The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) convened around 1,700 industry professionals at the Kentucky International Convention Center during this year’s “Expo! Expo! IAEE Annual Meeting & Exhibition.” The event was held December 13-15, 2022 in Louisville, KY.
“Expo! Expo!” offered learning opportunities starting with CEM and CEM-Advanced Professional (CEM-AP) courses held on December 12-13. Attendees celebrated “Education Day” on December 13 with tracks in five focus areas: Content creation; bridging relationships; game-plan moves; grow your show; and the evolving professional. IAEE Chapter receptions the same evening gave attendees the opportunity to mingle with their peers. The evening ended with the Opening Reception at Churchill Downs.
The following day, 50 participants kick-started the morning with the T-Dawg Wellness Wake Up by completing a walk from Kentucky to Indiana on the Big Four Bridge across the Ohio River. They raised over $3,000 for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) in memory of industry friend, Terence Donnelly. The Opening General Session on the same day (December 14) featured a warm welcome by David DuBois, president and CEO of IAEE , and Cleo Battle, president and CEO of Louisville Tourism. CEM Commission Chair Ryan Lovell was then joined by Janet Dell, COO of Freeman, sponsor of IAEE’s Certification Journey, for the CEM Class of 2022 Presentation, which recognized this year’s 271 graduates of the CEM Learning Program besides four new professionals who received the CEM-AP designation. These professionals join the ranks of the more than 3,700 CEMs worldwide.
The Opening General Session concluded with Leslie Johnson, VP of sales for Visit Milwaukee, introducing 2022 IAEE Chairperson Carrie Ferenac who interviewed keynote speaker Lauren Holiday, former U.S. women’s soccer player and three-time gold medalist. Holiday shared her outlook on maintaining positivity through adversity, balancing competitiveness and humility, and the successful shift from the soccer field to the business field.
Attendees then proceeded to the “Expo! Expo!” show floor, hosting 233 exhibitors in nearly 31,000 square feet of sold exhibit space. Besides conducting business and witnessing the launch of new products and services, attendees engaged in the “Expo! Expo! Derby Race” where they competed for more than $25,000 in prizes. The interactive game experience enabled attendees to earn points at “Derby stops” spread out across the meeting’s sessions and on the show floor. Prizes were awarded at both the individual and group levels.
The networking activities on December 14 included the First Timer and Hosted Buyer receptions, Exhibitor Hospitality Hours and Young Professionals Party, and culminated at Humanity Rocks: A Celebration with a Cause, where attendees raised funds for local charity, the Backside Learning Center. This was followed by the Pride After Party, supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
The last day of “Expo! Expo!” (December 15) offered more opportunities to connect with industry suppliers on the show floor, followed by the Closing General Session. DuBois opened the session with the final results of the fifth annual “Tech Startup and Pitch Competition,” in which ExpoFP took the top honor for its interactive floor plans.
DuBois and 2022 IAEE Awards Chairperson Daniel McKinnon, CEM then recognized this year’s recipients of the IAEE Awards. The awards ceremony was followed by the “Live from Louisville” special segment with outgoing chairperson Ferenac, who recapped the accomplishments of the past year and interviewed 2023 IAEE Chairperson Dennis Smith, VP of business development for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, on his vision for 2023.
Craig Davis, president and CEO of Visit Dallas, then introduced Jason Ware, VP of housing operations and contracting for MCI USA, for the final keynote presentation. Ware was joined by Dallas native Liz Mikel, actor and vocalist currently portraying John Hancock in the Broadway musical “1776.” Mikel revved audience members up for next year’s “Expo! Expo!” in Dallas and treated them to a musical performance.
The session concluded with the recognition of the “Expo! Expo! Derby Race” prize winners and the invitation to “Expo! Expo! 2023.” The next edition will be held December 3-5 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, TX.
For more information, visit www.iaee.com.
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