People in Gathering Architecture

Every public Wisdom Bank practitioner and Feed Room voice, with links to where they appear. Names may appear in more than one section.

The bookshelf · Wisdom Bank · Feed Room

• Jason Alexander

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Collaborating on Stage, Screen, and Beyond

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• Richard Attias

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Richard Attias Builds Bridges

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• Carina Bauer

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Weekend Wisdom Bank: Carina Bauer — How Carina Bauer and Ray Bloom Built IMEX Into the Beating Heart of the Events Industry

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• Lisa Belzberg

  Practitioner · 6 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Conscious Connector Breaks Down Barriers To Create Larger Caring Communities

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• Jaclyn Bernstein

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Running a Destination Management Company in NYC: She Doesn't Just Plan Events, She Makes It Feel Like Home (Part 1) / She's Never Missed a Single September (Part 2)

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• Mary Boone

  Practitioner · 9 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Innovator Designs Meeting Experiences That Stimulate High-Performance Collaboration

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• Mark Brewster

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Mark Brewster Wants the Events Industry to Write the Survey First

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• Sarah Brown

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Quiet Activist, Spouse Of Former British Prime Minister, Takes Deliberate Steps To Create Change

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• Paul Bulencea & Claus Raasted

  Practitioner · 9 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Creating Immersive Learning At The College of Extraordinary Experiences

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• Amy Calvert

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Amy Calvert and the Board That Is Dragging the Events Industry Into Tomorrow

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• Cheryl Cecchetto

  Practitioner · 5 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Hollywood Events Producer Casts Her Collaborations

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• Michael Cirino

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Novel Experience Creator Pushes Boundaries And Raises The Bars

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• Steven Clemons

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Newsperson Uses Real-Time Collaboration To Solve Real Problems

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• Jennifer Collins

  Practitioner · 13 attributed entries. The Reunion Instinct

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• Esther Coopersmith

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Behind The Scenes Diplomat Leverages Spouses For Peace

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• Colin Cowie

  Practitioner · 6 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Celebrity Event Professional Intersects Hospitality And Entertainment To Motivate Action

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• Colja Dams

  Practitioner · 26 attributed entries. Still Making Magic

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• Chris & Jill Drury

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Duo Leads A Company That's Pioneering New Models Of Event Interaction

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• Philip Dufour

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Weekend Wisdom Bank: Philip Dufour, Washington's Global Host of Influence

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• Mike Duignan

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Why Mike Duignan Built the Centre for Events & Festivals

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• Tahira Endean

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: People-Centric, Purpose-Driven, Intentional Design Inspires Involvement

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• Ben Erwin

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. The Voice of God's Boss

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• Brian Feit

  Practitioner · 18 attributed entries. Running an Experiential Agency: The Hustle Never Stops. It Just Gets Bigger.

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• Edie Fraser

  Practitioner · 6 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Networking Ninja Creates Opportunities For Women

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• Marc Friedland

  Practitioner · 6 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity / Inviting Participation And Pushing The Envelope For Stimulating Details

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• Andrew Garcia

  Practitioner · 11 attributed entries. Co-Founder, Goodshuffle Pro

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• Marco Giberti

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Marco Giberti and the Gathering That Funds

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• Steve Gottlieb

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Platform Creator Increases Participation By Using Tech To Allow Collaborators To Choose Their Own Journeys

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• Natalie Jones Hallahan

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Statecraft Expert Sets The Stage For Diplomatic Results

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• Greg Hitchen

  Practitioner · 12 attributed entries. Greg Hitchen of Terrapinn: interview with David Adler

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• Ruud Janssen

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity / Event Canvas Artist Who Envisions The Success Journey

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• Mark Johnson

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity / Uniting The World By Making It Possible For People To Sing Together Virtually

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• Nicola Kastner

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. The Rise of the Outcome Architect

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• Kathy 'Coach' Kemper

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Tennis Teacher To The Powerful Exerts Unique Power Off The Court

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• Laurie Kirby

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Laurie Kirby Built the Room Where Festival Creators Go to Think

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• Lauren Kotkin

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Philanthropic Specialist Helps Unlock The Riches And Energy Of The World Through Conferences

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• Andrew Lacanienta

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity / Strategically Designing Transformations With An Understanding Of The Types Of Experiences

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• James Lancaster

  Practitioner · 21 attributed entries. James Lancaster and the Rules of Engagement

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• David Landgraf

  Practitioner · 21 attributed entries. The Quiet Architect of Gatherings

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• Sam Lippman

  Practitioner · 6 attributed entries. Sam Lippman and the Rooms Where the Exhibition Industry Talks to Itself

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• Wynton Marsalis

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Musical Superstar On Improvising Together

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• Anita McBride

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: DC Insider Shines Spotlight On The Power Of First Ladies

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• J.B. Miller

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity / Go-To Resource For Next Level Collaborations With Greater Impact

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• Paul Miller

  Practitioner · 12 attributed entries. Paul Miller and the Business of Information Flow

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• Iain Morrison

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Iain Morrison and the Invisible Architecture of Events

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• Seth Moulton

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Military-Trained Congressional Leader On The Democracy Of Collaboration

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• Xavier Mufraggi

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: At The Epicenter Of The Powerful, Exclusive YPO, The Corporate Leadership Community

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• Roger Nierenberg

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Teaching Businesspeople Collaboration Through Immersion In The Orchestra Experience

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• J. Francisco Núñez

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Choirmaster Leverages Diversity And Mentorship To Create Harmony

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• Charlie Palmer

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Chef And Host Cooks Up Collaborative Experiences

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• Ben Parr

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Entrepreneur, Influencer, Writer Pays Attention To Attention

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• Arthur Pearson

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Veteran Outward Bound Icon On Collaboration In Learning

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• Nicole Peck

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Nicole Peck: The General of Warmth

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• Dr. Wayne Pernell

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Exponential Success Coach With A Doctorate In Clinical Psychology Applies Principles Of Couples Therapy To Get Big Business Results

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• Holly Peterson

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. Holly Peterson's Dinner Party Doctrine

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• Barry Ross Rinehart

  Practitioner · 4 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity / Leverage Emotions For Impact

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• Andrew Roby

  Practitioner · 12 attributed entries. Belonging by Design: Andrew Roby and the False Divide Inside the Event Industry

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• Sandy Safi

  Practitioner · 6 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Connecting The World By Creating FOMO Phenomenon

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• Angela Scalpello

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Communications Consultant On Catalyzing Serendipitous Conversations

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• Lee Brian Schrager

  Practitioner · 14 attributed entries. 25th Anniversary: The Beach, the Crowd, the Crisis

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• Adrian Segar

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Advocator-In-Chief Of The Unconference On Collaborative Environments That People Love

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• Sarah Shewey

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Making Trained Talent On Demand A Reality

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• Amanda Slavin

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Collaboration Wizard On The Progression Of Levels Of Engagement

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• Julius Solaris

  Practitioner · 10 attributed entries. The American Dream, Italian Style

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• Brian Solis

  Practitioner · 2 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity / Global Innovation Evangelist Combines Digital And Real-World Experiences To Reach More People

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• David Stark

  Practitioner · 6 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Event Visionary Builds Moving Moments

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• Jonathan Steffert

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. New Zealand's Cultural Attache In D.C. Can't Afford To Tell A Typical Story Or Have A So-so Party

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• Joanna Stone Herman

  Practitioner · 6 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity / Dealmaker Births New Collaborations Destined For Success

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• Deborah Szekely

  Practitioner · 6 attributed entries. Life Lessons On Collaboration From Rancho La Puerta Retreat

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• Caitlin Walker

  Practitioner · 8 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity / Pioneer Of Using Clean Questions Movement For More Effective Collaborations

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• Don Welsh

  Practitioner · 10 attributed entries. The Coach and 'Showman' in Chief

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• Carl Winston

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Carl Winston and the Discipline of Building Something That Wasn't Supposed to Matter

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• John Woo

  Practitioner · 7 attributed entries. Harnessing Serendipity: Connecting Physical And Virtual Audiences By Breaking The 'Fifth Wall' In Hybrid Gatherings

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• Priya Parker

  Voice · Author, The Art of Gathering · United States. Most gatherings fail at the purpose stage, before a single logistical decision is made.

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• Peter Block

  Voice · Author, Community: The Structure of Belonging · United States. Social fabric is created one room at a time, by choosing who is in it and what conversation happens there.

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• Adrian Segar

  Voice · Author, Conferences That Work · United States. A predetermined agenda wastes the expertise already sitting in the room.

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• Maarten Vanneste

  Voice · Author, Meeting Architecture: A Manifesto · Belgium. Belgium requires a licensed architect for a €100,000 house. We spend ten times that on events with nobody holding a comparable qualification — and procurement allows it.

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• Mike van der Vijver

  Voice · Co-author, Into the Heart of Meetings · Italy & Netherlands. A meeting is a form of communication with describable processes, so those processes can be designed rather than left to chance.

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• Ruud Janssen

  Voice · Co-author, The Event Design Handbook · Switzerland. Events should be designed by mapping the behaviour change intended for each stakeholder — a shared design language for the industry.

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• Roel Frissen

  Voice · Co-author, The Event Design Handbook · Netherlands. A design method only spreads if it is teachable and certifiable — fourteen trainers across fourteen countries is what makes it a discipline.

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• Ben Moorsom

  Voice · Author, Engagement: Decoded · Canada. Branding every surface does not raise recall, it teaches the brain to ignore you. Events hold attention only a quarter to a third of the time.

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• Tahira Endean

  Voice · Author, Our KPI is Joy · Canada. Joy is measurable and belongs in the C-suite metric set. A badge scan is not an outcome.

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• Steve Clemons

  Voice · Founder, The Washington Note; Chair, Widehall · United States. Convening is a craft with its own artistry, and the editorial frame most events inherit is a constraint on it.

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• Rebecca Grinnals

  Voice · Co-founder, Engage! Summits · United States. A siloed trade with no trust between operators can be reorganised into a collaborative one by building the room deliberately — capped at 350.

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• Kathryn Arce

  Voice · Co-founder, Engage! Summits · United States. The gala for a business conference should be better than the weddings its attendees produce. Execution is the argument.

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• Akeshi Akinseye

  Voice · Author, The Art of Celebrating · United States. Hosting is a practice with intention behind it — the same principles govern a grand destination wedding and an intimate dinner at home.

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• Sarah Haywood

  Voice · Author & Producer, The Wedding Fixer · United Kingdom. The multi-day celebration is a production discipline, not a bigger party.

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• Mindy Weiss

  Voice · Event Producer & MasterClass Instructor · United States. Thirty years and thousands of events on the argument that warmth scales.

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• Bryan Rafanelli

  Voice · Founder, Rafanelli Events · United States. Clients come for the sense of meaning, not the execution. Bold design and business intelligence are the same discipline.

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• David Stark

  Voice · Author, The Art of the Party · United States. An event is an installation — work that crosses into the design press rather than staying in the trades.

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• David Beahm

  Voice · Founder, David Beahm Experiences · United States. Events are theatre. Lighting, silhouette and staging separate a designed room from a decorated one.

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• Aloysius Arlando

  Voice · President, SACEOS · Singapore. Festivalisation — a trade show should become the festival of an industry rather than a hall of booths.

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• Keith McCandless

  Voice · Co-author, The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures · United States. Microstructures decide who gets to contribute. Change the structure, change the outcome.

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• Henri Lipmanowicz

  Voice · Co-author, Liberating Structures · France & United States. Conventional meeting formats systematically exclude most of the people in the room.

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• Sam Kaner

  Voice · Author, Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making · United States. Groups must pass through a groan zone to reach real decisions. Skipping it manufactures false consensus.

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• Chris Corrigan

  Voice · Author, The Tao of Holding Space · Canada. In complexity you host conditions rather than control outcomes. Steward of Open Space Technology.

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• Myriam Hadnes

  Voice · Host, workshops work; founder, NeverDoneBefore · Netherlands. Facilitation is an invisible craft that clients systematically undervalue and underpay.

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• Johnnie Moore

  Voice · Author, Unhurried at Work · United Kingdom. Facilitators feel pressure to make things happen. Sitting with the confusion instead lets the group find its own resources.

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• Viv McWaters

  Voice · Co-author, Creative Facilitation · Australia. Improvisation is a trainable competence for decision-making under pressure, not a personality trait.

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• Sarah Michel

  Voice · Partner, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting · United States. Connection inside a conference has to be engineered. Hoping for it is a programme failure.

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• Liz Lathan

  Voice · Co-founder, Club Ichi · United States. The agenda should emerge from the room's actual unsolved problems. No speakers, no panels, nobody rehearses.

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• Nicole Osibodu

  Voice · Co-founder, Club Ichi; the Wingman Protocol · United States. Belonging can be engineered by someone deliberately reading who is left out and bridging it.

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• Jefferson Fisher

  Voice · Author, The Next Conversation · United States. Argue less, talk more. Conflict escalates because people try to win rather than be understood.

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• Jeffrey Cufaude

  Voice · Principal, Idea Architects · United States. Most volunteer leadership fails at facilitation rather than at strategy. Boards need someone who can run the room.

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• Alex Pentland

  Voice · Author, Social Physics · United States. Idea flow across face-to-face networks predicts group performance better than individual talent does.

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• Damon Centola

  Voice · Author, Change: How to Make Big Things Happen · United States. Complex behaviours spread through reinforcing clusters and wide bridges, not weak ties.

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• Nicholas Christakis

  Voice · Co-author, Connected · United States. Behaviour and emotion propagate roughly three degrees through a social network.

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• Marcus Collins

  Voice · Author, For the Culture · United States. Culture, not messaging, moves people to act — through tribes and congregations rather than persuasion.

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• Eric Klinenberg

  Voice · Author, Palaces for the People · United States. Social infrastructure — the physical places people gather — determines who survives a crisis.

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• Robert Putnam

  Voice · Author, Bowling Alone; The Upswing · United States. Social capital is built through repeated structured association, its collapse is measurable, and it has been reversed once already.

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• Charlotte Blank

  Voice · Chief Behavioral Officer, Maritz · United States. Few organisations run real experiments. Her field research found loss-framed incentives produce negative consequences — contradicting the industry that pays her.

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• David Allison

  Voice · Founder, Valuegraphics · Canada. Demographics are stereotypes dressed as data. Values predict behaviour; belonging is the top shared value worldwide.

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• Casper ter Kuile

  Voice · Author, The Power of Ritual · United Kingdom & United States. Secular gatherings are quietly taking over the functions religion used to perform.

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• Angie Thurston

  Voice · Co-author, How We Gather; Sacred Design Lab · United States. Young people are building communities of meaning outside inherited institutions.

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• Sherry Turkle

  Voice · Author, Reclaiming Conversation · United States. We sacrificed conversation for mere connection, and fewer real conversations erodes the capacity to hold them.

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• Susan Cain

  Voice · Author, Quiet; Bittersweet · United States. We design gatherings for extroverts, and that bias wastes a third of the room's talent and energy.

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• David Sax

  Voice · Author, The Future Is Analog · Canada. Leaving the house is underrated. Instant communication spreads anger better than joy.

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• James Wallman

  Voice · Author, Time And How To Spend It; founder, WXO · United Kingdom. Experientialism — he forecast the shift from possessions to experiences in 2013 and built a seven-rule framework for designing one.

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• James Spellos

  Voice · President, Meeting U · United States. Planners can exploit AI tools productively without understanding the models underneath.

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• Michelle Bruno

  Voice · Publisher, Event Tech Brief · United States. Event technology needs independent analysis, not vendor content marketing.

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• Brandt Krueger

  Voice · Co-host, the Event Tech Podcast · United States. Hybrid is a production discipline, and pretending otherwise is why it failed.

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• Julie Novack

  Voice · Co-founder & CEO, PartySlate · United States. The industry's own visual record is its most underused asset — 3.5 million photos, now being made searchable.

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• Shawna McKinley

  Voice · Columnist, Skift Meetings; Eventcellany · Canada. Most event carbon accounting excludes attendee travel — usually the largest component — so the published number is not the footprint.

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• Denzil Rankine

  Voice · Co-author, Reinventing Live · United Kingdom. The one-off in-person show is finished as a business model. Organisers are facilitators of year-round community.

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• Dave Lutz

  Voice · Managing Director, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting · United States. Conference decline is diagnosable from data long before registration numbers drop.

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• Mark Brewster

  Voice · Founder, Explori; ELX · United Kingdom. Exhibitor satisfaction is comparable across shows and the aggregate is bad — NPS of minus 18.4 across a thousand events.

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• Ken Holsinger

  Voice · EVP, Freeman · United States. Attendees want most of their learning outside the session room — 54% of conference learning time, 64% at trade shows.

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• Baris Onay

  Voice · Founder, Event Strategy Bot · United Kingdom. Organisers hide behind expensive technology to mask the disorganised state of their underlying data.

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• Chris Baylis

  Voice · Author, The Sponsorship Bible · Canada. Sponsorship should be valued from audience assets, not from invented tier packages.

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• Kim Skildum-Reid

  Voice · Author, Last Generation Sponsorship · Australia. Sponsors do not want to connect with your event. They want your target market — the event is only the means.

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• Bruce Rosenthal

  Voice · Convener, Partnership Professionals Network · United States. Association sponsorship has to shift from transactional to year-round partnership, or it stays a logo sale.

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• Jacob Cohen Donnelly

  Voice · Founder, A Media Operator · United States. B2B media and events are one business, and events quietly subsidise the rest of it.

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• Robyn Davis

  Voice · Author, Exhibit Smarter · United States. The popular exhibiting goals are the wrong goals — that's what makes most booths a waste of money.

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• Greg Topalian

  Voice · Founder, On Deck Ventures; LeftField Media · United States. Enthusiast passion is a B2B asset — he scaled Clarion North America from $50M to $250M by buying and launching.

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• Paul Miller

  Voice · CEO, Questex · United States. An event company is an information business with events at the centre — one customer data platform makes year-round engagement possible.

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• Jonathan Weiner

  Voice · Co-founder, Events Venture Group · United States. Design the marketplace, not the agenda. Money20/20, Shoptalk, HLTH and HumanX all structure the deal-making.

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• Jay Weintraub

  Voice · Founder, Connectiv · United States. Events are a thing you can build, sell and build again — LeadsCon, MAU and InsureTech Connect, all exited.

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• Marco Giberti

  Voice · Co-author, Reinventing Live; Events Venture Group · United States & Argentina. He argued in 2017 that a $565B industry was about to be disrupted like hospitality. Dismissed as alarmist, then read as prophecy.

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• Doug Emslie

  Voice · Founder, Cuil Bay Capital · United Kingdom. He sold Tarsus to Informa for over a billion, then went back in as a buyer — the returns now sit in small and mid-sized independents.

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• Marilú Páez

  Voice · Founder & MD, Events Venture Group · Mexico & United States. After 17 years corporate she built a consultancy around maximising exit value, then founded the group that pairs event entrepreneurs with operator-investors.

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• Eric Lisman

  Voice · Founder & CEO, Media Front Inc · United States. 35 years and more than 150 acquisitions of exhibitions, conferences and publishing — the consolidation machine now scouting early-stage event ventures.

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• Kerry Gumas

  Voice · CEO, Metacomet; founder, Questex · United States. He built Questex's global trade shows and media platforms from 2005 to 2018, after senior roles at Reed, IDG World Expo and Advanstar — now advising and investing in the next generation.

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• Bob Priest-Heck

  Voice · Board Member & Academic Advisor, Events Venture Group · United States. Thirty years leading media, entertainment and hospitality companies through transformation and M&A — the board's institutional-memory seat.

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• Sam Jacobson

  Voice · Founder, Ideaction Consulting · United States. Selling is a science rather than charisma. Creative businesses lose high-end clients because they cannot articulate value.

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• Jaclyn Bernstein

  Voice · President, Empire Force Events · United States. Independent beats consolidated on local knowledge — permits, NYPD detail, Ellis Island access is a moat scale cannot buy.

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• Subhanjan Sarkar

  Voice · Host, The Trade Show Podcast · India. Driving footfall to a booth is not a smart objective, it is a useless one. Buyers run a process the seller cannot see.

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• Howard Givner

  Voice · Founder, Event Business Intelligence · United States. He built the sector's main education platform, sold it, and now advises on the M&A reshaping the industry.

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• Steven Adelman

  Voice · VP, Event Safety Alliance · United States. Event safety is a legal standard of care question, not a best practices question.

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• Jim Digby

  Voice · Founder, Event Safety Alliance · United States. The industry adopts safety standards only after people die.

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• Tracy Stuckrath

  Voice · Host, Eating at a Meeting · United States. Dietary accommodation is a liability exposure, not a hospitality courtesy.

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• Russ Simons

  Voice · Managing Partner, Venue Solutions Group · United States. Crowd behaviour is predictable and therefore preventable — he wrote the Walmart Black Friday crowd plan.

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• Joan Eisenstodt

  Voice · Principal, Eisenstodt Associates · United States. Better 'tell me more' questions produce better contracts. Rushed communication and fill-in-the-blank RFPs cause most disputes.

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• Kirsten Palladino

  Voice · Author, Equally Wed · United States. Inclusive practice is a professional competence, not a values statement.

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• Shafonne Myers

  Voice · Founder, Pretty Pear Bride; Aisle Society · United States. Representation is an economic argument, not a moral one.

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• Guy Bigwood

  Voice · CEO, Global Destination Sustainability Movement · Spain. Destinations respond to scoring and ranking, so score them publicly.

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• Fiona Pelham

  Voice · Chair, ISO 20121 committee · United Kingdom. Sustainability claims only bind when they sit inside an auditable standard — so she chaired the committee that wrote one.

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• Nancy Zavada

  Voice · Founder, MeetGreen · United States. A waste audit reveals what a sustainability statement conceals.

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• Al Mercuro

  Voice · Columnist, TSNN; ESCA/EDPA sustainability · United States. Exhibition sustainability is decided by unglamorous procurement choices on the show floor, starting with carpet.

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• Tamsen Webster

  Voice · Author, Find Your Red Thread · United States. You cannot create change, only the conditions for it. Persuasion works by validating what an audience already believes.

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• Chris Anderson

  Voice · Head of TED; author, Infectious Generosity · United Kingdom & United States. Giving the thing away is the strategy — including the institution itself, handed to the best vision rather than the highest bid.

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• Nancy Duarte

  Voice · Author, Resonate; Slide:ology · United States. Great communication oscillates between what is and what could be. Beautiful visuals still carried boring content.

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• Duncan Wardle

  Voice · Author, The Imagination Emporium · United Kingdom & United States. Creativity is a teachable skill, and innovation cannot be outsourced to consultants or a designated team.

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• Femi Oke

  Voice · Co-founder, Moderate The Panel · United Kingdom & United States. Moderation is a trainable craft, not a favour asked of a friendly executive. The shortage of skilled moderators of colour is structural.

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• Janice Cardinale

  Voice · Founder, Event Minds Matter · Canada. Ending workplace abuse in events is a human right, not a wellness perk. Psychological safety is trainable at every level.

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• Courtney Stanley

  Voice · Host, Dare to Interrupt; #MeetingsToo · United States. Representation without voice is not enough — the industry needs spaces where people can speak without being talked over.

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• Heather Reid

  Voice · Founder, Planner Protect; co-creator, CECP · Canada. Planners sign contractual risk they were never trained to assess — $27–35K in avoided risk per contract reviewed.

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• Melissa Doman

  Voice · Author, Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work · United States. Talking about mental health at work is a trainable skill requiring structure, not merely permission.

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• Iain Morrison

  Voice · Author, Behind the Stage Leadership · Australia. People think events are about creativity. They are really about systems — most event stress is structural, not personal.

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• Andrew Roby

  Voice · Founder, Andrew Roby Events · United States. The industry rewards exhaustion and calls it craft.

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• Amanda Cecil

  Voice · Professor, event & tourism management, Indiana University · United States. Event management deserves academic standing, not just vocational training — scholarship and practice have to inform each other.

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• Nicola Kastner

  Voice · Founder, The Event Strategist; CEO, ELX · Canada. Event strategy is a distinct discipline from execution, accountable to business outcomes rather than attendance.

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• Rohit Talwar

  Voice · CEO, Fast Future · United Kingdom. Foresight should be built from many contributors rather than one forecaster, aiming at a human-centred future.

  Readable source

• Roger Kellerman

  Voice · Columnist, Meetings International · Sweden. A strategy that is never implemented is cosmetics. When countries publish event strategies and never fund them, the document was the point.

  Readable source

• Kai Hattendorf

  Voice · Author, the 5 S Model; Event(s)ful · Norway. Floor space is no longer the financial backbone of a trade show — the mix is shifting to services and subscriptions.

  Readable source

• Michael Cerbelli

  Voice · Creator, The Hot List · United States. The industry hoards its vendor knowledge and everyone loses — 25 years of opening his black book in public.

  Readable source

• Stephanie Selesnick

  Voice · Founder, Women in Exhibitions North America · United States. American shows behave as though the world will come to them. Internationalising a show is work almost nobody does.

  Readable source

• Chetan Shah

  Voice · Founder, micebook · United Kingdom. The sector is all about people and was the first to be hit — MICE buyers were isolated from each other and from information.

  Readable source

• Trixie LohMirmand

  Voice · CEO, KAOUN International (GITEX) · United Arab Emirates. An exhibition is an instrument of soft power — events drive capital, talent and policy rather than merely hosting them.

  Readable source

• Richard Attias

  Voice · Founder, Richard Attias & Associates · Saudi Arabia & United Arab Emirates. A conference is an instrument of statecraft. He built the format at Davos, then applied it as nation branding.

  Readable source

• Ben Yurcisin

  Voice · CEO & Founder, Intu Global (formerly The Generative AI Network) · United States. A great theme won't guarantee people show up, but a boring one guarantees they won't — his Founders' Oasis swapped the summit for live music, food and meditative exhibits.

  Readable source

• David Spinks

  Voice · Author, The Business of Belonging · United States. Community is a business function with measurable return, and it has a lifecycle you can design for.

  Readable source

• Carrie Melissa Jones

  Voice · Co-author, Building Brand Communities · United States. Most brand communities are transactional relationships wearing the word community.

  Readable source

• Bailey Richardson

  Voice · Co-author, Get Together · United States. Build your community with people, not for them. Communities feel magical but do not come together by magic.

  Readable source

• Rachel Andrews

  Voice · Senior Director, Global Meetings & Events, Cvent · United States. Runs nearly 800 gatherings a year and staged a live rebrand at Cvent Connect — attendees experienced the transformation instead of hearing about it.

  Readable source

• Noah Cheyer

  Voice · AI Educator and Founder, Silicon Valley Speakers · United States. A boutique, AI-native bureau with an exclusive, story-first roster — the counter-model to the big bureaus' breadth.

  Readable source

• Carvie Gillikin

  Voice · President and CEO, MGME · United States. Named a 2026 Northstar influencer for her work on the planner–hotel relationship.

  Readable source

• Tommy Goodwin

  Voice · President and CEO, Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance · United States. Leads the industry's advocacy voice in Washington as ECA relaunches.

  Readable source

• Joshua Grimes

  Voice · Attorney and President, Grimes Law Offices · United States. Last year's numbers no longer predict next year's attendance — contracts now need pricing language for war and inflation spikes.

  Readable source

• Nicole Marsh

  Voice · COO and Cofounder, Imprint Events Group · United States. Got Colorado to reclassify DMCs as professional services rather than resellers — a year-long campaign that changed state tax law.

  Readable source

• Marisa Nebosky

  Voice · Director of Special Events & Digital Marketing, FIFA World Cup Boston 2026 · United States. Fan activations as community engagement — what a host committee does with the year before the matches.

  Readable source

• Kathy Nelson

  Voice · CEO, Kansas City Sports Commission · United States. Sports events as a destination's growth strategy.

  Readable source

• Lisa Schulteis

  Voice · Founder, ElectraLime Marketing · United States. Named a 2026 Northstar influencer for her teaching on event marketing.

  Readable source

• Min and Chase Seon

  Voice · Cofounders, TalkValue · United States. Named jointly as 2026 Northstar influencers.

  Readable source

• Rachel Stephan

  Voice · Founder and CEO, Snöball · United States. Attendees and speakers are a conference's best promoters — if you give them the tools to share.

  Readable source

• David T. Stevens

  Voice · Cofounder, Olympian Meeting; Host, Return on Wellness · United States. Caring about people isn't separate from performance. Wellness belongs at the centre of event design, not on the margins.

  Readable source

• Melvin Tennant II

  Voice · President and CEO, Meet Minneapolis · United States. Six years of crisis management for a destination — and how a CVB rebuilds bookings after the headlines.

  Readable source

• Jenn Artura

  Voice · Marketing and Events Executive, Fractional CMO · United States. Ties an event portfolio to the business's marketing goals, with human-centred design. (Via Sara Sandeep's 2026 list of 25 US event voices.)

  Readable source

• David Kliman

  Voice · Facilitator; Cofounder, Event Leaders Exchange; The Kliman Group · United States. A trend hunter and connector who spots shifts in meetings and hospitality early. (Via Sara Sandeep's 2026 list.)

  Readable source

• Lea Stafford

  Voice · Event Designer and Producer · United States. Production and design that carry sustainability and social impact, not just execution. (Via Sara Sandeep's 2026 list.)

  Readable source

• Eva Clark

  Voice · Founder, Eva Clark Events · United States. Destination wedding design with lessons for any event on branding and visual storytelling. (Via Sara Sandeep's 2026 list.)

  Readable source

• Annette Naif

  Voice · Strategic Event Producer and Event Planning Coach · United States. Helps independent planners build the business side, across corporate, nonprofit and social events. (Via Sara Sandeep's 2026 list.)

  Readable source

• Fiona Bruder

  Voice · Global CEO, GPJ. Runs one of the largest experiential agencies, where brand events are planned at global scale. (Via Skift Meetings' 2026 Most Powerful Women in Meetings, #5.)

  Readable source

• Cameron Curtis

  Voice · Executive Director, LGBT Meeting Professionals Association; CEO, C2 Association Strategy. Leads the industry's LGBTQ+ professional association and advises associations on strategy. (Via Skift Meetings' 2026 list, #6.)

  Readable source

• Tina Madden

  Voice · CEO, Meetings & Incentives Worldwide (M&IW). Leads a large US meetings and incentive travel company. (Via Skift Meetings' 2026 list, #11.)

  Readable source

• Monique Ruff-Bell

  Voice · Chief Program & Strategy Officer, TED. Shapes the program behind one of the best-known conference formats in the world. (Via Skift Meetings' 2026 list, #12.)

  Readable source

• Mary Jo Blythe

  Voice · Masterplan; The Above and Beyond Foundation. Named among Skift Meetings' 2026 Most Powerful Women in Meetings.

  Readable source

• Annette Gregg

  Voice · CEO, Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE). Leads the global association for incentive travel, the reward-trip corner of the gathering economy. (Via Skift Meetings' 2026 list.)

  Readable source

• Stephanie Harris

  Voice · President, Incentive Research Foundation (IRF). Leads the research body that measures what incentives and reward travel actually do. (Via Skift Meetings' 2026 list.)

  Readable source

• Jason Alexander

  Voice · Actor & director · United States. Collaboration learned on stage and screen translates directly to the room — the craft of working together is the same.

  Readable source

• Lisa Belzberg

  Voice · Conscious connector & community builder · United States. Breaks down the barriers between strangers deliberately, and builds larger caring communities out of the result.

  Readable source

• Mary Boone

  Voice · Meeting experience designer · United States. Designs meeting experiences that stimulate high-performance collaboration rather than passive attendance.

  Readable source

• Sarah Brown

  Voice · Founder, Theirworld · United Kingdom. Quiet activism with deliberate structure — a former Prime Minister's spouse who built a global education movement.

  Readable source

• Paul Bulencea & Claus Raasted

  Voice · Co-founders, The College of Extraordinary Experiences · Romania & Denmark. Built a school for immersive experience design — learning as a theatrical, transformative act.

  Readable source

• Cheryl Cecchetto

  Voice · Founder, Sequoia Productions · United States. Produced the Oscars Governors Ball for decades — Hollywood event production as a casting exercise.

  Readable source

• Michael Cirino

  Voice · Founder, A Razor, A Shiny Knife · United States. Pushes dining into immersive theatre — the experience creator who keeps raising the bar.

  Readable source

• Chris & Jill Drury

  Voice · Event interaction designers · United States. A duo pioneering new models of event interaction — the room as a designed system, not a stage.

  Readable source

• Philip Dufour

  Voice · Founder, Philip Dufour & Co. · United States. Washington's global host of influence — protocol-grade hospitality for embassies and institutions.

  Readable source

• Mike Duignan

  Voice · Founder, Centre for Events & Festivals; professor · United Kingdom. Built an academic home for the serious study of events and festivals — evidence for a trade that ran on instinct.

  Readable source

• Ben Erwin

  Voice · CEO, Encore · United States. Runs the production giant behind thousands of stages — the voice-of-god's boss on what large-scale production really takes.

  Readable source

• Brian Feit

  Voice · Co-founder, BMF · United States. Runs an experiential agency where the hustle never stops — it just gets bigger.

  Readable source

• Edie Fraser

  Voice · CEO, Women Business Collaborative · United States. The networking ninja who turned introductions into opportunity infrastructure for women.

  Readable source

• Marc Friedland

  Voice · Founder, Marc Friedland Couture Communications · United States. Designed the Oscar envelope — invitations and details as the first act of the event.

  Readable source

• Andrew Garcia

  Voice · Co-founder, Goodshuffle Pro · United States. Built the operating software rental and production companies actually run on.

  Readable source

• Steve Gottlieb

  Voice · Founder & CEO, Shindig · United States. Uses technology to let participants choose their own journeys — increasing participation by giving up control.

  Readable source

• Natalie Jones Hallahan

  Voice · Protocol & statecraft adviser · United States. Sets the stage for diplomatic results — statecraft expertise applied to the details of gathering.

  Readable source

• Mark Johnson

  Voice · Co-founder, Playing For Change · United States. Made it possible for people around the world to sing together — unity through shared performance.

  Readable source

• Kathy 'Coach' Kemper

  Voice · Founder & CEO, Institute for Education · United States. Tennis teacher to the powerful who built Washington's most unusual convening institution off the court.

  Readable source

• Laurie Kirby

  Voice · Co-founder, FestForums · United States. Built the room where festival creators go to think — the industry's own gathering about gatherings.

  Readable source

• Lauren Kotkin

  Voice · Conference & philanthropy strategist · United States. Unlocks the energy and resources of the philanthropic world through conferences.

  Readable source

• Andrew Lacanienta

  Voice · Experience design researcher & professor · United States. Designs transformations strategically, grounded in a taxonomy of experience types.

  Readable source

• James Lancaster

  Voice · Engagement strategist · events industry. Codified the rules of engagement — what actually makes a room participate.

  Readable source

• David Landgraf

  Voice · Gathering designer · United States. The quiet architect of gatherings — structure you feel but never notice.

  Readable source

• Wynton Marsalis

  Voice · Managing & Artistic Director, Jazz at Lincoln Center · United States. Improvisation is a discipline of listening — the musical superstar on making something together in real time.

  Readable source

• Anita McBride

  Voice · Former chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush; American University · United States. The DC insider shining a spotlight on the convening power of First Ladies.

  Readable source

• J.B. Miller

  Voice · Collaboration & experience strategist · United States. The go-to resource for next-level collaborations with greater impact.

  Readable source

• Seth Moulton

  Voice · U.S. Congressman (MA-6); Marine veteran · United States. A military-trained congressional leader on the democracy of collaboration.

  Readable source

• Xavier Mufraggi

  Voice · CEO, YPO · United States. At the epicenter of the world's most powerful corporate leadership community — 38,000 chief executives by design.

  Readable source

• Roger Nierenberg

  Voice · Conductor; creator, The Music Paradigm · United States. Teaches businesspeople collaboration by seating them inside a working orchestra.

  Readable source

• J. Francisco Núñez

  Voice · Founder & Artistic Director, Young People's Chorus of New York City · United States. The choirmaster who leverages diversity and mentorship to create harmony — literally.

  Readable source

• Charlie Palmer

  Voice · Chef & restaurateur · United States. The chef and host who cooks up collaborative experiences — hospitality as the gathering's engine.

  Readable source

• Ben Parr

  Voice · Author, Captivology · United States. Pays attention to attention — the science of why some moments capture a room and most don't.

  Readable source

• Arthur Pearson

  Voice · Veteran Outward Bound leader · United States. Collaboration in learning, proven outdoors over decades — the icon of experiential education.

  Readable source

• Nicole Peck

  Voice · Hospitality leader · United States. The General of Warmth — guest experience run with operational discipline and genuine welcome.

  Readable source

• Dr. Wayne Pernell

  Voice · Executive coach & clinical psychologist · United States. Applies the principles of couples therapy to get big business results — relationships as the unit of work.

  Readable source

• Holly Peterson

  Voice · Author & host; former ABC News producer · United States. The dinner party doctrine — the private table as the most underrated gathering format in public life.

  Readable source

• Barry Ross Rinehart

  Voice · Event & communications strategist · United States. Leverages emotion for impact — feeling as a design material, not a byproduct.

  Readable source

• Sandy Safi

  Voice · Co-founder, Dîner en Blanc International · United States. Created a global FOMO phenomenon — 120 cities gathering in secret, dressed in white.

  Readable source

• Angela Scalpello

  Voice · Communications consultant · United States. Catalyzes serendipitous conversations on purpose — chance as an engineered outcome.

  Readable source

• Lee Brian Schrager

  Voice · Founder, New York City & South Beach Wine & Food Festivals · United States. Twenty-five years of the beach, the crowd and the crisis — food festivals at city scale.

  Readable source

• Sarah Shewey

  Voice · Founder, Happily; former TEDActive producer · United States. Made trained event talent on demand a reality — the workforce layer the industry was missing.

  Readable source

• Amanda Slavin

  Voice · Author, The Seventh Level; founder, CatalystCreativ · United States. The progression of engagement, level by level — a ladder from disengaged to evangelist.

  Readable source

• Brian Solis

  Voice · Head of Global Innovation, ServiceNow; author · United States. Combines digital and real-world experiences to reach more people — the innovation evangelist's case for hybrid.

  Readable source

• Jonathan Steffert

  Voice · New Zealand cultural attaché, Washington D.C. · New Zealand. A country's cultural diplomat who can't afford a typical story or a so-so party.

  Readable source

• Joanna Stone Herman

  Voice · Deal strategist & partnership builder · United States. The dealmaker who births collaborations destined for success — matchmaking with a term sheet.

  Readable source

• Deborah Szekely

  Voice · Co-founder, Rancho La Puerta & Golden Door · United States. Life lessons on collaboration from a century of building the world's defining wellness retreat.

  Readable source

• Caitlin Walker

  Voice · Clean Language facilitator & author · United Kingdom. Pioneered clean questions for more effective collaboration — how you ask decides what a group can say.

  Readable source

• Don Welsh

  Voice · President & CEO, Destinations International · United States. The coach and showman in chief — leading the global body for destination organizations.

  Readable source

• Carl Winston

  Voice · Founding director, L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, San Diego State · United States. The discipline of building something that wasn't supposed to matter — and the first to sound the alarm on enrollment.

  Readable source

• John Woo

  Voice · Experience designer, hybrid gatherings · United States. Breaks the 'fifth wall' to connect physical and virtual audiences in one room.

  Readable source

• Julius Solaris

  Voice · Events Consultant & Creator, Boldpush. 90K+ followers — the most influential voice in events, breaks down strategy with data nobody else shares

  Readable source

• Stephanie Selesnick

  Voice · International Trade Show Consultant. The go-to advisor for exhibition organizers expanding into new markets

  Readable source

• Liz Irving

  Voice · CEO, Clarion Events. Runs one of the world's largest exhibition companies

  Readable source

• Chris Skeith OBE

  Voice · CEO, UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry). Leads the global body for exhibitions — shapes industry standards

  Readable source

• Danica Tormohlen

  Voice · Editor in Chief, Trade Show Executive. Tracks every major move in the exhibition business

  Readable source

• Elizabeth George

  Voice · Content & Programming Leader, IAEE. Obsessed with building community at Expo! Expo!

  Readable source

• Mark Bogdansky

  Voice · VP of Trade Shows & Events, InfoComm/AVIXA. Leads one of the tech industry's most important annual shows

  Readable source

• Mary Larkin

  Voice · President, Convention Management Resources. 30+ years managing large-scale trade shows and associations

  Readable source

• Hervé Sedky

  Voice · President & CEO, Emerald. Runs a publicly traded exhibition company reshaping B2B events

  Readable source

• Charlie McCurdy

  Voice · CEO, Informa Markets (former). Ran the world's largest B2B events division

  Readable source

• Mark Temple-Smith

  Voice · CEO, Montgomery Group. Leads a global exhibition organizer known for emerging market expansion

  Readable source

• Jason McGraw

  Voice · CRO, GES. Drives revenue at one of the largest exhibition services companies globally

  Readable source

• Lisa Hannant

  Voice · President, SISO. Leads the Society of Independent Show Organizers — independent voice for the sector

  Readable source

• Nancy Walsh

  Voice · President, Reed Exhibitions Americas (former). Managed the Americas portfolio of the world's largest exhibition organizer

  Readable source

• Michael Duck

  Voice · EVP, Informa Markets. Drives growth strategy across one of the most expansive trade show portfolios

  Readable source

• Marsha Flanagan

  Voice · President & CEO, IAEE. Leads the International Association of Exhibitions and Events

  Readable source

• Rachel Wimberly

  Voice · Editorial Director, Trade Show News Network. The trade show industry's most-read journalist

  Readable source

• Ben Wills

  Voice · Managing Director, Tarsus Group. Organizes major exhibitions across 5 continents

  Readable source

• Andrew Anagnost

  Voice · CEO, Autodesk (AEC conference). Leads one of tech's most powerful industry conferences connecting digital and physical

  Readable source

• Sandy Angus

  Voice · Co-founder, Angus Montgomery Arts. Pioneer of consumer art fairs globally — Art Central, India Art Fair

  Readable source

• Tommy Goodwin

  Voice · VP Advocacy & Government Relations, IAEE. Fights for the exhibition industry in Washington — policy shaper

  Readable source

• Kelly Megnin

  Voice · VP of Sales, Messe Frankfurt USA. Drives German exhibition model in the US market

  Readable source

• David Shanks

  Voice · CEO, Messe Frankfurt UK. Bridges European exhibition standards with UK and US markets

  Readable source

• Robyn Mietkiewicz

  Voice · SVP, Comexposium US. French exhibition powerhouse expanding US footprint

  Readable source

• Megan Tanel

  Voice · President, International Association of Venue Managers (former). Connected exhibition organizers to venue operations excellence

  Readable source

• Hanan Baban

  Voice · Exhibition Marketing Strategist. Helps organizers actually fill their show floors — demand gen specialist

  Readable source

• Hamid Qadir

  Voice · Founder, VisionLive.io. Pioneered interactive floor plan technology for exhibitions

  Readable source

• Dawn Pettus

  Voice · VP Business Development, PCMA. Bridges association meetings with exhibition strategy

  Readable source

• Marco Giberti

  Voice · Co-founder, Vesuvio Ventures. Event tech investor and strategist — backs the tools shaping exhibitions

  Readable source

• Brian Casey

  Voice · President & CEO, Center for Exhibition Industry Research. Runs CEIR — the authority on exhibition performance data

  Readable source

• Vinnie Polito

  Voice · VP Sales, Freeman. Sells exhibition services at scale — understands exhibitor needs deeply

  Readable source

• Carrie Ferenac

  Voice · VP Events, NACS. Runs one of the US's largest trade shows — 30K+ attendees

  Readable source

• Geoff Dickinson

  Voice · CEO, dmg events. Runs major B2B exhibitions in energy, construction, and hospitality

  Readable source

• Janet Dell

  Voice · CEO, Freeman. Leads the global leader in exhibition services — shapes how every major trade show is built

  Readable source

• Athena Koutsonikoli

  Voice · Consumer Show Director, RX. Designs consumer-facing exhibition experiences at scale

  Readable source

• James Rees

  Voice · Executive Director, Exhibition & Event Association of Australasia. Leads the region's exhibition industry body

  Readable source

• Sam Lippman

  Voice · President, Lippman Connects. Publishes the definitive revenue model analyses for trade show organizers

  Readable source

• Grant Snider

  Voice · SVP Global Sales, Informa Markets. Runs exhibitor sales across the world's largest portfolio

  Readable source

• Stephanie Pace Brown

  Voice · President & CEO, Explore Asheville CVB. Bridges destination marketing with exhibition hosting strategy

  Readable source

• Kara Kroskey

  Voice · VP Events, NRF (National Retail Federation). Runs Retail's Big Show — the most important exhibition in retail

  Readable source

• Sherrif Karamat

  Voice · President & CEO, PCMA. Runs the largest business events association in the world

  Readable source

• Nicola Kastner

  Voice · Global Event Strategist, SAP (former). Pioneered event ROI measurement at enterprise scale

  Readable source

• Carina Bauer

  Voice · CEO, IMEX Group. Leads the MICE industry's most important gathering

  Readable source

• Tahira Endean

  Voice · Head of Events, SITE. Expert in incentive travel and experiential events

  Readable source

• Mike Ferreira

  Voice · Event Strategy Consultant. Former tech exec turned events strategist — connects event design to business outcomes

  Readable source

• Bob Chain

  Voice · B2B SaaS Sales & Event Specialist. Bridges event tech and strategic accounts

  Readable source

• Kerry Bannigan

  Voice · Founder, Nolcha Group. Combines corporate event production with sustainability leadership

  Readable source

• Liz King

  Voice · Founder, Liz King Events. Pioneers tech-forward corporate event production

  Readable source

• Tracy Judge

  Voice · Founder, Soundings. Built the leading freelance event staffing platform — understands the workforce shift

  Readable source

• Joanna Pineda

  Voice · CEO, Matrix Group International. Blends association management with corporate event technology innovation

  Readable source

• Howard Givner

  Voice · Founder, Event Manager Blog (former). Built one of the event industry's most widely read education platforms

  Readable source

• Christy Lamagna

  Voice · CEO, Strategic Meetings & Events. Teaches event strategy at university level — bridges academia and practice

  Readable source

• Paul Van Deventer

  Voice · President & CEO, MPI. Runs the Meeting Professionals International — the global MICE community

  Readable source

• Jessie States

  Voice · Director of MeetingsNet. Curates the most read corporate meetings media platform

  Readable source

• Kevin Hooper

  Voice · Strategic Events Director. Delivers enterprise-scale corporate events with measurement-first approach

  Readable source

• Cathy Breden

  Voice · CEO, IAEE (former) / EVP, CEIR. Bridged the exhibition and corporate event worlds for decades

  Readable source

• Elizabeth Glau

  Voice · Events Industry Accessibility Advocate. Leading voice on accessible meeting design — changes how corporate events include everyone

  Readable source

• Jonathan Kazarian

  Voice · Founder, Accelevents. Built event tech for corporate hybrid events from scratch

  Readable source

• Michael Dominguez

  Voice · President & CEO, ALHI. Connects corporate meeting planners with luxury hotel partners

  Readable source

• Amy Calvert

  Voice · CEO, Events Industry Council. Runs the umbrella body that sets standards for the entire meetings industry

  Readable source

• Jennifer Collins

  Voice · CEO, JDC Events. Delivers high-profile corporate events for Fortune 500 clients

  Readable source

• Mahoganey Jones

  Voice · Executive Event Strategist. Designs award-winning corporate events focused on attendee transformation

  Readable source

• Barbara Palmer

  Voice · Deputy Editor, PCMA Convene. Covers how business events are evolving with the deepest editorial lens

  Readable source

• MaryAnne Shew

  Voice · VP Strategic Partnerships, Visit Orlando. Connects corporate planners with Florida's $75B tourism infrastructure

  Readable source

• Tyra Warner

  Voice · AVP Conferences & Events, PCMA. Plans PCMA's own conferences — practices what the organization preaches

  Readable source

• Sandra Piscopo

  Voice · Chief Strategy Officer, CORT Events. Runs strategy for the largest event furnishings company — shapes the physical feel of corporate events

  Readable source

• Don Neal

  Voice · CEO, 360 Live Media. Designs corporate conferences as media experiences — merges content and production

  Readable source

• Kristen Bowen

  Voice · VP Global Events, HubSpot. Builds INBOUND — one of the most admired corporate events in tech

  Readable source

• Gianna Gaudini

  Voice · VP Events, New York Stock Exchange. Designs events where billion-dollar deals happen

  Readable source

• Clare Chaplin

  Voice · Head of Events, Canva. Building event strategy at one of the world's fastest-growing tech companies

  Readable source

• Rachel Andrews

  Voice · VP Meetings & Events, Maritz Global Events. Delivers massive corporate meetings for the world's biggest brands

  Readable source

• Melissa Park

  Voice · CEO, Melissa Park Events. Award-winning Australian corporate event producer scaling globally

  Readable source

• Ashwin Bharath

  Voice · CEO, Eventible. Built the 'Glassdoor for events' — transparency platform for corporate conferences

  Readable source

• Brian Ludwig

  Voice · SVP Sales, Hilton Events. Shapes how corporate events work inside the world's largest hotel company

  Readable source

• Patrick Delaney

  Voice · CEO, CollaboRATE Events. Designs corporate events that prioritize collaboration over presentation

  Readable source

• Cleo Battle

  Voice · President & CEO, Greater Cleveland CVB. Attracts corporate events to one of the Midwest's most transformed cities

  Readable source

• Miguel Neves

  Voice · Editor, Skift Meetings. Publishes the most data-driven corporate event coverage

  Readable source

• Janet Sperstad

  Voice · Strategic Events Management Faculty, Madison College. Educates the next generation of meeting professionals

  Readable source

• Jeff Hurt

  Voice · EVP, Education & Engagement, PCMA. Designs the educational programming at the world's leading meetings body

  Readable source

• Michelle Poole

  Voice · VP Events, Marriott International. Shapes how corporate events happen across the world's largest hotel portfolio

  Readable source

• David Monn

  Voice · Social Event Architect & Author. Creates private events that become cultural reference points

  Readable source

• Colin Cowie

  Voice · Lifestyle Expert & Event Designer. Built a global brand around extraordinary celebrations

  Readable source

• Marcy Blum

  Voice · Event Producer & Planner. NYC institution — her taste level is the industry benchmark

  Readable source

• David Stark

  Voice · Founder, David Stark Design and Production. Event Planner Expo Power 50 (2026) — treats event design as authored, art-world-adjacent work

  Readable source

• David Beahm

  Voice · Founder, David Beahm Experiences. Event Planner Expo Power 50 (2026) — luxury celebrations built on theatrical floral and design

  Readable source

• Jes Gordon

  Voice · Founder, Jes Gordon / Proper Fun. Event Planner Expo Power 50 (2026) — a designer's eye applied to high-energy social events

  Readable source

• Mindy Weiss

  Voice · Celebrity Event Planner. Behind some of the most photographed events in history

  Readable source

• Preston Bailey

  Voice · Event & Floral Designer. Transforms raw spaces into fantasy environments — artistry at scale

  Readable source

• Christel Winther

  Voice · Global Luxury Wedding & Event Planner. Designs destination weddings across cultures

  Readable source

• Anna-Marie Trzebinski

  Voice · Founder, AMTEvents. Eventex UK Top 50 Influencer — stretches budgets with creative concepts

  Readable source

• David Tutera

  Voice · Celebrity Event Planner & TV Host. Brought event design to mainstream TV — the most recognized name in social events

  Readable source

• Matthew Oliver

  Voice · Luxury Wedding Planner, UK. Leads the British luxury wedding scene with refined editorial taste

  Readable source

• Rafanelli Events (Bryan Rafanelli)

  Voice · Founder, Rafanelli Events. Planned events for US presidents — the ultimate in high-stakes social gatherings

  Readable source

• Sharon Sacks

  Voice · Founder, Sacks Productions. Hollywood's go-to event producer for A-list celebrations and brand launches

  Readable source

• Oren Shai

  Voice · Event Designer & Creative Director. Known for pushing creative boundaries in luxury event design

  Readable source

• JoAnn Gregoli

  Voice · Founder, Elegant Occasions. NYC luxury planner known for seamlessly blending cultures in celebrations

  Readable source

• Mark Niemierko

  Voice · Luxury Wedding & Event Planner, London. Named the UK's leading wedding planner — combines British formality with contemporary design

  Readable source

• Yifat Oren

  Voice · Celebrity Event Planner, Los Angeles. Designs for entertainment royalty — understands the intersection of fame and celebration

  Readable source

• Barkha Arora

  Voice · Luxury Indian Wedding Specialist. Bridges South Asian tradition with global luxury standards

  Readable source

• Tara Fay

  Voice · Celebrity Wedding Planner, Ireland. Ireland's most recognized event planner — brings European elegance to every detail

  Readable source

• Liz Taylor

  Voice · CEO, Taylor Lynn Corporation. One of the UK's most awarded event planners — 30+ years in luxury events

  Readable source

• Amunet Burgueno

  Voice · Destination Wedding Planner, Mexico. Master of Mexican and Caribbean luxury celebrations

  Readable source

• Carla Ten Eyck

  Voice · Event Photographer & Planner. Bridges visual storytelling with luxury event design

  Readable source

• Sarah Haywood

  Voice · International Luxury Wedding Planner. Plans ultra-high-net-worth weddings across 30+ countries

  Readable source

• Jacin Fitzgerald

  Voice · Founder, Jacin Fitzgerald Events. Austin-based luxury planner known for distinctive floral and design concepts

  Readable source

• Larry Scott

  Voice · Founder, Larry Scott Events. Celebrity party planner known for theatrical, immersive private events

  Readable source

• Mary Fiore

  Voice · Founder, Mary Fiore Design & Events. San Francisco luxury event institution — decades of refined celebration design

  Readable source

• Sonal J. Shah

  Voice · Founder, Sonal J. Shah Event Consultants. Pioneered modern South Asian wedding planning in America

  Readable source

• Michelle Rago

  Voice · Founder, Michelle Rago Destinations. Luxury destination wedding specialist — Europe and Caribbean focus

  Readable source

• Sarah Pease

  Voice · Event Planner, Goop. Brings wellness-meets-luxury to modern celebrations

  Readable source

• Jung Lee

  Voice · Founder, Fête. NYC's coolest event designer — editorial, modern, effortless luxury

  Readable source

• André Wells

  Voice · Celebrity Event Designer, Washington DC. Designs events for political and cultural elite — Presidential Inaugurations

  Readable source

• Calder Clark

  Voice · Luxury Wedding Planner, Charleston. Southern elegance elevated to an art form — one of the most sought-after planners in the US

  Readable source

• Mindy Rice

  Voice · Floral & Event Designer. Transforms spaces with extraordinary floral architecture

  Readable source

• Lisa Vorce

  Voice · Celebrity Event Planner. Known for refined outdoor celebrations — brings nature into luxury design

  Readable source

• Stefanie Cove

  Voice · Founder, Stefanie Cove & Co. LA-based luxury planner for entertainment industry celebrations

  Readable source

• Michael Russo

  Voice · Founder, Russo Events. High-end NYC corporate and social events with theatrical flair

  Readable source

• Harriette Rose Katz

  Voice · Founder, Gourmet Advisory Services. Pioneer of luxury event catering as an art form

  Readable source

• Melvin Benn

  Voice · Managing Director, Festival Republic. Behind Reading & Leeds, Latitude, and Wireless

  Readable source

• Signe Lopdrup

  Voice · CEO, Roskilde Festival Group. Leads one of Europe's most important cultural festivals

  Readable source

• David Hazan

  Voice · Founder, DLH Strategic Marketing. 25+ years at the intersection of music, entertainment, and events

  Readable source

• Vivian Belzaguy

  Voice · Director of Sustainability, Ultra Music Festival. Proving massive events can be platforms for social change

  Readable source

• Chris Christou

  Voice · Festival Director & Cultural Strategist. Programs festivals that shift public discourse

  Readable source

• Devi Sridhar

  Voice · Public Health & Festival Safety Advocate. Changed how festivals think about crowd wellbeing

  Readable source

• Rehan Sadiq

  Voice · CEO, Broadwick Live. Behind Printworks, The Drumsheds — redefining nightlife-meets-festival culture

  Readable source

• Emily Eavis

  Voice · Co-organizer, Glastonbury Festival. Co-runs the world's most iconic music festival

  Readable source

• Paul Reed

  Voice · CEO, Association of Independent Festivals (AIF). Represents 100+ independent UK festivals — policy voice for the sector

  Readable source

• Fruzsina Szép

  Voice · Director, Sziget Festival. Programs one of Europe's largest and most diverse cultural festivals

  Readable source

• Janet Pierson

  Voice · Director, SXSW Film & TV Festival. Programs the discovery engine for independent film and storytelling

  Readable source

• Keny Gédéon

  Voice · CEO, Festival de Jazz de Montréal. Leads the world's largest jazz festival — 2M+ attendees annually

  Readable source

• Ben Challis

  Voice · Music & Festival Lawyer. The legal brain behind festival contracts and rights — essential infrastructure voice

  Readable source

• Greg Parmley

  Voice · CEO, International Live Music Conference (ILMC). Runs the live music industry's most important annual gathering

  Readable source

• Pasquale Rotella

  Voice · Founder & CEO, Insomniac Events. Built the EDC franchise into a global phenomenon — defines electronic festival culture

  Readable source

• John Giddings

  Voice · Festival Director, Isle of Wight Festival. Decades of festival programming — understands the business behind the magic

  Readable source

• Joanne Gibb

  Voice · Manager, Parklife Festival. Built Parklife from a local event to a national institution

  Readable source

• Megan Griffith

  Voice · Festival Strategy Consultant. Helps cultural events find sustainable business models

  Readable source

• Kevin Mitchell

  Voice · Co-Founder, Club Kilimanjaro. Bridges African cultural programming with global festival circuits

  Readable source

• Superfly Production (Rick Farman)

  Voice · Co-Founder, Bonnaroo & Outside Lands. Created two of America's most influential music festivals

  Readable source

• Roberto Medina

  Voice · Creator, Rock in Rio. Built the world's largest recurring music festival brand

  Readable source

• Tim Chambers

  Voice · Founder, Pollen. Pioneered festival-meets-travel experiences before anyone else

  Readable source

• Chantal Rickards

  Voice · CEO, BCDMEE. Leads the global body connecting business events with cultural programs

  Readable source

• Colleen Dillenschneider

  Voice · Chief Market Engagement Officer, TrendsWatch. Data-driven insights on cultural attendance — essential for festival strategy

  Readable source

• Neil Warnock

  Voice · Agent & Live Music Pioneer, UTA. One of the most powerful agents in live music — shapes who plays where

  Readable source

• Ann Dunnington

  Voice · Arts Festival Director. Programs cultural festivals that prioritize community engagement over spectacle

  Readable source

• Sherry Lansing

  Voice · Festival Board Member, Sundance. Former Paramount CEO who brings entertainment industry perspective to festival governance

  Readable source

• Emma Banks

  Voice · Agent, CAA. One of the most powerful booking agents in live music — shapes festival lineups globally

  Readable source

• Chris Waddington

  Voice · Director, The Great Escape Festival. Runs the UK's premier new music discovery festival

  Readable source

• Shelley Holley

  Voice · VP Events, Lollapalooza. Runs operations at one of the world's most recognized festival brands

  Readable source

• Michael Rapino

  Voice · President & CEO, Live Nation Entertainment. Runs the world's largest live entertainment company — 600M+ tickets annually

  Readable source

• Jay Marciano

  Voice · Chairman & CEO, AEG Presents. Leads the #2 global live entertainment company — Coachella, Firefly, BST Hyde Park

  Readable source

• Rebeca León

  Voice · CEO, Lionfish Entertainment. Bridges Latin music culture with global festival circuits

  Readable source

• Andy Gensler

  Voice · Executive Editor, Pollstar. The live music industry's most important trade publication

  Readable source

• Laura Davidson

  Voice · Sustainability Director, Shambala Festival. Pioneer of genuinely sustainable festival operations — zero single-use plastic since 2015

  Readable source

• Kai Hattendorf

  Voice · Founder & CEO, htf consulting; former CEO, UFI. Led UFI for a decade and drove the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative; 2025 JMIC Unity Award

  Readable source

• Martin Sirk

  Voice · Former CEO, ICCA. Ran ICCA for 16 years; a long-standing voice on why international meetings matter to policymakers

  Readable source

• Priya Parker

  Voice · Author, 'The Art of Gathering'. Wrote the definitive book on why most gatherings fail and how to fix them

  Readable source

• Chris Anderson

  Voice · Head of TED. Transformed TED from a conference into a global knowledge platform

  Readable source

• June Cohen

  Voice · Co-founder, WaitWhat (Masters of Scale). Former TED executive who designs gatherings that create intellectual movements

  Readable source

• Kelly Stoetzel

  Voice · Chief Content Officer, TED (former). Programmed the TED main stage for years

  Readable source

• Adrian Segar

  Voice · Facilitator & Author, 'Conferences That Work'. Pioneered participant-driven conferences

  Readable source

• Martin Lindstrom

  Voice · Author & Brand Futurist. Studies human behavior at the intersection of brands and culture

  Readable source

• Simon Sinek

  Voice · Author & Leadership Speaker. His 'Start With Why' framework shapes how conferences are designed and pitched

  Readable source

• Brené Brown

  Voice · Research Professor & Author. Her work on vulnerability transformed how conferences talk about leadership

  Readable source

• Adam Grant

  Voice · Organizational Psychologist, Wharton. The most popular management thinker on LinkedIn — reshapes how workplaces gather

  Readable source

• Esther Perel

  Voice · Psychotherapist & Author. Brought relationship intelligence to corporate stages — redefines what conferences can explore

  Readable source

• Malcolm Gladwell

  Voice · Author & Journalist. His ideas about social dynamics directly shape how summits design for connection

  Readable source

• Daniel Pink

  Voice · Author, 'Drive' and 'When'. His timing research literally changes when conferences schedule their best content

  Readable source

• Amy Edmondson

  Voice · Professor, Harvard Business School. Her psychological safety research shapes how summits design for honest conversation

  Readable source

• Scott Galloway

  Voice · Professor, NYU Stern / Pivot podcast. The most provocative business voice on stage — draws enormous conference audiences

  Readable source

• Dorie Clark

  Voice · Author & Strategy Consultant. Helps thought leaders design their conference presence and speaking careers

  Readable source

• Rohit Bhargava

  Voice · Founder, Non-Obvious Company. Curates the trends that summit programmers build their agendas around

  Readable source

• Nick Bilton

  Voice · Journalist & Author. Covers tech and culture for Vanity Fair — a sought-after summit speaker and moderator

  Readable source

• Sally Krawcheck

  Voice · CEO, Ellevest. Designs summits for women in finance — applies gathering principles to movement building

  Readable source

• Arianna Huffington

  Voice · Founder, Thrive Global. Built a media empire and now designs wellness-focused leadership gatherings

  Readable source

• Reid Hoffman

  Voice · Co-founder, LinkedIn; Partner, Greylock. His 'Masters of Scale' summits show how tech leaders think about convening

  Readable source

• Gary Vaynerchuk

  Voice · CEO, VaynerMedia / VeeCon. Built VeeCon — proving that creator economy meets conference can work at scale

  Readable source

• Chip Conley

  Voice · Founder, Modern Elder Academy. Designs transformative retreats and gatherings focused on wisdom and longevity

  Readable source

• Brad Feld

  Voice · Co-founder, Foundry Group / Techstars. Runs Boulder Startup Week and other tech gatherings — understands community-first events

  Readable source

• Anand Giridharadas

  Voice · Author & Speaker. Critiques elite gatherings like Davos — forces the industry to examine its own power dynamics

  Readable source

• Tina Brown

  Voice · Journalist & Founder, Women in the World Summit (2010–2018). Created one of the most important annual gatherings in journalism and feminism

  Readable source

• Neri Oxman

  Voice · Designer & MIT Professor (former). Brings material ecology and computational design to summit stages — stretches what's possible

  Readable source

• Tim Ferriss

  Voice · Author & Podcaster. His experiments in self-optimization reshape how wellness summits are designed

  Readable source

• Angela Duckworth

  Voice · Psychologist & Author, 'Grit'. Her research on perseverance shapes how leadership summits design their narratives

  Readable source

• Kara Swisher

  Voice · Journalist & Podcast Host. Created the Code Conference — the tech industry's most important intimate gathering

  Readable source

• Walter Isaacson

  Voice · Author & Professor, Tulane University (former CEO, Aspen Institute). Ran the Aspen Ideas Festival — one of the world's most prestigious intellectual gatherings

  Readable source

• David Perell

  Voice · Founder, Write of Passage. Pioneered cohort-based courses that function as intellectual gatherings

  Readable source

• Nilofer Merchant

  Voice · Author & Innovation Strategist. Coined 'sitting is the new smoking' on a TED stage — challenges conference design norms

  Readable source

• Jason Fried

  Voice · Co-founder & CEO, 37signals (Basecamp). Challenges every assumption about how businesses should gather and collaborate

  Readable source

• Luvvie Ajayi Jones

  Voice · Author & Speaker. Professional troublemaker who brings honest critique to conference stages

  Readable source

• Tiffany Dufu

  Voice · Author, 'Drop the Ball'. Designs gatherings that advance gender equity in leadership

  Readable source

• Lauren Tietjen

  Voice · Head of Events & Experiential Marketing, LinkedIn. Designs LinkedIn's flagship events

  Readable source

• Jennifer Baligian

  Voice · Executive Director of Events, FOX Entertainment. Creates immersive experiences for one of the world's biggest entertainment brands

  Readable source

• Heidi Olson

  Voice · Board Member, Experiential Marketing Measurement Coalition. Pioneering how we actually measure the impact of brand experiences

  Readable source

• Pete Davies

  Voice · Experiential & Live Events Leader. 20+ years delivering global brand experiences for major rights holders

  Readable source

• Dan Strang

  Voice · CEO, Superfly (Bonnaroo co-creator). Sits at the exact intersection of festivals and brand marketing

  Readable source

• Abigail Jennings

  Voice · Senior Experiential Marketing Leader. Built Nike's event activations

  Readable source

• Greg Economou

  Voice · Chief Commercial Officer, UFC. Monetizes the fastest-growing sport through experiential partnerships

  Readable source

• Kerry Chandler

  Voice · CHRO, Under Armour (former). Built internal culture events at one of the world's biggest sports brands

  Readable source

• Russell Findlay

  Voice · CMO, Hershey. Brings brand activation to life at sports venues and major events

  Readable source

• Claire Bennett

  Voice · Chief Commercial Officer, Olympic Broadcasting. Shapes how the world's biggest sporting event is experienced

  Readable source

• Tim Ellis

  Voice · CMO, NFL. Markets the biggest sporting league in the world — Super Bowl experience design

  Readable source

• Brian Mirakian

  Voice · Principal, Populous. Designs stadiums and arenas — shapes the physical container for sports experiences

  Readable source

• Darren Marshall

  Voice · SVP Experiential, Jack Morton. Leads experiential for one of the biggest brand experience agencies

  Readable source

• Kerry Smith

  Voice · President & Editorial Director, Event Marketer. Publishes the leading trade media for experiential marketing

  Readable source

• Chris Weil

  Voice · CEO, Momentum Worldwide. Runs one of the world's largest experiential agencies — FIFA, Olympics, Coca-Cola

  Readable source

• Janet Traphagen

  Voice · EVP Global Experiences, BCD Meetings & Events. Delivers brand experiences at massive global scale

  Readable source

• Jason Bradwell

  Voice · Founder, B2B Better. Challenges how B2B brands think about experiential — content creator and strategist

  Readable source

• Victoria Copans

  Voice · VP Experience Marketing, Adobe. Designs Adobe Summit — one of tech's most immersive brand experiences

  Readable source

• Stuart Khan

  Voice · Founder, ProperExperiences. Designs hospitality experiences at major sporting events globally

  Readable source

• Jennifer Bravo

  Voice · VP Events, ESPN. Creates experiential extensions of the biggest sports media brand

  Readable source

• Alison Brod

  Voice · Founder, Alison Brod Marketing + Communications. Bridges luxury brands with experiential events

  Readable source

• Emily Callahan

  Voice · CMO, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Uses experiential events to drive one of America's most effective fundraising operations

  Readable source

• David Droga

  Voice · Vice Chair, Accenture (founder, Droga5). Created some of the most awarded brand experiences in advertising history

  Readable source

• Kristina McCoobery

  Voice · VP Events, Salesforce. Designs Dreamforce — one of the largest brand events on Earth

  Readable source

• Chris Cavanaugh

  Voice · Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Freeman. Bridges exhibition services with brand experience strategy

  Readable source

• Susan Stern

  Voice · CEO, Stern Strategy Group. Places thought leaders at sports and business events

  Readable source

• Matt Stoeckel

  Voice · CEO, Sparks. Runs one of the top experiential marketing agencies in North America

  Readable source

• Denise Wong

  Voice · VP Global Experiential Marketing, American Express. Designs premium experiences at the intersection of finance and lifestyle

  Readable source

• Kate Patay

  Voice · CMO & Brand Strategist, Event Industry. Award-winning event marketing strategist

  Readable source

• Javier Sanchez Lamelas

  Voice · Former VP Marketing, Coca-Cola. Designed Coca-Cola's experiential strategy across Olympics and FIFA World Cup

  Readable source

• Will Guidara

  Voice · Author, 'Unreasonable Hospitality'. Wrote the book on going beyond expectations

  Readable source

• Danny Meyer

  Voice · Founder, Union Square Hospitality Group. Created 'Enlightened Hospitality' — changed how the entire industry operates

  Readable source

• José Andrés

  Voice · Chef, Founder of World Central Kitchen. Transformed disaster relief through food — F&B as infrastructure for dignity

  Readable source

• Lorraine Copes

  Voice · Founder & CEO, Be Inclusive Hospitality. Changing how hospitality thinks about inclusion and equity

  Readable source

• Gert Kopera

  Voice · Global Hospitality Leader. 30+ years across 18 global destinations

  Readable source

• Gideon Horowitz

  Voice · Hospitality Leader & Culture Builder. 25+ years in multi-unit hospitality

  Readable source

• Arne Sorenson (legacy)

  Voice · Former CEO, Marriott International. Transformed Marriott into the world's largest hotel company — his vision still shapes the industry

  Readable source

• Anthony Capuano

  Voice · CEO, Marriott International. Leads the world's largest hotel company — shapes how corporate events use hotel infrastructure

  Readable source

• Mark Hoplamazian

  Voice · President & CEO, Hyatt Hotels. Repositioned Hyatt around purpose-driven hospitality

  Readable source

• Chip Rogers

  Voice · President & CEO, AHLA. Leads the American Hotel & Lodging Association — industry advocate

  Readable source

• Sébastien Bazin

  Voice · CEO, Accor. Runs one of the world's largest hospitality groups — 5,400+ hotels in 110 countries

  Readable source

• Geoff Ballotti

  Voice · President & CEO, Wyndham Hotels. Runs the world's largest hotel franchising company

  Readable source

• Elie Maalouf

  Voice · CEO, IHG Hotels & Resorts. Runs InterContinental, Kimpton, and 6,000+ hotels globally

  Readable source

• Mark Weinstein

  Voice · Chief Marketing Officer, Hilton. Shapes how the world's most recognized hotel brand connects with event planners

  Readable source

• Chris Nassetta

  Voice · President & CEO, Hilton. Leads Hilton's global portfolio — shapes how 7,000+ properties serve events

  Readable source

• Peter Kern

  Voice · Vice Chairman, Expedia Group. Shapes how travelers and event attendees discover and book hospitality

  Readable source

• David Kong

  Voice · CEO, BWH Hotel Group (former). Led Best Western's transformation — advocate for diversity in hospitality leadership

  Readable source

• Marlene Poynder

  Voice · GM, Waldorf Astoria London. Runs one of the world's most prestigious event venues

  Readable source

• Patrick Pacious

  Voice · CEO, Choice Hotels. Growing a major hotel brand — shapes the mid-market event hosting landscape

  Readable source

• Sloan Dean

  Voice · CEO, Remington Hotels. Manages 100+ hotels — understands event hosting from the operator's perspective

  Readable source

• Tina Edmundson

  Voice · President, Luxury Brands, Marriott. Leads Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels — the luxury end of event hosting

  Readable source

• Rob Gillette

  Voice · CEO, Levy Restaurants. Leads the dominant sports and entertainment venue catering company

  Readable source

• David Grutman

  Voice · Founder, Groot Hospitality. Miami's most influential nightlife and F&B operator — defines experiential dining

  Readable source

• Sam Nazarian

  Voice · Founder & CEO, sbe Entertainment. Builds lifestyle hotel and F&B brands that blur hospitality and nightlife

  Readable source

• Ruthie Rogers

  Voice · Co-Founder, The River Cafe. Defines the standard for food as experience at the highest level

  Readable source

• Asma Khan

  Voice · Chef & Founder, Darjeeling Express. Uses food and gathering to tell stories of identity and belonging

  Readable source

• Massimo Bottura

  Voice · Chef & Founder, Osteria Francescana. Runs the world's best restaurant — proves food is culture, not just sustenance

  Readable source

• Thomas Keller

  Voice · Chef & Restaurateur. The French Laundry, Per Se — defines American fine dining and event catering standards

  Readable source

• Kwame Onwuachi

  Voice · Chef & Author. Brings Nigerian, Trinidadian, and Bronx culture to high-end dining — reshaping what F&B means at events

  Readable source

• Dominique Crenn

  Voice · Chef & Owner, Atelier Crenn. Only woman to hold 3 Michelin stars in the US — challenges how events think about culinary leadership

  Readable source

• Bobby Stuckey

  Voice · Master Sommelier & Restaurateur. One of the most respected wine and hospitality voices in America

  Readable source

• Erin Wade

  Voice · Founder, Homeroom. Pioneered anti-harassment policies in restaurants — changes how F&B teams operate at events

  Readable source

• Andrew Zimmern

  Voice · Chef, TV Host, Educator. Bridges food, culture, and travel — challenges event F&B to think beyond Western palates

  Readable source

• Claire Smith

  Voice · MS, Wine Director, Court of Master Sommeliers. Shapes wine and beverage programs at the highest level of hospitality

  Readable source

• Arjun Waney

  Voice · Founder, Zuma & Roka. Built a global restaurant empire — defines contemporary Japanese hospitality

  Readable source

• Tess M. Vismale

  Voice · Founder & CEO, iSocialExecution; Co-Founder, Event Tech Atlas. CMP Fellow (2026) and DES; the event-tech fixer who speaks both planner and production

  Readable source

• Alon Alroy

  Voice · Co-founder & CMO, Bizzabo. Building one of the leading event tech platforms

  Readable source

• Reggie Aggarwal

  Voice · Founder & CEO, Cvent. Built the largest event technology company in the world

  Readable source

• Brandt Krueger

  Voice · Event Technology Consultant & Educator. The event industry's go-to voice for making sense of new tech

  Readable source

• Corbin Ball

  Voice · Event Technology Consultant. Tracking and evaluating event technology for 25+ years

  Readable source

• Sina Bünte

  Voice · Event Strategist & Producer. 2024 EIC Pacesetter Award winner — passionate about event tech and AI

  Readable source

• Joe Meehan

  Voice · Director of Professional Services, Swoogo. 25 years in event tech — bridges technology and client experience

  Readable source

• Marco Giberti

  Voice · Co-founder, Vesuvio Ventures. Event tech investor — backs the tools shaping the future of events

  Readable source

• Eran Ben-Shushan

  Voice · Co-founder & CEO, Bizzabo. Building the event OS that major brands depend on

  Readable source

• Eric Ly

  Voice · Co-founder, LinkedIn / CEO, KarmaCheck. Understands networking infrastructure at the platform level

  Readable source

• Rahul Razdan

  Voice · Co-founder, vFairs. Built a leading virtual and hybrid event platform

  Readable source

• Callan Mantell

  Voice · VP Product, RainFocus. Building enterprise event management that connects to CRM and marketing stacks

  Readable source

• Peter Poehle

  Voice · CEO, Grip. AI-powered networking and matchmaking for events

  Readable source

• Colja Dams

  Voice · CEO, VOK DAMS Worldwide. Leads a pioneering event agency focused on tech-enabled brand experiences

  Readable source

• JT Long

  Voice · Content Director, Smart Meetings. Covers event technology trends for meeting planners

  Readable source

• Michael Heipel

  Voice · Event Tech Strategist. Helps event organizations navigate digital transformation

  Readable source

• Vasil Azarov

  Voice · Founder, Growth Blazers. Builds tech-first event communities for marketers

  Readable source

• Brian Fanzo

  Voice · Digital Futurist & Keynote Speaker. Bridges social media, AI, and event technology

  Readable source

• Dahlia El Gazzar

  Voice · Founder, DAHLIA+ Agency. Event tech evangelist — tests and reviews tools so planners don't have to

  Readable source

• Alex Shashou

  Voice · Co-founder & CEO, ALICE (now Actabl). Built hotel operations tech that directly impacts event execution

  Readable source

• Felicia Asiedu

  Voice · Senior Marketing Manager, Cvent Europe. Bridges event tech with marketing strategy in the European market

  Readable source

• Joe Schwinger

  Voice · Co-founder & CEO, MeetingPlay / Aventri. Built event networking tech used by Fortune 500 companies

  Readable source

• Kristi Casey Sanders

  Voice · Director of Digital Strategy, Event Leadership Institute. Teaches event professionals how to use technology strategically

  Readable source

• Nick Borelli

  Voice · Director of Marketing, Allseated/Prismm. Pushes VR and spatial design tools for events

  Readable source

• Travis Stanton

  Voice · Editor in Chief, Exhibit City News. Covers the technology reshaping exhibition design

  Readable source

• Will Curran

  Voice · Founder, Endless Events. Built an event production company on transparency and tech adoption

  Readable source

• Hubilo (Vaibhav Jain)

  Voice · Founder & CEO, Hubilo. Built a leading virtual and hybrid event platform

  Readable source

• Katie McPhee

  Voice · VP Product, Splash. Shapes how marketers build branded event experiences

  Readable source

• Derek Disbrow

  Voice · CEO, Webex Events (Socio). Leading Cisco's event technology platform

  Readable source

• Ankur Bhatia

  Voice · CEO, Enjin. Applies blockchain and digital ownership to event ticketing

  Readable source

• Bogdan Suceavă

  Voice · Co-founder, Oveit. Builds cashless payment and registration tech for events

  Readable source

• Hopin (Johnny Boufarhat)

  Voice · Founder, Hopin. Built and scaled the pandemic-era event platform phenomenon

  Readable source

• Jim Sharpe

  Voice · CEO, PSAV/Encore. Leads the dominant AV technology provider for events worldwide

  Readable source

• Steve Mackenzie

  Voice · CEO, Glisser. Built audience engagement tech that transforms passive audiences into active participants

  Readable source

• Florian Roth

  Voice · CEO, Slido (now part of Cisco). Built the leading audience interaction platform — used at millions of events

  Readable source

• Panos Moutafis

  Voice · Co-founder & CEO, Zenus. Brings AI and facial analytics to event measurement — privacy-first approach

  Readable source

• Miguel Neves

  Voice · Editor, Skift Meetings. Publishes the most data-driven event industry coverage

  Readable source

• Danica Tormohlen

  Voice · Editor in Chief, Trade Show Executive. First to spot emerging trends and leadership shifts in exhibitions

  Readable source

• Megan Henshall

  Voice · Global Events Strategist, Google. Shapes event strategy at one of the world's most influential companies

  Readable source

• Rafat Ali

  Voice · Founder & CEO, Skift. Built the leading travel and events media company

  Readable source

• Cate Chapman

  Voice · Editor, LinkedIn News. Curates how business professionals see the events industry on LinkedIn itself

  Readable source

• Gordon Glenister

  Voice · Business Influencer & Speaker. Connects exhibition strategy with broader business marketing

  Readable source

• Rachel Wimberly

  Voice · Editorial Director, Trade Show News Network. The trade show industry's most-read journalist

  Readable source

• Sam Lippman

  Voice · President, Lippman Connects. Publishes the definitive revenue analyses for trade show organizers

  Readable source

• Andy Gensler

  Voice · Executive Editor, Pollstar. The live music industry's most important trade publication

  Readable source

• Brian Casey

  Voice · President & CEO, CEIR. The authority on exhibition performance data and research

  Readable source

• Ian Zelaya

  Voice · Director, Content Marketing & Communications, PCMA. Shapes the narrative of the global meetings industry

  Readable source

• Luke Bujarski

  Voice · Content Director, Event Marketer. Covers experiential marketing trends with editorial depth

  Readable source

• Michelle Russell

  Voice · Editor in Chief, PCMA Convene. The most respected editorial voice in the meetings industry

  Readable source

• Barbara Palmer

  Voice · Deputy Editor, PCMA Convene. Deep-dive journalist covering how business events are evolving

  Readable source

• JT Long

  Voice · Content Director, Smart Meetings. Covers meetings industry trends for hotel and planner audiences

  Readable source

• Jessie States

  Voice · Director, MeetingsNet. Curates the most-read corporate meetings media platform

  Readable source

• Travis Stanton

  Voice · Editor in Chief, Exhibit City News. Covers exhibition design, technology, and industry transformation

  Readable source

• Colleen Dillenschneider

  Voice · Chief Market Engagement Officer, TrendsWatch. Data-driven insights on cultural and event attendance patterns

  Readable source

• Greg Oates

  Voice · Skift Contributor & Hospitality Analyst. Tracks the intersection of hotels, venues, and events

  Readable source

• David Adler

  Voice · Founder & CEO, BizBash. Built the largest event industry media platform in North America

  Readable source

• Anna Kachur

  Voice · Producer, BizBash. Produces the event industry's most comprehensive media content

  Readable source

• Beth Kormanik

  Voice · Editor in Chief, BizBash. Leads editorial at the most widely-read event industry publication

  Readable source

• Timothy Burke

  Voice · Conference Producer & Industry Researcher. Designs conference agendas based on actual industry research

  Readable source

• Eric Lutz

  Voice · Editor, Meetings & Conventions. Covers the M&C industry with hotel-meets-planner editorial perspective

  Readable source

• Roger Dow

  Voice · President & CEO, US Travel Association (former). Shaped travel industry policy that directly impacts how events get hosted

  Readable source

• Lisa Grimm

  Voice · Freelance Event Industry Journalist. Independent voice covering event technology and innovation

  Readable source

• Patrick Salyer

  Voice · CEO, Stova. Leads one of the major event tech companies and publishes industry insights

  Readable source

• Deanna Ting

  Voice · Senior Hospitality Editor, Skift. Covers the hotel-meets-events intersection with analytical rigor

  Readable source

• Tess Minnens

  Voice · Founder, MICE Blog. European voice covering the MICE industry with practitioner perspective

  Readable source

• Martin Fullard

  Voice · Editor, Conference & Meetings World. Covers the European meetings industry with depth and independence

  Readable source

• James Drury

  Voice · CEO, The Iceberg. Builds the event industry's knowledge-sharing community and content platform

  Readable source

• Sean Whaley

  Voice · Industry Analyst, AMR International. Publishes independent strategic research on the events industry

  Readable source

• Mark Levin

  Voice · Association Management Consultant. Helps trade associations understand their event revenue models

  Readable source

• Michael Shapiro

  Voice · Founder, TripCanvas Media. Covers the intersection of travel, culture, and destination events

  Readable source

• Jim Spellos

  Voice · President, Meeting U. Teaches event professionals technology adoption — practical, not hype-driven

  Readable source