As the trade show industry moves into the holiday season, a plethora of associations and suppliers announced good tidings in the form of leadership appointments and executive promotions in November. Here’s our roundup on trade show moves last month. 

TSNN’s take on the biggest move in November:  The Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) welcomed Jenn Heinold as senior vice president, expositions, Americas. She is responsible for leading the strategy and operations for AVIXA’s exposition and conference portfolio in the Americas, including InfoComm and InfoComm América Latina, the latter of which will debut Oct. 22-24, 2025, at the World Trade Center Mexico City in Mexico. 

The big picture:  AVIXA is a leading international trade association for the audiovisual (AV) industry, focused on advancing the interests of AV professionals and businesses by providing resources, education, and advocacy. Besides working to promote the value of AV technology in various sectors, including corporate, education, healthcare, and entertainment, it offers certification programs for AV professionals, industry research reports, training opportunities to enhance skills and knowledge in the field, and events trade shows and conferences to facilitate networking and collaboration among industry stakeholders.    

Need to know:  Most recently, Heinold served as president of Taffy Event Strategies, where she managed day-to-day business operations, client relations, and new business development for the growing company. In April 2024, Taffy launched the High Performance Expo, a wholly owned subsidiary producing events in the automotive aftermarket and performance racing markets. Before her role at Taffy, Heinold served as senior vice president of events for Access Intelligence, managing a portfolio of trade shows and conferences in the aerospace, healthcare, and energy markets. 

What she’s saying: “I’m so very excited to join AVIXA and lead their events in the Americas. InfoComm has excellent momentum, is one of the most respected shows in the U.S. and is produced by a team of trade show rock stars,” Heinold said. “The products and technology on the show floor enable us to be more connected, more efficient, and have more meaningful experiences. I am looking forward to being a part of the pro AV community.” 

AVIXA  

AVIXA also appointed Donna Page as senior director, expositions marketing, tasked with leading the exposition marketing strategy for InfoComm. She joins AVIXA from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), where she served as vice president, marketing and insight, leading event marketing campaigns to drive attendee and exhibitor acquisition and retention for its trade shows, including the NAB Show. 

Association of Event Organisers

The UK-based Association of Event Organisers (AEO) appointed 20-year events industry veteran Anna Golden as its new CEO, effective January 2025. She brings extensive experience from her previous role as commercial director at Olympia London, where she grew the event venue’s revenue to its highest recorded figure pre-COVID, played a pivotal role in its £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) redevelopment plan, oversaw its award-winning original rebrand, and helped secure significant contracts with major trade and consumer shows. 

As CEO, Golden will lead the AEO’s mission to support UK event organizers through advocacy, membership growth, and strategic advancement.  

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center 

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) promoted 40-year team member and convention industry professional Leslie Lotten from assistant director of event services to director of event services, responsible for overseeing the comprehensive management and execution of all event-related services at the convention center, including event and exhibit services, The UPS Store, and box office operations. 

In her new role, Lotten will lead a dynamic team focused on driving efforts to enhance client satisfaction, optimizing revenue potential, and strengthening relationships with event organizers, vendors, and industry partners. She will also play a key role in the strategic planning and development of NOENMCC’s event management initiatives. 

Moss Inc. 

Event graphics and tension fabric structures provider Moss Inc. promoted Elissa Decker from director, global textile development and procurement to vice president, global procurement and textile development. Providing strategic leadership and direct oversight of the Moss global procurement organization, her responsibilities encompass the rationalizing and sourcing of raw materials, outsourced procurement manufacturing and services, and vendor diligence. She will also lead the company’s development and maintenance of global procurement systems, policies, and reporting. 

Decker has been an instrumental leader at Moss for 16 years, significantly contributing to the development and procurement of core textile offerings, while spearheading initiatives that led to substantial cost savings, quality enhancements, and the establishment of global supplier agreements. 

ASM Global  

Development and full-service venue and live events company ASM Global named Kathy Bart as the new general manager of Waco Convention Center in Waco, Texas, responsible for leading the company’s efforts in elevating the venue’s guest experience and operations, unlocking new opportunities to attract innovative programming and new events, and fostering connections to the Waco community. She also serves as director of sales and event services for ASM Global, a role she held for more than six years. 

Bart most recently served as director of sales at DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., where she was responsible for growing and managing local, regional and national business as well as collaborating with the local entities and stakeholders to execute events ranging from public shows to large annual association conventions.  

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

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