CHICAGO — Bob Priest-HeckCEO of free manwas honored at this year’s Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) CEO Summit with the prestigious Robert L. Krakoff Industry Excellence Award.
The Krakoff Industry Award of Excellence is named in honor of industry legend Robert L. Krakoff, who built and managed some of the most successful companies in the trade show industry. This award is the only one given by SISO and is presented to one of the most influential for-profit business leaders in the industry.
As is tradition, the award was presented during the SISO CEO Summit lunch. “Bob is one of the true disruptors in our industry,” said Hervé Sedky, Emerald’s Chairman and CEO and SISO’s Immediate Past Chairman. “He is constantly moving the industry forward. In fact, his mantra is that to beat disruption, you have to be the disruption. Bob’s innovation and creativity are matched by his ability to connect deeply with the people around him. He truly cares about the thousands “He is recognized for his leadership and his initiative, and for his team spirit. He is recognized for his leadership and his team spirit, and for his team spirit. He is recognized for his organizational skills and his ability to take strategic risks, to always look for ways to leverage the creativity of people so that they can excel, innovate and, ultimately, reimagine what is possible.”
Priest-Heck was recognized in part for the critical role he played in launching Go LIVE togetheran online resource and rallying point for a coalition of associations, businesses and professionals during the pandemic to facilitate legislative action. He is also a board member of Alliance of exhibitions and conferenceswhich continues its advocacy efforts in line with those of Go LIVE Together.
In addition to championing legislative advocacy, Priest-Heck was part of the CEO advisory group that launched the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge in 2021.
“I love the events industry. I’m proud of the work we do,” said Priest-Heck. “I’m incredibly grateful. I started on the show organizer side and then moved on to the vendor side with Freeman. That’s why being honored with the Robert L. Krakoff SISO Award is beyond gratifying. Just to be alongside the previous winners – these industry giants – is huge. And this award reminds me that I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to work with the best people. That’s the secret, right? Working with the best people.”
“Bob Priest-Heck has earned SISO’s highest honor,” said Vincent Polito, CEO of SISO. “As a former member and as someone who often still thinks like an independent show organizer, he has played an indispensable role in bringing the entire event ecosystem together during the challenges of the past few years. I applaud this selection.”
Priest-Heck has been CEO of Freeman since 2018 and has been with the company for nearly 12 years. Prior to joining Freeman, Priest-Heck served as CEO of several companies, including Wheelhouse Solutions and companies within WheelHouse Solutions.
Contact Hervé Sedky at herve.sedky@emeraldx.com; Vincent Polito at Vinnie@siso.org; Bob Priest-Heck at bph@freemanco.com