Connecting Leaders to Leaders

Develop top-to-top relationships with 200 executives sharing insights and opportunities

  • Trustworthy

For 23 years, through every business cycle, ECEF has connected executives at associations and independent organizers to information they use immediately.

  • High Energy

Clients expect an open and spirited peer exchange. And they get it.

  • Rewarding

Take away actionable ideas and valuable contacts that will benefit your brand, your event, your organization, and your career.

ECEF 2024 Video Recap

May 28, 2025

Save the Date

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Washington DC

 

Registration Fee

$695 if you register before March 1 and $895 thereafter. $495 for each additional colleague

Change in Plans? Last-minute qualified substitutions are welcome or cancel by May 21, 2025 for a full refund. 

EXHIBIT & CONVENTION EXECUTIVES FORUM

Find Out What's in it for You in 76 Seconds

TRUSTWORTHY

Expand Your Circle of Top-Level Contacts

Often called the A-List of the events industry.

  • Welcome Reception on Tuesday, May 28 kicks off face-to-face engagement.
  • Networking lunch and breaks keeps the networking action going all day.
  • Meet The Leaders session gives everyone a chance to stand and be seen.

Look Who Attended ECEF 2024

2024 Program

 

View Full 2024 Program

2024 Presenters

2025 Sponsors

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

 

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Ecef tech demo logo

 

Event tech demonstrations for non-tech executives

Event technology products and services are proliferating and improving at an ever-quickening pace. TechDemo gives executives an opportunty to explore leading-edge solutions without the technobabble. 

  • Hands-on event tech demonstrations.
  • Meet tech experts AND the executives that run the company.
  • Explore solutions for marketing, sales, operations and back office.

TechDemo Sponsors

Resources

Latest Resources

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  • The toughest, most enduring challenge facing your salesforce is measuring, proving, and communicating customers' ROI. Every non-renewal and downsize hurts your profitability. RX's answer was to refram ...
  • Sam Lippman, President, Lippman Connects kicks off the ECEF program with a fast-paced data-driven overview, spotlighting insights gleaned from recent research. This session was recorded at the 22nd an ...
  • Ken Holsinger, Senior Vice President Strategy, Freeman Company, takes you through the key findings from up-to-the-minute Freeman data on exhibits and sponsorships. Ken will build on the "5 Data Points ...


View All ECEF Resources

Testimonials

  • ECEF is one the few opportunities where independent and association show organizers get to mingle and learn from one another.
    Karen Chupka
    Chief Strategist, Chupka Consulting LLC
  • You've got 200 C-level executives here. There's a lot of peer-to-peer learning, which is incredible.
    Chris Dolnack
    Senior Vice President, National Shooting Sports Foundation
  • As a newcomer to events, it is so valuable to connect and have interactions that pay off.
    Cassandra Farrington
    Co-Founder & CEO, Marijuana Business Daily
  • I've had a bunch of conversations with people we're going to want to do business with.
    Chris Bown
    Executive Vice President, National Association of Broadcasters
  • ECEF is a great event! In one day I can hear insights and best practices from the ‘Who’s Who’ in our industry.
    Mary Pat Heftman
    Principal, Principal MPH Solutions, LLC
  • ECEF is a fixture on my calendar. Don’t delegate this one; as a CEO, you need to be there.
    Lori M. Anderson, CAE
    President & CEO, International Sign Association
  • The value I’ve gained from ECEF has always exceeded expectations. It’s the only event that brings together association and media executives to network, debate, and exchange new business ideas and best practices.
    Kerry C. Gumas
    Chief Executive Officer, Metacomet LLC
  • ECEF has valuable content and useful take-aways in a variety of areas.
    Peter Eelman
    Vice President Exhibitions and Communications, The Association for Manufacturing Technology, AMT
  • ECEF is the most valuable education and networking event of the year. The ideas shared by speakers and participants helped us grow attendance and sales. There is no better opportunity to learn from the brightest in the industry.
    Eric Wulf
    CEO, International Carwash Association®

Explore ECEF 2024 Highlights

Lippman Connects You

  • Richard Curran, CEO/President, Expo Convention Contractors
  • Rick Kostopoulos, President/CEO, NewGen Business Solutions
  • Rick McConnell, CEO, Trifecta Collective
  • Rick Watson, President, DBC Pri-Med, LLC
  • Robert Caldwell, Founding Partner & CRO, 42Chat
  • Robin Troutman, Deputy Director, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
  • Rochelle Richardson, Senior Vice President, Expositions & Events, AVIXA
  • Ronda Schrenk, Chief Executive Officer, USGIF: United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation
  • Russ Callahan, Vice President of Sales and Operations, Quest Events
  • Ryann Denys, National Sales Manager, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority
  • Samantha Moore, Director, Trade Show Operations, Senior Director, Meetings & Education, American Bakers Association/IBIE
  • Scott Crawford, Senior Vice President, Business Development, GES
  • Scott Stevens, Group Vice President ' Data, Digital, Registration, Procurement & Pricing for the Americas, RX Global
  • Sean Lenahan, Vice President, Convention Operations, National Association of Home Builders
  • Sean Massay, Director of Sports and Tradeshow Sales, Visit San Antonio
  • Sean Morris, Vice President of Sales, The Venetian' Resort Las Vegas
  • Shauna Peters, Vice President, mdg, A Freeman Company
  • Sherrif Karamat, President & CEO, PCMA
  • Shirley Del Carpio, National Account Director, Destination DC
  • Sonja Miller, Senior Sales Manager, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas
  • Stephanie Jones, Managing Director, Professional Development & Event Strategy, Water Environment Federation (WEF)
  • Stephanie Selesnick, Contributing Editor, Exhibition World
  • Steve Prahalis, Chief Operating Officer, SME - Society of Manufacturing Engineers
  • Steve Speares, Executive Director, American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons
  • Steve Walker, Executive Director, City-Wide Sales, MGM Resorts International
  • Steven Humphrey, Senior Director of Conferences, Meetings, and Technology Services, Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine
  • Susan Newman, Senior Vice President, Events, National Retail Federation
  • Tabitha Jenkins, Sales & Relationship Director, Event Advisory Group (EAG)
  • Tamar Beck, Chief Executive Officer, Gleanin
  • Teena Piccione, Global Transformation & Operations Executive, Google
  • Thomas Billington, CEO, Billington CyberSecurity
  • Tina Morris, Executive Director, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
  • Tol Kincaid, Group Director, Operations, SME - Society of Manufacturing Engineers
  • Tom Myers, Senior Vice President, Sales Services, Smithbucklin Corporation
  • Tommy Goodwin, Vice President, Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance
  • Toni Piela, Vice President, Corporate Development/M&A, RX US
  • Tonia Masson, Executive Director, Society of Toxicology (SOT)
  • Tony Calanca, Owner, Producer, TechUp Smart Buildings
  • Tracy Garcia, Group Director, FABTECH Series, SME - Society of Manufacturing Engineers
  • Vickie Keliher, Director of National Accounts, Visit Orlando
  • Vinnie Polito, CEO, Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO)
  • Walter Charnizon, President, Continental Exhibitions
  • Warwick Davies, President and Founder, The Event Mechanic!
  • Wayne Popham, Chief Financial Officer, Plastics Industry Association
  • Yancy Weinrich, President, North America, CloserStill Media