New Organization Led by All-Star Experiential Team
by Travis Stanton
Three days into 2025, The Experiential Design Authority is proud to announce its 2025 U.S. Advisory Board, comprising experiential designers, experiential marketers, and other thought leaders within the exhibit, event, and experiential design industries. The 32-member board will help guide the new organization in its production and oversight of a series of awards programs designed to spotlight best practices in experiential design and honoring those behind the world’s most exceptional, innovative, and immersive environments and experiences.
“This is my dream team, and I am so grateful to have them on the advisory board,” said Travis Stanton, Executive Director of The Experiential Design Authority and Director of Strategy at Storylink Creative. “The breadth and depth of experience represented is matched only by the high ethical standards and professional reputations of the individuals chosen.”
In particular, The Experiential Design Authority is proud to have board members representing FIT’s Graduate Exhibition and Experience Design program, Bemidji State University’s Exhibit + Experience Design and Production program, the Smithsonian Institution, The Exhibitor Advocate, and the Experiential Designers and Producers Association’s Board of Directors. In addition to weighing in on the direction of the organization, board members will serve as judges for various awards programs (and any members with conflicts of interest will recuse themselves from the appropriate panels).
The Experiential Design Authority’s first competition, the BOSS Awards (Best of Show Stand Awards), will take place at the 2025 International Consumer Electronics Show, with finalists announced on January 10. Winners will be announced in February at an event hosted by the organization’s Official U.S. Media Partner, Exhibit City News.
“We have been overwhelmed by the support pouring in,” said Stanton. “I set out to find 32 people willing to volunteer their time and talents, and ended up meeting that goal and then some, with a waiting list of so many exceptional individuals I look forward to serving on future advisory boards.”
The Experiential Design Authority’s 2025 U.S. Advisory Board includes:
- Steve Deckel, CEO, Deckel & Moneypenny
- Dana Esposito, Executive Vice President, Strategy, BlueHive Exhibits
- Mike Denison, Head of Design, Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of American History
- Jessica Sibila, CMP, CTSM, Executive Director, The Exhibitor Advocate
- Stephen Ross, Vice President, Executive Creative Director, Access TCA
- Christina Stoll, CTSM Diamond, CDMP, PCM, Former Senior Marketing Manager Event Marketing, HD Supply
- Michael Vallone, Vice President, Creative and Brand, Hill & Partners
- Courtney Soice, Chief Marketing Officer, Hamilton
- Sachel Josefson, Associate Professor of Exhibit + Experience Design & Production, Bemidji State University
- Allison Saget, Author and Event Marketing Consultant
- Jason Popp, President and CEO, Moss
- Glenda Brungardt, CTSM Diamond, Former Global Event Manager, HP
- Frank Jones, Experiential Producer, A Team Experiences
- Dee Silfies, Principal, Knowledge Hub
- Matt Jones, Founder, DXM Solutions
- Katina Rigall Zipay, M.A., Creative Director, Classic Exhibits Inc.
- Alex Hill, Vice President, Experiential Solutions, Taylor Corp.
- Liz Nacron, Partner, President of Creative and Production, Live Marketing
- Don Schmid, MBA, CTSM Gold, CME-H, Former Global Congresses Lead, Pfizer Corp.
- Jeannette Sanders, Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, 2020 Exhibits
- Christian Lachel, LEED AP, Chief Creative Officer, BRC Imagination Arts
- Christina Lyons, Professor & Chair, FIT Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design
- John Pavek, Director of Partner Development, Willwork Global Event Services
- Judy Volker, Founder, Volker Marketing Services
- Brian Dukerschein, Manager, External Communications, Abbott
- Emma Bica, Certified High Performance Coach, Emma Bica Coaching
- Casey Baron, Director of Creative, Storylink Creative
- Stephanie Chavez, CTSM, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, BlackPearl Technologies
- Al Mercuro, Strategic Marketing & Client Engagement Advisor, Genesis Exhibits
- Dominique Cook, MBA, CTSM Diamond, Senior Meeting & Events Specialist, Boston Scientific
- Steve Riches, CEO & Principal, Laguna Displays
- Chris Fry, Partner, Pulse Studio
The organization will be assembling an International Advisory Board, which will have input on global projects such as the World Expolympics (honoring experiential design at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan) while providing a global perspective and worldwide exposure. Those interested in representing their countries by serving on the International Advisory Board are encouraged to contact info@experientialdesignauthority.com with their names, titles, bios, and (if applicable) links to their LinkedIn profiles.
About The Experiential Design Authority
Comprising a collective of industry leaders and champions of experiential marketing and design, The Experiential Design Authority serves as a governing body overseeing a number of international competitions, including the BOSS Awards, ExSys Awards, and World Expolympics. The organization is committed to fairness and transparency, as well as the value of professional competition and the goal of giving back to the next generation of experiential design professionals. For more information, visit www.theexperientialdesignauthority.com.