CHICAGO — A new recognition program highlighting event professionals over the age of 50 is being launched by Gather Voices and Silver EPG, with support from Informa Connect brands as Media Partners and the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)® as the official Community Partner.
The all new 50 Over 50 will honor experience, leadership and impact in the exhibitions and events industry; and its official launch is taking place next week at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting and Exhibition.
“Our industry celebrates innovation and change, yet so many of the people who make that possible are the ones with decades of experience. They carry the institutional memory, the craft, the relationships and the real stories about how this work gets done,” said Michael Hoffman, CEO of Gather Voices. “At the same time, I kept hearing seasoned professionals say they felt overlooked, especially in a culture that tends to spotlight youth. The idea emerged from that gap. The event industry is in a moment of reinvention, and we can’t afford to lose the wisdom that fuels our best work. We see a fair share of ageism, layoffs and general disregard for people who’ve been around awhile. We want to give those people a platform to showcase their contributions.”
According to Gather Voices’ announcement, winners of the 50 Over 50 program “will be chosen through a transparent, criteria-based judging process guided by a detailed rubric that evaluates innovation, leadership, mentorship, and lasting impact.”
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“We’re making the rubric public, and we’re making the process public,” Hoffman said. “One reason so many people are cynical about awards is because too many programs hide their criteria or tie selections to revenue. This program is free to enter, free to be considered and guided by a clear, published rubric. Judges are selected for their breadth of experience, and we have conflict-of-interest procedures in place. If we want legitimacy, we have to earn it through transparency.”
Nominations to the program opened on Dec. 1, 2025, and the deadline to submit is Jan. 31, 2026. Winners are expected to be announced in March 2026, with a celebration to take place at Connect Marketplace.
“We want to shine a light on the leaders who have shaped this industry and are still shaping it. But more than recognition, I want this to strengthen the connective tissue of the industry,” Hoffman said. “This program can become a platform where experience meets opportunity, where people who have built their careers here are visible, valued, and able to help guide what comes next. If we do this right, the 50 Over 50 becomes an annual reminder that leadership is a long game.”
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