Rich Vallaster, CEM, DES, Director of Marketing, Events Management Solutions, Personify
Rich Vallaster, DES, CEM serves as the Director of Marketing, Events, and Industry Relations at A2Z Events–Personify. The “Trade Show Wonk” has spent the bulk of his career in the events business. He has experience on both sides of the spectrum, ranging from co-founding an annual conference and trade show to exhibiting or attending over a dozen trade shows per year. He currently manages all the tradeshow and event experiences for the entire Personify portfolio of solutions. In addition, he leads the marketing and promotion of the A2Z Events solution, an industry-recognized leader in trade show management. In his years with A2 Z, he has consulted with some of the country’s largest and most well-known trade shows. His favorite activity is helping manage clients’ on-site rebook process and assisting their sales teams in selling their trade show floors. He is an appointed member of the (CEIR) Research Council and is an active member of IAEE and PCMA. He is a respected authority on the events industry, and has been quoted in trade publications such as the New York Times, Trade Show Executive Magazine, Convene Magazine and the Trade Show News Network. In addition, Rich serves on several exhibitor advisory committees and regularly speaks to organizers, exhibitors, and attendees at events such as Expo! Expo!, PCMA, ASAE, and the Media, Audience & Content Marketing Association.
In his free time, he enjoys all things Disney and shuttling his middle school-age daughter to various sports and events. He also loves supporting his wife of 16 years, Jodi Vallaster, who is avidly working to improve educational public policy. Rich has an MBA from Mount St. Mary’s University, is Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) from IAEE, and a Digital Events Strategist Certification from PCMA under his belt. On top of that, he is also passionate about teaching market research at Hood College in both their undergraduate business school and MBA program.
