IAEE Chairperson Robert "Bob" McLean, Jr., CPA, CAE, CEM
Expo! Expo! 2022 to be held 13-15 December in Louisville.
DALLAS – The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) brought together 1,284 industry professionals representing 12 countries at this year’s Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition, held 7-9 December 2021 in Philadelphia, Pa. This year’s in-person event was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center along with its digital experience throughout all days of the show.
“It was very satisfying to be able to hold an in-person Expo! Expo! this year in addition to our online experience,” said IAEE President and CEO David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA. “It was important to us to meaningfully contribute to the industry’s renaissance, and the support from attendees was uplifting and inspiring.”
Preconference activities included the opening reception held on Monday, 6 December at the Reading Terminal Market which featured a delightful array of culinary offerings from vendors at one of America’s oldest and largest public markets.
DuBois officially launched Expo! Expo! at the Opening General Session on Tuesday, 7 December, which also included a warm welcome from President and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau Gregg Caren.
IAEE Chairperson Robert "Bob" McLean, Jr., CPA, CAE, CEM recapped the achievements made during the past year emphasizing IAEE’s accomplishments in promoting advocacy, event safety and sustainability, learning and communities, and global collaboration.
CEM Commission Chair LeeAnn Norton, CEM led the CEM Class of 2021 Presentation which recognized this year’s 197 graduates of the CEM Learning Program who joined the ranks of the more than 3,700 CEMs worldwide. The presentation also included welcoming four new professionals who received the CEM-Advanced Professional (CEM-AP) designation, the next step in the IAEE Certification Journey.
Keynote speaker Torin Perez closed the session by inspiring attendees to push for greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) not only in the professional setting but in their personal spaces as well. He challenged audience members to be the change they want to see and provided guidance on how to go about that.
The Mummers marching band led attendees to the Expo! Expo! show floor which featured 188 exhibitors in nearly 27,000 net square feet of sold exhibit space. The show floor was also home to three education theatres and live-streamed exhibitor mobile sessions.
The evening ended with the members mingling throughout the various IAEE chapter receptions that included an “Ugly Holiday Sweater” contest, with the winner announced during the following day’s general session.
On Wednesday, 8 December, 49 participants started the day off with the Terence Donnelly Memorial Health and Wellness Event, raising more than $3,100 for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR).
That morning’s general session included the announcement of the results of the fourth annual Tech Startup and Pitch Competition, in which CLIPr – a video analysis and management (VAM) platform – took the top honor. In addition, Moriah Hathaway-Casey, CEM was announced as the winner of the ugly sweater contest that took place during the IAEE Chapter receptions.
The 2021 IAEE Award Winners were revealed to attendees during the awards ceremony, followed by the passing of the gavel to 2022 IAEE Chairperson Carrie Ferenac, Co-Founder and President of CNTV (Convention News Television). “Believe in IAEE, show up by getting involved and be curious as we embrace change for the future,” Ferenac told audience members as she shared her vision for the coming year.
The session concluded with an industry panel on what the exhibitions and events industry can expect in the coming year as it continues to recover from the effects of COVID-19. Facilitated by Rachel Wimberly, Executive Vice President of Business Development for Tarsus U.S., panelists included Michael Clarke, CMP, Director of B2B Programs and Events in the U.S. and Canada for Marriott International; Adam Sacks, President of Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company; and Megan Tanel, CEM, Incoming President of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).
Attendees rounded out their afternoon with more time on the Expo! Expo! show floor visiting exhibitors and partaking in education activations.
The Expo! Expo! virtual experience continued on 9 December, with a full day of pre-recorded education sessions paired with a live chat that allowed attendees to interact with presenters and other session participants in real time.
Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 will be held 13-15 December at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Ky.
IAEE extends a special thank you to all its partners who helped make Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2021 a great success.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
