250 people spanning across 29 destinations. Smith is most proud of the team she assembled and the process, tools and overall methodology that ultimately facilitate a safe space for dreamers, thinkers and doers to make an impact in an industry craving rich human experiences. In 2023, Hillary founded Smith & Stone Creative Leadership and Consulting, empowering organizations through innovative strategic design processes. Recognized as a 'creative force,' she effortlessly embodies the audience, crafting custom experiential journeys. As an inspiring speaker and coach, she delivers creative engagements and workshops on journey mapping, persona and empathy mapping. About Smith + Stone ·  Smith has an insatiable hunger for new ideas, and she brings those ideas to life with the precision and exactness of a surgeon by always leading with the “why.” This ensures business strategy and objectives are intentionally and unexpectedly woven into the events she designs. With boundless curiosity and as a true ambassador of the creative process, Smith continues to innovate alongside her team and clients as the Founder of Smith & Stone Creative Leadership & Consulting. Follow the company page on LinkedIn or Instagram @smithandstonecreative Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees editorial for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.   Thank you to our sponsor!  What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI

Helen Sheppard joined Trade Show Talk to share her experience as Sustainability Director of RX, a public company that produces 400 events annually in 22 countries across 42 industry sectors. She's held the position since 2022, but she joined the parent company, RELX, in 2011. She talked about RX's Net Zero Roadmap, which was published on Feb. 29 and outlines how the company will reach net zero no later than 2040. Under her leadership, RX completed energy and waste reporting for 56 venues covering 141 events in 2023, and carbon footprints were completed for 10 events. Find out how she and the RX are implementing an accurate and consistent measurement and reporting system – which is no easy feat.   Our guest Helen Sheppard joined RX in January 2022 to lead sustainability globally with a focus on implementing the Net Zero Carbon Events commitments. In her current role, she leads an internal Global Sustainability Council. She has launched an RX Sustainability Playbook and more recently RX's Net Zero Pathway.   She is an experienced sustainability leader, having worked at RELX for 10 years prior to joining RX.  During her time with the RELX corporate responsibility team, she was responsible for human rights, engagement on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including the management of the RELX SDG Resource Centre, and advancing inclusion and diversity.  She launched a flagship women in technology mentoring programme to improve diversity in the growing technology workforce. She led RELX's modern slavery statement commitments including living wage assessments and conducted human rights due diligence for the business.  She is experienced in ESG (Environmental, Social Governance) indices and benchmarks and has increased transparency in corporate reporting. Sheppard is a fellow of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability and holds an MSC in Development Studies from Birkbeck, University of London. She is an active member of the Net Zero Carbon Events taskforce.  She lives in Hertfordshire with her two children, husband and two dogs.  Her LinkedIn bio can be found here.   About RX  The company produces 400 events in 22 countries across 42 industry sectors. Some of their most well-known brands include: the PGA Show for the golf industry in Orlando, the JCK Show for the jewelry industry and the National Hardware Show (NHS),  in Las Vegas, IBTM World 2023 for the meetings and events industry in Barcelona, and the ISC brand - which stand for the International Security Conferences & Exhibitions, held in the USA (Las Vegas and New York), Mexico and Brazil – to name a few.    On its web site, the company says: RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people.  RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.    RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 35,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges.   RX Sustainability achievements so far: • Energy and waste reporting: 56 venues covering 141 events in 2023; 36 venues covering 128 events in 2022. • Carbon footprints completed of 10 events. • Production material library developed.   RX goals in 2024: • Implement an accurate and consistent measurement and reporting system (carbon model) and align with RELX and RX reporting. • Improve and expand energy, waste and production data collection, prioritising events at top 30 venues. • Establish clear event-related scope 3 reporting boundaries and baseline; prepare to externally report event-related emissions and align with RELX.   Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees editorial for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.   Thank you to our sponsor!  What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI

Caitlyn Correia joined Trade Show Talk to share her experience as President of BlueHive Group, a private, family-owned corporation that serves as the parent company for BlueHive Exhibits, Continental Woodcraft, Trigon Creative and Lime I&D Services. She's held the position of president since 2021, but she got her start in the industry a number of years ago. She talked about growing up in the industry, as the third generation of a professional trade show family. Under her leadership, BlueHive is set to have its best year yet, serving 150 clients at 1,000 events across the globe in 2024. Last summer, the company expanded its operations by opening a facility in Las Vegas. As we prepare to head to the ExhibitorLIVE in Nashville, Correira gave us a sneak peek into BlueHive's presence at the trade show.  Our guest As the third generation of a professional trade show family, Caitlyn Correia has been in the industry all her life. Caitlyn was first exposed to the exhibit industry at age four when her father started bringing her to work at the family-owned business and continued to learn about and work in the family company during summer vacations as she grew.  After graduating from Endicott College with a BS in Sports Management and an MBA, Caitlyn recognized her passions for working with people and brands and for bringing conceptual ideas and design to life with tangible experiences and event settings, and officially joined the BlueHive Group in a professional manner.  During her years at BlueHive, Caitlyn has held a position in almost every department of the company; from the shop where exhibits and event structures are built, to accounting, account management and client services, and marketing. These roles submerged her in the day-to-day operations of the trade show world and the marketing industry, readying her for her current role as President of BlueHive Group and affiliate brand BlueHive Exhibits. As President, Caitlyn oversees the daily operations of the entire BlueHive Group organization and affiliate brands. Along with the CEO, it's her responsibility to ensure BlueHive Group is following its mission, policies, and procedures, keeping BlueHive relevant, competitive, corporately responsible and financially responsible, as well as supporting innovation and growth in BlueHive Group services and capabilities. Caitlyn is renowned for her keen attention to detail, flexibility to work with different aspects of the company and exceptional interpersonal skills. Her infectious smile is a mainstay of the Hive. Her LinkedIn bio can be found here.   Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees editorial for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.   Thank you to our sponsor!  What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI   

Mike Champion joined Trade Show Talk to share his experience as CEO of Tahaluf, a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and the Events Investment Fund (EIF). As head of Informa's Saudi operations and Tahaluf, he has grown revenue from $2 million per annum to projected more than $125 million in four years.  How? With two of the largest B2B events in history: Cityscape Global and LEAP. In November 2023, Cityscape Global debuted with 350 exhibitors, more than 10,000 international investors, an impressive lineup of more than 300 speakers and an astounding 160,000 visitors.  After launching LEAP in 2022, the second edition of the annual tech event, dubbed the Digital Davos by Wired, took place Feb. 6-9, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Over four days last year, LEAP hosted more than 172,000 visitors, 900 exhibitors, 700 speakers from 50 countries who spoke on 11 stages, 500 start-ups and 1,026 investors.  With LEAP and Deep Fest 2024 set for March 4-7 — about 4 weeks out — Champion told us registrations are tracking 3X higher than they were last year at this point, and he's excited about the fact that 53% of attendees are international. In December, Tahaluf announced plans to launch 20 new sectors-specific trade and consumer events in the Kingdom within 18 months. The expansion is estimated to generate more than $1 billion in economic impact in Riyadh through exhibitor and delegate spending on travel and hospitality.  Find out how he is recruiting and ramping the team at Tahaluf to support the Kingdom's Vision 2030 objective to become a truly diverse economy in six years, creating high-value employment opportunities for Saudi citizens.  Champion shares the company's ambitious plans to leverage Informa's global expertise to create a world-class events sector in the Kingdom to advance economic diversification, provide access to new markets for international businesses, attract foreign investment and support the modernization of business activity in Saudi Arabia.   Our guest Mike Champion is CEO of Tahaluf, a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and the Events Investment Fund (EIF). Champion is Co-Creator of LEAP and @HACK (Now Black Hat MEA) — two of the most exciting and large-scale tech events in the Middle East, with extensive experience in commercial conferences and large scale exhibitions. As head of Informa's Saudi operations and Tahaluf, he has grown revenue from $2 million per annum to projected more than $125 million in four years. And the team has won multiple awards, including:

Becoming a lifelong learner is all about leveraging your growth mindset versus fix mindset. In this episode, we talk about the differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, and also unpack five tips that helped Naomi to be an effective, lifelong learner and shared those tips with you.The tips that we talk about on this particular episode are:Have a growth mindsetHave a mentor, be a mentorRead 3 books a yearBe actively involved in an industry organizationObtain a meeting industry designation or certification, complete a course or be a speaker.After listening to this episode, you will have more of a idea for how you can leverage your current position for becoming a lifelong learner, and perhaps gain some more goals that you can make for yourself as you go into the new year.Thank you so much for listening, please stay on purpose. To learn more about Planners on Purpose, please visit the website at www.plannersonpurpose.com.Support the show

After 11 years with the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), Marsha Flanagan was promoted to president and CEO in November, and she officially took the helm on Dec. 1, during the move-in of the association's largest event of the year.  In this episode of Trade Show Talk, Flanagan shared her experience as a 25+ year association professional. She and Podcast Host Danica Tormohlen talked about the recent IAEE Expo! Expo! Annual Meeting & Exhibition, dubbed The Show for Shows. Held Dec. 5-7 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center Dallas, Expo!Expo! 2023 grew year over year, attracting 1,900+ industry professionals (pending verified audit), compared with 1,476 in 2022, and 241 exhibitors in 35,500 net square feet, compared with 233 exhibitors in nearly 31,000 net square feet in 2022.  In her first podcast as IAEE president and CEO, Flanagan told us the IAEE team beat all the event's goals set by its board of directors. While the numbers are still being crunched, Expo!Expo! 2023 might be one of the association's largest trade shows in terms of revenue on record, she revealed. We also talked about: Her decision to apply for the position and the support from her family How she ended up in the event industry after deciding law school wasn't the right career path for her What it means to her to be the first woman to lead the 95-year-old association whose members are 65%+ female How and why the association deployed new event tech, like Zenus, to improve the attendee experience with data-driven metrics What's first on her agenda as she begins her new role: Filling her previous position, succession planning and restructuring Reflections on achievements in 2023 and challenges as the industry gets set to begin 2024 What she learned from her predecessor, David DuBois, and how she plans to create a culture of belonging, passion and purpose Our guest As IAEE's president, Flanagan is responsible for the management of IAEE's full-time professional staff, producing the annual business operating plan and budget, overseeing the support of all meetings of governance units, leading business development, directing fundraising efforts, advocating for the industry and the organization's members, providing organizational leadership and strategic counsel to the board. Also, she serves as the association's representative with industry coalitions, partner organizations and strategic alliances. Prior to joining IAEE, Flanagan was the Director of Content Strategy and Development at the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), where she was responsible for steering strategy and the development and delivery of all PPAI professional development and editorial offerings. Flanagan spent 6 years in the medical industry serving in various roles overseeing operations, purchasing, revenue cycle management, marketing and business development. Flanagan began her career with Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and spent 12 years in various roles including Executive Vice President of Professional Development where she oversaw operations, including all strategic partnerships, the design and delivery of all professional development offerings and meetings management. She was named one of the 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry by Successful Meetings in 2017 and named to BizBash's Inaugural Top 500 in the Events Industry in 2018 and 2019. In 2021, she was listed in Meetings Today as a 2021 Trendsetter. In 2021, she obtained her GBAC Trained Technician Certificate of Completion from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA. Flanagan received her bachelor's degree from Texas Christian University and her master's in education from the University of Arkansas specializing in Meeting, Tourism and Recreation Management. She obtained her Certified in Exhibition Management designation in 2021. Flanagan is a 5th generation Texan, loves sports and the outdoors and spending time with family.  

Ep. 44 – RX Group Vice President Sarin Bachmann: Taking Luxe to the Next Level RX Group VP Sarin Bachmann shares her experience as a member of senior leadership team at RX, a public company that produces more than 400 events covering 43 sectors in 22 countries. She shines a light on the RX jewelry portfolio that she oversees — one of the few at RX that includes several events like JCK, Luxury and JIS, as well as digital and print media products for the JCK brand — JCKonline.com and JCK Magazine. We talked about: Her recent appearance as a speaker on the stage at the recent UFI Global Congress in Las Vegas where she talked about risk management and her experience with events during hurricane season in Miami, home of JIS How her team was able to achieve an impressive 24% increase in attendance at the JIS Fall Show in October in Miami Beach: Marketing the destination and capitalizing on the bleisure trend Bringing back in person: How she led the team that produced the first show for RX US in March 2021 in the jewelry sector that soared during Covid What's hot in digital in her portfolio: Everything, but especially the launch of a holiday gift guide The theme for the 2024 JCK show at the Venetian in Las Vegas: Love … she revealed What she's looking forward to in 2024: Adding a sustainability summit at JCK, which is on pace to sell out again  Giving back to the industry through the JCK Industry Fund, which has awarded more than $300,000 in grants this year  Our Guest Sarin Block Bachmann, Group Vice President of RX, is a member of RX's Senior Leadership Team and oversees RX's jewelry portfolio including JCK, Luxury, and JIS events along with the digital and print elements of the JCK brand—JCKonline.com and JCK Magazine.  One of RX's largest and most important events globally, JCK has thrived under Bachmann's leadership. Bachmann directly manages JCK while overseeing Event Leaders on both Luxury and JIS and has steered JCK to become an industry leading, award-winning event in the trade show industry, and the most important jewelry buying and educational event globally for the jewelry industry. Luxury, the curated, invitation-only event taking place alongside JCK has also been reimagined under Bachmann's portfolio as the event for the luxury jewelry community.  JCK and Luxury bring over 30,000 industry professionals together, including 18,000+ vetted attendees from over 100 countries and 2,000 exhibitors, ranging from designers, manufacturers, and gemstone wholesalers to packaging companies and technology service providers. The show covers 1.2 million square feet of exhibition space at the iconic Venetian Expo and The Venetian Las Vegas.  Under her leadership in event strategy, planning, execution, sales, attendance, acquisition, marketing, public relations, operations and special events, Bachmann has achieved all-time high ratings for both exhibitor and attendee satisfaction, loyalty and net promotion for both JCK and Luxury, increasing scores between 15 to 20% and over 30 points in NPS overall.  Furthermore, under her strategic and creative direction, JCK has led the way in becoming a top experiential event that attendees not only consider necessary for their business but also eagerly anticipate attending. In the digital realm, Bachmann led the team in bringing JCK to the industry virtually in 2020, with the JCK Virtual show being a pioneer in launching digital offers in light of the pandemic limiting face-to-face events. In March of 2021, Bachmann led the team to bring back the first show for RX US, JIS, and continued to forge the team ahead in bringing back in-person JCK and Luxury events in August as some of the first large scale trade shows returning to face-to-face, all to great success.  New to Bachmann's achievements are leading the JCK team in exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 show levels before most shows, in both sales revenue, attendance, and much higher NPS and customer satisfaction scores, with the 2022 edition marking a milestone year in the event's history and winning Trade Show Executives Gold 100 “Greatest Trade Show” of the year award. This was then followed up under Bachmann's leadership with the 2023 edition continuing to grow to a sold out show floor and increasing attendance once again. As a member of RX's senior leadership team, Bachmann plays a critical role in shaping event leaders across RX US, leading bi-monthly Event Leader meetings where key issues are discussed and best practices are shared across the division leaders.  Bachmann also leads the way with activations and experiences, playing a crucial part of JCK and serving as a model for other B2B events, along with increasing the focus on DE&I in all the industries she serves forging partnerships with key members of diverse groups including the Black in Jewelry Coalition and leading by example at her shows and RX.  Bachmann utilizes her experience in change management by serving as the Executive Sponsor and liaison for the show teams with the digital team during RX's roll out of a new registration system across RX US. Bachmann currently serves on the executive boards of the American Gem Society, Jewelers' Security Alliance, 24 Karat Club of New York, Women's Jewelry Association and UFI Global Congress Advisory, as well as on the GEM Awards committee and chair of the JCK Industry Fund committee.  Ms. Bachmann holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Albany and the prestigious honor of having been invited to participate in the GE Management Development Course. She was also one of a select few to be chosen for the Reed Elsevier Business University.  Her career trajectory began in consulting as a Process Design Consultant with Andersen Consulting (Accenture). She expanded into communications as a Six Sigma certified Master Black Belt for General Electric at NBC and later became the Director of E-Business for NBC's Broadcast and Network Operations Division.  Now serving close to two decades in show management, Bachmann is a well-rounded and well-known professional, highly regarded throughout the jewelry and trade show industries. When she is not achieving record breaking results in the industry, Bachmann is spending time with her husband, visiting her two sons in college, taking a workout class, or relaxing on a beautiful beach. Awards & Accolades for JCK and Luxury under Bachmann's Leadership (Present – 2019): Trade Show Executive – 2023 Gold 100 Grand Award “The Greatest Trade Show” of 2022  RX GLOBAL – Building Business Awards: 2022 Show of the Year  RX USA – Team of the Year Award 2022 Trade Show Executive – 2022 Fastest 50 in all three categories for JCK – Attendance, Exhibitors, Square Feet, and all three shows JCK, Luxury & JIS receiving Fastest 50 Awards AEO Excellence Awards (UK) Short List Finalist for 2022 Best International Show – Americas  Trade Show Executive – 2022 Gold 100 Grand Award “The Show Must Go On” for 2021 event Tradeshow News Network (TSNN) 2022 Comeback Award, Outstanding Attendance for 2021 event Trade Show Executive – Grand Award Gold 100 “Return to Normal” for 2020 event Tradeshow News Network (TSNN) Best of Technology Award for JCK Match program 2019 Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen  An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content for Tarsus Group, which was recently acquired by Informa for $940 million. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few. Thank you to our sponsor!  Zenus What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI  

In an exclusive interview, we had the opportunity to talk with UFI President Michael Duck, who serves as executive vice president, commercial development of Informa Markets, and UFI CEO Kai Hattendorf, to get the inside scoop on the breaking news that UFI kicked off its first Global Congress in U.S. with the launch of a North America Regional Chapter.  We talked about: Why the regional chapter was formed in North America and why now What UFI regional chapters do and how they support members Who will lead the North America Chapter (volunteer and staffing) What benefits members will receive from the chapter Why is UFI different from the U.S. based associations When and where the chapter will meet next On Nov. 1, UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, kicked off its 90th UFI Global Congress in Las Vegas — the first time for the global gathering to meet in the U.S. — with a member vote during its annual General Assembly to approve the launch of a North America chapter.  Exhibition Place Toronto General Manager Laura Purdy will chair the new chapter together with vice chairs Kim Carcone, executive vice president, global market events for the Toy Association, and Pepe Navarro, director general for Tarsus/Informa. UFI will work with MAD Event Management, a trade show management company led by President Martha Donato and CEO Marty Glynn, to manage the activities for the new North America chapter.  Back story As an integrated part of the industry association ecosystem, UFI has long been active across North America. More than 65 national and international exhibition end events industry associations — including the Society of Independent Show Organizers and the Exhibition Services and Contractors Association in the U.S., AMPROFEC and AMEREF in Mexico and Canadian Association of Exposition Management in Canada — are UFI members.  “UFI is a trailblazer for collaboration among industry associations – and has been for more than 20 years, with great success around the world,” Hattendorf said.  “Having seen multi-year stable growth in membership from across North America, UFI opens a North America chapter to ensure these members are well represented in the organization,” said Duck, who helped UFI open its first regional chapter more than 20 years ago. At the time, that regional chapter covered Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa.  As of today, UFI will have five regional chapters, including North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Latin America. At least 5% of its global membership is based in each of these regions, Hattendorf said. “We have seen our membership numbers rise constantly across North America,” Duck said. “North America represents a vital and growing share of UFI membership, with 7% of UFI's 830 member companies based in the region and more than 25% of UFI members with active business in the region.” Major trade show companies, like Informa, RX and Clarion, are part of the European chapter, as their headquarters are located in Europe. “Through the chapter, we make sure that the voices and needs of UFI members from Canada, U.S. and Mexico are well represented in UFI's governing bodies, including the Executive Committee and the Board, as well as through the Chapter leadership,” Duck said. Hattendorf added, “We can also serve our members and the industry in the region better through the chapter structure and its corresponding regional office.” Podcast host Danica Tormohlen also shared the top five new stories from Trade Show News Network, Exhibit News Now and Corporate Event News as November begins. Our guests   UFI President Michael Duck is Executive Vice President – Commercial Development of Informa Markets and Informa Plc.  He joined the business in 1994 in Hong Kong and has worked in various leadership roles, focused on building up the company's presence in the Asia region, especially in China and India, and expanding events into the Middle East and Africa.  He founded and chaired the regional chapter Asia, Middle East and Africa, as well as the Sustainability chapter for UFI. At Informa, he is working across the global markets business, which spans 30+ international markets, acting as a main point of contact for building relationships and a pipeline of growth activity particularly in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and beyond, through M&A and the internationalization of products and brands. He also supports the wider Informa Group divisions, with commercial activity in Asia. Michael has volunteered with UFI for 20 years, and he has also been an Executive Committee member of the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Industry Association (HKECIA) for over twenty-five years and was Chairman from 1998-2000.  Connect with him on LinkedIn here.   Kai Hattendorf is Managing Director / CEO of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. He is responsible for UFI activities and events globally, as well as the operation of its Paris headquarters and the offices and presences in Bogota, Brussels, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. From 2019 to 2021, Kai served as Honorary President of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), a global Council of international and global associations serving the Business Events Industry, where he remains on the Board. Prior to his current role, Kai worked in the exhibition industry for numerous years in senior management positions at Messe Frankfurt's global headquarters, focusing on transformational issues ranging from digitisation to marketing and communications. Kai's work in the events industry has been recognized through various awards and recognitions around the world. Most recently he was named “Business Events Strategist of the Year” by PCMA. His previous career also includes leadership positions in marketing/strategic communications as well as in strategy and product development in the ITC and Media Industry for the Deutsche Telekom Group, the dpa Group (the German Press Agency), and a fintech start-up. A journalist by education, Kai has internationally reported and worked for the WDR and Radio Bremen broadcasters in Germany, at Euronews in France, the BBC in the UK, and the Voice of America. He holds a Master's degree from the American University, Washington, DC. He also studied in Dortmund and Edinburgh.  Connect with him on LinkedIn here. Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content forTarsus Group, which was recently acquired by Informa for $940 million. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few. Thank you to our sponsor! Zenus What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI 

In this episode, we had a conversation with John Rozum about his experience producing the record-breaking The Utility Expo, fueled by federal funding from historic and transformative legislation passed in 2021. In fact, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is expected to increase federal spending on infrastructure by about $550 billion over the next decade, nearly all through grants to state and local governments, which own much of the nation's infrastructure. The biennial trade show returned to Louisville, Ky., with more than 21,000 utility construction professionals from all 50 states and 60 countries. The trade show, held Sept. 26-28 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, featured more than 900 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and solutions for the utility construction industry. Exhibits covered a record 1.5 million net square feet, and the event featured equipment test drives and interactive product demonstrations.  The Utility Expo is owned by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, a North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide.  The equipment manufacturing industry in the United States supports 2.3 million jobs and contributes roughly $316 billion to the economy every year. In addition to The Utility Expo, AEM also owns and produces CONEXPO-CON/AGG, The International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE), and the Commodity Classic. We talked about: How The Utility Expo increased attendance by 30% over its last show in 2021 and by 10% over its previous attendance record in 2019  How the biennial show grew from 1.3 to 1.5 million square feet of exhibit space The new community zone that debuted in 2023 Why the show has made its home in Louisville since 1987 What's trending in utility equipment: Sustainable equipment and accessories The state of the utility industry: Strong due to infrastructure investments, which are expected to increase in coming years And so much more! Podcast host Danica Tormohlen also shared the top five new stories from Trade Show News Network, Exhibit News Now and Corporate Event News that were published in mid September 2023. Our guest John Rozum, Senior Director, Ag & Utility Exhibitions and Events for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), is a self-described “event nerd” with more than two decades of experience leading some of the largest trade shows in the United States. He plays a critical role in the planning and execution of industry-leading trade shows such as The Utility Expo, CONEXPO-CON/AGG and The International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE), as well as the Commodity Classic. Rozum is currently serving as chairperson of the Major American Trade Show Organizers (MATSO) and president of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA). Rozum joined AEM in 2013 as the organization's attendee acquisition manager, and he currently serves as Show Director for The Utility Expo and IFPE. Prior to joining AEM, he worked in several sales and event management consulting roles, including more than a decade spent leading the trade show for the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. john earned a Bachelor of Science in both Ag Journalism and Poultry Science from the University of Wisconsin. Connect with him on LinkedIn here. Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content forTarsus Group, which was recently acquired by Informa for $940 million. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.   Thank you to our sponsor! Zenus What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI 

Ep. 40 – Leading the Pack: A Conversation with Jim Pittas, President & CEO, PMMI In this episode, we had a conversation with Jim Pittas about his experience leading PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, an organization representing more than 1,000 manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, components and materials for the $10.2 billion packaging machinery industry in the U.S. After joining the exposition team in 2000, Pittas rose through the ranks at PMMI and has led the group as its President and CEO since 2018. We talked about how PMMI connects consumer goods companies with manufacturing solutions through its PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows, including PACK EXPO International, PACK EXPO Las Vegas, PACK EXPO East, PACK EXPO Southeast, EXPO PACK México and EXPO PACK Guadalajara After producing the largest PACK EXPO Las Vegas in history in September, Pittas shared insight on the event's record-breaking turnout with nearly 32,000 attendees and more than 2,300 exhibitors spread across a sprawling 1 million net square feet of exhibit space. We talked about: The story behind the growth PACK EXPO Las Vegas: the number of exhibiting companies grew but space grew even faster   Find out why PMMI is considering adding a fourth day to PACK EXPO Las Vegas in 2027 The scoop on data that led to the launch of PACK EXPO Southeast, a regional trade show that will debut in Atlanta in 2025  The hottest topics in the packaging and processing industry right now: talent, automation and sustainability Best practices on taking the unusual step of forming PACK EXPO Services in 2004 to serve as the general contractor for its domestic PACK EXPO portfolio Lessons learned from launching a vertical show and then retiring it  The state of the packaging and processing industry: Despite a slowdown from record highs for the industry during the pandemic, the industry grew year over year and isn't seeing signs of a recession. And so much more! Podcast host Danica Tormohlen also shared the top five new stories from Trade Show News Network, Exhibit News Now and Corporate Event News that were published in mid September 2023.   Our guest Jim Pittas was hired at PMMI in 2000 as Director of Expositions and was responsible for the operations and management of PMMI's No. 1 asset – the PACK EXPO Shows. Due to his proven track record of success in increasing revenues, project management skills, and increasing member engagement in the association, Pittas was promoted to vice president in 2003.     During his tenure as VP, he grew the established PACK EXPO shows, but also successfully launched two additional shows and assumed the responsibility for the management of the Mexico City show (EXPO PACK México). In addition, Pittas was instrumental in PMMI establishing a tradeshow general contracting company called PACK EXPO Services (PES) in 2004, which is used for all domestic PACK EXPO shows.    In October of 2014, Mr. Pittas assumed the role of Senior Vice President and in addition to his responsibility for the Show Department, he was part of PMMI's senior management team and responsible for the execution of PMMI's strategic plan and served as Staff Liaison to the PMMI Board of Directors.   In April of 2017, Mr. Pittas was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and on February 1, 2018 assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer for PMMI.  Mr. Pittas also serves on the PMMI Executive Committee and the Board of PMMI's Education Foundation which distributes an average of over $200,000 each year in education scholarships.     Mr. Pittas graduated from Roosevelt University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology/Sociology.   He has been active in several Professional Organizations including serving on the Board of Directors for The Major American Trade Show Organization (MATSO), an active member of IAEE, NAM's Council of Manufacturing Associations, Chicago Customer Advisory Board and the Chicago Labor Council. Mr. Pittas has completed the TriMetrix Executive Coaching Program (2011/2012) and completed a Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organizational Management (IOM) course at Villanova University (2014).   PMMI is the leading international trade association representing over 1,000 packaging and processing solutions providers including machinery, components, materials and containers companies.  With offices in Herndon, Virginia, Chicago, Illinois and Mexico City, the organization's primary programs and services bring buyers and sellers together utilizing multiple sales channels including tradeshows, online communications, magazines, digital products and online directories.  In addition, the organization supports its members through a comprehensive statistics and surveys program and extensive networking opportunities.  PMMI also provides Association Management Services to Seven outside associations, including The Contract Packaging Association (CPA), the Cold Pressure Council (CPC) and Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP).  Get his full bio and connect with him on LinkedIn here. Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Content forTarsus Group, which was recently acquired by Informa for $940 million. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, Corporate Event News and Exhibit News Now. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event and exhibition industries. Tormohlen currently serves as a board member for Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.   Thank you to our sponsor! Zenus What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI 

In this episode, we had a conversation with Julie Kagy, director of operations for the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) and Bill McGlade, president of epIQ Creative Group, about their experience in working together as partners on marketing. They shared advice and lessons learned after partnering now for more than one year.  Kagy shared insight on what it was like to put together an RFP, evaluate vendors, hone in on the scope of the association's needs, get buy-in on budgeting and execute the strategy with an outside partner. McGlade talked about developing the strategy, prioritizing the client's needs, rebranding an ESCA product, establishing benchmarks, sharing thought leadership, driving engagement and marketing business-to-person. The results: Attendance at ESCA's Summer Education Conference 2023 was up 13%, and social interactions increased 344% year over year. Here are a few marketing samples: Podcast host Danica Tormohlen also shared the top five new stories from Trade Show News Network, Exhibit News Now and Corporate Event News that were published in the first half of August 2023. Our guests ESCA's Julie Kagy After graduating from Purdue University Northwest, Kagy started her career at the Ritz-Carlton Four Seasons Chicago. The hotel was awarded Top North American Hotel by Conde Nast Traveler four times during her tenure. Taking these customer service skills, she began her career in the tradeshow industry with GES. During her 12-year tenure with GES, she held various roles, such as Exhibitor Services Manager, Director of Account Management and Vice President of National Account Management.  She has been Director of Operations with the Exhibition Services and Contractors Association (ESCA) since 2015. It's a role she truly loves as she gets to work on a vast scale with key industry leaders, working to shape the future of the trade show industry.  epIQ Creative Group's Bill McGlade McGlade is the co-owner and President of both epiQ Creative Group and Community Leaders Institute. He has spent 17 years embracing the ever-changing world of nonprofits, associations, events, community, marketing and sales. With a proven track record of successfully selling three companies and acquiring two more, he has a knack for transforming a lean team with a limited budget into a powerhouse that scales 5 to 10 times. McGlade received the  2017 IAEE Young Professional of the Year award. He's been a speaker and presenter at a number of events and conferences, including IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America, IAEE, ASAE, PCMA, AMPS and more. Thank you to our sponsor! Zenus What if you could prove your event is working with hard facts and learn how to make it even better? With Zenus's Ethical Vision AI, you can protect your budget and have detailed reporting. Learn how that's all possible at Zenus.AI   

I attended IAEE's Expo! Expo! 2022 conference held in Louisville, KY and was able to get some of the EventProfs there to share some Tips and Predictions for exhibiting in 2023!Featured in this episode:Jennifer Millett of ARMA InternationalJohn D'Adamo of VenuIQRoss Sudentas of ExpoFPAndrew Asaro of SessionBoardVinnu Deshetty of eva Event Tech PlatformJeanne Brei of National Trade Show AllianceMentioned in this episode:Trade Show University Episode GuideMany have asked, "Is there an easier way to find the episodes and topics I need?" Now there is!!! Happy to launch our Episode Guide! It's like your curriculum for Event Success and ROI! Every episode easily searchable and sorted into 19 Categories like Marketing, Staffing, Technology, Tips & Tools, and if you're new, check out Trade show basics! Visit tradeshowu.biz/episodes 19 Categories include: -- Trade Show Basics -- Advocacy -- Branding -- Displays -- Expert Interviews -- Fitness & Nutrition -- Goals -- Marketing -- Mindset & Motivation -- Networking & Engagement -- Promo Items -- Social Media & Web -- Speaking & Presenting -- Sponsoring -- Staffing -- Strategy -- Tips & Tools -- Training -- Virtual & Hybrid Events -- Various (topics that are more unique)

With this episode, we kick-off season two of Trade Show Talk! We speak with two industry leaders on this one about the state of the exhibitions industry -- we talk about where we have been and we look at where we're headed. "We just got the third quarter results. And what we have found is that about 14% of those shows that were held in the first - third quarters of this year (2022) have surpassed their pre-pandemic levels." -Cathy Breden The industry is recovering, but we do have a way to go. IAEE and CEIR are two industry-leading associations, so who better to hear from than their leadership? Our guests Cathy Breden - CEO of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) Breden provides strategic direction and manages the day-to-day activities and business operations of CEIR. CEIR conducts primary, exhibition-related research studies to help exhibition stakeholders with evolving norms, shifting marketing trends, and other issues that can have an impact on the channel itself or how to use it effectively in light of trends. Reports include digital/technology, attendee/exhibitor engagement, attendee acquisition and retention, generational workforce shifts, economic performance and impact, and exhibitor studies evaluating motivations for use of the exhibition marketing channel. She has been working with CEIR since 2006. Cathy also serves in the capacity of Executive Vice President/COO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE), a trade association representing the exhibitions and events industry. She began her association management career in 1984. She is the 2022 Chairperson of the Events Industry Council Board of Directors. She earned the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 1990, the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1995, the Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) designation in 2019 and was recognized as a CMP Fellow in 2022. David DuBois - President and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE) As IAEE's president, DuBois is responsible for the management of 25 full-time professional staff, producing the annual business operating plan and budget, overseeing the support of all meetings of governance units, leading business development, directing fundraising efforts, advocating for the industry and the organization's members, and providing organizational leadership and strategic counsel to the board. Also, he serves as the association's representative with industry coalitions, partner organizations and strategic alliances. In 2019, DuBois was inducted into the Events Industry Council's "Hall of Leaders," one of the industry's most prestigious honors. His storied career started with Sheraton Corporation in various sales positions including Regional Director of Sales and the Director of Marketing Programs, and has included senior leadership positions for other industry organizations, PCMA and MPI, and the Fort Worth CVB. Of course, he has also served on many boards of directors including ASAE, Dallas-Fort Worth Tourism Council, EIC, and Destinations International. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Meetings Mean Business Coalition and the U.S. Travel Association. ~*~*~ The "Trade Show Talk" podcast is publishing two episodes per month, focusing on a different theme each month. If you'd like to be a sponsor or a guest or you have a topic to suggest we cover, please let us know by emailing podcast@tsnn.com. And we'd love it if you'd share, rate, and review episode 23 and the show also!

Industry veteran Dennis Smith discusses his new ventures as incoming Chair of IAEE and Vice President of Business Development at AAHOA, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, and what plans he has in leading both in the upcoming year. 

Richie brings on Russ Callahan to share his expertise in developing, hiring, and retaining people. They discuss keeping an organization as flat as possible, making connections that last the rest of your life, and training your team to their potential. Russ has been active in Live Events and Expositions for 20 years. Before the Expositions and Events world got into his blood, he owned his own sound and light company while working in marketing and promotions. This unique combination of experience has formulated how he looks at his role in the world of Live Events. He is always looking for a way to excite the attendee and streamline the process to make all stakeholders successful. Russ deeply believes that whether it is a large meeting in an arena or a 10 x 10 tradeshow booth, all shows deserve a complete approach that makes Raving Fans of everyone participating. Russ was named to The BizBash 500: 2021's Most Influential Event Professionals. Russ received his CEM from IAEE in 2013. He is on the Board of Directors for the Southwest Chapter of IAEE and the Live Event Coalition. Russ is Currently, Vice President of Sales and Operations for Quest Events. Learn more about having Richie speak at your next event or how he can implement the Next Play™ Accountability System in your organization: https://www.relentlessrichie.com Learn more about the Relentless Warrior Fitness accountability and coaching program: https://relentlesswarriorfit.com Free Access to Relentless University: RelentlessUniversity.com Download the Relentless University app free: http://onelink.to/6cjar9 Follow Richie on Social: IG: @RelentlessRichie Facebook: @RelentlessRichie

Today, we are happy to be speaking to an icon in our industry who is also an amazing leader! Carrie Ferenac has been a co-owner of CNTV (Convention News Television) for fifteen years and is currently the chairwoman of the board of directors of IAEE.   In this episode, Carrie tells her story and talks about her business. She shares her business experience and insights, offers advice for business owners, and talks about transparency, virtual learning, the importance of connecting, showing up, volunteering, and what needs to be done to build a company culture in our current environment.  We hope you enjoy our interesting and insightful conversation with Carrie Ferenac today! Bio: Carrie and her business partner, Marcelo Zolessi, co-founded Convention News Television (CNTV) in 2007 after seeing a need for digital content and live production in the exhibitions and events industry. Now, the company produces live and remote content for more than seventy clients annually. The video stories bring events to life and offer associations and for-profit show organizers a new stream of revenue through sponsorships. CNTV also partners with IAEE, PCMA, TSNN, and Tradeshow Executive to produce video content and live coverage of industry events throughout the year.  Carrie has an extensive background in broadcast journalism and management. She spent eleven years at the NBC affiliate in Orlando (WESH-TV). Now, Carrie is entrenched in the meetings industry. She is the current chair of the IAEE Board of Directors, and Immediate Past Chair of the CEIR Board. She was a finalist for PCMA's Supplier of the year in 2017 and 2019. She volunteers her time and energy to projects that forward the industry, including Exhibitions Day and the Exhibitions Mean Business campaign. Carrie's story After graduating from the University of Florida, Carrie became a hard-core journalist and worked in TV news for more than a decade. Most of her professional career was spent at the NBC affiliate in Orlando. She then ventured out on her own and started CNTV with her business partner in 2007 CNTV  CNTV produces video content, live-streaming, and virtual events in the meetings and events industry. It is mostly for trade shows, conventions, and conferences.  Evolving Over the last year-and-a-half, CNTV pivoted, evolved, and changed. Now they are evolving into doing hybrid events. Transparency Transparency has always been important at CNTV. With the onset of Covid, they spoke to their employees every day when the news was coming out, gave them updates on what was happening with all the shows, and kept everyone informed of the latest numbers. They also communicated directly with all their employees about their lay-offs and furlough. Maintaining that level of transparency helped them get through the crisis and the tough times. Daily check-ins They still have daily ten or fifteen-minute check-ins with their staff to keep the communication lines open and answer questions. CNTV Day Every year, they have CNTV Day and spend an entire day taking every staff member on a full-day retreat where they plan for the future, answer questions about anything, do hands-on training, and even share some of their finances. It is done to keep the whole team as on board as possible and teach everyone about the business. Starting a business  Starting a business is not easy because you need the stomach for it, and you have to be ready to evolve. Carrie and her business partner recruited a convention expert to consult with them about the industry.  Ask for help It is always worth asking! Ask for help, and remember those who helped you along the way.  Taking classes Carrie took every class she could learn something from because she had to learn how to be a business owner.  Virtual trade show Carrie does not think that the virtual trade show worked. She believes that trade shows should be in-person. Virtual learning  Carrie believes that virtual learning and education are good and here to stay. A live studio Adding a live studio is a way to get thought leaders on camera to create content and assist with virtual content for virtual events. Hiring producers When it comes to event marketing and creating unique experiences, hiring a producer is a good idea. Producers can help tell a compelling story, convert it to great content, summarize an event, and post it online.  Connections Connecting is vital because people tend to remember the relationships and connections they make at events. Showing up and volunteering It is important to put yourself out there and get involved if you want to start a business. Showing up and volunteering is a great way to make connections and get involved. CIER research The CIER research predicts that we will be back to pre-pandemic numbers by the start of 2024. 2022 and beyond Although Carrie is optimistic about the future, she believes that the rest of 2022 will still be hard. We are also seeing some changes this year that we will have to get used to in the future.  A changing workforce The different and creative ways people are making money right now are changing the traditional workforce. Carrie feels that we need to be open to that and adapt to it. Building a company culture in today's environment To build a company culture in the current environment, we need to listen more carefully to what employees want. (Most people want fair pay, flexibility, and direction.) Employees also need to conform to the company's values.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website   Connect with Carrie Ferenac On CNTV website

On 15 December 2021 at 6th AIEE Energy Symposium, the FSR Director, Jean-Michel Glachant gave a presentation from the title “Towards flexible energy systems on the demand side: Markets & Regulation”. Professor Glachant has been elected President-elect 2022 of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE) to start from January 2022. To learn more about IAEE: https://www.iaee.org/

IAEE's President and CEO David DuBois talks to Mike about the upcoming Expo Expo in Philly in a couple of weeks, Don and Mike chat about Access for EDPA, Expo Expo and the ESCA Winter Awards ceremonies, the new COVID variant, Thanksgiving news and more! TheDonAndMikeShow.net and ExhibitCityNews.com

We are thrilled to finally have the opportunity to talk to Meg Fasy from eventsGIG! Meg is a star in our industry! She is a long-time member of the industry and has a vast amount of experience. Meg is joining us today to talk about the freelance economy, the changes happening in our industry, and opportunities for the future. We hope you will enjoy listening to Meg's inspiring story today! Meg Fasy's bio: Meg Fasy's career spans several markets, including hotel, CVB, industry associations, event technology, and strategic partnerships, where she has been a successful sales/marketing leader. She has worked for, and with, some of the biggest brands you know.  This idea for eventsGIG came about as Meg was trying to find a way to help the Events Industry recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic. With so many of her peers out of work and many organizations struggling to figure out how they rebuild their service levels, she wanted to create an opportunity for each to connect. To further that end, it was important to Meg that a portion of our proceeds benefit Meetings Industry Fund to help our industry recover fully and thrive. Meg is well known for motivating sales and marketing teams, driving strategy, and connecting people. Meg is an energetic leader who has been a featured speaker at most major event industry conferences including CEMA, PCMA, MPI, IAEE, Cvent Connect. When not focused on making great connections, you will often find Meg on the water, training for her next dragon boat race. Meg's story Meg has been in the events industry for twenty-five years. Like most others, she fell into the industry. While at college, Meg took a job in catering at the Grand Hyatt and fell in love with the hotel business. She stayed with Hyatt for almost a decade. She eventually reached a point where she wanted weekends and holidays, so she left catering and got into sales.  The bigger picture With all her jobs in the hotel business, Meg was interested in the bigger picture. She always wanted to know why the meetings were happening. Meg's experience Meg worked in hotels, the Convention Visitor's Bureau, and for event technology companies before deciding to start a business of her own.  FazeFWD Meg has been running the sponsorship management company, FazeFWD for the last six years. She works with organizations to create and sell their sponsorship packages. Growth and experience Throughout her career in the industry, Meg has always known which direction to take. It has always been about growth and gaining experience. Emotional rollercoaster Most entrepreneurs do not realize the emotional rollercoaster ride they will go through when they start their first company. Meg Fasy on why mentorship is a must Meg believes strongly in having mentors. Throughout her career, she has always had someone to mentor and advise her. Now, she is always mentoring six or seven women. Face-to-face versus hybrid Meg believes that virtual meetings will never take over face-to-face meetings because people want to be face-to-face.  Two different events Face-to-face events are very different from virtual events. They have different budgets and different levels of content. The next six to nine months will be tough Although Meg doesn't know exactly what will happen in the next six to nine months, she knows it will be a tough time. Staffing and events will have to be looked at differently. Organizations will have to prioritize who can attend their meetings and focus their content around those attendees. Between a rock and a hard place Many people have been furloughed or laid off recently. On the flip side, event service companies and agencies do not know what to do because many of their staff members have left. Freelancers Currently, 36% of the US workforce are freelancers. If the rate of growth does not change, it is anticipated that it will grow to 50% within the next five years. That is why it made sense to Meg to connect the freelancer creator community with organizations looking for people. Meg Fasy on creating new opportunities  Constantly hearing the two sides of the story motivated Meg to help out in some way. That inspired her to start a new company that could create opportunities by bringing freelancers and organizations together online. She had 150 freelancers sign up within the first two weeks! Preparing for the future It can be hard, emotionally and psychologically, to change from being securely employed to working as a freelancer. To start as a freelancer, think of your value and make a list of the skills you have to offer. Also, consider what you want to do and how many hours you would like to work. Building a culture with freelancers Companies should understand that freelancers can be part of the team. To build a culture with freelancers, companies must communicate well and bring the freelancers into the fold by introducing everyone and keeping the conversation open.  Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Meg Fasy Email Meg: meg@eventsgig.com Call Meg at her office: (702) 232-1337    

Join me in welcoming Mike Morrison, Host of The Don and Mike Show Podcast, a weekly podcast focused on Trade Shows, Events and Experiential Marketing issues in today's world. Mike is also the National Sales Director for WS Displays with over 20 years in Trade Show Display Supply side and five years in the podcast world. He is a Member in EDPA, ESCA, IAEE, EACA and more. In this episode, we talk about the power of podcasting, starting a podcast, and the benefits of podcasts for your business and brand! How to Get In Touch with Mike Morrison: Email: mike@wsdisplay.com, Podcast email: thedonandmikeshow@gmail.com Phone: 770.298.0695 Websites: TheDonAndMikeShow.net and ExhibitCityNews.com

Decision Vision Episode 127: Should I Diversify My Company’s Revenue? – An Interview with David Audrain, Exposition Development Company For many businesses, diversifying revenue sources became an urgent choice because of the pandemic. ExpoDevCo’s David Audrain says his company expanded its revenue mix well before the pandemic, not just to increase revenue, but as a […] The post Decision Vision Episode 127: Should I Diversify My Company’s Revenue? – An Interview with David Audrain, Exposition Development Company appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

We are happy to be speaking to a highly respected icon in our industry today! Brad Mayne is the President and CEO of IAVM (International Association of Venue Managers). He has had a phenomenal career and is joining us today to talk about his experiences.  In this episode, Brad shares his most cherished memories of the MetLife Stadium, explains what it was like to work with Mark Cuban, and talks about what he sees for the future of the meetings and events industry.  We hope you enjoy listening to our interview with Brad Mayne today! Brad Mayne's bio: Brad Mayne is President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) and the IAVM Foundation. IAVM represents public venue professionals from around the globe.  Professional members manage public assembly venues that are positive economic organizations within their communities. A diverse list of member venues includes arenas, convention centers, exhibit halls, performing arts centers, universities, stadiums, complexes, festivals, fairgrounds, amphitheaters, and race tracks. Under Mayne's leadership over the past five years, the IAVM has averaged 10% membership growth each year and has grown revenues by 35.5%. In collaboration with industry associations, IAVM has created initiatives that strengthen the industries we serve with partners VMA, AMEREF, IAEE, ESCA, DI, and ISSA. Initiatives include, but are not limited to safety and security, economic impact calculator, biohazard sanitation certification and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Active in the communities Mayne has resided in, he has served on the Board of Directors for DMOs, Super Bowl XLVIII, Cotton Bowl Classic, Sports Commissions, and Chambers of Commerce. Brad has vast management experience in professional sports venues including President & CEO, MetLife Stadium 2012-2016; President & CEO, American Airlines Center 1998-2012; and GM & Regional Manager, Honda Center, Ogden Entertainment 1991-1998. How it all started At the age of 14, Brad was selling hotdogs at the University of Utah football games. He met the people in the ticket office who were also doing lots of other events. They needed staff to sell tickets, so when Brad turned 16, they employed him to do that. He sold tickets at events that were hosted by the university but held at other venues. An apprenticeship and a degree Brad's dad wanted him to get a degree, but Brad wanted to be a plumber. So, he did an apprenticeship to be a plumber while studying for his degree at the University of Utah.  A scholarship Brad's brother was the Assistant Baseball Coach and the Assistant Ticket Manager when Brad was at the age to go to university. So Brad got a scholarship to sell tickets in the ticket office for the Athletic Department.  Placing advertisements During Brad's third year in college, he was asked to be responsible for placing all the advertisements to market their special events.  A drop in compensation After four years of plumbing, Brad chose to take a big drop in compensation and start doing work related to his degree.  Three arenas Brad was involved in the design and construction of three arenas.  Favorite venue Brad got asked to be the CEO for a new Dallas arena, working for the owners of the Mavericks and the Stars. He was responsible for the financing, design, and construction, and for the opening and operation of what is now the American Airlines Center.  Brad Mayne's impression of Mark Cuban Brad Mayne met Mark Cuban for the first time when he introduced himself to Mark just after the media announced that he had bought the Mavericks. Mark is very focused, and he is loyal to those who work for him. He did not sleep much, so Brad often got emails from him in the early hours of the morning.  Mark gave Brad two tips for how he wanted him to run his company: If it ain't broke, break it. If everyone is thinking the same way, no one is thinking. Brad found Mark to be a very good person to work for. Brad Mayne's best MetLife Stadium memory Brad's best memory of running the MetLife Stadium was hosting the Super Bowl.  Safety and security The whole ecosystem of meetings is large, so show organizers want to be safe and are risk-averse. Insurance for major catastrophes is expensive and hard to get. The Safety Act Certification is an insurance policy because it gives money coverage in the case of an attack. You have to put together a security plan to get the certification.  Streaming When they were designing a building, Mark Cuban told Brad that if he was not building the building for future technologies, he was making a big mistake. Brad feels that the same thing applies to streaming versus broadcasting. People need to understand that if they are not in the streaming industry when it swings to become the dominant vehicle for showing their product, they will fall behind the rest. Hybrid meetings Brad believes that there will be a place for hybrid moving forward, so we need to embrace and understand it.  Virtual meetings Brad had only five weeks to put his first virtual event, their annual conference, together. They recreated what they did live. Their members appreciated it and asked for more networking opportunities. Other members who could not afford the live event were grateful to attend it online. They felt that making the conference available online was the best thing that IAVM has ever done. Brad Mayne's suggestion for a strategic business plan Put a strategic business plan together for what you will do for people online and what you will be doing face-to-face moving forward. Do not be afraid to step forward and make something happen, Brad says. You can keep on improving things as you move ahead. The younger generation The new, younger generation coming into the business wants to flip the tables of who is in charge. So, prepare for that digitally, or else you could be in for a big awakening. Post-pandemic  People need to realize that things will not go back to the way they were pre-pandemic. Operating a venue is not simple. The staff will have to be trained to operate specific venues and all the equipment, with safety protocols in place to keep everyone safe.  Webinars The IAVM has been hosting webinars to inform people about how to hire people and discuss the available resources.  Technology There are multiple technologies to speed up the process of getting people into buildings. Infrared scanning can check peoples' temperatures. Facial recognition is also coming into play. There is no question that AI will become important for business operations and potentially for event presentations. Data and data analytics The meetings and events industry has started turning to data-driven decisions. Getting hold of the data allows you to manage things and be successful. Reverse ATMs will become commonplace going forward. They will also supply data. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Brad Mayne On Website On LinkedIn On Twitter

This podcast from the Gas and Climate area of the Florence School of Regulation is part of the series "IAEE online conference: Energy, Covid, and Climate Change". In this instalment, James Kneebone of FSR is joined by Marina Holgado of the International Energy Agency (IEA) technical collaboration programme (TCP) secretariat for hydrogen. The podcast explores the outcomes of the IAEE online conference session 'Power-to-Hydrogen and Hydrogen-to-X' as well as the wider work of the TCP, through the following questions: - What is the Hydrogen TCP and more specifically 'Task 38'? What can our viewers learn from Task 38 results? - One of the main conclusions in Task 38 was that hydrogen was not being well represented in energy modelling scenarios, in your view, why was that? Has this changed?

We are delighted to be speaking to an icon in our industry today! David DuBois, the current President and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE,) is joining us!  David DuBois has tailor-made the industry to fit his experience and style of leadership. In this episode, he will talk to us about what the IAEE does, the Exhibition Day on Capitol Hill, and the Women's Leadership Forum. You are sure to enjoy listening to our conversation with David today! David DuBois's bio David DuBois is the President and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE). As IAEE's president, DuBois is responsible for the management of 25 full-time professional staff, producing the annual business operating plan and budget, overseeing the support of all meetings of governance units, leading business development, directing fundraising efforts, advocating for the industry and the organization's members, providing organizational leadership and strategic counsel to the board. Also, he serves as the association's representative with industry coalitions, partner organizations, and strategic alliances. In 2019, DuBois was inducted into the Exhibition Industry Council's “Hall of Leaders,” one of the industry's most prestigious honors. DuBois began his career with Sheraton Corporation in various sales positions including Regional Director of Sales and the Director of Marketing Programs. He has served as both President and CEO and Senior Vice President at the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) where he was responsible for all operations and a $7 million budget. As Senior Vice President, he managed the development of 15 new chapters and was responsible for magazine advertising sales and membership recruitment and retention.  DuBois has also served as both the Chief Operating Officer at Meeting Professionals International (MPI) from 1996-2000. During this time, he supported programs and services for more than 16,000 members worldwide and served as the Executive Vice President of the MPI Foundation. David has also served as MPI's Vice President of Sales and Key Account Management and Vice President of Corporate Services. Most recently, DuBois has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau where he had oversight and full responsibility of 42 staff, with the responsibility of attracting convention and tourism business with an $8.5 million budget. DuBois has served as a board member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Texas Society of Association Executives; board member and Chairman of the Dallas-Fort Worth Tourism Council; board member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce; and Past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Convention Industry Council (CIC). He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Destinations International, the Meetings Mean Business Coalition and the U.S. Travel Association. COVID David spent a night in Wuhan, China, in January of 2020. That was when COVID started. Today, China and much of Asia are experiencing about 75% of the exhibition business and events of 2019. As the pandemic slows down As the pandemic slows down, businesses are becoming more willing to send their staff to be exhibitors, attendees, or buyers at trade shows. We are starting to see progress from Asia, across into the United States, Mexico, and Canada. David thinks that Europe will be the last continent to get back to the levels of 2019 and before. Digital events In 2019, the meetings and trade show industry had its best year ever. That was followed by its darkest year ever, in 2020. The industry had to pivot to virtual/digital, which was the only available substitute. The revenues of all the digital meeting platforms went through the roof and the general service contractors for in-person events had to quickly hire people with different skill sets to put on digital events. In-person events are coming back We are starting to see in-person events coming back worldwide, led by Asia and coming back into the United States. Convention centers are open in fifteen states in the US right now.  The future of online versus in-person In the last half of 2021, we will see the merging of in-person and digital. Then, in 2022, we will see less digital and more in-person as people get more comfortable with traveling again. Online meetings The reality now is that we are going to see a lot more in-person events. However, only a certain amount of people will be willing to travel to those events. Now, with the addition of the digital experience, those audiences can get expanded across the world.  The IAEE Annual Expo The IAEE now has members in 52 countries. At their December 2019 Annual Expo meeting in Las Vegas, they were thrilled to have 200 people. That was the most people they have ever had. In December of 2021, David thinks they can get 1,000 people to attend their Annual Expo meeting digitally in Philadelphia. He believes they could also get a couple of thousand people to attend, in-person. Expanding Now, David is expanding his reach to his customers and members by between fifteen and thirty percent. Many salespeople in other industries are also reaching more people now through digital. The future David gets excited about the future because the future is very bright.  What David DuBois says about the blending of digital, in-person, and hybrid for exhibitions David DuBois feels that online exhibitions are mediocre, at best. People cannot truly connect unless they meet face-to-face. So, digital, in-person, and hybrid need to work together. How that gets done is the key for exhibition professionals and members of the IAEE to keep people engaged and give them an experience that they would never want to miss. A nugget The best nugget that David got from the US Travel Association's board meeting in Tampa recently was that he learned more in a five-minute meet-up with a friend over a cup of coffee than he learned from the entire presentation of the board meeting. The exhibition industry In 2019, the exhibition industry, excluding meetings and business events, was worth 109 billion dollars and it had over 1.5 million exhibiting companies. David believes that it is vital for the people in the trade business to be on Capitol Hill to let all the elected leaders and people working in the congressional offices know what is happening in the exhibition business, trade show business, and meeting business. Exhibition Day For eight years in a row, in the first week of June, the IAEE has held a Legislative Action Day on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. It is all about advocating and talking about the importance of the industry. Up until last year, they had 125 - 140 people attending, in-person. Last year, they had 600 people attending virtually via Zoom.  The bottom line, according to David DuBois The bottom line is that they have to do a better job than before because they have just hired their first Vice-President of Government Affairs for the exhibitions industry, David DuBois explains. This VP is supported financially by seven organizations that have raised half a million dollars to have a full-time representative and lobbyist, and he is working to ensure that the exhibitions industry gets known much better than it has ever before. The business events economic impact The overall economic impact of business events on the GDP in 2019 was over 350 billion dollars, and the trade show industry produced a little over a third of that.  The Connecticut Avenue Collection Back in the eighties, David and some of his competitors in the hotel industry, who were all Directors of Sales and Marketing, decided that they needed to collaborate more. So, they came up with what they called The Connecticut Avenue Collection. Together, they competed against the local convention center, and four or five times a year, they won some business. The advocacy effort The IAEE did the same thing with their advocacy effort. Seven organizations got together and decided to collaborate. Now, they have an alliance and a full-time registered and licensed lobbyist.  The Women's Leadership Forum The Regional Virtual Forum of the Women's Leadership Forum happened on April 20th, 2021. The Women's Leadership Forum also has a signature event that has always taken place in Washington D.C. That event has always sold out before. For more information on future forums, you can go to the IAEE website. Men are also invited to attend. Expanding women's leadership skills The Women's Leadership Forum focuses on expanding women's leadership skills in meetings, exhibitions, and conference businesses. Their goal is to empower, embrace, and provide enhanced skills for women. Sixty percent or more of those who work in the exhibition and meetings business events industry are women. Less than fifteen percent of those women are vice-president level or higher. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with David DuBois On Website

www.TheBuildingBusinessPodcast.comSarah Soliman has over a decade of experience in production.  Her company, Soliman Productions, covers the meetings industry at large.  Recently, Sarah was included in the Orlando Business Journal's 40 Under 40 list.  She has also been recognized for her work in the industry by several organizations.   In 2014, she won IAEE's Rookie of the Year Award.   In 2018, Sarah was honored with the Rising Star Award for the second quarter of 2018 by the MPI Greater Orlando Chapter and was also a finalist for the Emerging Leader Award by the Association For Women In Events.  In 2019, Sarah was recognized as a Rising Star by Meetings and Conventions, an Industry Changemaker by MeetingsNet and an Industry Trendsetter by Meetings Today.  She is a recipient of the Smart Meetings 2019 Smart Women in Meetings Entrepreneur Award and a 2019 Connect Association 40 Under 40 honoree.Sarah is a talented entrepreneur, and a natural leader.  While her business was previously primarily based on in-person same-day meetings and conventions, she quickly adapted to the COVID environment and was able to weather the storm and strengthen her company and her team in the process.  In this episode, we discussed Sarah's journey from TV, radio, and events to taking the leap of faith into entrepreneurialism.  In addition, Sarah shares here entrepreneurial tip: learn to overcome imposture syndrome.Learn more about Sarah and Soliman Productions, Inc.:Website: Soliman Productions, Inc.LinkedIn: Sarah Soliman Instagram: Soliman Productions, Inc.Facebook: Soliman Productions, Inc.Twitter: Sarah Soliman / Soliman Productions, Inc.YouTube: Soliman Productions, Inc.

Aaron discusses the importance of speaking out on behalf of the exhibitions industry and the role the individual citizen plays in addressing their elected officials. Aaron Bludworth President & CEO Fern Expo A passionate exhibition (tradeshows & events) industry executive with broad experience in multiple industries and strong participation in industry trade associations. Optimistic realist. Believer that live events are irreplaceable as the single best medium for connecting people, building real relationships, educating, entertaining, and conducting commerce. Aaron overseers the executive management and strategy of Fern. Working with the executive team and leadership team to oversee nationwide production and the customer experience from sales to execution that is consistent with the companies’ mission, vision and values.   In 2019 Aaron, received IAEE’s Inaugural Humanitarian Award for his continual efforts to enhance the lives of those whose path he crosses professionally and personally. When not working Aaron spends the majority of his time with family, getting one of his cars out for a drive and looking at life through the lens of his camera.   Thank you to our sponsor: Rap Index, tell them Roger sent you. https://www.rapindex.com   This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy. Also listen for this episodes advocacy tip. Contact Voices In Advocacy at: www.VoicesinAdvocacy.com 480 488-9150  

In this amazingly passionate episode, I talk with Jim about ALL THINGS TRADESHOWS! Tradeshows are often overlooked as a viable career option but there is a wide variety of options in this extremely successful industry! Jim is an industry veteran with 30 years of marketing experience and is the host of an extremely successful podcast called Trade Show University! I hope you have as much fun listening to this podcast as we had creating it!To connect with Jim Cermak, listen to his podcast, and see all the things he has to offer, check out his website here: https://tradeshowu.biz/ In addition to his linked social channels from his website, you can email him directly at jim@tradeshowu.biz Want to know more about tradeshows? The industry organization where Jim and I met that represents the tradeshow industry is IAEE. Check them out here - https://www.iaee.com/

Rapid Fire Segment with David Dubois from IAEE on the Digital Version of the 2020 Expo Expo and summaries of how the event played out and Dasher Lowe from EDPA speaks on the in person event and the protocols and how the event played out and the future for both organizations are discussed in this week's show! TheDonAndMikeShow.net and ExhibitCityNews.com

Episode 072 - Trade Show & Event Tips from the Pros! What I'm giving you this week is a collection of tips I got from exhibitors from IAEE's Expo! Expo! virtual trade show and conference that took place recently. These 6 established industry experts each shares a top tip for helping plan and produce the best Trade Show, Event or Conference! ------------------ Pro #1 - Craig Thompson from Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland Tip #1 - For Show Managers - when you are creating your Floor Plan, consult with your venue! They can help you understand the unknowns and intangibles about the floor space that can help you have a better and smoother event. Find out more at www.clevelandconventions.com ------------------ Pro #2 - Jenny Ward of Exhibit Concepts Tip #2 - Show up at these events, and Be There to help support each other to get through this tough time for the industry! Find out more at www.exhibitconcepts.com/mycheck ------------------ Pro #3 - Lauren Johnson with Louisville Tourism Tip #3 - Work with the Convention & Visitors Bureau of the host city to infuse the culture of the city into your event! Find out more at www.gotolouisville.com ------------------ Pro #4 - Patrick Reilly with Digitell Tip #4 - Don't be afraid to lean into new technologies and new approaches to the virtual world that may be different from live events. Find out more at www.digitellinc.com ------------------ Pro #5 - David Liddle at the Deondo Company - makers of Nook Event Pods Tip #5 - Always pack a can of WD-40! It can remove stains and get you out of many tough spots. Find out more at www.nook.events ------------------ Pro #6 - Jimmy Mouton with eShow Tip #6 - When producing Virtual or Hybrid events, please consider how attendees can communicate and engage on the virtual platforms. Find out more at www.goeshow.com ------------------ Sign up for the Trade Show University email newsletter and get a free gift! Just head over to tradeshowu.biz!

We are pleased to be speaking to one of the leaders in our industry today! Aaron Bludworth, the President and CEO of Fern, is joining us as our guest for the show.  Aaron is someone who truly walks the walk when it comes to helping others. In this episode, he gives us some great insights and talks about the impact of trade shows on the economy. He tells us why he believes that face-to-face events will never get replaced with online events, and he also explains how we can help others and what we should and should not worry about if we are unable to change a situation. Stay tuned. We know you're going to enjoy this conversation! Aaron Bludworth's bio: Aaron Bludworth is the CEO of Fern, a top-three exhibition official services provider in the United States. Fern has operations throughout the U. S. and services nearly 1500 exhibitions annually as well as thousands of other events. Aaron's career in the industry began in 1992, and before joining Fern in 2008, Aaron held executive positions at Modern Exposition Services and GES. Aaron has been engaged extensively in industry leadership throughout his career. Aaron is a past president of the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA), past chair of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), past board member of the International Association of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE), and a former board member of several other industry organizations. Aaron was the inaugural recipient of IAEE's Humanitarian Award. Aaron is an officer and appointed board member of Tri-ED, an economic development agency in the Cincinnati region. Aaron is a board member of the Next Generation Freedom Fund, an organization focused on reducing intergenerational poverty. Aaron advises and fundraises for poverty relief organizations in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Utah. Getting into the industry Aaron says that just like everyone else, he got tricked into joining the meetings and events industry. In 1992, he accidentally ended up on the show floor, and he never left.   What Aaron Bludworth enjoys the most Aaron Bludworth enjoys privately held events the most, and that is what he has now. He prefers to have the amount of flexibility that he has currently and the ability to determine and drive his destiny over the long term versus the short term decisions that are required in publicly traded or investor-owned companies. Wear a damn mask! There is a reasonable argument to be had that shutting down the economy was too much, and it caused more harm than good, but there is no argument for omitting to do basic mitigations, like wearing a mask, distancing, and washing your hands. Real lives are being affected Real lives are being impacted every day by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it frustrates Aaron that some people are being undisciplined and careless. He feels that national leaders need to be setting an example for the rest of the country at a state, national, and local level. Some countries did not shut down  Countries like Singapore and Taiwan did not shut down their economies, and they kept working with masks.  Lack of discipline There has been a lack of discipline in certain areas. So some government leaders are understandably gun-shy about letting things like shows, movies, and events happen because people have shown that they are not responsible enough to do basic things like wearing a mask. Why trade shows are so important for commerce    There is no place more effective for commerce to happen than at a trade show or an event. There, hundreds of thousands of buyers can get brought to hundreds of thousands of sellers at one time, and they can enjoy massive selections, and great selling opportunities. They can also build relationships and get entertained. What people don't see Small and medium companies all over the US rely on trade shows as one of their main order-writing opportunities. Most people don't realize that there is a big problem coming down the road, in the economy, as a result of trade shows not happening due to the coronavirus. Education Unlike the commerce piece, much of the education piece can be replaced effectively with virtual technology.  Meeting safely Aaron believes that people can meet safely right now. They need to follow the basic mitigation protocols like social distancing, wearing masks, and cleaning their hands and surfaces.  The industry  Aaron firmly believes that the industry will regain a similar footing to the one it had in the past at some point in the not too distant future. Traveling People are not too comfortable with the idea of traveling at the moment. Once they start to feel more comfortable about traveling, meetings can start taking place safely. Fern Health Check Fern partnered with an app-based technology company called Share My Health a couple of months ago, and they introduced a product called Fern Health Check. It is available today and can be used to test the health of the attendees of events. Rapid-testing tools There are also various other rapid-testing tools available currently. Aaron Bludworth's thoughts on the future Aaron Bludworth thinks that we will be using virtual in the way we should have been using it for the last decade when all of this is over. He does not think things are likely to change outside of the trajectory of the way they should have happened. Virtual Aaron thinks that we must find effective ways to use technology in the way that we should have been using it, to bring people to live events. He has no problem with the idea of virtual being the way of the future. Working from home If people keep working from home permanently because of changes that have come about due to the coronavirus pandemic, it will make it more desirable for people to meet in person. Do whatever you can Although you cannot change the things that are out of your control, you should still be doing everything that you can to accomplish the things that you can do. And we should all help one another in any way that we can. “You should spend very little time worrying and stressing about things out of your control.” Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Aaron On Website  On Linkedin profile

Episode 068 - Future Event Industry Leader profile - an interview with Sarah Gurney Sarah Gurney is a 2020 recipient of the IAEE Helen Brett Scholarship awarded to outstanding individuals pursuing an education and career in the Exhibitions and Events Industry. Sarah Gurney is a senior at Johnson & Wales University majoring in Event Management. On campus, she is the president IAEE, the director of membership of LEA, and the Secretary of IAVM. Sarah's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcgurney/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcgurney/) Sign up for the Trade Show University email newsletter and get a Free Gift! Just go to https://tradeshowu.biz/ (https://tradeshowu.biz/)

At the time we recorded this episode at EventTechLive, IAEE was planning their December EXPO! EXPO! conference as a hybrid event. Due to health and safety measures, they made the difficult decision to put the event completely online. Here’s some more information about it. While there have been some industry events in person this fall, moving events online continues to be a necessity around the world at this time. Hybrid events are also happening in some parts of the world, which provides an opportunity to include participants who may have never attended your event before. Bottom line with having people in person again, there is a “duty of care” that event organizers must adhere to so everyone feels safe. Bringing this “show for shows” experience online -- and giving exhibitors the “white glove treatment” -- is of huge importance to Nicole and her team, and they spent a ton of time developing their processes for this. Nicole makes a great point about the necessity of putting more effort into mapping out the attendee experience to ensure your participants get the most out of the event in a virtual environment. Our Guest… Nicole Bowman is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE).  She’s responsible for developing and managing all marketing functions of IAEE, including association branding and event marketing, as well as creating and executing the comprehensive strategic marketing plan for all IAEE initiatives including chapter relations, membership, councils, events and advocacy initiatives. BIG JOB!! Register for IAEE’s Virtual EXPO! EXPO!   ******************************************************************************* GET SOCIALTwitter Inside Events Podcast: https://twitter.com/TheEventProfs Twitter Swapcard: https://twitter.com/Swapcard Twitter Megan Powers: https://twitter.com/meganpowers Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swap... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Swapcard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swapcard/******************************************************************************

Thanks for joining us on Episode 20 with our guest David DuBois, President & CEO at International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE). The Traveling Podcast is hosted by industry veterans Dan Sherman and Ryan Barth, CMP.In this episode we'll touch on the top stories in group business travel, live events, hospitality and sports (subscribe to the Market in a Minute newsletter). Our guest, David DuBois will share his thoughts on the current group business travel environment, the ongoing pandemic and how IAEE and other industry associations are advocating for the protection of the events through new legislation. In addition, David gives an update on the 2020 Expo! Expo! hybrid event taking place in Louisville this coming December. David DuBoisPresident & CEOInternational Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-dubois-cae-cmp-fasae-cta-3a130a48/ BIO:David DuBois is the President and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE). As IAEE’s president, DuBois is responsible for the management of 23 full-time professional staff, producing the annual business operating plan and budget, overseeing the support of all meetings of governance units, leading business development, directing fund raising efforts, advocating for the industry and the organization’s members, providing organizational leadership and strategic counsel to the board. Also, he serves as the association’s representative with industry coalitions, partner organizations and strategic alliances.DuBois began his career with Sheraton Corporation in various sales positions including Regional Director of Sales and the Director of Marketing Programs. He has served as both President and CEO, and Senior Vice President at the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) where he was responsible for all operations and a $7 million budget. As Senior Vice President he managed the development of 15 new chapters and was responsible for magazine advertising sales and membership recruitment and retention. DuBois has also served as both the Chief Operating Officer at Meeting Professionals International (MPI) from 1996-2000. During this time, he supported programs and services for more than 16,000 members worldwide, and served as the Executive Vice President of the MPI Foundation. David has also served as MPI’s Vice President of Sales and Key Account Management and Vice President of Corporate Services.Most recently, DuBois has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau where he had oversight and full responsibility of 42 staff, with the responsibility of attracting convention and tourism business with a $8.5 million budget.DuBois has also served as a board member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Texas Society of Association Executives; board member and Chairman of the Dallas Fort Worth Tourism Council; and board member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves as Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Convention Industry Council (CIC). He also serves on the Boardof Directors for the Meetings Mean Business Coalition and the U.S. Travel Association.Support the show (http://www.hipnetwork.com/traveling-podcast)

Referenced in this episode:Essential Considerations for Safely Reopening Exhibitions & EventsNicole Bowman, MBA contact infoLearn more about Feathr hereTo request info on how to be a guest on our podcast email our producer at Chuck.Ellis@feathr.co

In this State of the Live Events & Trade Shows Industry, two of the leaders of IAEE - which is THE industry association globally - share the amazing great lengths they are going through to ensure a safe return to Live face-to-face events for everyone. Welcome to Episode 54 of Trade Show University! David DuBois is the CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events – the Global association for the industry. David has 45 years of hospitality, tourism, exhibitions and business events experience. IAEE has Members from over 50 countries that represent and support the global exhibitions industry. Scott Craighead is the VP of Exhibitions and Events for IAEE. Involved in the industry for 18 years producing exhibitions and events in the U.S. and globally. Currently responsible for budgeting, show development and design, technology solutions, personnel, contracts and overall logistics for IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition Expo! Expo! and other IAEE produced events.  Here are Links to the Events and Organizations mentioned in the episode: Expo! Expo! - myexpoexpo.com IAEE - https://www.iaee.com/ (iaee.com) Exhibitions Mean Business - https://www.iaee.com/exhibitions-mean-business/ (www.iaee.com/exhibitions-mean-business/) Go Live Together - https://www.golivetogether.com/ (golivetogether.com) GBAC (Global Biorisk Advisory Council) - https://gbac.issa.com/ (gbac.issa.com) Free Goal Setting Workbook - https://tradeshowu.biz/ (tradeshowu.biz) Check out https://myexpoexpo.com/ (Expo! Expo!) and see the Future of Live Events!

How do you engage one of the most important communities; front line medical workers during COVID-19? Why should you look at additional marketing channels to reach your audience? This week we are joined by, Shannon Binger, Senior Manager, Meeting Services at American Thoracic Society, Vice Chair of IAEE's New York Chapter, and National Chair of the IAEE Young Professional Community. Shannon shares her insights on connecting front line workers with timely content through COVID-19, new KPIs and metrics driving her work, and how she is using additional marketing channels to better connect with partners and sponsors. **Want access to additional content, & exclusive invites to strategy round tables? Check out the community page at www.robert-chain.com to join** Please be sure to subscribe to stay up to date with the top minds in the experiential event industry. Twitter: https://twitter.com/R_C_Squared @1:10 - How have you served the IAEE YP community during COVID-19? @2:50 - ATS services front line workers fighting COVID-19, how are you connecting & distributing to this audience? @4:30 - Audience engagement enhancement @6:40 - Using new marketing mediums to develop thought leadership. @9:20 - Connecting with Sponsors/Partners @13:15 - KPIs & Metrics @17:30 - Innovation & Testing with your events @19:30 - What content are you consuming today & how are you staying up to date on industry trends. @21:20 - Final 4 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/robert-chain/support

IAEE's David Dubois, SISO's David Audrain and Freeman's Sue Sung speak on The Go Live Together Program, updates on successes and plans for the future of the program and The Expo Group's Todd Carruth talks about the newest tool for determining parameters for spacing at trade shows and events with their new Online Measurement Tool and speaks on its use and advantages to event planners. TheDonAndMikeShow.net and ExhibitCityNews.com

IAEE's David Dubois, SISO's David Audrain and Freeman's Sue Sung speak on The Go Live Together Program, updates on successes and plans for the future of the program. TheDonAndMikeShow.net and ExhibitCityNews.com

Mark Bogdansky is the Vice President of Meetings and Events for the Auto Care Association. Bogdansky oversees all trade shows for the Auto Care Association, its segments, committees, and managed associations, including the AAPEX and HDAW shows. His responsibilities include strategic planning, trade show management, partner and vendor relationships, contract negotiation, and on-site logistics. Prior to joining the Auto Care Association in November 2016, Bogdansky worked on the conventions for the National Retail Federation and Heart Rhythm Society. Prior to that, Mark was a high school teacher and college basketball coach. He is an active member of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, and currently serves on its Advocacy Committee. He has also served on multiple industry advisory boards and committees and spoken at several industry events. Raised in Boston, Bogdansky graduated from Yeshiva University in New York, with a bachelor of arts in mathematics and a minor in business. He lives with his wife and son in Maryland. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Mark discusses the work of the Auto Care Association, representing every business in the supply chain that keep cars on the road How the Auto Care Association has assisted member organizations with navigating the challenges posed by the pandemic How Mark and the team at the International Association of Exhibitions and Events successfully pulled off their 2020 Exhibitions Day virtual event What future advocacy efforts IAEE will be pursuing going forward relating to the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on the industry Why part of the IAEE’s role is to educate lawmakers and policymakers on the industry’s concerns and needs What key lessons Mark and the team at IAEE learned when taking their annual event to a virtual space Why safety is at the heart of what Auto Care Association and IAEE are doing, and why they are working to support their members through keeping everyone safe as well What big wins and upsides Mark has noticed from the switch to virtual events, and why hybrid virtual/in-person events are going to be powerful going forward How the Auto Care Association’s AAPEX 2020 trade show is evolving into an entirely new experience, both in response to COVID and due to new innovations and opportunities Why the secret to creating an experience for your attendees is to focus on creating engaging, interactive concepts Additional resources: Website: www.autocare.org Website: www.aapexshow.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/markbogdansky/

In this bonus episode, which was recorded and filmed during Swapcard’s first virtual event: Evolve, Megan chats to Jan Alessie and Kimberly Hardcastle about the role of marketing and communication in the emerging and fast-developing world of virtual and hybrid events. The way we market and communicate about our events is changing, especially because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, and shifting to online is happening at record pace. Shifting our focus to building global communities that are active all year long is a MUST right now. Kimberly talks about how we can draw inspiration from the marketing strategies of successful brands outside of the events industry. Jan emphasizes the importance of promoting engagement during online events, because even if initial registration figures are high, a passive audience shouldn’t be the goal.The trio discusses the ultimate marketing methods to ensure a successful, valuable and unforgettable virtual event. They dive into how to pick the goals for your event and how to deliver specific value propositions to key groups within your audience. And it doesn’t stop there! They go on to discuss how to promote your event in the weeks leading up and what the best way is to attract a maximum number of attendees. Our Guests  Kimberly HardcastleChief Marketing Strategist, MDGAs chief marketing strategist of the leading marketing and public relations agency specializing in B2B events in the United States, Hardcastle and her team provide solutions that increase attendance and exhibitor participation for several of the largest and most successful events (in-person and online) in the country.Kimberly has worked in both the United States and Europe, holds an MSBA with an emphasis in Marketing and has 20 years of industry experience. She is an IAEE Krakoff Leaders Institute alumna, the columnist in PCMA Convene magazine, a presenter of industry seminars on strategic market planning, and is a recipient of IAEE’s Educator of the Year Award and Trade Show Executive’s Marketing Genius Award. Jan AlessieDirector, World Football SummitCo-founder and Director of World Football Summit, an international event that in 4 years has consolidated itself as a reference for the global football industry. Jan is also the founder of Nexus Fostering Partnership, the company responsible for the development of World Football Summit.Senior consultant, content producer and promotion specialist with over 15 years experience across international markets, Jan has worked in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East identifying and building partnerships at the highest level of foreign governments and the private sector, organizing high profile investment forums, negotiating and closing commercial deals, producing branded content, managing global media projects and leading commercial teams.  ******************************************************************************* GET SOCIALTwitter Inside Events Podcast: https://twitter.com/TheEventProfs Twitter Swapcard: https://twitter.com/Swapcard Twitter Megan Powers: https://twitter.com/meganpowers Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swap... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Swapcard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swapcard/******************************************************************************

Cathy Braden, talks with Regina McGee about her career path and business as well as how she and her team are responding to the Coronavirus pandemic.

IAEE President and CEO David Dubois talks about the association's position of the Corona Virus while Joe Houle speaks in the challenges of selling to C-Suite Clientele. Don and Mike say goodbye to Industry Veteran Kraig Shetler who passed away this week and also break down concerns within show cancellations and event postponements and how it will affect businesses. TheDonAndMikeShow.net and ExhibitCityNews.com

Mike talks with David about the Corona Virus and it's impact on trade shows and events, where we are now and where we should go in the immediate future.

Candy Adams talks about Bait and Switch on billing from 2019 in an encore interview and Shawn Willis from 5 AM Global talks about her upcoming Breathe Health and Wealth Summit in Las Vegas. Don and Mike talk about current issues and Association News for EDPA, ESCA, IAEE and EACA. TheDonAndMikeShow.net

Expo! Expo!, IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition, is the “show for shows.” In this unique episode of the Planet Leadership podcast recorded live from the Expo! Expo! show floor, industry leaders Jennifer Hoff of Taffy Event Strategies, Erika Welling from PRA Business Events, and Amy Calvert with the Events Industry Council share their thoughts on technology, social responsibility, and the important role business leaders can play in making the world a better place. Jennifer Hoff has spent her career producing trade shows and conferences. Most recently, she launched a full-service trade show and event management company, Taffy Event Strategies. Taffy Events produces exhibitions and conferences including Coverings and ASPE-The American Society of Plumbing Engineers Expo. Prior to that, she worked with VP International to launch new events in a variety of market segments. Jennifer is active in trade show industry organizations including the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO). She has served on the program committee and as Chairman of the Board for the IAEE Capital Chapter and has held various IAEE national positions including Board Director and Education Committee. She serves on the CEM faculty for IAEE. She has also contributed to the Art of the Show, 3rd edition, which is a textbook used in colleges and universities. In addition, she has instructed the Introduction to Exposition Management course at Northern Virginia Community College. During her trade show industry career, she has received several industry awards and accolades including the IAEE 2018 Woman of Achievement Award. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech in Production and Operations Management. Erika Welling, CEM, PRA Las Vegas General Manager, has decades of experience as an innovative and highly driven marketing and operations leader in the hospitality industry. Having been on launch teams for exhibitions, attractions, and tours, she utilizes those skills and experiences in her role as Las Vegas General Manager at PRA, an internationally known business event management company. Erika has provided resources and guidance to many during her career, which includes senior-level operations and marketing for international general service contractors in the exhibitions and events industry. Previous to working in the general services contracting world, Erika was Regional and International Director for Themed Restaurants and Attractions, and Director for a prominent Las Vegas transportation and sightseeing company. Erika has served over 16 years on the board of the Las Vegas Hospitality Association (LVHA), presently serves as a SWIAEE Board Director, is on the CEM faculty and IAEE membership engagement committee. Throughout her career, Erika has served on boards of tourism, professional education and philanthropic associations. Erika invariably incorporates her education learned from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and art experience within her profession. In her free time, she enjoys an assortment of art projects, reading, skiing, and hiking. Amy Calvert is the CEO of the Events Industry Council, whose 30+ member organizations represent over 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and properties involved in the events industry. Amy leads the council in advancing the events industry and professionals who advance the business of meetings. In her previous role as Senior Vice President of Sales & Services for Visit Baltimore, Amy made it her mission to strengthen their partnerships with key industry stakeholders and boost Charm City’s appeal and visibility in key market segments. Amy truly understands the positive ripple effect that occurs when a city can keep its hotels occupied and its convention center’s calendar booked. As a key member of the executive leadership team, Amy contributed to the promotional, business development, and operational management strategies of the organization. She developed and directed the promotional strategies that were implemented by the sales and services team, and collaborated with them to ensure that they properly implemented these programs in order to position Baltimore as a major tourist and meeting-planning destination. What you’ll learn about in this episode from Jennifer Hoff: Why the show and event industry needs to be focusing on innovative new technologies to better run and manage events, and why integrating functions across roles is key Why Jennifer believes that data analytics and data-driven decision making is the future of the industry, and what future trends she is expecting to develop How Taffy Event Strategies has positioned itself as a well-known and industry-respected full-service trade show company How Jennifer’s career focus has changed as Taffy Event Strategies has grown, and how she has learned to let go of day-to-day work to focus more on leading What you’ll learn about in this episode from Erika Welling: Why Erika sees augmented reality technology as the future of interactive educational experiences in event planning Why raising awareness and educating the public about important social issues such as sustainability and human trafficking is an important core value at PRA How PRA Business Events was founded and became one of the first franchise-based businesses in the industry, and how they have developed international partnerships How PRA’s international partnerships allow them to offer unique value for their clients with international event needs How Erika’s career journey led her to her current role, and what challenges she faced early in her career as a young woman in a leadership position What you’ll learn about in this episode from Amy Calvert: How the Events Industry Council collects data on the industry reflecting the important impact the events industry has on global employment and GDP How the Events Industry Council works to unify the global events industry, and how they offer an industry certification for industry professionals How Amy’s career led to her role as CEO of the Events Industry Council, and why she feels inspired by the industry’s broad passion and commitment to serve and connect How not just business leaders but people in any professional role can have a dramatic impact on diversity, sustainability and social responsibility How Amy views her role as a female business leader, and why she values mentorship relationships to help her thrive in her new role as a CEO Additional Resources from Jennifer Hoff: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferhoff1 Facebook: www.facebook.com/taffyeventstrategies/ Twitter: @TaffyEvents Additional Resources from Erika Welling: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/erika-welling-8a08048 Facebook: www.facebook.com/PRABusinessEvents/ Twitter: @ErikaWelling and @PRABizEvents Additional Resources from Amy Calvert: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amy-calvert-24449b2b FB: www.facebook.com/EventsIndustryCouncil/ Twitter: @Events_Council

Marc Kaminetsky spoke with Mike at Expo Expo regarding the area near Philly where events can be held and still close enough to the action, yet far enough away to avoid chaos! Check out the interview here from IAEE's Expo Expo!

Interview series from IAEE's Expo Expo

"If we don't give a voice to this, who will?" Randy Acker asked on this panel at HCEAConnect about Exhibitions Day.  Have you ever considered how you can impact the $97 Billion Exhibitions Industry?  Trade Shows in the U.S. represent more business than the meat industry, the gaming industry and so many more industries and yet until 6 years ago, congress didn't know how vital it is to our national economy.  Legislation that impacts how many attendees come to shows, and who is able to attend from abroad would have been made without understanding trade shows.  Thanks to IAEE and the 120 people who attended Exhibitions Day, important legislation was passed that will help the trade show industry. Find out in this panel discussion with Cathy Breden, COO, IAEE and CEIR, Randy Acker, President, Exhibitor Media Group and Diane Benson, Strategic Event Marketing Manager and Diamond Level CTSM share the key initiatives that were presented this year at Exhibitions Day and why it is so vital to our trade show industry for companies and marketers to be heard on capitol hill.  Natalie Benamou moderated the panel of industry experts on the importance of making an impact for the trade show industry. If you have been looking to increase visibility within your organization and be an industry influencer, Exhibitions Day is a great experience.  This is your time to take action.  As always, if you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode or would like to learn more about how you can get involved, reach out to me at Rock Your Trade Show. Special thanks to HCEAConnect for the opportunity to have this panel and to Cathy Breden, Randy Acker and Diane Benson for sharing their insights. Credits: As always, thanks to Christy Haussler at Team Podcast for editing this episode.

Cathy Breden is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) with the responsibility for managing the day-to-day operations of the association, including overseeing marketing and communications, membership, education, conventions and events, and administration. In addition, she currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), whose primary purpose is to promote the growth, awareness, and value of exhibitions and other face-to-face marketing events by producing and delivering research-based knowledge tools. Ms. Breden earned the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 1990 and earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1995. What you’ll learn about in this episode: What IAEE and CEIR are, and how they play an important role in advancing the B2B and B2C exhibition and trade show communities How Cathy’s career path led her to her current leadership roles at IAEE and CEIR, and how she had the unique opportunity to study association management in college How Cathy’s organizations work to engage with both associations and independent show organizers and create relevant content for both groups How IAEE’s culture works to support its team members and maintain a healthy work environment, and how Cathy coordinates remote team members under a shared vision What critical part of the IAEE Women’s Leadership Forum plays in promoting and advocating for women in the exhibition and events industry What benefits women receive from participating in the IAEE Women’s Leadership Forum, and how the program has continued to expand Why Cathy would advise her younger self to question authority and understand that leaders don’t necessarily have all the answers Why being flexible, adaptable, open to change, and willing to learn have been important pillars to Cathy’s success in her work What exciting events and education opportunities will be showcased at Expo! Expo! 2019, IAEE’s annual meeting and exhibition How the team at IAEE work to make a global impact on the industry, traveling all over the world to attend industry events Additional resources: Website: www.iaee.com Website: www.ceir.org LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cathybreden Twitter: @cbreden Twitter: @IAEE_HQ

Doug Rawady and Mike talk about Email issues in today's marketing world and how negative email strategy not only is not effective but causes unwanted chaos for industries. Don and Mike talk Las Vegas, new ECN on the shelves, and association updates for IAEE, EDPA, ESCA and EACA

Expo Expo for IAEE is coming in December in Las Vegas and Scott shares all the great activities coming to that event at Mandalay Bay !

The Booth Mom, Candy Adams talks about Dos and Don'ts in the Boothmanship game at trade shows, Scott Craighead from IAEE speaks about everything going on at Expo Expo for 2019, Don and Mike highlight the poll results, stories, and Association News from IAEE, EDPA, ESCA, and EACA.

Do you want to get promoted or lead a global organization? Cathy Breden, Executive Vice President and COO at IAEE and CEIR shares the core principles of what it is like to go outside of her comfort zone every day, travel the world and create incredible impact for the trade show industry.   Many listeners ask about next steps in your career and Cathy shares key insights not only about her career, but also the state of the trade show industry, future trends, resources you can use from CEIR and so much more. 5 Career and Trade Show Industry Insights: Find the right place to work. Cathy shares how IAEE offered a great family friendly workplace that gave her work-life balance and the ability to get promoted. See the World from global perspective. Looking forward regardless of the situation with China and trade wars, business is moving east - by the year 2050 economic power will be between India and China. Use research to make decisions.  CEIR looks at economic performance back to the 2000 and creates a forecast three years out. Using this resource, associations and marketers can understand where our industry is going in the future. Advocate for important protections for event planners and associations.  IAEE helps to advocate on key issues like the online booking scam and is helping to promote key legislation to help end hackers from falsely creating hotel registration sites with two pieces of legislation in congress. Discover industry trends and take action.  CEIR is a resource that includes surveys in all industries and finds out what corporate heads of marketing are thinking, what channels they will be using in the future and budget plans. These insights are valuable to marketers, suppliers and associations alike. For more information about IAEE and CEIR visit the website and check out the IAEE event calendar and CEM program.  Certification program has 11 modules and you need 9 to be certified. A special thanks to Cathy Breden for being on the show and also for being on a panel about Exhibitions day which will be featured in a future episode. Editing Credits: Special thanks to Christy Haussler at Team Podcast for editing this episode.  

Are you looking to take your experience on the show floor to a new level?  Whether you are an association or trade show manager, IAEE-International for Exhibitions and Events-has the resources to boost your industry knowledge and enhance results for exhibitors, associations and attendees.  In this second interview with Randy Bauler,CEM and Corporate Relations & Exhibits Director at American Association of Critical-Care Nurses(AACN),we discuss how beneficial IAEE is and ways you can get involved. IAEE has been around since 1928 when it was the National Association of Exposition Managers when it represented “the interests of trade show and exposition managers, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® is the leading association for the global exhibition industry. Today IAEE represents over 12,000 individuals in 50 countries who conduct and support exhibitions around the world.” Whether you are an association or exhibitor, Randy shares key insights in this interview. 5 Ways to Get Involved with IAEE: Join a local chapter. Members have the opportunity to network, socialize and learn about the industry. Get Your CEM. If you’re an association, exhibitor or industry partner, IAEE offers great courses that will help you.  There are twelve modules and candidates need to complete 9 to receive the CEM. Take a backstage tour. Local chapters offer an insider view behind the scenes at conference centers around the country.  Whether you are a veteran or new to the industry this is a unique opportunity to learn more about how events happen. Take a Course.If getting your CEM isn’t for you, take one or two courses.  Randy describes his course Exhibition and Event Sales where you will learn: Attendance marketing, contractor/supplier relationship programs. Specialty exhibit sales Tactics-to get people sign up for a show Help advance space selection General selling techniques Overcome objections Put together sales plan Basics of selling Specifics-how do you put together an exhibitor prospectus, whatever selling opportunities do you sell Attend Expo ExpoDecember 3-5, 2019 in Las Vegas.It is an opportunity to network, take CEM and more at the national level. Favorite Resource:  Randy shares in addition to HCEA (Healthcare Convention and Exhibitor’s Association) and IAEE, he recommendsCEIR-Center for Exhibition Industry Research, which is part of IAEE and is a tremendous resource for data. For more insights, check out Episode 57 CEIR Industry Trends with Nancy Drapeau. You can reach Randy Bauler Randy.bauler@aacn.organd at AACN-check out the exhibits page. If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved with IAEE or have questions about any of the information here, reach out to me, I love hearing from you! Credits:As always, a big thanks to Christy Haussler at Team Podcastfor editing this episode.

Have you been wanting to maximize your results with a trade show association or if you are an association do you want to help your exhibitors get better ROI by exhibiting at your show?  In this interview, Randy Bauler,CEM and Corporate Relations & Exhibits Director at American Association of Critical-Care Nurses(AACN) shares advice about how to take your events to the next level in exposition education, booth space selection, sponsorship and how you can join an exhibitor advisory council (EAC). Exposition Education:Opportunity to provide CE credit to attendees in a theater setting. AACN offers 51 theaters, 200 topics that are presented 650 times over the course of the show. Exhibitors that include KOL’s (Key Opinion Leaders) to present content generate the best Conferences that offer CE credits on the show floor like AACN provide the opportunity for attendees to stay current (in the case of AACN, nurses can put CE credits towards renewing their licenses. Attendees want to learn and get education along with hands-on applications. Associations that offer CE credits on the show floor provide exhibitors a way to draw attendees to their exhibit and interact with them in a “non” sales format. Healthcare conferences for nurses enable attendees to become educated on the show floor and take the knowledge back to their hospitals and share it with other nurses. Selecting an Exhibit Space:You can often select next year’s space while at the show. Evaluate opportunities and consider a position near learning centers or special sponsored areas like the Rest and Relaxation area at AACN. How you bring traffic to your exhibit is more important than focusing on selecting a strategic location. Associations get attendees to the show-what do you do to drive traffic to your booth? Priority Point System is based on an accumulation of key criteria. Exhibitors earn points based on the size of the booth (1 point for every 100 feet of space at AACN).  In addition, history/loyalty points matter.  Points for advertising/sponsorship, year-round support also play a part.  AACN also offers points if you stay in their housing block.   Sponsorship opportunities:You have the ability to explore options outside of what is offered. Customize a sponsorship to achieve greater exposure to the attendee. Most exhibitors say “let me see your list of opportunities- what can we do to customize” and work with the association to develop the best offering. Engagement with attendee is more important than exposure. An example Randy shared is that while nurses are waiting for their seated message at the Rest and Relaxation lounge, the sponsoring company has greeters to interact with attendees, getting to know them and work the line before the nurse gets their message. Receptions offer an additional opportunity to interact and engage with attendees and the host company is encouraged to mingle and make connections. At AACN, a sponsoring company is able to have senior management speak for a few moments.  Products can be on display at a sponsored reception giving companies a second opportunity to engage with attendees.    Ways to Get Involved with Associations: Join an Advisory Council. Most shows have an exhibitor advisory council or committee-they invite representatives to talk about the event. Being on the EAC (Exhibitor Advisory Council) gives companies the chance to increase visibility in the industry and gain recognition. At AACN the only purpose is to make the experience better for exhibitors and attendees.  Favorite Resource:HCEA-Healthcare Convention and Exhibitor’s Association. In healthcare it is a unique organization that includes exhibitors, show management and suppliers together.  The HCEA events enable attendees to meet with peers, customers, potential customers and suppliers to the industry. If you have any questions about this episode, reach out to me, I love hearing from you! A big thank you to Randy Bauler for doing a two-part interview! Editing Credits:  As always, a big thanks to Christy Haussler with Team Podcastfor editing this episode.

If you love the trade show event industry and want to have an impact-then Exhibitions Day is an event you should consider attending to have your voice heard.   Diane Benson, Diamond CTSM, shares her first-time experience at Exhibitions Day representing HCEA through IAEE in Washington D.C. on June 4thand 5th.  Find out in this interview what it was like to go to Capitol Hill, meet with representatives and have the chance to share important information about our 97-billion-dollar industry. 4 Key Pillars to Help the Trade Show Industry at Exhibitions Day Exhibitions Day has four primary topics that they bring to Capitol Hill to help grow our industry: Investing in America’s Transportation Infrastructure: “According to the World Economic Forum, the U.S. ranks ninth in the world in infrastructure quality. Inadequate supply of infrastructure is one of our top 10 most problematic factors for doing business.”- Exhibitions Day. The goal is to make it easier to travel within the United States for all using our roads, trains, and air travel. Secure Travel Partnership Act of 2019 (H.R. 1996): “In 2017, 23 million travelers arrived in the U.S. from Visa Wavier Program countries and generated $190 billion in economic activity. Visitors from the 38 countries that participate help generates a $77 billion trade surplus for the U.S.” - Exhibitions Day. Change the name of the current Visa Waiver Act to make it easier for 38 countries to visit the United States for business. JOLT Act of 2019 (H.R. 2187): “Overview: Over 1.2 million jobs across America are directly supported by international inbound travel. For the U.S. to grow that number as well as regain and increase our share of the global travel market, it is important to improve and expand the programs we currently have in place.”-Exhibitions Day. The hope is to increase the opportunity for more countries to visit the United States for our trade shows. Protecting Brand USA: Reinstate the budget for marketing outside of the United States to help drive businesses to attend and participate in the trade show industry.“The marketing ROI previously was 28:1-every $1 Brand USA spent on marketing generated $28 in spend by international visitors.”-Exhibitions Day.  2 Reasons You Should Sign Up: Sign up-it is free! Each first timer is paired up with someone who has been before. Get Involved and Have Your Voice Heard: It matters to get more attendees to our exhibitions and grow our industry. Want to learn more? Check out HCEAConnectAugust 17th-20thin Miami, FL, where I will be interviewing Diane Benson live about #ExhibitionsDay! Diane’s Favorite Resources: HCEA, Exhibitor Magazine, CTSM Where to find Diane Benson:Twitterand LinkedIn A big thanks to Diane Benson for being on the show and sharing her insights and information to help empower our listeners. Editing Credits: As always, a big thanks to Christy Haussler and Team Podcast. Exhibitus participates in Exhibitions Day and feels it is an important responsibility to share our support.

Time Stamps for this week's show: 0:25 - 1:03 = SMT EXPO 1:04 - 2:34 = ExhibitCityNews.com Newsblast 2:56 - 4:10 = EACA News 4:11 - 5:56 = EDPA News 5:57 - 7:01 = ESCA News 7:02 - 8:08 = Randy Smith Memorial Updates 8:09 - 10:01 = IAEE News 10:02 - 16:47 = Don and Mike talk about poll results, upcoming conferences, Fathers Day and more 16:48 - 17:17 = YourEventAudio.com 17:18 - 17:50 = Tradeshow Calender at TheDonAndMikeShow.net 17:51 - 38:44 = Interview with Iggy Rosenberg / Lightswitch.net 38:45 - 39:25 = SMT EXPO 39:26 - 58:46 = Roger Rickard from Voices In Advocacy and Micole Bowman, VP of Marketing and Communications at IAEE interview 59:23 - 1:06:00 = Don and Mike wrap up

On Today’s Episode of EXPOsed Conferences™ Podcast I’m talking with Aidan Augustin, Co-Founder and President of Feathr, a software company building marketing tools specifically tailored to the needs of event organizers and professional associations. Feathr has helped almost 2,000 conferences or trade shows grow attendance, engagement, and digital sponsorship revenue. Based out of their Gainesville, FL headquarters, Aidan leads the sales and marketing functions of Feathr and spearheads industry engagement. He is an active member of both ASAE and IAEE, a volunteer with CEIR, and a regular speaker on the topics of programmatic advertising, influencer marketing, and web analytics.Click HERE to learn more about Aidan Augustin and Feathr and follow him on social media @Feathr for more great tips and tools to multiply your digital marketing efforts and make your campaigns more successful! On today's episode we will expose...- How Feathr transformed from a networking app into a modern digital marketing suite for events-How having a digital marketing campaign can boost registrations, sponsorships and exhibitors through targeting and re-targeting campaigns-Why having a 365 year campaign is a must and why personalization to your event success!-How you can use the influencer referral tools to promote your event -What insights are coming down the pipeline in digital marketing space and what is on the horizon for Feathr - think 2019 and beyond-And a few fun speed round questions....stick around to the very end you won't want to miss some interesting details we learned about Aidan including his favorite karaoke song, you won't to miss this!Want more EXPOsed Conferences™ Podcast?!Tune In: New Episodes are available every Tuesday and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to receive notifications about future episodes. Rate this episode (1-5) and be entered to be upgraded to "SQUAD" status....see "Support Future Episodes" for more details.Support Future Episodes: Join EXPOsed Conferences™ Podcast tribe of industry professionals and support future episodes! As a Patron of the podcast you have access to bonus episodes, resources and more that will help you take your events to the next level.Get Social: Follow us on Instagram to see what's coming up on a future show and to see EXPOsed Conferences™ live at industry events. Let's Connect! I would love to hear from you! Have an idea for a future show or want to be a guest on a future episode? Email me to schedule an exploratory call at exposedconferencespodcast@yahoo.comThis episode has been a production by EXPOsed Conferences™ Podcast © February 2019 all rights reserved.Support the show (http://patreon.com/exposedconferencespodcast)

Up to date news from Associations, Don and Mike talk about Work Stress, Tiger Woods, and news that affects our work world! TheDonAndMikeShow.net!

Association news updates, Airlines suffer woes with flight cancellations and stock drops, Don and Mike in Miami together for this show. See the new website at www.TheDonAndMikeShow.net

Updated Association news, Headlines from Events Industry, #EXHIBITORLIVE wrap up, Ace Awards, New website coming, 100th Episode of The Don and Mike Show ... much more! TheDonAndMikeShow@gmail.com and 1-833-366-2636 (TOLL-FREE 1-833-DON-ANDMIKE)

Government Shutdown, Derse appoints new CEO, IAEE reaches out with an economic survey and much more news from the industries and associations. Email news to TheDonAndMikeShow@gmail.com or Newsdesk@ExhibitCityNews.com or call toll free 1-833-366-2636 (1-833-DON-ANDMIKE)

We continue with our interviews from IAEE with David Dubois and Mitt Arnaduet and Julie Kagy with ESCA ... Don and Mike talk about 2019 kicking off, ACE Awards, Exhibitor Show, and more! New Don and Mike Show EXTRA starts on Tuesday January 8th!

David DuBois talks about the upcoming Expo Expo in New Orleans and other hot topics with IAEE, Dalton Jenkins and Don share Chicken shawarma stories, Don and Mike also highlight the problems with not checking your work to avoid costly errors and more! 1-833-366-2636 (Toll Free 1-833-DON-ANDMIKE) or TheDonAndMikeShow@gmail.com to participate and enter to win $2000!

Tim Bookout from The Trade Group in Dallas, TX joins Don and Mike to talk about the new Air Clad product hitting the US market for Experiential and Events. Don and Mike recap The Las Vegas Chapter of EDPA Scholarship FundRaiser from this week. Updates about the Strike possibilities from Vegas and also next week's interview with David Dubois from IAEE are discussed. Email TheDonAndMikeShow@gmail.com or call 1-833-366-2636 to play along for Don and Mike!

Randy Pekowski is the second generation in his family business, The Expo Group, which was founded by his father, Ray Pekowski. The Pekowski's have worked hard to make sure that the business is about more the visionalry founder, and have created a growing company while establishing healthy boundaries between work and family life.  This episode of "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do" is all about the realities of working with your family. Many business owners dream of having their children join the company, but it is not easy. If you (or someone you know) has a family business - they need to hear the advice that Randy shares. With over 20 years of experience in trade shows and events, Randy was promoted in 2016 to President of The Expo Group. He has been heavily involved in both strategic planning and operational execution throughout his career. His insight and leadership in process and technology management led him to become an inventor-of-record for The Expo Group's Automated Convention Processing System and Method (U.S. Pats. 6,557,007 and 6,721,763), that enables the company to deliver its renowned Single Source Solution®. Since that time he has continued to work to push innovation across the enterprise.  Randy is involved with IAEE, PCMA and ESCA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, management from Texas A&M University and has studied at Harvard Business School. http://www.TheExpoGroup.com Sponsors: Open Sky Fitness - http://www.openskyfitness.com Podfly Productions - http://www.podfly.net/coolthings

Roger Rickard talks with David DuBois, CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) on the importance of association advocacy for his organization and membership. Also, listen for the Advocacy Tip of the week - Get on the Record. For more information on IAEE go to: IAEE.com For more information on Exhibitions Mean Business go to: Exhibitionsmeanbusiness.org   Advertisers are:  TrekkerLeather.com and RokitSEO.com

John Federico (@gadgetboy) talks with David Spark (@dspark) about his new book, Three Feet from Seven Figures: One-on-One Engagement Techniques to Qualify More Leads at Trade Shows along with his experience offering comedian-led trade show training. David is joined by Robert Strong of Strong Entertainment. This episode was recorded on-location at IAEE’s 2015 Expo! Expo! Conference.

http://fsr.eui.eu The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today no.016 25 May 2015 from the 38th IAEE International Conference in Antalya, Turkey Former President of IAEE and Acting President of Italian AE, Prof. Carlo-Andrea Bollino talks with Jean-Michel Glachant about the implementation and status of renewables in Italy. In this interview we learn that although often overlooked, Italy is one of the leading countries in the move away from fossil fuels. “…The Italian public was environmentally conscious and didn’t want to build new fossil fuel based generation plants, but they wanted renewable energy” “Now after the crisis the rate of return from an investment in a small photovoltaic roof on your home is much better than a treasury bill of the Italian government, but that was the right signal at the time to give to a public that was suspicious”

http://fsr.eui.eu/ The Florence School of Regulation presents: Jean-Michel Glachant's Energy Today #005 17 March 2015, at the 5th Latin America Energy Econimics Meeting in Medellin, Colombia. Jean-Michel interviews Gas expert Peter R. Hartley, President of the International Association for Energy Economics, and asks him what Europeans should learn from the US shale gas revolution.