CHICAGO — The Trade Show Executive (TSE) Gold 100 Awards & Summit is shaping up to be an impactful and memorable event, featuring a star-studded lineup of speakers for this year’s Educational Summit, which will take place on Oct. 16.
Returning to the Gold 100 stage to kick things off will be Peter Rupert, Ph.D., Professor of Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In these uncertain times, he will provide attendees with some clarity and actionable insights to help navigate the current economic landscape.
Rupert’s economic outlook will lead into a conversation between Tommy Goodwin, Vice President of the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) and Rick Simon, CEO of United Service Companies and TSE’s Chairman, about how politics is shaping the business events industry. Goodwin will reflect on some of the big wins the industry has seen so far in 2025, and then focus on what policies should be on the radar of show organizers as they move into the end of the year and 2026.
In a can’t-miss session focused on leveraging AI as a business strategy and not just a tool, Vinnie Polito, CEO and Managing Director of the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO), will talk with Liz Irving, CEO of Clarion Events North America; Kinsey Fabrizio, President of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®; and Amy Allen, Chief of Staff, North America at Informa Markets, about how they’re using AI to level up their businesses beyond increasing productivity.
As the topic of tariffs still looms large in the industry, TSE Managing Editor Maddy Ryley will sit down with Aaron Pederson, President and CEO of All Baby & Child Corp., the producer of ABC Kids Expo, to talk about how this retail-based show navigated the volatile environment last spring when the tariffs were first announced in the U.S. Pederson will also dive into how he and his team are focused on right-sizing their show for further success after their big win of the Rock Star Award at the most recent TSE Fastest 50 Awards & Summit for its extreme growth.
While the Gold 100 celebrates the largest shows by size, the summit will also focus on how shows are growing their audiences and attendance. Moderated by Kelly Helfman, this panel will discuss approaches from audience segmentation in marketing and group plan pricing to key strategic partnerships and referral programs. Gold 100 attendees can plan on returning to their teams with actionable ideas from this insightful panel featuring Pam Simon, Conference Chair and Executive Vice President of Programming at Manifest; Sarah Domzalski, Marketing Director at Clarion Events North America (FDIC International); and Samantha Grimaldi, Group Marketing Director at Clarion Events North America (Coffee Fest LA).
Related. TSE Reveals Grand Award Finalists and Women to Watch
Part of the annual celebration at TSE’s Gold 100 event is the recognition of the Women to Watch, a class of rising stars and leaders in the industry. In addition to recognizing this year’s class of superstars, TSE is reflecting on the Women to Watch of the past to see how these leaders have developed since being named to the program. Moderator Carrie Ferenac, President of CNTV, will lead the discussion featuring Christine Flanagan, Chief Operating Officer at Informa Markets; Desiree Hanson, President, Energy North America at Clarion Events North America; and Sarah Wilson, Vice President of the Program Management Office, Connections at Emerald, as they discuss their career trajectories and what they’re seeing shift in the industry.
Closing out the summit this year is a session focused on the various uses of influencer marketing and influencer programs for B2B events that have seen success in driving engagement, community and attendance. Michelle Edmondson, CEM, Vice President – Exhibitions at AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology; John Mlynczak, President and CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM); and Kevin Thornton, Senior Vice President of Infrastructure and Construction at Informa Markets; will talk about why they implemented an influencer aspect to their shows, what they learned along the way and how they’re seeing impacts on their events and communities with moderator Marianne Szczech, Executive Vice President of Marketing & Services at GES.
All of the summit’s excitement will culminate later in the evening for the Gold 100 Awards Gala, where the winners of this year’s Grand Awards will be announced, and the industry comes together to recognize and celebrate all of the success earned in 2024.
Find the full programming for the event here.
There’s Still Time to Make Plans to Attend
Are you thinking about attending this year’s Gold 100 Awards & Summit, taking place Oct. 14-17 at The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage in Palm Springs, Calif.? There’s still time to make plans to attend this year’s event, with registration remaining open until Sept. 26. Find more event information and registration here.
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