Speaker: Tavar James, Vice President, Global Head of Events, Forrester

In this session, we’ll explore the biggest challenges event leaders face in measuring success—and share strategies to overcome them. Then, we’ll dive into best practices for event measurement using proven Forrester frameworks and models, giving you models and tools to demonstrate impact and elevate your event measurement.

Speaker: Elyse Stoner, Co-Founder, Event Advisors

For too long, event success meant headcount or leads. Elyse Stoner shares her ROM – Return on the Moment™ approach, focusing on trust, alignment, and emotional impact. Learn a practical framework to design and communicate meaningful outcomes beyond spreadsheets. Ideal for those needing language and tools to prove value, align stakeholders, or justify budgets through high-impact event moments.

Speaker: Christine Cleaver, Clinical Assistant Professor of Events Management Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, New York University

Drawing on research from higher education and real-world event case studies, this session explores how experiential learning principles can revolutionize event engagement. Attendees will discover how to design activations, learning zones, and hands-on networking that foster deeper connections and drive ROI. The session blends research findings, actionable design frameworks, and live idea co-creation to help participants reimagine their event experience strategy.

Speaker: Amanda Armstrong, SVP, Industry Relations, Encore

Behind every great event is a strategist, hotel, and AV team—but what really goes on behind the scenes? This interactive panel pulls back the curtain on hotel and in-house AV partnerships. Get insider tips, key site visit questions, budgeting strategies, and tools to align expectations early. Walk away with a toolkit of best practices to plan smarter, avoid surprises, and strengthen your event partnerships.

Speakers: Christopher Grace & Haley Spitzfaden, Co-Founders of Lila Quests LLC

Participants value commerce most—so why limit it to the expo hall? This interactive Idea Exchange helps reimagine events with business woven throughout the experience. Explore formats that spark natural commerce, reposition sponsors as partners, and map friction points along the attendee journey. Walk away with peer-sourced strategies and tools to design immersive, commerce-forward events that make every guest the hero.

Speakers: Eileen Page, SVP Digital and Innovation, Invision Communications & Josh Shepherd, Atlassian

In this session, Eileen Page, SVP Digital, Invision Communications, and Josh Shepherd, Atlassian, will discuss ways to leverage AI to craft memorable and accessible event experiences. They’ll explore how AI-driven tools—from interactive chatbots and AI concierges to real-time wayfinding and digital twins—can personalize engagement, enhance brand interaction, and improve participant satisfaction. Drawing upon case work examples from Atlassian, they’ll showcase real-world use cases and examples that will give participants solutions they can walk away with.

Speaker: Tammy Moore, VP, Learning & Professional Development, PCMA

This program is designed for events professionals who want to proactively prepare for event disruptions and strengthen their crisis response capabilities. Events professionals must be prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to disruptions—whether minor mishaps or major crises. In this workshop, you’ll assess your risk readiness, collaborate with peers through real-world simulations to sharpen your decision-making skills, and prioritize critical areas to improve to become more crisis-ready. You’ll leave this workshop with a personalized crisis management plan tailored to your organization’s unique risks, as well as the confidence to navigate challenges both before and after your events.

Speaker: Brudis Limar III, Chief Marketing Officer, Showcare

This Idea Exchange invites you to reimagine how commerce shows up at every phase of the participant journey. We’ll look at sessions designed around buying intent, formats that facilitate natural business conversations, and sponsors positioned as solution partners rather than just exhibitors. Through guided peer-to-peer exchanges, participants will rotate between groups to cross-pollinate perspectives and then regroup to identify common opportunities. Together, we’ll map the participant journey to pinpoint where commerce creates friction—and where it can deliver the greatest value when executed with care.

Speakers: Courtney Mesmer, VP of Event Programming and Experience, US Travel Association; Monica Gaddis, Director of Events, WorldatWork

Today’s participants want more than events — they want moments that matter. This interactive think tank brings together event leaders to swap real-world ideas that create impact without big budgets. From simple connection builders to bold creative concepts, we’ll explore how to spark energy at every stage of the participant journey.

Speakers: Alexandra Olisko, Senior Director, Meetings & Housing, The Association for Manufacturing Technology; Michelle Orlando, DMCP, Founder + CEO, Elevoque Business Events; Tim Altbaum, CMP, CMM, CEO, Vario Productions

In this dynamic panel, three industry leaders will explore how AI is redefining collaboration across the event ecosystem. Tim Altbaum, CMP, CMM, CEO of Vario Productions, shares how event technology and production are evolving to create smarter, more immersive experiences. Michelle Orlando, DMCP, Founder + CEO of Elevoque, offers a DMC’s perspective on how AI is transforming destination storytelling, resource planning, and guest personalization. And Alexanda Olisko, MBA, CMP, CEM, Senior Director, Meetings & Housing for the Association for Manufacturing Technology, brings the lens of a large association planner navigating compliance, scale, and member engagement in an AI-driven world.