The IAEE Awards Program is designed to recognize IAEE members who have made outstanding contributions to the exhibitions and events industry. Congratulations to the 2022 IAEE Award recipients!
Walter most recently served as President and CEO of TAITRA, the government agency which promotes trade development and exhibition promotion in Taiwan. He has also been at the helm of other industry associations such as the Taiwan Exhibition & Convention Association (TECA) and the Asian Federation of Convention & Exhibition Associations (AFECA) with distinction. In addition to his contributions to the exhibitions and events industry on a global scale, Walter’s contributions to IAEE include acting as a conduit for the CEM Learning Program’s success in Taiwan, as well as supporting IAEE’s overall presence in the MICE industry for that region.
Watch Walter’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
Bob has been an IAEE member for two decades and has served on the IAEE Southeast Chapter Board of Directors since 2018, including chairing the chapter’s awards committee. He is known for always being one of the first to volunteer his services and support to the association. Bob is also a dedicated and innovative industry leader, having served the exhibitions and events industry through his extensive background in sales management, business development, strategic planning and customer service with a successful track record of obtaining results through change, creativity and collaborative efforts.
Watch Bob’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
With more than 30 years of industry experience, Lenay has been a dedicated IAEE member for over 25 of those years. She has served on almost every committee the association has to offer, on both the national and chapter levels. During her tenure, she has advanced the standing of women in the industry by acting as a role model and mentor. Lenay has been dedicated to advancing IAEE’s mission and initiatives, and has steadfastly demonstrated exemplary leadership for women throughout exhibitions and events.
Watch Lenay’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
Tara Allen, CEM, has been an IAEE member since 2010 serving on the Young Professionals Committee and various chapter leadership roles. She has been active in the exhibition management field for over a decade and was honored with the IAEE Young Professional of the Year Award in 2018. A passionate industry advocate, she has held a variety of leadership positions with the chapter including serving as Events Chair, Treasurer, Vice Chair, Chapter Chair and, currently, Immediate Past Chair.
Watch Tara’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
Stephenie Hawkins, CEM has made a significant impact on fellow IAEE Southwest Chapter members. Of note, she created a program to engage the UNLV School of Hospitality. With her guidance, the chapter created an event for UNLV’s Capstone Class that included a networking event titled “Opening Doors: Advancing to Your Next Opportunity.” The event was a huge success for both students and industry professionals in the Las Vegas community.
Watch Stephenie’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
Ronika has been active in the Central Texas Chapter for over five years, where she quickly became a key member of its Board of Directors. She currently serves as Treasurer and has been commended for the fantastic job she does at keeping the chapter on budget. She has also exemplified leadership when working with chapter members to navigate through COVID, in addition to filling the chapter’s young professionals role and engaging with the chapter’s YP members.
Watch Ronika’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
Sydney has proven herself a great asset to the Rocky Mountain Chapter by going above and beyond with taking on the role as Chapter Chair halfway through this year, and maintaining enthusiasm about finishing the year strong with the possibility of continuing through 2023. She has been commended for leading by example and giving everything she has to seeing the chapter achieve great success.
Watch Sydney’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
Kristin currently chairs the IAEE Faculty Advisory Committee in addition to teaching full time at the university level. She has also taught an educational session for IAEE around event design and strategy. Her teaching methods are innovative and she brings excellent ideas that have shaped IAEE’s programming, in addition to advocating for quality education program to advance the exhibitions and events industry.
Watch Kristin’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
Bob has been a member of IAEE since 1987 and served as Chair of the IAEE Southeastern Chapter in 2015. He received IAEE’s Chapter Merit Award in 2016 and even though he could have “rested on his laurels” after receiving this recognition, he has not. He continually shows a strong commitment to participating in and promoting the exhibitions and events industry, while also engaging in community activities addressing needs outside of the industry.
Watch Bob’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
After three years of being apart, the AAO Events & Education Team was finally able to bring its vision of an Orthodontic Innovation Pavilion to life at its 2022 Annual Session. This Pavilion, located inside the Exhibit Hall, fulfilled the vision expressed by the AAO Board of Trustees to position the organization as one that drives innovation in the profession. The 2022 Innovation Pavilion created a new revenue stream for the Annual Session and countless opportunities for industry and AAO members.
Watch AAO’s acceptance speech delivered by Vice President, Education & Events Libby Dischert featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
Lisa’s hard work, innovation and collaboration with sponsors led to a record-breaking sponsorship campaign at RSNA’s annual meeting held 27 November – 1 December 2021. She led the Corporate Relations Department in bringing in sponsorship revenue reflecting a 34% growth over the previous in-person meeting in 2019. This accomplishment was achieved despite the sales period being shortened from 12-months to less than 8-months due to the uncertainty of an in-person meeting in 2021.
Watch Lisa’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
In 1992, a group of veteran jewelers decided it was time to revamp trade shows for the U.S. jewelry market. Thanks to their determination and partnership, the JCK Show in Las Vegas was born. JCK has matured not only into the world’s largest and most celebrated jewelry trade event, but it has become the crown jewel of jewelry trade, drawing together a broad international community of globally sourced exhibitors and buyers. RX’s JCK Sales & Marketing Team not only exceeded the 2019 pre-pandemic performance of JCK Show in 2022, but had a record-breaking show regarding attendance goals and exhibit space revenue, and delivered the most energized and memorable JCK show yet.
Watch RX’s acceptance speech delivered by Group Vice President, RX Jewelry Portfolio and JCK Event Leader Sarin Bachmann featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA:
Elizabeth has been praised by her peers for embodying everything and more that this award represents. She has consistently exemplified the goals and objectives of IAEE to help attract young professionals to the industry, as well as collaborating on specific chapter initiatives for YPs. She is known for going above and beyond, and always has a positive attitude even when she is tasked with the never-ending to-do list. Elizabeth displays the leadership qualities that cannot be taught; they simply come naturally to her.
Watch Elizabeth’s acceptance speech featured at the awards ceremony at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition 2022 held 13-15 December in Louisville, KY USA: