HOUSTON — The Exhibition Services and Contractors Association (ESCA) held its second annual Rising Leaders Summit, aimed at providing rising talent in the exhibition industry with the education needed to kickstart their careers and grow into leadership roles.
Taking place Feb. 23-25 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Rising Leaders Summit served up education, inspiration and connection to early-career professionals and those new to leadership positions — along with unparalleled access to senior leaders from ESCA member companies.
Registration for the summit was up 23% over 2025, highlighting the demand for an event dedicated to the early-career and early-leadership demographic.
“The ESCA Rising Leaders Summit was created to address a gap we saw in leadership development within the industry. Many professionals enter this field through nontraditional paths and gain experience by doing, which is invaluable. However, structured access to leadership and industry development, industry knowledge and meaningful networking often comes much later in one’s career,” said Rachel Rodean, Director of Education & Events at ESCA. “Our mission is to provide that access earlier. The Summit is designed to accelerate growth by building industry awareness, strengthening leadership capabilities and fostering authentic connections. We firmly believe that strong networks create strong leaders.”
Opening Day Education Serves Up Inspiration
The first full day of the summit saw attendees learning from industry leaders on various panels, an energizing keynote and intimate hands-on workshops and discussions.
“The energy was truly contagious,” Rodean said. “There was constant discussion, engagement and real involvement from attendees. Compared to year one, people came in knowing what to expect and were ready to jump right in. While we still had a lot of first-time attendees, our returning participants really stepped up, welcomed them in and helped set the tone. The result was a Summit that felt more connected, more engaged and even more impactful than year one.”
After a full morning of sessions, rising leaders were invited to participate in intimate roundtables with industry leaders to ask questions about their careers, challenges and advice for up and comers.
“Having established industry professionals in attendance is incredibly important,” Rodean said. “We were very intentional about not creating a room where rising leaders were only talking to each other. That peer connection is valuable, but it’s not enough on its own. Bringing established industry professionals into the Summit creates real perspective and depth.
“When emerging leaders can sit across from someone who has built a career in this industry, ask candid questions and hear honest stories about challenges, growth and leadership decisions, it makes their own path feel more tangible. It helps connect the dots between where they are today and where they want to go.”
While the value of these roundtables to the industry’s rising leaders is clear, seasoned professionals also gained invaluable insights into the priorities, expectations and ideas of the next generation.
“That kind of two-way exchange strengthens the leadership pipeline and keeps our industry aligned across experience levels,” Rodean said. “That mix is what makes the Summit feel relevant and grounded. It’s not theoretical leadership development. It’s relationship-building and knowledge-sharing happening in real time, and that’s where the long-term value truly comes from.”
Two-Track Education to Meet Various Needs
The program’s educational content on day two was divided up between two tracks, with one focused on industry-specific insights and business needs, and the other on leadership, communication and personal branding skills.
“The two-track format allows attendees to personalize their experience and engage more deeply with content that aligns with their individual roles, interests and leadership journeys,” said Griffen Wilson, Vice President of Employco USA and Lead of ESCA’s Rising Leaders Education Subcommittee. “Participants can choose the conversations most relevant to where they are professionally and where they want to grow.”
Content for the Summit is shaped by feedback from past participants, ESCA leadership and the Rising Leaders Committee. Post-event surveys, conversations with attendees and ongoing dialogue with industry leaders help to identify the skills and challenges that the summit addresses.
“The goal is to ensure content reflects both current industry trends and future leadership needs,” Wilson said. “When determining topics, the team focuses on what will be most actionable and relevant for this group; leadership development, communication, relationship building, innovation and technology such as AI. Sessions are selected based on their ability to provide practical takeaways and encourage personal and professional growth. Authenticity and real-world experience are also key considerations; speakers are chosen not just for expertise, but for their willingness to share candid insights, lessons learned and tangible strategies attendees can apply within their organizations and careers.”
Intentional Networking Sparks Meaningful Connections
To kick off the event, an opening reception was held at PuttShack, a mini-golf venue in downtown Houston. Attendees could enjoy light bites, casual networking and some healthy competition before the summit programming began on Feb. 24.
On the second day of the summit, attendees were invited to join ESCA’s Rising Leaders Committee members for dine arounds across the city. Small groups connected over shared meals at a variety of Houston staples, before coming together in a casual atmosphere at Tom’s Watch Bar to connect as a larger group.
“The Dine Around is valuable for Rising Leaders because it creates a smaller, more intimate setting that naturally encourages authentic conversation. Early-career professionals often find large networking receptions overwhelming or transactional. A casual dinner environment removes that pressure and allows conversations to develop more organically,” said Madison Gardeakos, Marketing and Creative Specialist at Quest Events and Lead of the ESCA’s Rising Leaders Networking Subcommittee. “With a smaller group, participants have the opportunity to truly learn about one another’s roles, career paths and challenges rather than just exchanging business cards. The setting encourages deeper dialogue, follow-up questions and shared experiences that build stronger connections.
“The casual nature of a shared meal also helps level the playing field. Rising Leaders feel more comfortable speaking up, asking questions and engaging with peers and industry leaders without the formality of a structured program. This format supports meaningful relationship building rather than surface level introductions. Ultimately, dine arounds align with the goals of the Networking Subcommittee by fostering connection in a way that feels approachable, inclusive and lasting for this specific audience.”
ESCA Rising Leaders Summit 2027
ESCA will be bringing the Rising Leaders Summit back for its third edition in 2027.
“Each year we build intentionally on attendee feedback and lessons learned to continue elevating the experience,” Rodean said. “We will be sharing dates and location details mid-year and look forward to welcoming even more rising leaders next year!”
“I was encouraged to see a few companies sending one person. Encouraged, because if these individuals were sitting alone, other attendees were ensuring that wasn’t for long. By the end of the week, new connections and friendships were made, and it left me proud to be a part of this community,” Katherine O’Hare, Director of Client Solutions at Freeman, and the 2026 Chair of ESCA’s Rising Leaders Committee, said. “Like any other event, you will get out what you put in, and there was no shortage of enthusiasm. We encourage all participants to take our survey, as the results are taken to heart and applied to future events.”
Looking to Get Involved with ESCA’s Rising Leaders?
ESCA’s formal Rising Leaders Committee was established in 2024, bringing together up-and-comers that were passionate about professional investment in themselves, their community and their peers.
“This [purpose] remains true; however, it has been a total joy to see the intentionality of this group develop,” O’Hare said. “Since its initiation, this committee has established and executed four goals:
- To create a network of rising leaders that will drive future collaboration and innovation within the industry
- To offer ongoing education and professional development opportunities
- To empower rising leaders to develop confidence in their roles and as future leaders in the industry
- To increase the number of rising leaders at ESCA events to 10% of the overall attendance.”
For those who are interested in getting involved in the Rising Leaders Committee, you can connect with Alyssa Konareski, the Lead of the Membership Subcommittee, or email info@esca.org for more information.
“Additionally, you can reach out to any member of the Rising Leaders Committee, and they will assist in providing visibility to our current infrastructure, offering guidance on where incoming members can be of best service and ultimately make the connection with Alyssa,” O’Hare said.
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