In January, the U.S. trade show industry kicked off 2025 with a bang as organizations far and wide reported a plethora of new hires, promotions, and executive appointments.  

TSNN’s Take on the biggest move in the last month: Nineteen Group appointed 25-year event industry veteran Mary Larkin as president of its Americas division as the company enters its next phase of its growth in the continent. 

The big picture: Headquartered in London and backed by Phoenix Equity Partners, Nineteen Group is an events and media company specializing in large-scale B2B trade exhibitions and conferences focused on sectors including security, fire safety, emergency services, health and safety, facilities management, and maintenance engineering.  

Need to know: Larkin started her extensive career at Montgomery Exhibitions and worked for Diversified for 28 years, most recently serving as its U.S. president before being appointed CEO, Americas of Arc network. An active member of the events community who serves on the boards of industry associations, such as UFI and SISO, her appointment comes as Phoenix Equity Partners recently announced it had raised a £200 (more than $248 USD) million continuation fund to extend its partnership with Nineteen Group after the events company significantly over-performed its original plans, thus allowing its rapid international growth to continue. 

What she’s saying: “Joining the Nineteen Group was very appealing to me for several reasons, including their impressive growth over the past few years, their recent expansion, and most importantly, their drive to put culture first–there is great energy and positivity at the company,” Larkin said. “I like the broad variety of industries served by Nineteen, the expansion of the events and the endless opportunities that await us in the U.S. Obviously, we want to bring current industry events within Nineteen to the U.S. through launches, but we also expect to grow through acquisitions. I look forward to creating another Nineteen Group division that is a great place to work in the U.S.” 

Clarion Events North America 

Jeff Davis joined Clarion Events North America as executive vice president, retail and specialty, responsible for event portfolios such as Coffee Fest, Gift & Souvenir, Halloween & Party Expo, Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention and Mid-Year Conference & Expo, The NGA Show, and WWIN (Womenswear In Nevada). He will also oversee association partnerships and Airport Experience Conference and Magazine.  

With decades of experience in the events and media industry, including a combined 14 years between roles at Emerald and Informa, Davis brings a strong understanding of the retail and specialty sectors to his new position.   

Clarion Events also promoted seasoned industry executive Desiree Hanson from chief commercial officer to president of its North American Energy division, which includes DISTRIBUTECH, POWERGEN International, media platform Factor This, and the Infocast portfolio of events.  

In her new role, Hanson will lead the division’s strategic initiatives, championing collaboration, team growth, and the alignment of business goals with industry needs. She has been a member of the Clarion executive team for more than seven years, steadily moving up the ranks and previously serving in executive vice president roles. 

Explore St. Louis 

Tourism and convention industry veteran Brad Dean has been chosen to take the helm of Explore St. Louis as its president and CEO, effective February 17. He brings more than two decades of leadership in the tourism and destination marketing industry, including his most recent role as CEO of Discover Puerto Rico and his 20-year tenure as president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.  

During his time at the helm of Discover Puerto Rico, Dean led efforts to boost the island’s tourism industry following the devastation of Hurricane Maria. Under his leadership, the destination experienced significant growth in tourism, economic impact, and destination recognition. He was also the driving force behind Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau successfully increasing visitation, significantly expanding tourism infrastructure, and establishing Myrtle Beach as a top U.S. coastal destination during his tenure.  

Georgia World Congress Center Authority 

The Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) in Atlanta has appointed Stacey Church as its new COO, effective February 10. She joins the authority’s leadership team from Dallas Fair Park, where she served as general manager, and is the third–and first female–COO in the GWCCA’s 50-year history. 

Prior to her tenure at Dallas Fair Park, Church served nearly five years as assistant general manager at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. She also held leadership roles at the Fort Worth Convention Center, the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., and the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Ky. 

ESCA 

The Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) appointed Tammy McGlade as director of marketing and membership. Bringing more than a decade of experience in the events and services, she is tasked with growing ESCA’s membership by identifying and engaging companies that align with the organization’s mission while cultivating strong relationships with new and existing members. McGlade most recently served as director of marketing and customer success at epIQ Creative Group, and prior to that, was a project manager for a2z Inc. 

Moscone Center   

SAVOR, the culinary division of ASM Global, selected David Teig as director of culinary for Moscone Center, responsible for managing all culinary activities at the San Francisco venue. Teig began his career as a chef in private restaurants, including the Michelin 3-Star Les Maisons De Bricourt, in Cancale, France, eventually transitioning to the hotel industry and working for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International in various roles ranging from executive chef to director of food and beverage. He most recently was executive chef at San Francisco’s historic Palace Hotel before joining the Moscone team.  

Visit Anaheim 

Visit Anaheim appointed hospitality and destination sales professional Virna Navia as its first vice president of intermediary strategy. Tasked with making connections and establishing relationships with intermediaries, promoting Anaheim as a prime meetings destination, and helping connect intermediaries with the Visit Anaheim sales team, she will serve as the main contact for the Visit Anaheim meetings and events team for third-party agencies looking to come to the Southern California destination.  

Bringing more 20 years of experience in the intermediary market, Navia brings a wealth of knowledge from her time as intermediary accounts director at Visit Orlando, as well as high-level sales roles with Four Seasons Hualalai, Fashion Island Hotel in Newport Beach, and Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.  

SlidesLive 

SlidesLive, provider AI-powered event recording and live-streaming solutions, welcomed Bruce Gudenberg as vice president of sales and marketing. Bringing a robust background in hospitality, marketing, and technology, his most previous roles include vice president of business development at Meeting Professionals International (MPI); executive director of industry relations at Hilton; executive director and vice president of marketing for Visit National Harbor, and vice president of partnerships and alliances at Destination DC.  

Visiting Media 

Hospitality technology company Visiting Media appointed Kevin Huang as senior vice president of Customer Experience (CX), responsible for leading Visiting Media’s customer success, customer strategy, training, and creative production teams from the company’s New York City office. He brings extensive experience in luxury hospitality and operational excellence to his new role, with a career spanning senior roles at Rosewood Hotels, Convene, and Polaris Development Group. 

Boyd Gaming  

Casino entertainment company Boyd Gaming welcomed Dzidra Junior as director of regional sales for the company’s nine Las Vegas properties: The Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast, Sam’s Town, Aliante, Cannery, California, Fremont and Main Street Station. Bringing a wealth of expertise to the Company’s meetings and conventions portfolio through her more than three decades working in the southern Nevada meetings and hospitality industry, she will focus on securing contracts for meeting and event groups requiring 50 to 1,000 peak-night rooms, meeting space and catering.  

Junior previously served as vice president of business development for YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado, and prior to that, was director, global sales for MGM Resorts International for more than eight years. 

Have some trade show-related people news to share? Please send announcements and high-resolution headshots to lisa.savas@informa.com and danica.tormohlen@informa.com.

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