SAINT PETERSBURG, FL – The Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) CEO Summit prides itself on being the networking and information-sharing event of the year for international show organizers, large and small. This year, the gathering of senior executives focused on the reshaping of the industry and how many are building for the future. More than 300 independent show organizers and executives from sponsoring companies came together for three days of networking and education.
The event was held March 21-24 at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida. The atmosphere was joyful as all attendees were excited to meet face-to-face.
During the event, Cassandra Farrington, Founder of MJBiz, took over the reins of SISO’s presidency from Hervé Sedky, President and CEO of Emerald. In the current issue of What, Farrington said: “My goal as president is to help us get out of the reboot mentality as we try to reopen our shows and settle into some kind of new normal. Of course, it’s not going to be like it was before the pandemic. We’ve really had to ramp up development, especially on the digital side. I think almost anyone who’s been through this would say that not everything has worked. We have to sort through that. Also, what’s really going to be helpful as we move toward that new normal, and how do we get there?” here to learn more about Farrington and the recent sale of MJBiz.
The summit kicked off Monday with the SISO Women’s Executive Forum, the Small Business Roundtable and the SISO Board of Directors Luncheon.
On Tuesday, the general opening session, “What is the New Normal?” began. Other noteworthy sessions included “No Time to Buy,” “COVID-19 Forecast: The Future Evolution of the Pandemic,” “Events Industry Data, Trends and Insights,” “Customer Journey: Using Content and Data to Grow Your Audience and Community,” “Advocacy in Action,” “Global Advocacy and International Update,” “Sustainability Snapshot: Net-Zero Carbon Events,” “A Customer Perspective on the New Normal,” “Top 10 Tips for Hiring and Retention Now,” “Growth Strategies for Small Businesses,” “Customer Journey: Supporting Retail by Adapting and Expanding to Market Needs,” and “Multiple Realities: The Current State of M&A.”
Industry veteran Lewis Shomer, Chairman and CEO of Shomex Productions, received the prestigious Robert L. Krakoff Industry Award of Excellence at a luncheon hosted by Freeman. The award is named in honor of industry legend Robert L. Krakoff, who founded and led some of the most successful companies in the exhibition industry.
A more in-depth look at this year’s SISO CEO Summit will appear in the June issue of Trade Fair Manager.
Contact Cassandra Farrington at [email protected] or (720) 213-5802; David Audrain at (404) 334-4585; contact Hervé Sedky at [email protected]; Lew Shomer at (310) 450-8831, x2 or [email protected]