Sydney Lowe, senior manager of events at Heartland Forward, has embraced a piece of advice from Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering: “Good controversy is generative. It allows people to challenge one another without fracturing the group.”
Hannah Jennings, convention sales coordinator for Visit Denver, loves being surrounded by people whose personal histories reveal the many different ways a life and career can unfold.
Shimal Jaykant, DES, SEPC, conference & events manager for Medical Conference Partners, is leaning into AI for content personalization, faster insights from feedback, and smarter planning workflows, while being transparent about how we use it and protecting delegate trust.
Class of 2026 member Juan Pablo Garcia, chief sales officer at Ozum, has actively embraced AI, automation, and smarter systems while staying grounded in what events do best: bringing people together in meaningful, human ways.
Class of 2026 member Katharina Fressner, sales manager at the Austria Center Vienna, has discovered how many disciplines, stakeholders, and long-term collaborations are involved in creating impactful events.
Class of 2026 member Saïda Florexil, CEO of Imanyco, knows that at live events both digital and physical accessibility are critical and deeply connected.
Class of 2026 member Giulia Ferrero, director of event marketing at Swapcard, has come to understand how events shape industries by creating environments where relationships, ideas, and growth can take root.
Class of 2026 member Jaden DiMeo, event coordinator at Events DC, wants to expand the reach of hybrid events.
Katie Croy, manager of exhibit & sponsorship sales at RE+ Events, is learning to harness the power of “yes, and…” thinking.
Makenzie Brown, international association sales manager at the Scottish Event Campus, was floored by the sheer size of the events industry.
Rilee Bradshaw, CEM, client relationship manager at Freeman, leans into collaboration, transparency, and proactive planning.
Holly Barnett, project manager at Touchpoint Meeting Services, sees tight budgets as a challenge she can meet by using data to understand what audiences actually want.
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