Arlington, VA – When the Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) convenes in Washington, DC next month, it will pack a punch with six sessions focused on helping trade show organizers address burning issues and take advantage of emerging opportunities for their events.

Presented by Lippman Connects, the one-day conference is limited to just 200 top-level executives who will hear from 12 presenters about keeping up with economic and technology changes, becoming more focused on sustainability and achieving continued growth for events. Additional sessions will address show floor synergy, building brand loyalty and best practices for attendee acquisition and exhibit sales.

“With the recession behind us, our industry has learned the value of keeping events relevant and betting on a better tomorrow,” said Sam Lippman, president of Lippman Connects.

The opening keynote address by Scott Schenker, general manager of the Events and Production Studios for Microsoft Marketing will set the stage for the day by sharing success strategies he has used worldwide in an effort to anticipate the worst and prepare for the best when dealing with changes in technology, society and the economy.

Next up will be “Show Floor Synergy” – a panel discussion led by Gene Sanders, senior vice president, trade shows at SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association that also will include Marian Bossard, senior vice president, global market events for the Toy Industry Association and Megan Tanel, vice president of exhibitions and events for the Association of Equipment Managers and chair of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE). The panel will address using exhibit and special interest areas in collaboration with other organizations on the show floor, using NPE: The International Plastics Showcase as a case study.

A related topic, “Winning Strategies to Grow Your Event,” will be presented by Lori Anderson, president and CEO of the International Sign Association, who will address using private sector strategies for trade shows to help increase their value to attendees.

Later, Sam Lippman will share best practices and trends in attendee acquisition and sponsorship sales, using Exhibit Surveys research and Lippman Connects’ own roundtable events.

In a session entitled, “Is Sustainability a Must in the Exhibition Industry?,” Glenn Hansen, president and CEO of BPA Worldwide will make the case for why the answer should be “yes.” BPA specializes in verifying compliance with ASTM 180 standards for corporate social responsibility and sustainability reporting.

Hansen will lead a panel of international event executives who will address green standards for venues, supply chains and organizers worldwide. Hansen told Trade Show Executivevia email from Oman that his current trip also includes Dubai and Qatar — all of which are interested in embracing sustainability standards for events.

Closing out the day will be Kerry Bodine, a customer experience consultant who has made a name for herself in a variety of top-level business publications like the Wall Street Journal. She will share her thoughts and ideas in “The ROI of Building a Better Customer Experience.”

Reach Sam Lippman at (703) 979-4904 or sam@lippmanconnects.com

[Link to full article: http://www.tradeshowexecutive.com/archive/industry-news/ecef-program-tackle-burning-issues/]