DALLAS — The Exhibition Services and Contractors Association (ESCA) held its inaugural Rising Leaders Summit — aimed to serve the educational and networking needs of up-and-coming leaders in the industry.
The first day of the event’s programming featured general sessions for all attendees, while day two provided “choose your own adventure”-style education.
Balancing Needs with Two Education Tracks
On day two of the event, attendees could choose what sessions to attend, with two education tracks running simultaneously at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
Here are some takeaways from the sessions attended by Trade Show Executive.
Effective Wayfinding, Show Floor Technology and Planning with Rich Stone, CEO of Expocad 
- In show floor plans today, heat mapping, value-based pricing, yield management software and self-booking by exhibitors are hot
- Organizers are moving toward more yield-management pricing, with criteria like location and timing being subjective to the organizer
- If you’re going to let exhibitors self-book, you should provide them with a CAD-accurate drawing of the space
- Wayfinding can be monetized with sponsored signs and QR codes
- Geo-Wayfinding allows you to share your location with connections, making meeting up with contacts at shows easier
Key Client Base for ESCA Member Business: The US B2B Exhibitions Industry State of the Industry and Outlook Moving Forward with Nancy Drapeau, IPC, Vice President of Research at the Center for Exhibition Industry Research
- The post-pandemic rebound is continuing but is choppy, with net square footage being the best recovered metric
- This year is projected to be strong, but a full industry recovery won’t come to fruition until 2026
- The U.S. is seeing a bifurcated consumer, with low-income people having less to spend while higher-income households are getting more money to spend
- Hotel demand is still recovering, with luxury chains performing very well while hotel room demand decouples from GDP
- Visa wait times (which have been a key policy priority for the ECA) are improving, and inbound travel to the U.S. is forecasted to recover in 2026
The Leadership X-Factor: Developing Skills for Extraordinary Leadership with Michelle Cederberg, Certified Professional Speaker and Health and Productivity Expert
- Great leaders embody authenticity, curiosity, analytical prowess, adaptability, creativity and comfort with ambiguity, resilience and empathy
- The five strategies to transition from peer to leader are:
- Set Expectations Early
- Maintain professionalism and approachability
- Earn trust through actions
- Don’t avoid difficult conversations
- Seek guidance and mentorship
- Giving recognition matters because feeling a sense of mattering is important to people, and it is important to affirm people’s good work
Persuading Skeptics: How to Influence in a Polarized and Fragmented World with Sam Potolicchio
- When someone feels as though another person is “pointing fingers at them,” they get defensive quickly, so it’s important to practice motivational interviewing when trying to convince someone of something — where you approach someone with attributes of curiosity and humility, and no judgement
- Asking people about their beliefs with leading, open-ended questions can result in incremental latitudes of acceptance
- Another technique to persuade people of your point is called rap reports, which involves three steps before you proceed into your argument:
- Re-express the other person’s ideas in a better way than they initially said it
- Thank them and express gratitude for something you’ve learned
- Highlight a commonality you share
- Sometimes you need to be uncomfortable as a speaker to make your audience comfortable, whether that’s increasing your energy levels or being more thespian in your presentation
“My parting words to you, if you want to be more effective at persuading people that are skeptical, reputation is important. But it’s also important to have the confidence that you have the information, that you have the life experience and that you have the storehouse of knowledge to pull from. You’ve heard it many times before, but to me, the real secret weapon is just to be curious about the human experience and other people, and to always assume people’s best intentions,” Potolicchio closed by saying.
Related. Key Takeaways from the ESCA Rising Leaders Summit’s General Sessions 
Other sessions featured on day two included:
- Event Safety, Security & YOU! With Jeff McKissack, President of Defense by Design
- Mastering AI One Prompt at a Time with Rich Stone, CEO of Expocad
- Why You Should Pay Attention to LinkedIn with Debbie Wemyss, Independent LinkedIn Specialist with DW Consulting Solutions
- Hook, Line & Sinker with Jeff McKissack
Future Plans for ESCA’s Rising Leaders Summit
ESCA is looking forward to next year after a successful inaugural event and plans are already underway for the 2026 edition of the Rising Leaders Summit.
“This event was such a unique opportunity for the entire team. We really focused on what we wished we had known when we first entered the industry, while also working closely with the Rising Leaders Committee to get their input on the most important topics to cover,” Rodean said. “I’m incredibly proud of what we all accomplished together, and what really stood out to me was when attendees told me they ‘actually learned something.’ It wasn’t just motivational fluff; they gained real knowledge and made valuable connections that will stick with them in their careers. It’s honestly exciting to think about where this event can go in the future and how we can keep growing and elevating the Rising Leaders community.”
For more information about the ESCA Rising Leaders Summit, click here.
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