(Pictured above clockwise: Tommy Goodwin, David DuBois, David Audrain, Chris Griffin, Bob Priest-Heck and Jim Wurm)
A new coalition of eight industry associations from the business events industry (CEIR, DI, EACA, EDPA, ESCA, IAEE, IAVM and SISO) has formed the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance, an advocacy group that will champion the common interests of U.S. exhibitions and conferences with legislators. ECA is pleased to announce that government relations and advocacy leader Tommy Goodwin has been named VP of government affairs and will be an integral member of ECA’s leadership team along with co-presidents David DuBois (IAEE) and David Audrain (SISO) and inaugural board members Cathy Breden (CEIR), Melissa Cherry (Destinations International), Jim Wurm (EACA), Chris Griffin (EDPA), Bob Priest-Heck (ESCA), Megan Tanel (IAEE), Clifford “Rip” Rippitoe (IAVM), Douglas Emslie (Tarsus Group), Hervé Sedky (EmeraldX), Nancy Walsh (Informa Markets) and Yancy Weinrich (Reed Exhibitions).
Ross Weitzberg, CEO of Exhibit Potential, was named Experiential Designers & Producers Association SoCal president, succeeding Laguna Displays’ Steve Riches. And Paco Collazo, owner and CEO of Happy Projects LLC, and B.J. Enright, president and CEO of Tradeshow Logic, have joined the national EDPA Board of Directors.
At the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association, April Hurley of The Expo Group was re-elected for a new term with the Board and Bruce Green, Coastal International; Chris Casconi, Willwork; and Matthew Little, Nuvista were elected to the three EAC director vacancies. Elections for four new EAC director positions resulted in the addition of Les Bunge, Laser; Durl Jensen, CDI USA; Jason Eisenhut, Employco USA; and Noelle Webster, Willwork.
The International Congress & Convention Association CEO Mark Cooper was appointed 2021 Chair of the Board of the Events Industry Council, the global voice of the business events industry on advocacy, research, professional recognition and standards. The International Association of Exhibitions and Events Executive VP & COO Cathy Breden was named the 2021 Chair Elect and will serve as treasurer, moving forward as EIC Chair in 2022.
The Corporate Event Marketing Association announced its 2021 new Board of Directors: Chairwoman Stacey Kashubeck, senior director strategic events, Salesforce; Vice Chairman/Chairman Elect Paul Coulter, director of group sales, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin; Immediate Past Chairwoman Karen Cooper, senior manager, event strategy, Poly; Secretary Jim Kelley, VP, marketing & industry relation, Fern; and Treasurer Gordon Stake, managing partner, Event Marketing Partners. Newly elected Board Members at Large include Amy Walter, head of field marketing & event strategy, Atlassian; Karen Galatis, senior director, corporate event marketing, Oracle and Julie Lynch, head of global events, F5.
ConferenceDirect CEO Brian Stevens has agreed to serve on the first Tourism Diversity Matters Board of Directors. Launched on Feb. 1, TDM’s mission is to be a resource to foster diversity, equity and inclusion practices that will educate, advocate, engage and empower in collaboration and cooperation with all industry initiatives. Stevens joins Elliott Ferguson, TDM’s chairman of the Board and president and CEO, Destination DC, and Mike Gamble, TDM’s founder and president and CEO of SearchWide Global as part of a 22-member board.
Jason Weddle was named CEO at Hamilton Exhibits. Industry veteran and former Zenith Labornet owner John Zimmerman has joined Eagle Management Group to aid in new business development. MSM Inc. founder/CEO Donna Shultz is proud to announce the promotion of Laurie Kamal to president/CFO.
Impact XM ha named Jerry Grady, senior account director, and Michael Stotsky senior director, new business development. AEM Subsidiary Hargrove & Associates Inc. welcomes Todd Snell as VP & COO. Ron Denny has left Reed Exhibitions to join Emerald as a marketing manager.
Dayton, Ohio-based Exhibit Concepts, Inc. has expanded their museum and education expertise team with education specialist Colleen Incandela & landscape architecture and outdoor environments expert Aaron Scarlata.
Swapcard, a leading event and community platform for virtual, hybrid and in-person exhibitions & conferences, has hired events industry leader Julius Solaris as head of engagement. Solaris was the founder and editor-in-chief of EventMB, a respected resource on event technology,
Founded last October, Carver Road Hospitality, a best-in-class hospitality company, has tapped former MGM Resorts International sales and marketing executive Tony Yousfi as chief growth officer. And 5AM Global has appointed Caner Evirgen as a MENA region ambassador.
In CVB news, Visit San Antonio named COO Dave Krupinski as its interim director as its former president and CEO, Casandra Matej, headed to Visit Orlando, beginning as their president/CEO on Feb. 1. Visit Plano has tapped Steve Yearwood as its new association and SMERF (social, military, educational, religious and fraternal) sales manager, and appointed Olivia Woodward to the position of event services coordinator. The Albany Capital Center announces the promotion of inaugural staff member Ana Purritano to sales manager. The Atlanta CVB’s board of directors has named Kris Reinhard, a partner in Fifth Group Restaurants, its chair for 2021. Cleo Battle has been named to head the Louisville CVB as Karen Williams retires. And at the MCCNO, building maintenance facility attendant Willard Trosclair retired after 36 years. Lastly, Nicole Rogers was named EVP with San Francisco Travel.
In international news, London-based INVNT named Neil Mason executive CD, EMEA; Marie-Laure Bellon joined UFI as COO; the ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter expanded their Board; ICCA announced new team members and SITE & SITE Foundation 2021 leadership was announced.
An excerpt of this story originally appeared in the Mar./Apr. 2021 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 42. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_mar-apr_2021
