The home for conversations with the leaders of the $50 billion Trade show industry. We speak to them about the past present and future of the Trade Show and event industry. We hope to bring you insights that will help you get the best ROI from your Trade Show investments.
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Sujoy Cherian is a globally recognized Creative Technologist and CEO of Option 1 Group, leading innovations across immersive tech, AI activations, and digital storytelling. He is ranked among the Most Influential People in Events and Event Technology. His footprint spans the UAE, KSA, Bahrain, France, India, and the Philippines. Sujoy is a sought-after speaker at global forums from Las Vegas to Riyadh, defining the future of experiential tech. Known for his ability to demystify complex innovations and predict trends, his talks inspire industry veterans and nextgen entrepreneurs alike. Sujoy Ch
Tom Gavazzi is an accomplished entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Woom AI Marketing Agency, a company specialising in AI-powered conversational marketing solutions. In 2025, Woom became a global partner of Infobip, one of the world’s leading communication platforms. Under Tom’s leadership, Woom has developed innovative AI assistants that enhance engagement and communication on WhatsApp, particularly for events, trade shows, and brand experiences. With more than 25 years of experience in the event industry, Tom has led and executed over 1,000 business events across the B2B and B2C sectors. F
Marco Barozzi is the Founder of Expo Consulting, with experience of over three decades in the exhibitions and events industry. His journey began with key roles in prestigious companies like the Blenheim Group, Miller Freeman, and Reed Exhibitions. Later, he founded Expo Consulting, helping organisations succeed in the complex and dynamic world of trade shows and events. Over the years, he has collaborated with numerous public institutions, SMEs, and event planners, sharing his expertise in trade show promotion, marketing strategy, project management, and exhibitor training. As the Country Mana
Miguel Neves leads the editorial team at Skift Meetings, where he and his team passionately tell the incredible stories around the business of events. He has worked in and around events for almost 20 years in various roles covering planning, marketing, social media, and editorial. Miguel has been at the forefront of innovation in event technology and AI for more than 15 years and has closely followed the rapid evolution and impact of AI. He is a Portuguese soul who built a career in the UK and is now raising a young family in southern Denmark. His favourite place in the world is a Portuguese b
Kai Hattendorf is one of the most prominent thought leaders in the global business events industry, building on a decades-long legacy of transformation and innovation. He serves as Managing Partner at JWC, the globally leading management consultancy specialising in the exhibition, trade fair, and conference industry. In his decade at the helm of Paris-based UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, he spearheaded numerous initiatives and projects to develop the sector, drive public awareness, and grow the association’s reach and relevance. As Chair of the Joint Meetings Industry
Marlys Arnold brings a unique perspective to trade show exhibiting, with experience as both an exhibitor and a show organiser. For more than two decades, she’s advised thousands of exhibitors through consultations and workshops for events, ranging from local consumer expos to major U.S. trade shows. She has written two books on the subject: the award-winning Build a Better Trade Show Image and Exhibit Design That Works. A respected voice in the industry, Marlys frequently contributes to top publications and podcasts, in addition to hosting the highly regarded Trade Show Insights blog and podca
Baptiste Boulard is the CEO and cofounder at Swapcard, which he built after leaving a career as a business lawyer to transform the events industry. He manages the leadership group and leads the go-to-market strategy for the company’s AI-first platform, including Sherlock (AI chat assistant), Launchpad (registration platform), and industry-leading matchmaking technology (Attendees Connect). Baptiste loves working with flagship tradeshows and associations like NAVC, AIAPA, Informa, and Clarion to solve organisers’ biggest challenges—from exhibitor ROI and attendee engagement to digital transform
Enrico Gallorini is the Co-Founder and CEO of GRS Research and Strategy, a cutting-edge boutique multinational research firm headquartered in Venice, Italy. Enrico and GRS recently hosted the Human 2 Human Summit at Dubai taking ahead his ideas about In-person and creating a focused discourse. Enrico has dedicated his life to decoding the profound impact that in-person experiences at large human gatherings have on individuals, society, and the world at large. His most significant finding is the unique quality that only live events have, to inspire and drive human evolution. Through his researc
Vince Battaglia produces and maintains online, private-labelled Global and National Trade Show Directories for dozens of suppliers, associations and media groups in the exhibition industry. His career in the trade show industry began 35 years ago at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, and since the,n he has had several sales positions for Octanorm, Cort Trade Show Furnishings, beMatrix and TWI Logistics. Vince Battaglia Trade shows remain irreplaceably human, despite digital hype. Vince Battaglia says that virtual events and AI experiments since COVID proved limited for true deal-making. Physical sho
Anca Platon Trifan is the Founder and CEO of Tree Fan Events Productions, a woman-owned AV production and event technology agency, and the Producer and Host of Events Demystified, the Top 5 podcast in event production, event technology and AI. Her career was built backstage long before the spotlight. Anca came up through live production, calling shows, mixing audio, and leading technical teams under pressure, where decisions have real-time consequences. That hands-on foundation gives her rare credibility with both leadership teams and production crews, and informs her clear, no-nonsense approa
