The IAEE Women’s Leadership Forum is designed to address the unique challenges women face in the exhibitions and events industry. Tailored for women at every career stage and position level, this comprehensive program provides essential knowledge, strategies and resources to help attendees excel in their current roles while inspiring them to reach new heights. Beyond professional advancement, key insights emphasize the critical balance between career success and personal well-being.
The presenters at this year’s forum delivered transformative understandings that challenge conventional wisdom about stress, negotiation and leadership success. Through powerful keynotes and practical sessions, attendees discovered how to harness their unique strengths while navigating the complex dynamics of modern leadership. Let’s take a look at some of the lessons learned at the 2025 IAEE Women’s Leadership Forum.
Stress as Your Secret Weapon
Dr. Rebecca Heiss, Author, Speaker, Stress Physiologist and CEO of Rebecca Heiss, LLC revolutionized how we think about stress, revealing a startling statistic: 182,000 deaths were attributed simply to the belief that stress is harmful. Her research showed that people with high stress levels who believed stress was beneficial had the lowest mortality rates in the entire study. This paradigm shift reframes stress from enemy to ally.
The key lies in understanding stress as energy that can be transferred, not destroyed. Like Olympic athletes who break world records under pressure, we can harness stress as a catalyst for peak performance. Heiss introduced the concept of stress as a “barometer of care” – when you feel stressed, it signals engagement with meaningful activities that align with your purpose.
To manage stress effectively, she recommended stress inoculation techniques such as gradually exposing yourself to manageable stressors to build resilience. Or, the simple practice of writing down concerns for three minutes helps transfer anxious energy elsewhere, while cultivating curiosity combats fear since these emotions cannot coexist in the brain simultaneously.
The AI Advantage Across Generations
Armida Ascano, Futurist and Chief Content Officer at TrendHunter illuminated how artificial intelligence is transforming workplace dynamics across generations. Contrary to stereotypes, Baby Boomers show 20% weekly AI usage, while Generation X emerges as unexpected AI advocates, with 55% believing in its positive workplace impact.
The most striking finding revealed that while only 33% of consumers admit to using AI platforms, actual usage reaches 77%. This gap highlights the need for transparent AI education and policies. Organizations should implement customized approaches that leverage each generation’s strengths, from Gen Z’s intuitive AI adoption to Baby Boomers’ preference for technology that enhances human connections.
With a 450% increase in AI-related job postings and 49% of workers threatening to leave companies with outdated technology approaches, AI literacy has become a retention imperative. Cross-generational mentorship programs can bridge knowledge gaps while ensuring no generation gets left behind in the digital transformation.
Negotiation as Daily Conversation
Mori Taheripour, Negotiation Expert, Author and Faculty at The Wharton School reframed negotiation from confrontational transaction to everyday conversation, emphasizing that we negotiate from morning to night across tasks from merging in traffic to deciding what to wear. This perspective reduces fear and builds confidence in formal negotiation settings.
Successful negotiation centers on information exchange and relationship building rather than rushing to discuss numbers. Taheripour highlighted authenticity as crucial, encouraging negotiators to align strategies with personal values. She advocated for embracing traditionally feminine qualities like empathy and relationship-building as negotiation strengths, not weaknesses.
The power of curiosity emerged as a key theme: being genuinely interested in your counterpart reveals valuable information while building rapport. Combined with aspirational goal-setting and strategic storytelling, these approaches lead to better outcomes than holding back or being overly cautious.
Strategic Refusal and the Joy of Missing Out
Yvette Simpson, MBA, Esq., CEO of Yvette Simpson, LLC introduced the transformative concept of strategic refusal, contrasting FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) with JOMO (Joy of Missing Out). Her innovative “Yes Test” provides a framework for evaluating opportunities across three priorities: YOU (health, lifestyle, self-care), EXPERIENCE (professional development, education) and SERVICE (community work, legacy building).
Simpson’s 12/52 method breaks annual goals into manageable chunks by either 12 major objectives or 52 medium-sized goals. This approach makes time more tangible and achievements more attainable. The hidden costs of always saying “yes” include overwhelm, lost productivity and unfulfilled personal goals.
Simpson emphasized filling your tank with activities that motivate and fuel you, recognizing that like cars, we’re made to move but need regular refueling to avoid burnout.
Building Financial and Emotional Intelligence
The forum addressed critical skills for sustained leadership success. Marcella Mollon-Williams, BFA, Licensed Behavioral Financial Advisor™ and Co-Founder of Legacy Builder Group, LLC highlighted women’s unique financial challenges including longer life expectancy and career interruptions, advocating for a “freedom with a framework” approach to financial planning that provides structure without restriction.
April LeJeune, Senior Vice President, Client Relations & Strategic Sales Planning for Freeman explored the intersection of personal branding and emotional intelligence, emphasizing that EQ matters more than IQ in determining leadership emergence. The foundation lies in self-awareness – understanding your emotions and their impact on others – while maintaining consistency across all platforms.
The Path Forward
These insights collectively point toward a new leadership paradigm that celebrates authenticity while embracing strategic thinking. The most effective leaders will be those who harness stress as energy, leverage technology across generations, negotiate with curiosity and empathy, practice strategic refusal, and build both financial and emotional intelligence.
The 2025 Women’s Leadership Forum demonstrated that success isn’t about conforming to traditional leadership models, but about creating new frameworks that honor women’s unique strengths while addressing contemporary challenges. As these leaders return to their organizations, they carry tools not just for personal advancement, but for transforming workplace culture itself.
