CHICAGO — Maeghan Horvath, Senior Conference Manager, Emerald, leads the execution of conference programming across large-scale events and oversees speaker engagement, logistics and production.
Her work has made her a trusted leader at the organization and a key contributor to its continued growth, and earned her recognition as a 2026 Trade Show Executive (TSE) Trailblazer.
We connected with Horvath to discuss her career journey and passion for events.
ANDREW: What brought you to the trade show industry?
MAEGHAN: Honestly, it was a bit of a winding road, but looking back, each step pointed me in this direction.
After graduating college, I did an internship with a company that produced 5K mud runs, music festivals and city-wide scavenger hunts, which made it clear that I really loved the energy of live events.
That experience lit a fire in me.
From there, I took a role as an Event Coordinator with a nonprofit association, and that’s really what first introduced me to the trade show world. After some time there, I spent a few more years doing both consumer-facing events and more business forward programming: things like alumni events, networking nights and awards shows.
Over time, I realized the corporate side was where I felt most engaged and challenged. I also knew I wanted a career that involved travel.
When the opportunity came to step into conference planning, it checked both of those boxes and I haven’t looked back.
ANDREW: What do you enjoy the most about your work?
MAEGHAN: There are so many things. I love the puzzle of it; the months of logistics, coordination and problem solving that go into producing a conference.
No two shows are exactly the same, and there’s something deeply satisfying about navigating all of those moving pieces.
But what I truly love most is that moment at the end of a show when you can see it on people’s faces — attendees who walked away having learned something valuable, speakers who feel like they made an impact.
In conference operations, you’re not always the most visible part of that experience, but you play a real role in making it possible. That sense of having contributed to something bigger than yourself that genuinely matters to the people in the room never gets old for me.
ANDREW: How do you make sure Pizza Expo portfolio offers powerful programming?
MAEGHAN: Powerful programming starts with great content, and I’m fortunate to work alongside talented content teams, strong show leadership and dedicated advisory boards across each of my shows who own that side of the equation.
My job is to make sure the environment we create and the experience we provide does that content justice.
Over the years I’ve focused on elevating the attendee experience through updated session room technology, improved onsite branding and smoother onsite logistics because even the best content can fall flat if the execution isn’t there to support it.
ANDREW: Could you describe your contributions to the launch of Pizza Expo Columbus?
MAEGHAN: My role in Pizza Expo Columbus mirrored what I do on our larger, established shows, but launching in a new city meant building almost everything from scratch: a new venue, new budget and expense predictions, new vendor relationships and a mostly new speaker roster.
A lot of the groundwork that exists on an established show simply didn’t exist yet, so there was an added layer of foundation building, problem solving and flexibility required.
ANDREW: Could you describe your leadership approach?
MAEGHAN: I lead with trust. I believe in giving my teams, both my year-round colleagues and my onsite vendor/staffing teams, the autonomy to do their jobs well and in creating an environment where they feel comfortable coming to me when they need to.
Beyond that, I try to lead by example; this industry demands dedication and attention to detail, and I hold myself to the same standard I’d hold anyone else. And when someone does great work, I make sure they know how appreciated it is.
ANDREW: What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
MAEGHAN: This recognition is right up there! Truthfully, I don’t have one defining moment, but two projects stand out.
Early in my current role, I was tasked with coordinating housing and airfare for a large group of hosted buyers, an incredibly detail-heavy project where a single error could have meant a real problem for a real person.
I built two tracking systems from scratch, one of which was used to coordinate with two separate outside travel booking partners, and when it was all said and done, not one detail was missed, and final costs could be reconciled down to the penny.
I’ve since moved on from that show, but those systems continued to be used by the teams that took over.
More recently, I led an overhaul of our speaker management process on one of our large conferences using a new software platform, variations of which have since been adopted across multiple shows.
Both moments stand out but for different reasons: one was a complex challenge that demanded a solution, and the other was an opportunity I recognized and ran with. In both cases, what was built outlasted the projects themselves, and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of.
Related. Meet the 2026 TSE Trailblazers: Courtney Ford
ANDREW: What are your keys to success?
MAEGHAN: Attention to detail, flexibility and a willingness to keep learning. Being able to adapt when things don’t go as planned and to roll with the inevitable punches thrown at you are obvious requirements in this industry, but so is knowing when to let go of your own ideas when they’re not the right fit.
Staying open-minded and learning from your peers, leaders and predecessors are equally important.
ANDREW: What challenges have you encountered in your career, and how have you overcome them?
MAEGHAN: Early in my career I had to do a lot of figuring out; not just what kind of work I wanted to do, but also what kind of leader I wanted to be.
Some of that I learned the hard way, by experiencing what I didn’t want to emulate. One of the most valuable things I took from those experiences is perspective; this work matters, but it’s often not life or death, and taking yourself too seriously in this industry will wear you down fast.
On the work itself, the biggest ongoing challenge is priority balance. Every show runs on a strict timeline and a strict budget, and there’s always pressure to make it the best one yet.
Knowing where to focus your energy at any given moment and being at peace with the fact that you can’t give everything equal attention all the time is something you never stop working at.
ANDREW: How do you stay motivated and avoid burnout?
MAEGHAN: The work itself keeps me motivated. I thrive on challenges and puzzles that need solving and there’s something deeply satisfying about the finality of this industry; every show has a beginning, a middle and an end, and then you get to do it all over again.
On the burnout side, family is my number one priority, full stop. I’m intentional about protecting that time year-round, so when a show demands longer hours or travel, it’s the exception and not the rule.
I also want my son to see that you can work hard, love what you do and still show up for the people who matter most.
ANDREW: What advice would you give to an events industry up-and-comer?
MAEGHAN: Trust your gut. If you have an idea worth sharing, share it.
If a job doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. If something doesn’t look right, say something.
This industry will throw a lot at you and there won’t always be time to overthink it. The people who thrive are the ones who learn to trust themselves and their teams.
And find a mentor — someone you trust and can look up to — and stay connected with them. The value goes beyond what you learn from them.
Those relationships open doors you didn’t even know existed. And when you find yourself in a position to open a door for someone else, do it.
Oh, and find a really good pair of show site shoes!
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