The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) has elected its 2016 board of directors, it announced last week.
Serving as 2016 board chair is longtime IAEE member Julia Smith (pictured), senior vice president of national sales at Las Vegas-based event planning firm Global Experience Specialists.
"I look forward to building on IAEE's successful advocacy initiatives, and to promoting program development to attract future generations to careers in the exhibitions and events industry," Smith said. "I am honored and excited to serve as 2016 chairperson, and will be able to draw on my experiences as an involved IAEE committee and board member and volunteer."
Joining Smith on the 2016 IAEE board of directors are the following new board members:
• Gregg Caren, Executive Vice President, SMG;
• Lenay Gore, Director of Meetings & Conventions, American Public Transportation Association;
• Chris Nemchek, Senior Vice President, Specialty Foods Association Inc.; and
• Dennis Smith, President, Messe Frankfurt North America.
Continuing on the board are:
• Chairperson-Elect: Ryan Strowger, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions, Conferences, and Sales, International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA);
• Secretary/Treasurer: Daniel McKinnon, Vice President, Client Services - Global, FreemanXP;
• Immediate Past Chairperson: Megan Tanel, Vice President of Exhibitions and Events, Association of Equipment Manufacturers;
• Vicki Bedi, CEO, PSBedi & Co. Pvt. Ltd.;
• Thomas Cindric, Jr., Vice President, Informa Exhibitions;
• Christopher McCabe, Executive Vice President, Emerald Expositions;
• Robert "Bob" McClean, Jr., Executive Vice President, Promotional Products Association International;
• Robert "Bob" Morgan, General Manager, Dulles Expo Center;
• Susan Schwartz, Managing Director, ConvExx; and
• Stephen "Steve" Sind, President and CEO, Global Event Strategies LLC.
Finally, the board's ex-officio directors are:
• Walter Yeh, Executive Vice President, Taiwan External Trade Development Council, representing the IAEE Asia Exhibition Council;
• Aaron Bludworth, President and CEO, Fern, representing the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR);
• Andrew Ortale, Executive Vice President, National Trade Productions Inc., representing the Chapters Leaders Council;
• Angela Harar, Senior Director of Tradeshows, The Vision Council, representing the IAEE MATSO Council;
• Mary Bender, Marketing Director, Emerald Expositions, representing the IAEE Public Events Council; and
• Samantha Lohse, Project Manager, Marketing, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), representing the Robert L. Krakoff Seat.
Members of IAEE's board are elected on an annual basis by the official voting member of each IAEE member company. All officers serve a one-year term, except the secretary/treasurer, who holds office for two years. Directors, meanwhile, serve staggered three-year terms.
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