Carina Bauer

Having graduated from Oxford University, UK, in Politics, Philosophy and Economics in 1998, Carina began her career in retail and catering, in the newly established GoodBean Coffee – a family owned chain of coffee shops located throughout the South of England. As Managing Director, Carina was in charge of the running of the business which grew to 13 stores in three years and was sold to a publicly listed company in December 2001.

An avid skier, Carina enjoyed a short break working in a ski resort in Italy, before entering the meetings industry in 2002 as the Marketing and Operations Director for IMEX in Frankfurt as part of the original launch team for the exhibition.

Following the expansion of the IMEX brand into America in 2009, Carina was appointed CEO of the IMEX Group. In this role, Carina is responsible for all aspects of the business.

Throughout her career, Carina has been an active member of the meetings industry. She was Chair of the Marketing Committee for MPI’s European Meetings & Events Conference, London (2008), has served on the Board of the MPI UK Chapter, the MPI International Multicultural Committee and on PCMA’s Global and Advocacy Taskforces. She is currently President of the SITE Foundation and serves on the AEO Council.

Carina lives on the south coast of the UK, near to the IMEX Group office in Brighton, called “London-by-the-Sea” for its cosmopolitan nature and youth culture.

She enjoys spending time with her family (she’s a mother to two boys), and is a keen climber and skier, hitting the slopes with friends and family when she can.

Rafat Ali

Rafat is the CEO/founder of Skift, the largest industry intelligence and marketing platform in travel, providing news, information, data and services.

Previously, he was the founder/CEO of paidContent and ContentNext, which he sold to UK’s Guardian News and Media in 2008, and left in 2010. Prior to that, he was managing editor of Silicon Alley Reporter.

Rafat was the Knight Fellow at Indiana University, where he completed his Masters in Journalism, 1999-2000. Prior to that he completed his BSc in Computer Engineering, from AMU in Aligarh, India.

Deborah Cohen, CMP

Deborah Cohen, CMP earned her bachelor’s degree in Interior Design at Park University and is a certified meetings professional (CMP). In 1997, Deborah joined the Branson Chamber of Commerce/Convention and Visitors Bureau as the Director of Tourism Development.

Deborah then spent five years at the Memphis Zoo where she directed all fundraisers and special events, managed sales and tourism marketing efforts, followed by six years at the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, where she led the sales efforts for the international leisure market and managed the western U.S territory for the MICE segment.

In 2010, Deborah joined the Branson Chamber of Commerce/CVB once again, but this time as Director of Meeting and Convention Sales. In July 2018, Deborah joined Discover Puerto Rico as the Director of Meeting & Convention Marketing and directs all marketing efforts for the MICE segments.

Vanessa Figueroa

Vanessa Figueroa holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing from the Interamerican University in Puerto Rico. More than 20 years in the luxury hospitality industry in the areas of Sales, Event Coordination, Food and Beverage, Marketing and Customer Service.

Her career includes a variety of roles including Group Sales Manager at Hotel Arts Barcelona, Club Director at Saks Fifth Avenue, Membership Director at Bahia Beach Resort and Golf Club, Home of the St. Regis Bahia Beach and Director of Meetings & Special Events for Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve and The Ritz-Carlton San Juan.

Kai Hattendorf 

Kai Hattendorf is Managing Director / CEO of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition

Industry. As such, he is responsible for UFI activities and events globally, as well as the operation of its offices and presences in Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dubai, and Bogota.

Currently, Kai also serves as Honorary President of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), the global council of international and global associations serving the Business Events Industry.

Prior to his current role, Kai worked in the exhibition industry for numerous years in senior

management positions at Messe Frankfurt’s global headquarters, focusing on transformational issues ranging from digitisation to marketing and communications.

His previous career also includes leadership positions in marketing/strategic communications as well as in strategy and product development in the ITC and Media Industry for the Deutsche Telekom Group, the dpa Group (the German Press Agency), and a start-up.

A journalist by education, Kai has internationally reported and worked for the WDR and Radio Bremen broadcasters in Germany, at Euronews in France, the BBC in the UK, and the Voice of America. He holds a Master’s degree from the American University, Washington, DC. He also studied in Dortmund and Edinburgh.

Tahira Endean, CMP, DES, CED

Author, Intentional Event Design, Our Professional Opportunity

Tahira is a Special Event Planning and Sustainable Event Management instructor at BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology), and is passionate about intentional event design, neuroscience, and the integration of now ubiquitous technology to enhance the human experience at events and design the most relevant incentive, meeting, and event environments.

She has been recognized as a Top 20 Trendsetter by MeetingsToday (2018) and honored as MPI BC Chapter Mentor of the Year. She contributed to the 9th edition of the CIC Manual, which provides the framework for CMP studies around the globe at industry conferences and events.

Pierre Metrailler

Pierre joined SpotMe in 2001 and became CEO in 2016. In 2004, after a research position on distributed algorithms at NTT Japan, he returned to SpotMe and led the pivot from proprietary hardware to SaaS, making SpotMe the leading event app and virtual event platform. Pierre holds an MSc in communication systems from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and is also a graduate of INSEAD. He enjoys sky running and ski mountaineering in the Swiss Alps.

Ashanti Bentil-Dhue 

Ashanti Bentil-Dhue is a speaker, diversity expert and researcher. She is co-founder of Diversity Ally, the first HR, Training & Search partner dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive culture in the global events industry and co-founder of the global network, Black In Events.

She also spearheaded the only research in the UK exclusively focused on how organisations can invest in black millennials and generation Z females within the corporate structure. You can sign up to receive the white paper here: https://forms.gle/U2eXp2P1onWZLnEp6.

In June 2020, she co created the UK’s first nationwide anti-racism and allyship project for white women who want to be allies. The mission is to empower as many white women as possible to become anti-racist changemakers and allies in their personal and professional capacities. You can find out more here: https://100whitewomen.typeform.com/to/hpvkHGjg

Padraic Gilligan

With his business partner Patrick Delaney, Pádraic is currently the managing partner at SoolNua, a specialist advisory helping destinations, hotels, agencies, associations and venues with marketing, strategy and training for the MICE marketplace. Prior to founding SoolNua, Gilligan was the vice president of Ovation, MCI’s global DMC network and the vice president of Industry Relations at MCI.

He has served as president of SITE, as a trustee of the SITE Foundation, and on the Hospitality Partners Board of FICP. He blogs at Padraicino and is a regular speaker at industry events. He currently serves as the chief marketing officer at SITE.

Michael Buckley

Even though he may not look like it, Michael is an 18-year veteran of the tech industry (his words, not ours). An emerging (finally) thought leader in the field of event technology, Michael has mixed his experience in product design, customer success and sales to bring Cadence to the events industry. Michael enjoys leading teams of passionate, energetic, and compassionate creatives helping them find their purpose and fulfillment in life. Which, of course, is working for Cadence (again his words, not ours).

Erika Brule, CMP

Erika is an executive producer with more than 15 years of experience in leading experiential events for top companies including Airbnb and Apple. Ranging from global product launches to exclusive film festival premieres, her high-touch, high-visibility productions have been featured in Apartment Therapy, Black Enterprise, CNET, Conde Nast Traveler, Digital Trends, and Fortune among others. Erika’s innovative B2B and B2C productions have surprised and delighted more than 2.5 million people — online and in-person.

Jim Sharpe

Jim Sharpe joined Aventri as CEO in January 2020 and is focused on leading the global Aventri team as it executes on its vision to help the world Connect Better. Throughout his career, Jim has led high-performing teams in private equity-backed tech-enabled businesses, investing in talent, service and product resulting in significant revenue growth.

Prior to Aventri, Jim was Managing Director and GM of Gerson Lehrman Group’s (GLG) largest and most profitable business unit, Financial Services. In this capacity he led several hundred professionals and achieved significant expansion of the userbase while growing revenues to over $200 million. His recent experience at GLG was his second six-year stint at the company, following a first term which saw him co-found and lead the firm’s Energy and Industrials practice. His combined tenure at GLG saw company revenues grow 100x.

In between his turns at GLG, Jim engaged in an entrepreneurial venture, partnering with a New-York private equity firm to acquire, rebuild, and operate a manufacturing company in the water filtration space. Over a four-year period, Jim developed strategic manufacturing and distribution relationships throughout the industry, won significant market share through data-driven analysis of its market, and ultimately sold the business to a European chemical company.

Jim graduated from the University of Virginia with degrees in Commerce and East Asian languages. He resides in Westchester County, New York with his wife, son and Brittany Spaniel.

Colin Morrison 

Colin Morrison is a former newspaper and magazine journalist who has been CEO of media and entertainment companies in Europe and the AsiaPacific including for EMAP, Reed, Future, ACP, and Hearst. He is now variously a strategic advisor, chair, and non-executive director of media companies in the UK and Australia.

He also writes the Flashes & Flames media industry weekly newsletter (www.flashesandflames.com), is Chair of the Anglo-Australian Cook Society, and an education adviser to the UK government. He was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth in 2018.

Brian Labus, PhD, MPH, REHS

Brian Labus is an infectious disease epidemiologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Public Health. His research interests include outbreak investigation, disease surveillance and the use of social media to detect and investigate health problems in the community. Prior to joining UNLV in 2015, he spent 15 years at the Southern Nevada Health District as the Senior Epidemiologist, where he was responsible for leading outbreak investigations, conducting disease surveillance activities, and the development of public health informatics projects. Has was the lead public health investigator for the largest outbreak of healthcare-acquire hepatitis C in United States history. In March of 2020, he was appointed to Governor Sisolak’s COVID-19 Medical Advisory Team. He received a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Purdue University, a Master of Public Health degree in infectious diseases from the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in public health with a concentration in occupational and environmental health from the School of Community Health Sciences at UNLV.

Shawna McKinley

Shawna McKinley is an event sustainability solutionary who works with progressive organizations to understand and manage the sustainability impacts of diverse events. She is meticulous about understanding negative sustainability impacts from events to enable organizations to reduce risks, control costs and protect their brand. She also helps organizations use sustainability as a tool to provide diverse benefits to event participants, employees, communities and society at large through experiential ideas, legacy projects and benefit metrics. She facilitates courses in sustainability and ethics to current and future event professionals at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and is the author of Event Manager Blog’s Sustainable Event Guide.

Rachel Wimberly

Rachel Wimberly currently is EVP of Business Development in the U.S. for U.K.-based Tarsus Group, a global B2B media company with 180 trade shows in 19 countries. In her role, she is responsible for driving mergers and acquisitons in North America, as well as overseeing the Tarsus Media division in the U.S.

Before Tarsus Group, Rachel was senior editor at Tradeshow Week Magazine, as well as working for Variety magazine, The New York Times Regional Newspaper Group, CNN Business News and a stint in the film industry working for a production company on six feature films with a first-look deal with Warner Brothers.

Rachel has a Masters in Jourmalism from New York University. Her Twitter handle is TSNN_Rachel.

Jennifer Glynn, CIS, CITP

Serial entrepreneur Jennifer Glynn is Co-Managing Partner at Intuitive Conferences & Events, Meeting Encore and Fuel Sports, three successful established businesses servicing a niche within the MICE sector, supporting corporations, associations, and sport organizations to deliver events globally. Glynn is a long-standing member of SITE, serving as current SITE Global President and member of the International Board of Directors. She is also Past President of SITE Canada and spearheaded the development of SITE’s Certified Incentive Travel Professional (CITP) certification. In an act of resilience and a desire to give back

to the community she loves culminated in the creation of a community platform “inaneggshell.com” where she will facilitate idea curation and knowledge sharing for the soft skills needed for success.

When she is not working, she may be found speaking at an industry event or working in her garden with her husband David and their dog Whiskey.

Corey McCarthy

Corey McCarthy has more than twenty years of experience in media and tech. As Socio’s Chief Marketing Officer, Corey and her team bring event organizers impactful tech and thought leadership that truly delivers success.

In her former life, Corey ran a portfolio brand for Penton Media, and has extensive insights into all facets of the event, digital media, and publishing businesses.

William Thomson

William ran his first paid for online event in 2005 “controversially” charging the same price for the online as the physical event. William now runs Europe’s largest online training and virtual events business for executive assistants, Practically Perfect PA.

As an organiser and business strategist, William is a firm believer in the role that virtual has in replacing revenue from physical events.

Lenny Talarico

Lenny is an experiential architect, CSEP (Certified Special Event Professional) and CHE (Certified Hospitality Educator) who has been producing events and entertainment for over 25 years, including high-profile international events at MGM Resorts that received ESPRIT and GALA awards. He instructs at The International School of Hospitality (TISOH). There, he founded the Design Lab, an on-campus tactile learning environment that inspires student creativity and supports TISOH’s diverse hospitality curriculum.

Andrew Roby

My name is Andrew and I’m a Proud Army Vet who happens to be a great DC Event and Wedding Planner! I like to call myself an Event Storyteller who is passionate about romantic weddings and engaging events.

Within my 13 years of planning, I’m most proud of my work with some tremendous charities like Ms. Veteran America, Susan G. Komen, The Cinderella Foundation, and So Others Might Eat who dedicate their lives to helping others.

It’s not just about planning events. It certainly isn’t about me. It’s about making sure you get the best help to reach your bottom line.

Steven Adelman

Steve Adelman is head of Adelman Law Group, PLLC in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Vice President of the Event Safety Alliance. His law practice focuses on risk management, safety, and security at sports and entertainment events, and he serves as an expert witness in lawsuits arising from live events.  He is the lead author of the Event Safety Alliance Reopening Guide and the brand new Crowd Management ANSI standard.

He is a professor in Arizona State University’s Sports Law and Business program, and he writes the “Adelman on Venues” newsletter as well as a variety of articles about live events.  Steve Adelman’s dream is to have a reasonable conversation with a Blue Man.

Alex Plaxen

Alex Plaxen is the former Founder of Little Bird Told Media, and current Vice President of Experience Strategy at Nifty Method Marketing & Events. He graduated with a Master’s in Tourism Administration with a focus on event and meeting management from George Washington University. Alex is actively involved in leadership roles in the meetings and events industry, currently as a Meetings Mean Business ambassador and incoming Board Director of Meeting Professionals International Potomac Chapter.

In addition to his work in the events industry, Alex has been honored locally and internationally as an emerging thought leader, recognized as one of Meetings & Conventions magazine’s Rising Stars of 2019, the recipient of Meeting Professionals International’s RISE Award for Young Professional Achievement in 2018, named to the inaugural BizBash Top 500 People in Events in 2018 and Top 1000 in 2019, Meetings Today magazine’s 2018 Meetings Trendsetters, and Connect Association 40 under 40 in 2017.

Oscar Cerezales

Oscar Cerezales is MCI’s Global Executive Vice President of the Corporate Division and Chief Operating Officer of the Asia Pacific region. He owns the strategic plan of MCI corporate clients and related services, focusing on collaborative development of go-to-market programmes based on innovation and digital to support corporate clients’ business goals.

Oscar is an expert in the international meetings and events industry, having worked for MCI for more than 10 years across 3 different markets in 3 different continents. His journey at MCI began in 2007 in his native Spain as the Managing Director. Inspired by MCI’s growth, he moved on to new challenges in Latin America, managing the Brazilian branch and heading the Group’s Association Relations.

Since 2012, he has been leading MCI’s expansion in the digital era from Singapore, crafting strategic and creative client solutions to incorporate digital technologies into the company’s suite of services.

Oscar is recognised not only for his inspiring work experience, but also as an advocate for positive change and evolution in the meetings industry. He is chair of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Advisory Board as well as a Member of the Scientific Board for the Latin American Association of Convention Bureaus. Keen to share his knowledge with the future generations of event professionals, he has also been a professor at universities in Barcelona, London, and Milan.

Oscar is the father of three children and loves endurance sports, like ultra-marathons and triathlons.

Alex Roth

Alex joined Informa in January 2014 as Group Director of Strategy and Business Planning, where he is responsible for Corporate Strategy and M&A. He is a member of the Group’s Executive Management Team, and he sits on the Management Board of Informa’s academic publishing division, Taylor & Francis.

Prior to Informa, Alex was a Partner with global consultancy Bain & Company where he focused on corporate transformation, innovation and growth strategy, M&A due diligence, and post-acquisition integration, principally with clients in the TMT sector. Prior to Bain, Alex was with Monitor Group.

Alex holds an MBA from Northwestern University, an MPhil from Oxford University, and a BA from Yale University.