International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) announced the selection of Doug Ducate, CEM, CMP, as this year’s “Legend of the Industry.” The IAEE Krakoff Leadership Institute and IAEE Krakoff Advanced Leadership Institute are to be held Aug. 3-5 in Savannah, Ga.
Each year, IAEE selects a “Legend of the Industry” whose efforts, innovation and leadership have been one of a kind and extraordinary. An informal setting then allows each participant face-to-face interaction with this industry leader.
“I am honored to have been selected as this year’s Legend of the Industry and look forward to meeting with this year’s Institute participants,” said Ducate. “This is an industry that is constantly growing and changing, and I look forward to sharing what I have learned over the years with enthusiastic up-and-comers who represent the future of the exhibitions and events industry.”
As an exhibition industry veteran, Ducate, after a 26-year career with the Society of Petroleum Engineers organizing events in oil producing provinces around the globe, became president of PGI Exhibitions and built a $25 million dollar international exhibition organizing company. He served as president and CEO of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) from April 1998 to December 2013. Ducate has performed as president of the Trade Show Bureau, president of the International Association for Exhibition Management (now IAEE), and chairman of the Convention Liaison Council as well as on the Board of Directors of the Professional Convention Management Association and the Board of Trustees of the PCMA Foundation.
Ducate has been given several industry awards, including the IAEE William Hunt Eisenman Award, the TSEA Distinguished Service Award and the EDPA Hazel Hayes Award. He was inducted into the Convention Liaison Council Hall of Leaders in 1994.
As president of Burton Resources, this year’s facilitator, Erick Burton, CSP, is founder of the Burton Leadership Center and one of a few speakers in the world with the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation.