For many meeting professionals, taking a well-deserved breath after a year of planning large conventions, attending the International Association of Exhibitions & Events’ (IAEE) Expo! Expo! is an annual tradition. This year was no exception. An estimated 1,700 attendees passed through the West Hall doors at Los Angeles Convention Center the second week of December. Known as “The Show for Shows,” the education, trade show floor and networking brought together solutions and inspiration.
I attended in search of trends shaping U.S. and international conferences and found that from the main stage to the booths and in the hands-on labs, the focus was on taking real action based on what is happening in convention rooms today.
Advanced Education
Dedicated content tracks included health, wellness and safety, trade show design and operations. A hands-on technology learning lab encouraged attendees to test their prompt prowess as AI collaborators and take new tech products for a drive. An empowering takeaway from MarComm Strategist Sherron Washington is that when it comes to social media, sometimes less is more. Once you understand how your audience behaves on different platforms, you can focus on being consistent and captivating where it matters.
Read More: IAEE Women’s Leadership Forum Created a Safe Space
A marketing strategies track shared real-world stories about brand management, attendee acquisition and sponsorship sales. Across the more than 70 sessions, audience participation was encouraged.
Case studies from Auto Care Association, CompuSystems and National Business Aviation Association brought the challenges and solutions to, in some cases, breathtaking life as meeting planners shared how they handled crises as severe as protestors handcuffing themselves to a $100-million private jet.
On the Floor
In addition to production partners such as Heritage, Freeman, Maritz, Grit and GES (which had the most buzzy booth due to a fun game show activation) and appearances from destination partners such as Discover Los Angeles, Visit Orlando and Visit Houston, an expanded Tech2Grow Collective showcased AI, data collection and app innovations.
Content at embedded stages on the trade show floor included sustainability tips in ASM’s Redefining Convention Experiences Theatre and OVG/EIC’s Innovation Theatre.
MADE by DWC, a pop-up shop, supported the Downtown Women’s Center to empower women transitioning out of homelessness.
Celebrating Excellence
A major focus of the conference was earning Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) credits and much of Sunday and Monday focused on the advanced skills required to carry the distinction. On Tuesday, the 2024 CEM graduates walked the stage to join more than 4,000 CEMs around the world.
Learn More: Using Titles and Certifications to Your Advantage
At the same time, incoming IAEE chair Chuck Grouzard announced that Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) would be integrated into IAEE.
In fact, the program kicked off with a celebration of excellence at The NOVO music venue in the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live as the IAEE Awards Ceremony recognized the 2024 IAEE Award recipients. Educator
Janet Sperstad received the IAEE Pinnacle Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Linda Wineski, founder and president of Convention Plant Creations. The Bob Dallmeyer Educator of the Year Award went to Josie Caldwell, senior client relationship director at Freeman, and Dr. Chin-Hsun Tsai, associate professor and event management program director at Iowa State University.
The Cathy Breden Woman of Achievement Award went to Gwen Venable, executive vice president of expo and communication services at the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. The Distinguished Service Award went to Shirly Song, deputy general manager at Chongqing Yuleai Investment Group Co. And the Humanitarian Award went to Julie Pazania, vice president of business development at Edlen Electrical Exhibition Services. The Innovative Business Solution Award went to Fill it Forward.
Main Stage Insights
More wisdom came from the main stage as author Sebastian “Seb” Terry shared the transformational power of living a long-term bucket list. “The way we show up in the world has a profound effect on those around us,” he observed. Meeting professionals can ignite others with the work they do. Feeling that what you do matters is the key to living a fulfilled life.
“A bucket list reminds us to step outside our comfort zone,” Terry explained. “That’s how we learn where our edges are. Instead of reacting to change, we can create change.”
He concluded: “You are changing the world one event at a time. Together we create a positive impact.”
Expo! Expo! 2025 lands in Houston, Texas, Dec. 9-11.
