Agenda

Details coming soon!

Greet old friends and meet new ones as you join us for cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres. A memorable night, and great networking await you! The festivities begin the official kick-off of the Fastest 50 Awards & Summit from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Get energized with a sumptuous breakfast, which features many wholesome choices as well as sweet and savory options. Start the morning right!

What will the future of the trade show world look like? And how can we ensure success tomorrow, without taking a restrictive direction today? Enter Ari Wallach, Fast Company’s expert on emergent business trends. Ari’s diverse clients have included CNN, the Ford Foundation, the US State Department, and many more—and in his talks, he discusses so-called “megatrends”: larger, broader trends in technology, business and culture, and ones which won’t restrict you down the line if followed. What megatrends might be coming next, and how can you predict them?

Recipients of TSE’s inaugural Trailblazers award share their view from the trenches. Learn how their strategies improved their shows and how their ideas are impacting their entire company. Freeman President (and voice of experience) Bob Priest-Heck will moderate this lively discussion with these rising industry leaders.

Clarion UX recently acquired a stake in the National Grocers Association annual trade show. Clarion UX, CEO, Greg Topalian, already a veteran in the field of acquisition, presents a case study and behind-the-scenes look at how an association and independent show organizer joined forces to drive the show to new growth.

Firehouse Expo received the coveted Rockstar Award at last year’s Fastest 50 and continues to smoke the competition. Ed Nichols, Vice President of Events at Southcomm Inc., caps off lunch with a live interview on stoking the growth of Firehouse Expo and the entire portfolio.

Nancy Walsh, President of Nancy P. Walsh Xpert Consulting LLC will tap into the energy and ideas of a panel of Fastest 50 honorees who drove their shows to great heights.

This fast-paced session will focus on the topics that are most important to show organizers who want to capitalize on the success of their rapidly growing events and springboard to even greater heights.

It’s time to walk the red carpet and pose for photographs as you accept your Fastest 50 plaques(s) and enter a night of elegance, inspiration and intrigue.

The moment we have all been waiting for . . . a night of elegance, inspiration and intrigue. The Fastest 50 Grand Awards Dinner & Ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. where the Fastest 50 shows will be celebrated and the winners of the Grand Awards will be presented with special trophies.

The fun keeps going after the awards! Continue the celebration with your colleagues at the Afterglow.

The Farewell Breakfast offers another opportunity to network with the Fastest 50 delegates and speakers before you head home or stay for an extended weekend of relaxation.