Mar 15, 2024
Celebrated every March, Women’s History Month is an opportune time to celebrate the female achievers of the trade show and events industry. In this first in a series of exclusive interviews with several outstanding female industry professionals, we had the pleasure of speaking with Courtney Muller, president of Manifest and Connectiv chief corporate development officer, and Kinsey Fabrizio, the newly appointed president of the Consumer Electronics Association, to find out how their organizations are supporting women, what they advise for the next generation of female leaders and who are the… more
Mar 12, 2024
Trade show and event-related organizations in the U.S. and abroad are appointing new leadership, elevating staff and welcoming new industry professionals to their teams this month.  Consumer Technology Association  The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has tapped Kinsey Fabrizio as its new and first female president in the association’s history. Relinquishing the president title, Gary Shapiro, current CTA president and CEO, will continue in the latter role.  Elevated from senior vice president CES and membership, Fabrizio now sits on the association’s executive board and will be… more
Mar 07, 2024
Edlen Electrical Vice President Business Development Julie Pazina was elected Nevada State Senator of District 12 in 2022, and she served in her first legislative session last year. As a first-term Senator, she had eight pieces of legislation signed into law — the most of any freshman legislator. Related: EDLEN ELECTRICAL EXHIBITIONS' JULIE PAZINA SWORN IN AS NEVADA STATE SENATOR The Nevada State Legislature has 63 members — 21 senators and 42 assembly people. They meet in session in Carson City for 120 days every other year, so there’s a lot to accomplish in a short period of time. From… more
Feb 28, 2024
Taking place each February, Black History Month is an ideal time to honor and celebrate the achievements of Black trade show and event industry professionals and renew our commitment to continue fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). We want to recognize and highlight Black industry leaders and share their experiences. This week, we are featuring Julie Coker, president and CEO of San Diego Tourism, Emile Davis, managing director, business development for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Al Hutchison, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore. Find out how their… more
Feb 27, 2024
The U.S. trade show industry is continuing its steady pace of hiring and promoting, with event-related companies boosting and appointing staff as business forecasts signal a positive outlook for the year ahead. Here’s our monthly recap of new hires and promotions. Connect  Matt Johnson has been promoted to managing director of meetings, events, travel and tourism industry leader Connect, which was acquired by Informa in 2023 and is now part of Informa Connect. A part of the Connect team for nearly 19 years, he is responsible for spearheading new initiatives to best serve customers through… more
Feb 22, 2024
Taking place each February, Black History Month is an ideal time to honor and celebrate the achievements of Black people in the trade show industry and events and renew our commitment to continue fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). We want to recognize and highlight Black industry leaders and share their experiences. This week, we are featuring Milton Montague, senior director, Americas innovation and development for RX, and Rochelle Richardson, senior vice president, expositions and events for AVIXA. Here, we discover what they’re most proud of when it comes to how their… more
Feb 20, 2024
An event design and management company and a major trade show producer recently announced two executive promotions. Clarion Events North America Greg Topalian is being elevated from CEO to chairman of Clarion Events North America.  In his new role, Topalian will focus on acquisitions and business development and provide high-level strategic planning for Clarion globally while actively supporting North America presidents Liz Irving, president of Clarion Events North America, and Kelly Comboni, president of Quartz Network, Consero and LeftField Media, who will run the day-to-day strategy and… more
Feb 13, 2024
What is the current mindset of CEOs in the event industry? In part two of our series, experiential marketing agency leaders shared what their top business concerns are now and moving into 2024, and how they and their organization are addressing them.  How does the event industry compare against other industries? In part one of our series, we shared an analysis of the KPMG 2023 CEO Outlook — the annual survey of 1,300 CEOs of the world’s largest businesses conducted by KPMG International. Find out what CEOs from RX and Informa Markets shared with us. Find out what CEOs from Visit Detroit… more
Feb 07, 2024
As 2024 kicks off, event-related organizations, particularly destination marketing organizations (DMOs), are busy adding and promoting staff, welcoming new executives and bidding farewell to veteran leadership.  Seattle Convention Center  After serving as Seattle Convention Center (SCC) president and CEO for more than 12 years, 45-year venue management industry veteran Jeff Blosser is retiring in May 2024. During his time at the helm of the SCC, Blosser opened a new building, guided operations through a pandemic, served in leadership on numerous industry boards and was presented with a… more
Jan 12, 2024
Talk to Lux Narayan, co-founder of event audience engagement technology platform StreamAlive, and it quickly becomes apparent that he is anything but your typical event tech CEO. Not only has the serial entrepreneur founded three technology companies over the past two decades, including AI-powered SaaS StreamAlive in 2021, social media benchmarking company Unmetric and online data backup company Vembu Technologies, but also he is a TED speaker, amateur standup comedian, author and storyteller who feels just as comfortable telling jokes in front of an audience as he does delivering PowerPoint… more
Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact