Amy Calvert's guest appearances

Amy Calvert

The Guilty Feminist

Meetings Today Podcast

iRefresh Podcast

Beyond the Forecast

Planet Leadership

The Business of Meetings

Skift Meetings Podcast

Julius Solaris

Elliott Ferguson

Will Curran

Dan Berger

Carina Bauer

Gary Shapiro

Ori Lahav

Jonathan Kazarian

Mike Massari

Cathy Breden

Roger Dow

Michael Dominguez

Don Welsh

David Dubois

Josh Hotsenpiller

OwlTail

This episode features Amy Calvert, CEO of the Event Industry Council (EIC).The conversation focuses on advocating for the event industry in the wider business community.Here are a few of the topics we cover: Aggregating resources and addressing pan-industry issues are the main areas of focus for the Events Industry Council Bringing together members to discuss the state of the industry, particularly during the Covid pandemic, was very important for the industry. The importance of sharing impact of events and reasons for hosting events with the wider business community Advocacy is really important, but let’s not forget that people are at the heart of what we do Only having meaningful conversations with partners will lead to positive change

This episode features <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-calvert-24449b2b/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amy Calvert</a>, CEO of the <a href="https://www.eventscouncil.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Event Industry Council (EIC)</a>.The conversation focuses on advocating for the event industry in the wider business community.Here are a few of the topics we cover:<ul> <li>Aggregating resources and addressing pan-industry issues are the main areas of focus for the Events Industry Council</li> <li>Bringing together members to discuss the state of the industry, particularly during the Covid pandemic, was very important for the industry.</li> <li>The importance of sharing impact of events and reasons for hosting events with the wider business community</li> <li>Advocacy is really important, but let’s not forget that people are at the heart of what we do</li> <li>Only having meaningful conversations with partners will lead to positive change</li></ul>

#54 Amy Calvert: Collaboration and Advocacy

Jessica Fostekew

Sophie Duker

Nighat Basharat

Desiree Reynolds

The Guilty Feminist episode 309: Amy Calvert, Nighat Basharat and Desiree ReynoldsPresented by Deborah Frances-White with comedy from Jessica Fostekew and Sophie Duker and music from Jess RobinsonRecorded 23 April at the Sheffield Octagon. Released 6 June 2022The Guilty Feminist theme by Mark Hodge and produced by Nick Sheldon.More about Deborah Frances-Whitehttps://deborahfrances-white.comhttps://twitter.com/DeborahFWhttps://www.virago.co.uk/the-guilty-feminist-bookMore about Jessica Fostekewhttps://twitter.com/jessicafostekewhttp://jessicafostekew.com/my-doingsMore about Sophie Dukerhttps://twitter.com/sophiedukeboxhttps://sophieduker.comMore about Jess Robinsonhttps://twitter.com/jessierobinsonhttps://www.jessrobinson.co.ukMore about our guestshttps://twitter.com/GoodfoodBarnshttps://mobile.twitter.com/nighat_basharathttps://twitter.com/desreereynoldshttps://goodfoodbarnsley.orgFor more information about this and other episodes…visit https://www.guiltyfeminist.comtweet us https://www.twitter.com/guiltfempodlike our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/guiltyfeministcheck out our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theguiltyfeministor join our mailing list http://www.eepurl.com/bRfSPTOur new podcasts are out nowMedia Storm https://podfollow.com/media-stormAbsolute Power https://podfollow.com/john-bercows-absolute-powerCome to a live recordingTOUR SHOW: Newcastle, 16 June https://tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk/events/the-guilty-feminist-live/TOUR SHOW: Manchester, 17 June https://thelowry.com/whats-on/the-guilty-feminist-live/TOUR SHOW: Glasgow, 18 June https://www.paviliontheatre.co.uk/shows/the-guilty-feminist-live-2022/FOC it Up Comedy Club, from 19 June https://www.21-soho.com/foc-it-upSEVENTH BIRTHDAY SHOW in LONDON, 1 October https://www.eventim.co.uk/event/the-guilty-feminist-eventim-apollo-14545290/Australia/NZ tour book now. https://guiltyfeminist.com/tour2022/Ulster Hall, 14 October: https://www.ulsterhall.co.uk/what-s-on/the-guilty-feminist/Thank you to our amazing Patreon supporters.To support the podcast yourself, go to https://www.patreon.com/guiltyfeminist You can also get an ad-free version of the podcast via Apple Podcasts or Acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/guiltyfeminist.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Guilty Feminist episode 309: Amy Calvert, Nighat Basharat and Desiree ReynoldsPresented by Deborah Frances-White with comedy from Jessica Fostekew and Sophie Duker and music from Jess RobinsonRecorded 23 April at the Sheffield Octagon. Released 6 June 2022The Guilty Feminist theme by Mark Hodge and produced by Nick Sheldon.More about Deborah Frances-White<ul><li><a href="https://deborahfrances-white.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://deborahfrances-white.com</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/DeborahFW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/DeborahFW</a></li><li><a href="https://www.virago.co.uk/the-guilty-feminist-book" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.virago.co.uk/the-guilty-feminist-book</a></li></ul>More about Jessica Fostekew<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/jessicafostekew" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/jessicafostekew</a></li><li><a href="http://jessicafostekew.com/my-doings" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://jessicafostekew.com/my-doings</a></li></ul>More about Sophie Duker<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/sophiedukebox" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/sophiedukebox</a></li><li><a href="https://sophieduker.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://sophieduker.com</a></li></ul>More about Jess Robinson<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/jessierobinson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/jessierobinson</a></li><li><a href="https://www.jessrobinson.co.uk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.jessrobinson.co.uk</a></li></ul>More about our guests<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/GoodfoodBarns" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/GoodfoodBarns</a></li><li><a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/nighat_basharat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://mobile.twitter.com/nighat_basharat</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/desreereynolds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/desreereynolds</a></li><li><a href="https://goodfoodbarnsley.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goodfoodbarnsley.org</a></li></ul>For more information about this and other episodes…<ul><li>visit <a href="https://www.guiltyfeminist.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.guiltyfeminist.com</a></li><li>tweet us <a href="https://www.twitter.com/guiltfempod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.twitter.com/guiltfempod</a></li><li>like our Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/guiltyfeminist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/guiltyfeminist</a></li><li>check out our Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theguiltyfeminist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/theguiltyfeminist</a></li><li>or join our mailing list <a href="http://www.eepurl.com/bRfSPT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.eepurl.com/bRfSPT</a></li></ul>Our new podcasts are out now<ul><li>Media Storm <a href="https://podfollow.com/media-storm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://podfollow.com/media-storm</a></li><li>Absolute Power <a href="https://podfollow.com/john-bercows-absolute-power" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://podfollow.com/john-bercows-absolute-power</a></li></ul>Come to a live recording<ul><li>TOUR SHOW: Newcastle, 16 June <a href="https://tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk/events/the-guilty-feminist-live/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk/events/the-guilty-feminist-live/</a></li><li>TOUR SHOW: Manchester, 17 June <a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/the-guilty-feminist-live/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://thelowry.com/whats-on/the-guilty-feminist-live/</a></li><li>TOUR SHOW: Glasgow, 18 June <a href="https://www.paviliontheatre.co.uk/shows/the-guilty-feminist-live-2022/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.paviliontheatre.co.uk/shows/the-guilty-feminist-live-2022/</a></li><li>FOC it Up Comedy Club, from 19 June <a href="https://www.21-soho.com/foc-it-up" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.21-soho.com/foc-it-up</a></li><li>SEVENTH BIRTHDAY SHOW in LONDON, 1 October <a href="https://www.eventim.co.uk/event/the-guilty-feminist-eventim-apollo-14545290/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.eventim.co.uk/event/the-guilty-feminist-eventim-apollo-14545290/</a></li><li>Australia/NZ tour book now. <a href="https://guiltyfeminist.com/tour2022/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://guiltyfeminist.com/tour2022/</a></li><li>Ulster Hall, 14 October: <a href="https://www.ulsterhall.co.uk/what-s-on/the-guilty-feminist/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ulsterhall.co.uk/what-s-on/the-guilty-feminist/</a></li></ul>Thank you to our amazing Patreon supporters.To support the podcast yourself, go to <a href="https://www.patreon.com/guiltyfeminist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/guiltyfeminist</a> You can also get an ad-free version of the podcast via Apple Podcasts or Acast+ <a href="https://plus.acast.com/s/guiltyfeminist" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">https://plus.acast.com/s/guiltyfeminist</a>. Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

309. Amy Calvert, Nighat Basharat and Desiree Reynolds with Jessica Fostekew and Sophie Duker

It’s no secret that the hospitality industry faces a challenge attracting the next generation of talent. In fact, it’s a major topic of discussion among its leaders. In this Meetings Today Podcast, recorded at PCMA’s Convening Leaders, EIC CEO Amy Calvert tackles the subject of the hospitality industry talent pipeline, as well as a major revamp of the EIC’s CMP program.

It’s no secret that the hospitality industry faces a challenge attracting the next generation of talent. In fact, it’s a major topic of discussion among its leaders. In this Meetings Today Podcast, recorded at PCMA’s Convening Leaders, EIC CEO Amy Calvert tackles the subject of the hospitality industry talent pipeline, as well as a major revamp of the EIC’s CMP program.

EIC’s Amy Calvert on the Talent Pipeline and a Revamped CMP

Today we have the great pleasure of talking to Amy Calvert, the CEO of the Events Industry Council! Over time, Amy has gained a unique perspective on where the meetings and events industry is coming from and where it is going. In this episode, Amy shares her insights and talks about the valuable resources available on the EIC website. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation with Amy today! Amy Calvert’s bio: As CEO of the Events Industry Council, Amy Calvert oversees a global federation of more than 30 member organizations representing 103,500 individuals and 19,500 businesses in the events industry. With more than three decades of diverse event experience, Amy is a fierce advocate for all aspects of the industry’s complex, interconnected ecosystem. She is known as a community builder, strategist, and diplomat, able to tackle complex issues with empathy and a grounded business focus.  Before joining EIC, Amy served as Visit Baltimore’s Senior Vice President of Convention Sales and Services for 12 years, where she had budget oversight for a $4 million program budget. She also served as Regional Groups and Meetings Director for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for 10 years.  Amy’s journey Amy studied Liberal Arts in college. After graduating, she worked in sales and marketing for a while. She loves to cook, so she decided to work for a hotel and get into food and beverage and operations. From there she got an internship as a Catering Coordinator and eventually moved on to the sales side.  Relationships The people and the relationships that have been built over time fuel Amy and keep her going. A creative exercise After joining Visit Baltimore, Amy went through a creative exercise with a company called Minding Your Business. They did a lot of qualitative and quantitative research to find the right cities to align with Baltimore. That eventually evolved into an alliance with Anaheim and San Antonio.  Value proposition The alliance collaborated to create a strong value proposition for clients rotating throughout the US with their larger annual meetings.  Think tank That brought the whole community closer together, and they developed a think tank of peers in each city to help them navigate those times.  The last eighteen months Over the last eighteen months, many professionals have experienced heartache and loss and have had to navigate unanticipated challenges and changes to their careers. That has highlighted the importance of peer-to-peer engagements and networking. Amy Calvert’s thoughts on leadership  Leaders should help new people in the industry, or those with less experience, to see the value in investing in collaborative communities, according to Amy. Leaders can encourage and inspire those who feel alone or adrift by reminding them that there is a vast world of opportunity out there, and many resources are available. Reflecting and evaluating It is important to take the time to be quiet, reflect, and evaluate whether what you are doing is what you truly want to be doing, whether you are living your values, and what you could be doing to contribute more. A vision Before the pandemic, the EIC board members had the opportunity to work on a vision. They also had the chance to go back and reflect on why the EIC exists, what their purpose is, and the impact they can have when living their purpose and values. When the pandemic hit, they saw that they serve the entire ecosystem through advocacy, research, and the honing of professional standards.  The APEX Commission Amy wanted to bring the APEX Commission back to bring people together. She wanted people to think collectively about what they are dealing with in terms of Covid and how to address it.  Resources Global professionals from all sectors and regions came together to share their resources. Since then, there have been almost 300,000 downloads of the various resources in the APEX Covid Task Force library. Amy Calvert’s mission Amy’s mission is to make sure as many people as possible know about the resources in the APEX Covid Task Force library and go to the EIC website to interact and begin a journey of learning.  An EIC group There is an EIC group that is looking at new business models. They start with why things are done rather than how to do them. They also look at renewed commitment to true partnership and explore opportunities to create more value. Resources for business owners The resources on the EIC website are fantastic, and they are all meant to work together. There are some common themes woven into all of them anchored to the EIC’s principles for recovery.  Meeting and Event Design Guide  The Meeting and Event Design Guide has been one of the more popular resources on the EIC website.  B2B/B2C Guide The B2B/B2C Guide is popular because it resets the expectations around what is possible, with what destinations, venues, and organizations are facing. It explains how to share risks and objectives and create and communicate experiences that people value and feel safe participating in. Supporting our workforce is foundational to the industry right now Amy feels that how we commit to supporting our workforce, inspire people to come into the industry, and help people to reposition themselves through upscaling, rescaling, continuous professional education and wellness is foundational to the industry right now. EIC member sites The EIC member sites are full of rich resources about many topics. The topics include equity, career development, mindfulness, and cultivating leadership. Amy’s hope for the foreseeable future Change starts with all of us as individuals. As an industry, we can be a catalyst for change. Amy hopes that we can commit to driving meaningful change in the areas of equity and inclusion, and we can collectively set an expectation to not return to doing things in the way that we did them before. She hopes that we can be united in our effort to tell a better story about the business events sector, and look back in the next decade and feel proud of the path that we paved for ourselves. She hopes that we do not lose sight of the impact that staying connected can have on the future. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Amy Calvert On the EIC website

Today we have the great pleasure of talking to Amy Calvert, the CEO of the Events Industry Council! Over time, Amy has gained a unique perspective on where the meetings and events industry is coming from and where it is going. In this episode, Amy shares her insights and talks about the valuable resources available on the EIC website. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation with Amy today! Amy Calvert’s bio: As CEO of the Events Industry Council, Amy Calvert oversees a global federation of more than 30 member organizations representing 103,500 individuals and 19,500 businesses in the events industry. With more than three decades of diverse event experience, Amy is a fierce advocate for all aspects of the industry’s complex, interconnected ecosystem. She is known as a community builder, strategist, and diplomat, able to tackle complex issues with empathy and a grounded business focus.  Before joining EIC, Amy served as Visit Baltimore’s Senior Vice President of Convention Sales and Services for 12 years, where she had budget oversight for a $4 million program budget. She also served as Regional Groups and Meetings Director for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for 10 years.  Amy’s journey Amy studied Liberal Arts in college. After graduating, she worked in sales and marketing for a while. She loves to cook, so she decided to work for a hotel and get into food and beverage and operations. From there she got an internship as a Catering Coordinator and eventually moved on to the sales side.  Relationships The people and the relationships that have been built over time fuel Amy and keep her going. A creative exercise After joining Visit Baltimore, Amy went through a creative exercise with a company called Minding Your Business. They did a lot of qualitative and quantitative research to find the right cities to align with Baltimore. That eventually evolved into an alliance with Anaheim and San Antonio.  Value proposition The alliance collaborated to create a strong value proposition for clients rotating throughout the US with their larger annual meetings.  Think tank That brought the whole community closer together, and they developed a think tank of peers in each city to help them navigate those times.  The last eighteen months Over the last eighteen months, many professionals have experienced heartache and loss and have had to navigate unanticipated challenges and changes to their careers. That has highlighted the importance of peer-to-peer engagements and networking. Amy Calvert’s thoughts on leadership  Leaders should help new people in the industry, or those with less experience, to see the value in investing in collaborative communities, according to Amy. Leaders can encourage and inspire those who feel alone or adrift by reminding them that there is a vast world of opportunity out there, and many resources are available. Reflecting and evaluating It is important to take the time to be quiet, reflect, and evaluate whether what you are doing is what you truly want to be doing, whether you are living your values, and what you could be doing to contribute more. A vision Before the pandemic, the EIC board members had the opportunity to work on a vision. They also had the chance to go back and reflect on why the EIC exists, what their purpose is, and the impact they can have when living their purpose and values. When the pandemic hit, they saw that they serve the entire ecosystem through advocacy, research, and the honing of professional standards.  The APEX Commission Amy wanted to bring the APEX Commission back to bring people together. She wanted people to think collectively about what they are dealing with in terms of Covid and how to address it.  Resources Global professionals from all sectors and regions came together to share their resources. Since then, there have been almost 300,000 downloads of the various resources in the APEX Covid Task Force library. Amy Calvert’s mission Amy’s mission is to make sure as many people as possible know about the resources in the APEX Covid Task Force library and go to the EIC website to interact and begin a journey of learning.  An EIC group There is an EIC group that is looking at new business models. They start with why things are done rather than how to do them. They also look at renewed commitment to true partnership and explore opportunities to create more value. Resources for business owners The resources on the EIC website are fantastic, and they are all meant to work together. There are some common themes woven into all of them anchored to the EIC’s principles for recovery.  Meeting and Event Design Guide  The Meeting and Event Design Guide has been one of the more popular resources on the EIC website.  B2B/B2C Guide The B2B/B2C Guide is popular because it resets the expectations around what is possible, with what destinations, venues, and organizations are facing. It explains how to share risks and objectives and create and communicate experiences that people value and feel safe participating in. Supporting our workforce is foundational to the industry right now Amy feels that how we commit to supporting our workforce, inspire people to come into the industry, and help people to reposition themselves through upscaling, rescaling, continuous professional education and wellness is foundational to the industry right now. EIC member sites The EIC member sites are full of rich resources about many topics. The topics include equity, career development, mindfulness, and cultivating leadership. Amy’s hope for the foreseeable future Change starts with all of us as individuals. As an industry, we can be a catalyst for change. Amy hopes that we can commit to driving meaningful change in the areas of equity and inclusion, and we can collectively set an expectation to not return to doing things in the way that we did them before. She hopes that we can be united in our effort to tell a better story about the business events sector, and look back in the next decade and feel proud of the path that we paved for ourselves. She hopes that we do not lose sight of the impact that staying connected can have on the future. Connect with Eric On <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericrozenberg/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/eventbusinessformula/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> On <a href="https://instagram.com/ericrozenberg" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> On <a href="https://eventbusinessformula.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Website</a> Connect with Amy Calvert On the <a href="https://www.eventscouncil.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">EIC website</a>

76: Where to Start Your Journey of Learning with Amy Calvert

Amy discusses life with a child who has Type 1 Diabetes.

Amy discusses life with a child who has Type 1 Diabetes.

Amy Calvert, General Manager of KJRH-TV

Jennifer Hoff

Erika Welling

Expo! Expo!, IAEE’s Annual Meeting &amp; Exhibition, is the “show for shows.” In this unique episode of the Planet Leadership podcast recorded live from the Expo! Expo! show floor, industry leaders Jennifer Hoff of Taffy Event Strategies, Erika Welling from PRA Business Events, and Amy Calvert with the Events Industry Council share their thoughts on technology, social responsibility, and the important role business leaders can play in making the world a better place. Jennifer Hoff has spent her career producing trade shows and conferences. Most recently, she launched a full-service trade show and event management company, Taffy Event Strategies. Taffy Events produces exhibitions and conferences including Coverings and ASPE-The American Society of Plumbing Engineers Expo. Prior to that, she worked with VP International to launch new events in a variety of market segments. Jennifer is active in trade show industry organizations including the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO). She has served on the program committee and as Chairman of the Board for the IAEE Capital Chapter and has held various IAEE national positions including Board Director and Education Committee. She serves on the CEM faculty for IAEE. She has also contributed to the Art of the Show, 3rd edition, which is a textbook used in colleges and universities. In addition, she has instructed the Introduction to Exposition Management course at Northern Virginia Community College. During her trade show industry career, she has received several industry awards and accolades including the IAEE 2018 Woman of Achievement Award. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech in Production and Operations Management. Erika Welling, CEM, PRA Las Vegas General Manager, has decades of experience as an innovative and highly driven marketing and operations leader in the hospitality industry. Having been on launch teams for exhibitions, attractions, and tours, she utilizes those skills and experiences in her role as Las Vegas General Manager at PRA, an internationally known business event management company. Erika has provided resources and guidance to many during her career, which includes senior-level operations and marketing for international general service contractors in the exhibitions and events industry. Previous to working in the general services contracting world, Erika was Regional and International Director for Themed Restaurants and Attractions, and Director for a prominent Las Vegas transportation and sightseeing company. Erika has served over 16 years on the board of the Las Vegas Hospitality Association (LVHA), presently serves as a SWIAEE Board Director, is on the CEM faculty and IAEE membership engagement committee. Throughout her career, Erika has served on boards of tourism, professional education and philanthropic associations. Erika invariably incorporates her education learned from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and art experience within her profession. In her free time, she enjoys an assortment of art projects, reading, skiing, and hiking. Amy Calvert is the CEO of the Events Industry Council, whose 30+ member organizations represent over 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and properties involved in the events industry. Amy leads the council in advancing the events industry and professionals who advance the business of meetings. In her previous role as Senior Vice President of Sales &amp; Services for Visit Baltimore, Amy made it her mission to strengthen their partnerships with key industry stakeholders and boost Charm City’s appeal and visibility in key market segments. Amy truly understands the positive ripple effect that occurs when a city can keep its hotels occupied and its convention center’s calendar booked. As a key member of the executive leadership team, Amy contributed to the promotional, business development, and operational management strategies of the organization. She developed and directed the promotional strategies that were implemented by the sales and services team, and collaborated with them to ensure that they properly implemented these programs in order to position Baltimore as a major tourist and meeting-planning destination. What you’ll learn about in this episode from Jennifer Hoff:  Why the show and event industry needs to be focusing on innovative new technologies to better run and manage events, and why integrating functions across roles is key Why Jennifer believes that data analytics and data-driven decision making is the future of the industry, and what future trends she is expecting to develop How Taffy Event Strategies has positioned itself as a well-known and industry-respected full-service trade show company How Jennifer’s career focus has changed as Taffy Event Strategies has grown, and how she has learned to let go of day-to-day work to focus more on leading  What you’ll learn about in this episode from Erika Welling:  Why Erika sees augmented reality technology as the future of interactive educational experiences in event planning Why raising awareness and educating the public about important social issues such as sustainability and human trafficking is an important core value at PRA How PRA Business Events was founded and became one of the first franchise-based businesses in the industry, and how they have developed international partnerships How PRA’s international partnerships allow them to offer unique value for their clients with international event needs How Erika’s career journey led her to her current role, and what challenges she faced early in her career as a young woman in a leadership position  What you’ll learn about in this episode from Amy Calvert:  How the Events Industry Council collects data on the industry reflecting the important impact the events industry has on global employment and GDP How the Events Industry Council works to unify the global events industry, and how they offer an industry certification for industry professionals How Amy’s career led to her role as CEO of the Events Industry Council, and why she feels inspired by the industry’s broad passion and commitment to serve and connect How not just business leaders but people in any professional role can have a dramatic impact on diversity, sustainability and social responsibility How Amy views her role as a female business leader, and why she values mentorship relationships to help her thrive in her new role as a CEO  Additional Resources from Jennifer Hoff:  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferhoff1 Facebook: www.facebook.com/taffyeventstrategies/ Twitter: @TaffyEvents  Additional Resources from Erika Welling:  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/erika-welling-8a08048 Facebook: www.facebook.com/PRABusinessEvents/ Twitter: @ErikaWelling and @PRABizEvents  Additional Resources from Amy Calvert:  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amy-calvert-24449b2b FB: www.facebook.com/EventsIndustryCouncil/ Twitter: @Events_Council 

Expo! Expo!, IAEE’s Annual Meeting &amp; Exhibition, is the “show for shows.” In this unique episode of the Planet Leadership podcast recorded live from the Expo! Expo! show floor, industry leaders Jennifer Hoff of Taffy Event Strategies, Erika Welling from PRA Business Events, and Amy Calvert with the Events Industry Council share their thoughts on technology, social responsibility, and the important role business leaders can play in making the world a better place. Jennifer Hoff has spent her career producing trade shows and conferences. Most recently, she launched a full-service trade show and event management company, Taffy Event Strategies. Taffy Events produces exhibitions and conferences including Coverings and ASPE-The American Society of Plumbing Engineers Expo. Prior to that, she worked with VP International to launch new events in a variety of market segments. Jennifer is active in trade show industry organizations including the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO). She has served on the program committee and as Chairman of the Board for the IAEE Capital Chapter and has held various IAEE national positions including Board Director and Education Committee. She serves on the CEM faculty for IAEE. She has also contributed to the Art of the Show, 3rd edition, which is a textbook used in colleges and universities. In addition, she has instructed the Introduction to Exposition Management course at Northern Virginia Community College. During her trade show industry career, she has received several industry awards and accolades including the IAEE 2018 Woman of Achievement Award. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech in Production and Operations Management. Erika Welling, CEM, PRA Las Vegas General Manager, has decades of experience as an innovative and highly driven marketing and operations leader in the hospitality industry. Having been on launch teams for exhibitions, attractions, and tours, she utilizes those skills and experiences in her role as Las Vegas General Manager at PRA, an internationally known business event management company. Erika has provided resources and guidance to many during her career, which includes senior-level operations and marketing for international general service contractors in the exhibitions and events industry. Previous to working in the general services contracting world, Erika was Regional and International Director for Themed Restaurants and Attractions, and Director for a prominent Las Vegas transportation and sightseeing company. Erika has served over 16 years on the board of the Las Vegas Hospitality Association (LVHA), presently serves as a SWIAEE Board Director, is on the CEM faculty and IAEE membership engagement committee. Throughout her career, Erika has served on boards of tourism, professional education and philanthropic associations. Erika invariably incorporates her education learned from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and art experience within her profession. In her free time, she enjoys an assortment of art projects, reading, skiing, and hiking. Amy Calvert is the CEO of the Events Industry Council, whose 30+ member organizations represent over 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and properties involved in the events industry. Amy leads the council in advancing the events industry and professionals who advance the business of meetings. In her previous role as Senior Vice President of Sales &amp; Services for Visit Baltimore, Amy made it her mission to strengthen their partnerships with key industry stakeholders and boost Charm City’s appeal and visibility in key market segments. Amy truly understands the positive ripple effect that occurs when a city can keep its hotels occupied and its convention center’s calendar booked. As a key member of the executive leadership team, Amy contributed to the promotional, business development, and operational management strategies of the organization. She developed and directed the promotional strategies that were implemented by the sales and services team, and collaborated with them to ensure that they properly implemented these programs in order to position Baltimore as a major tourist and meeting-planning destination. What you’ll learn about in this episode from Jennifer Hoff: <ul> <li>Why the show and event industry needs to be focusing on innovative new technologies to better run and manage events, and why integrating functions across roles is key</li> <li>Why Jennifer believes that data analytics and data-driven decision making is the future of the industry, and what future trends she is expecting to develop</li> <li>How Taffy Event Strategies has positioned itself as a well-known and industry-respected full-service trade show company</li> <li>How Jennifer’s career focus has changed as Taffy Event Strategies has grown, and how she has learned to let go of day-to-day work to focus more on leading</li> </ul> What you’ll learn about in this episode from Erika Welling: <ul> <li>Why Erika sees augmented reality technology as the future of interactive educational experiences in event planning</li> <li>Why raising awareness and educating the public about important social issues such as sustainability and human trafficking is an important core value at PRA</li> <li>How PRA Business Events was founded and became one of the first franchise-based businesses in the industry, and how they have developed international partnerships</li> <li>How PRA’s international partnerships allow them to offer unique value for their clients with international event needs</li> <li>How Erika’s career journey led her to her current role, and what challenges she faced early in her career as a young woman in a leadership position</li> </ul> What you’ll learn about in this episode from Amy Calvert: <ul> <li>How the Events Industry Council collects data on the industry reflecting the important impact the events industry has on global employment and GDP</li> <li>How the Events Industry Council works to unify the global events industry, and how they offer an industry certification for industry professionals</li> <li>How Amy’s career led to her role as CEO of the Events Industry Council, and why she feels inspired by the industry’s broad passion and commitment to serve and connect</li> <li>How not just business leaders but people in any professional role can have a dramatic impact on diversity, sustainability and social responsibility</li> <li>How Amy views her role as a female business leader, and why she values mentorship relationships to help her thrive in her new role as a CEO</li> </ul> Additional Resources from Jennifer Hoff: <ul> <li>LinkedIn: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferhoff1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferhoff1</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/taffyeventstrategies/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/taffyeventstrategies/</a></li> <li>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/taffyevents?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@TaffyEvents</a></li> </ul> Additional Resources from Erika Welling: <ul> <li>LinkedIn: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-welling-8a08048" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/erika-welling-8a08048</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PRABusinessEvents/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/PRABusinessEvents/</a></li> <li>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/erikawelling?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@ErikaWelling</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/prabizevents?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@PRABizEvents</a></li> </ul> Additional Resources from Amy Calvert: <ul> <li>LinkedIn: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-calvert-24449b2b" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/amy-calvert-24449b2b</a></li> <li>FB: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/EventsIndustryCouncil/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/EventsIndustryCouncil/</a></li> <li>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Events_Council?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@Events_Council</a></li> </ul>