What a year it has been for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), which closes out 2019 this week with its annual three-day Expo! Expo! conference, the largest gathering of trade show organizers.

About 2,400 attendees and 400 exhibitors were expected to attend the event at the MGM Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The projected attendance would surpass the 2,300 from last year’s 90th anniversary event in New Orleans, which marked the highest since 2001.

“IAEE has enjoyed an outstanding 2019 as we have made great progress against the pillars of our strategic plan—learning, marketplaces and advocacy,” said David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA, president and CEO of IAEE.

“IAEE has enjoyed an outstanding 2019 as we have made great progress against the pillars of our strategic plan—learning, marketplaces and advocacy.”

Exhibitions and events are a key player in the meeting and event space, contributing more than US$91 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) each year and attracting more than 33 million attendees to events. Business events contributed to a total global GDP impact of $1.5 trillion.

IAEE members are directly involved in the planning, management and production of exhibitions and buyer-seller events. IAEE also advocates for key issues such as safety and security, travel facilitation, online booking issues and infrastructure investment.

DuBois said IAEE achieved an 8 percent growth in overall membership in 2019, and now has members in 52 countries representing 1,300 organizations and more than 13,000 individuals.

He added that more than 3,500 exhibition industry executives from 27 countries have earned their Certificate in Exhibition Management (CEM), including 300 this year.

IAEE & Advocacy

Advocacy continues to be a major focus as IAEE had more than 120 members participate in Exhibitions Day meetings at the U.S. Capitol this summer.

DuBois also was proud of IAEE’s Women’s Leadership Programs held in four US cities and in India and Mexico City.

The Global MICE Collaborative, an initiative between IAEE, MPI and the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), recently expanded that relationship with the announcement of a new three-year partnership from 2020 to 2022 with IBTM Americas.

EXPO! EXPO MENA will be held in Abu Dhabi in September 2020, marking the first time EXPO! EXPO! brand event will be held outside of the U.S., DuBois said.

This week, the focus has been on education and networking at the IAEE gathering. Nearly 130 education sessions were being offered, including honoring the first five graduates of a new CEM-Advanced Professional (CEM-AP) certification. The program applies to CEMs with at least 10 years of industry experience who have acquired 30 education/leadership credits through a combination of leadership activities and industry-related continuing education.

“IAEE’s Education Committee and Board of Directors have been deliberate and mindful of how we expand the IAEE Certification Journey,” DuBois said. “The CEM-AP program caters to CEMs who have the knowledge and experience one acquires after a decade in the field, and now want to take their skills to a more strategic level.”

Chris Bashinelli, who acted in such shows as the HBO hit The Sopranos, delivered the keynote address Tuesday, focusing on Global Citizenship—Change Your Mind, Change Your World. Bashinelli says global citizenship is not about traveling the world, but about using the challenges within our lives to become stronger and more productive members of the world.

He uses media to build bridges between cultures. In his early 20s, he became one of the youngest moderators at the United Nations and made a documentary about his journey to Tanzania. He now travels the globe as host of Bridge the Gap, a television series featured on PBS and the National Geographic Channel, in which he discovers what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.

Darleen Santore, a life and leadership coach, will deliver the keynote on Wednesday, Level Up: Five Plays to Greatness.

Known as “Coach Dar,” she helps individuals gain clarity and focus in order to live well, lead well and propel themselves to new heights.

The education tracks at Expo! Expo! included event technology, science and technology of a show, attendee acquisition and experience, show design and strategy, exhibitor sales and partnerships and leadership and management.

The conference will be in Louisville in 2020.