MATSO Governance

After a year of in-depth discussion between IAEE and MATSO leadership, the IAEE MATSO Council was announced in December 2013 in Houston at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition. The focus of the MATSO Council is on all functional aspects of major show production in keeping with the original vision. The IAEE MATSO Council is governed by the IAEE Bylaws, Article IX, which outlines the council’s authority (detailed in the MATSO charge). MATSO will have an ex-officio representative on the IAEE board of directors and a staff liaison assigned to coordinate support between IAEE departments.

Mission: To present the viewpoint and advance the success of the major trade show [at least 200,000 NSF] and to provide a mechanism for the exchange and dissemination of information relevant to that audience.

Vision: To be viewed as the authority on issues relevant to all stakeholders of major trade shows [at least 200,000 NSF].

Interested in joining the MATSO Council? Submit your information here.

2024 MATSO Council

John Rozum, Chairperson

Senior Director of Industry Sectors
Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Lisa Malikow, Vice Chairperson

Senior Vice President, Event Operations & Programming
National Restaurant Association Show / Informa Connect

Mark Bogdansky, Immediate Past Chairperson

Vice President, Tradeshows and Community Engagement
Auto Care Association

Melodie Anderson, CEM, DES

Vice President, Meeting and Exhibit Experiences, Institute of Food Technologies

Kate Hawley, CEM

Director, Business Development
Water Environment Federation

Merideth Newman, CEM

Senior Director, Trade Shows, The Association for Packaging & Processing Technologies – PMMI

Lexy Olisko, MBA, CMP, CEM

Vice President, Expositions
PRINTING United Alliance

Gary Thuro

Chief Marketing & Sales Officer
RE+ Events

Ellen Tucker, CAE, MAS

Vice President of Revenue & Expositions
PPAI: Promotional Products Association International

Gwen Venable, CEM

Executive Vice President – EXPO and Communication Services, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association

IAEE Leadership Team

Marsha Flanagan, M.Ed., CEM

President & CEO
IAEE

Jason Ware

Staff Lead

Vice President, Events & Experiences
IAEE

Beverly Benbow, M. Sc.

Staff Nominating

Director: Governance, Board and Committee Administration
IAEE

Nicole Bowman, MBA, CEM-AP

Staff Marketing

VP of Marketing & Communications

IAEE

Stacy Powers, CEM

Staff Program

Director of Learning Experiences

IAEE

IAEE MATSO Council Charge

The IAEE MATSO Council is comprised of not-for-profit association and for-profit exhibition organizers whose shows are at least 200,000 NSF of exhibition space. The focus of the MATSO Council is on all functional aspects of large show production: marketing and sales, legislation, labor, international challenges, and operations. The MATSO Council encourages conversations of members fitting the criteria. The MATSO Council will provide a forum to support in-depth problem solving in a competition-free environment based on a foundation of confidentiality and trust.

The IAEE MATSO Council will abide by the IAEE Bylaws. Article IX outlines the Council’s authority, including electing a chair to serve on the IAEE Board of Directors. The chairperson of the Council will present reports to the IAEE board directors at its meetings. The Council will abide by the IAEE Antitrust Policy.

The MATSO Council encourages conversations between members fitting the criteria as stated above. The IAEE MATSO Council will provide a forum to support in-depth problem solving in a competition-free environment based on a foundation of confidentiality and trust.
Goals of the IAEE MATSO Council include but are not limited to:

Providing a forum of support for in-depth conversation and problem-solving addressing major show challenges.
Developing best practices unique to major-scale exhibitions
Developing position statements on issues that impact major-scale exhibitions
Encouraging conversations via face-to-face meetings and on the Council’s private forum on IAEE MemberLink
Encouraging membership in IAEE, and hence in the MATSO Community made up of the MATSO Council and qualifying members
Encouraging all MATSO Community members meeting criteria to submit their show’s data to the CEIR Index

As is the case with other Councils and committees of IAEE, a staff liaison will be appointed to assist with administrative details, including coordinating with other IAEE departments:

Education/program development
Meeting operations and logistics
Marketing and communication (including promoting the value of the IAEE MATSO Council to both current and prospective IAEE members meeting the MATSO criteria)

The IAEE MATSO Council will abide by the IAEE Bylaws. Article IX outlines the Council’s authority, including electing a chair to serve on the IAEE Board of Directors. The chairperson of the Council will present reports to the IAEE board directors at its meetings. The Council will abide by the IAEE Antitrust Policy.

Contact Beverly Benbow, M. Sc. for more information.