Expo! Expo! the annual trade show organised by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), saw 240 exhibitors on the show floor in Dallas, USA, 5-7 December.
Organisers said the show had brought together more than 1,850 industry professionals at the Kim Bailey Hutchison Convention Center this year.
“It was a genuine pleasure to host Expo! Expo! in my hometown and the city where IAEE’s global headquarters is located,” said IAEE president and CEO Marsha Flanagan.
Expo! Expo! kicked off its learning programme with CEM and CEM-AP courses, 3-4 December and the general education programme, 5-7 December, consisted of 50+ sessions, with deep dives into seven areas of content: Building and Retaining Talent, Do the Right Thing No Matter Who’s Watching, Exploring Event Technology, Surveying the Exhibition Landscape of Tomorrow, Innovative Sales and Sponsorship Solutions, Marketing Matters, and The Business of Legal.
Attendees engaged in the Expo! Expo! Gridiron Competition. Powered by show partner Captello, this interactive game experience offered the opportunity to earn points throughout the show floor for a chance to win the ExpoBowl Grand Prize.
On the social side, a Neighborhood Block Party sponsored by Visit Dallas took attendees on a stroll through four iconic Dallas neighbourhoods and there was a First Timer Breakfast and Hosted Buyer Breakfast, as well as Exhibitor Hospitality Hours and PRIDE Party.
Among the exhibitors was the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) which was participating for a second time.
MyCEB hosted a tea reception at the Global Pavilion, where a local Malaysian residing in Texas conducted a demonstration on the art of 'Teh Tarik' (pulled tea), part of a showcase of Malaysian cultural practices.
“We experienced multiple productive sessions over the three days. Our focus was on touching base and reconnecting with our US market. The networking sessions with Professional Exhibition Organisers and trade associations provided us with the opportunity to reintroduce Malaysia and strengthen our presence in the exhibition industry,” said Mr. Azman Haji Tambi Chik, chief executive officer of MyCEB.
Nearly 50 delegates participated in the 6 December T-Dawg Wellness Wake Up event, raising $1,900 in the process for the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) in memory of industry friend, Terence Donnelly.
Recipients of the 2023 IAEE Awards were recognised on 7 December.
IAEE executive vice-president and COO Cathy Breden, CMP-F, CAE, CEM received a standing ovation for her dedicated work for the association, having announced she will be stepping away from IAEE in June 2024. She reflected on her decades of service and the importance of the exhibitions and events industry.
Keynote speaker Jonathon Brown was chief growth officer for Trend Hunter, who dazzled attendees with his presentation on how to ‘Innovate Like a Rap Star’.
Next year’s Expo! Expo! 2024 takes place 17-19 December in Los Angeles.
