Jo Fostock
CMP, DES, Director of Event Technology Sales, Xpodigital.com
Motivating Force: The motivating force behind providing our clients with secure and redundant network solutions, alongside elevated digital advertising offerings, is our unwavering commitment to their success. We understand that seamless connectivity and impactful messaging are critical to creating exceptional event experiences. By delivering reliable and secure infrastructures, we ensure that clients can focus on engaging their audiences without concern for technical disruptions. Our innovative digital advertising solutions amplify their brand presence, enhancing visibility and driving meaningful interactions. At Xpodigital, we are driven by the desire to empower our clients with cutting-edge technology and personalized support, helping them achieve their goals and leave a lasting impression on their attendees.
Approach to Supercharging Experiences: Our approach to supercharging client experiences is rooted in delivering tailored, high-performance solutions that anticipate and exceed their needs. We begin by collaborating closely with clients to fully understand their event goals, challenges and unique audience. By leveraging our expertise in secure network infrastructure and digital advertising, we design scalable, reliable systems that support flawless execution, whether for conferences, conventions or hybrid events.
Our network solutions provide seamless, uninterrupted connectivity, ensuring that every attendee, sponsor and exhibitor remains connected and engaged. On the digital advertising side, we offer dynamic, impactful messaging platforms that enhance brand visibility and drive results. By using data-driven insights, we help our clients optimize their advertising strategies, ensuring their message reaches the right audience at the right time. But what truly sets us apart is our proactive, customer-first mindset. We don’t just react to issues; we anticipate them, providing real-time support and troubleshooting to ensure that everything runs smoothly. This holistic, solutions-oriented approach ensures our clients can deliver standout experiences, leaving lasting impressions on their audiences while achieving their objectives. At Xpodigital, we’re not just service providers—we’re partners in success.
Highlight of My Hospitality Career: A major highlight in my hospitality career has been overseeing Xpodigital’s support for the RSA Conference in San Francisco, one of the largest global cybersecurity events. Our team is responsible for providing secure, high-performance network solutions to over 40,000 attendees and ensuring seamless connectivity for more than 500 exhibitors on the show floor. The scale and complexity of this event requires meticulous planning, as we design and implement redundant network infrastructures that guarantee uninterrupted service.
From managing high bandwidth demands to securing reliable coverage in all event areas, we ensure that both attendees and exhibitors have a flawless experience. Our proactive approach involves real-time monitoring and troubleshooting, ensuring any potential issues are swiftly addressed before they impact the event. Successfully executing this large-scale event year after year has earned us a reputation for reliability and innovation in the field. The RSA Conference exemplifies our ability to manage complex, high-stakes events while delivering exceptional service and support for clients.
Janine Alsalam
Vice President of Sales, Hospitality Cloud, Cvent
Motivating Force: My motivating force is my family and a deep appreciation for the little things in life. In 2018, when I was 8 months pregnant, my husband suffered a serious rock-climbing accident. He was medevaced home just before Christmas, and days later, I went into labor a month early. Our baby was thankfully delivered safely, but my husband was wheelchair-bound for three months. I had to learn to take care of a newborn while helping him navigate life in a wheelchair. After his recovery, my husband could no longer continue his profession as a bread baker, and I became the sole provider for our family.
The pandemic led us to move to a family lake house, where we started home projects that not only offered a much-needed break from work stress but also rebuilt his confidence. This journey allowed him to start his own bakery, and today, I proudly juggle my Cvent role with supporting him and nurturing our two beautiful sons. It’s the little moments and the strength of our family bond that keep me going every day.
Approach to Supercharging Experiences: My approach to supercharging experiences hinges on a client-centric mindset, strategic innovation, and empowering those around me. Over my 17+ years at Cvent, I’ve driven our global success by launching key initiatives like the Cvent Supplier Network and building the strategic accounts function to build trusted relationships with hotel chains and management companies. By relentlessly advocating for my clients, I work to improve product functionality, expand access, enhance insights and lower barriers to entry—enabling greater group business and corporate travel success. I strive to “expand the pie” by fostering a collaborative environment that encourages idea-sharing and growth. Whether with a customer or an employee, I aim to empower those around me while driving the industry forward.
Highlight of My Hospitality Career: A highlight of my career was launching the Cvent Supplier Network, which now is one of the world’s largest online venue sourcing platforms. Over $16 billion of group business was sourced in 2023 alone. As the first employee of Cvent’s Hospitality Cloud, I helped build this platform from the ground up, transforming how hotels, event planners and travel managers connect and do business. I’m also proud to have founded our Hospitality Partnerships team, which empowers hospitality professionals who are doing more with less.
By building this team and investing in our integration efforts with our acquired companies and other leading hospitality technology providers, we’ve accelerated our customers’ success and proven the importance of partnerships and integrations to benefit not just mutual clients, but the entire industry. Beyond these accomplishments, mentoring the next generation of female leaders has been incredibly rewarding. Half of my team are women who manage over $28 million in business value. They are the future of our industry, and I’m proud to work alongside them. My success is due to incredible mentors who challenged me to think bigger and lifted me up during tough times. This commitment to empowerment and excellence is at the heart of everything I do.
Nick Borelli
Director of Marketing, Zenus
Motivating Force: Empowering intentional experience designers to bring the world together through fearless adoption of the tools that unlock their creativity.
Approach to Supercharging Experiences: Truly next-level events are born from a design thinking mindset—one that places empathy at its core. Focusing on a deep understanding of what attendees feel and need and using those insights to craft experiences that create lasting change. This approach encourages event organizers to think beyond logistics and focus on creating moments that shift perspectives, build genuine connections, and foster a sense of belonging.
My goal is to unlock intentional experience designers’ full potential by removing the blocks to their evolution and fueling their curiosity. Next level events come from taking risks, being willing to experiment, learn from feedback, and adapt quickly. By embracing this philosophy, organizers can transform their events into dynamic spaces where trust flourishes between stakeholders and their community, ultimately creating experiences that inspire, engage, and leave a lasting impact.
Highlight of your Hospitality Career: The events world has given me my way of life and a purpose. The best way I’ve been able to give back is through working with the SEARCH Foundation. The decade I served on the board was an honor. A significant percentage of the people who bring the world together are one bad day away from losing everything. SEARCH and its contributors help these hospitality and event pros in times of crisis. Being able to help my community in this way has been greatly satisfying.
Dahlia El Gazzar
Idea Igniteur + Events + Tech Consultant, DAHLIA+Agency
Motivating Force: My motivating force is my OMG attitude toward empowering professionals and leading change in the event industry. I thrive on helping others break their own status quo, be loud about their work, their brand, and their wins, and guide them to #getshiftdone. “Act as if it’s impossible to fail.”
Approach to Supercharging Experiences: I supercharge experiences by blending energy and creativity with tech that amplifies the event goals. As a coffee-fueled eventtech evangelist, I simplify the conversation between tech companies and users, turning them into storytellers. I aim to create intentional, unforgettable events that engage audiences and elevate their experiences.
Highlight of My Hospitality Career: Every time I get a high five or a hug from an event professional who has become louder about their brand refreshed their tech stack, and achieved business goals they worked hard to accomplish, that is a highlight in my career. These highlights light up my life and want me to touch more professionals to own their journey.
Jesse Frankel
Project Manager, Animatic Media, LLC
Motivating Force: Continuing the legacy of Animatic Media which has been an industry leader and innovator for so long. This company has come such a long way from its humble beginnings 27 years ago. I am driven by the desire to make my father and the entire Animatic Media staff proud of what I hope to be a long and successful career. I always embrace the great leadership here and am very blessed to be in my position so it motivates me to be the best I can be. I have been given an opportunity that many people dream of and I will never take it for granted. A big part of my motivation would also be to leave my mark on our events well into the future.
Approach to Supercharging Experiences: My approach is to build on a formula that has been proven to work while injecting the energy, technology and vision that younger generations can relate to. I really listening to our client’s concerns, needs and budget limitation to come up with new ways to exceed their expectations. With technology changing so quickly I can see a path to embrace the newest technology including AR and AI to provide amazing results. I am also comfortable taking calculated risks with ideas for our events that will give audiences that wow factor while making our clients look as good as they can as show producers.
Highlight of My Hospitality Career: Highlights for me mix both personal and professional dreams. To be able to travel and see this beautiful county as well as internationally. Another highlight for me is to get to meet people from all around the world. I love being able to always make those connections and being a foodie, I love to try all the amazing foods around the world. Finally, I think the most rewarding highlight for me in my short time in this industry, is the brainstorming with our creative team. I love starting with a blank slate on projects where our clients trust us to come up with new and innovative ideas. So, when I come up with a concept that is bought into, and then see it on display in front of thousands of people in an audience, it gives me the drive, motivation that makes me want to get back to work on the next project and come up with more ideas.
Brad Schumacher
Vice President Strategic Partnerships, Encore Global
Motivating Force: Utilizing strategy and long-term planning to guide the various stakeholders in hospitality to long term success and goal attainment. Feeding off others who are positively impacted by an interaction with myself or team/organization.
Approach to Supercharging Experiences: The secret sauce is in the service! No amount of technology can deliver a heightened experience without the proper people to deliver it.
Highlight of My Hospitality Career: I was attending a private concert on the last night of a conference. The one and only Katy Perry got hung up mid-song when she locked eyes with me and called me handsome from the stage!
