Since February, event organizers and suppliers across the country have been welcoming new leadership and increasing team headcount, as well as bidding farewell to seasoned industry veterans. 

TSNN’s take on the biggest recent move: Following a successful 37-year career in the U.S. gift and home trade show industry, veteran B2B Public Relations specialist Cathy Steel has retired. She and her husband of 24 years, Alan Steel, who retired from his 12-year position as CEO of New York’s Javits Center on March 31, plan to travel extensively and enjoy time with family and friends.   

Related: Alan Steel to Step Down as Javits Center CEO, Leaving Legacy of Innovation and Sustainability 

The big picture: Steel started her career in 1988 at George Little Management (GLM), where she developed an immediate love for the exposition industry and forged lasting relationships with buyers, suppliers, industry service providers, and domestic and international media in the gift, stationery, tabletop, housewares, home textiles, home furnishings, apparel, and hospitality industries. 

Need to know: In 2006, Steel launched her own independent PR agency, Steel Associates, LLC, with GLM’s flagship New York International Gift Fair as her first client. Her roster quickly expanded to include other industry-leading trade shows as well as annual industry awards programs and B2B technology providers. In 2012, International Market Centers (now ANDMORE) hired Steel to assist with its Las Vegas Market, which launched a 13-year partnership that included media relations for High Point Market, Atlanta Market, Apparel and Formal Markets in Atlanta and Las Vegas and JuniperMarket.com, the company’s B2B ecommerce platform.  

What she’s saying: “I never dreamed that my first job in 1988 would become a 30+ year career,” Steel said. “I am so fortunate to have grown up in this industry, doing a job I love and surrounded by colleagues and friends who are like family. It’s bittersweet to be stepping away, but I’m looking forward to all that’s ahead.” 

Smithbucklin  

Smithbucklin made strategic leadership updates to its association management business, with Jeremy Van Ek named COO, association management; Jeff Hartney as senior vice president, association management; and Kirsten Shaffer as client network lead for one of three healthcare and clinical administration networks.  

Based in Chicago and joining the corporate management team, Van Ek will lead efforts to modernize and transform Smithbucklin’s association management approach, focusing on client growth and operational excellence. He brings more than 20 years of experience in professional services, marketing, and association management, most recently serving as COO at the American Marketing Association (AMA) and serving as acting CEO for more than a year.  

Hartney, a 10-year veteran of Smithbucklin, will lead the overall Association Management network structure and delivery model, continuing to oversee one of the company’s trade association networks while also supporting all client network leads in their roles. For the past two years, he has served as a client network lead, overseeing a network of 10 trade associations and providing stabilizing and strategic leadership for clients and teams.  

Shaffer has been named client network lead for one of three Healthcare and Clinical Administration networks, continuing to serve as executive director of the National Association Medical Staff Services (NAMSS) while providing strategic oversight for Smithbucklin’s healthcare association clients. With 13 years at Smithbucklin, Kirsten has worked with multiple healthcare associations, including NAMSS, NAHAM, NCCAOM, and ASBMR.  

Tradeshow Logic  

Full-service show management and event solutions company Tradeshow Logic expanded its team.  

After joining the company in 2024 as vice president, organizational strategy and innovation, Jamie Romano Hillegas was promoted to executive vice president, event strategy. She most recently served as vice president of trade shows and events for the International Fresh Produce Association, previously the Produce Marketing Association. 

Bringing two decades of experience in show management as an exhibitor and event producer, Belinda Harvey has joined as event director, working with Hillegas to execute growth strategies and oversee client shows. She previously worked with the International Fresh Produce Association, and most recently ran exhibit and event marketing for W.L. Gore & Associates. 

Visit Baltimore 

Visit Baltimore President and CEO Al Hutchinson will be stepping down from his leadership role, effective June 30. Hutchinson will stay on in a consultant role to assist with the transition until his successor is identified, and a committee comprised of several members of the Baltimore Convention & Tourism Board (BCTB) has been established to help ensure a smooth transition.  

Under Hutchinson’s eight years of leadership, Baltimore’s tourism and hospitality industry has demonstrated remarkable growth, with Visit Baltimore achieving numerous milestones. These included attracting a host of leading event industry and top-tier sporting events to the city; achieving record-breaking visitation of 27.5 million visitors in 2023, with domestic travel generating $4 billion for the city’s economy; establishing a Tourism Improvement District, which provides additional resources directly from the city’s hotels towards sales and marketing efforts that generate tax revenue from visitors; a major marketing rebrand and launch of a mobile visitor center showcasing the destination; myriad social inclusion initiatives, and much more. 

Before coming to Visit Baltimore in 2016, Hutchinson served as president and CEO of Visit Mobile, Ala. for more than two years, and as vice president of sales for the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau for 11 years. 

Visit Baltimore Vice President of Sales & Customer Experience Kireem Swinton has been tapped to serve as interim president and CEO, starting July 1. 

Rainwater Conference Center  

Following nearly $1 million in upgrades in 2024, The Rainwater Conference Center in Valdosta, Ga., recently welcomed three new team members to enhance the facility’s meetings and event capabilities. 

As catering sales manager, Susie Ellington will serve as the on-staff specialist for all events at The Rainwater, including weddings, conferences, and meetings. 

As marketing manager for The Rainwater & Visit Valdosta, Patrick Pearson will establish and execute marketing strategies, including creating marketing-driven events and campaigns. 

As director of group development, The Rainwater & Visit Valdosta, Danielle Robards will work to drive group sales and cultivate relationships with event planners, tour operators, and organizations. She will also spearhead efforts to increase visitation and economic impact by developing strategic partnerships and collaborating with local stakeholders. 

UFI  

UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, welcomed Alex Hsu as program manager content and communities. In his role, he will work within UFI’s marketing and communications team on strategic initiatives such as Global Exhibitions Day and the Next Generation Leadership Grant, coordinating with overseas partners and stakeholders, as well as play an integral role in UFI’s 100-Year Celebration campaign. 

Originally from Taiwan and based in Paris, Hsu brings six years of international experience in trade show coordination and marketing, having worked with Messe Frankfurt in both Taiwan and France. His expertise also extends beyond exhibitions with a background in graphic design, enabling him to bring both his creative and strategic sides to UFI’s programs and initiatives. 

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center  

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) has promoted 25-year team member Elaine Williams to Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), responsible for continuing to oversee the development and execution of growth strategies, and working closely with all aspects of sales, marketing, event services, and operations. 

Formerly senior director of sales and event services, Williams was appointed interim CCO in November 2024 when former CCO Tim Hemphill announced his transition into a part-time executive advisor role after 17 years with the facility. She began her career at the NOENMCC in 1996 as a sales manager for Aramark, and after joining the venue’s sales team in 2007 as a national sales manager, was promoted to director of sales in 2013. 

Have some corporate event-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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