Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes, president and chief marketing strategist of mdg, led a session at CEIR Predict together with Jackie Williams, Event Director at RX, Lisa Malikow, Senior Vice President of Event Operations & Programming for Winsight Exhibitions, and Kelly Comboni, Executive Vice President of Clarion Events. Registration can be found on the CEIR website and session details are below.
Wednesday, August 30
10:45am – 11:45am ET
MGM National Harbor
Oxon Hill, MD
Great(er) Expectations: How the consumer brand dynamic is defining the next generation of trade shows
In this high-energy, highly visual session, leading event professionals will share their most innovative strategies, tactics and creative activations for building and nurturing community and engagement. They’ll talk about how organizers of professional events can appropriate ideas gleaned from consumer events, the importance of understanding the psychographic profile of an audience and why it’s not just about engagement, but about creating experiences that surprise, inspire and delight. Through thought-provoking, idea-inspiring case studies and examples, you’ll be more convinced than ever that the disparities between trade show production and consumer/festival staging are shrinking. If you’re looking to increase satisfaction among attendees, exhibitors and sponsors, as well as increase your revenue, it might be time to trade in some of those B2B traditions for B2C ingenuity.
Kimberly Hardcastle
Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes is president of mdg, A Freeman Company. Focused on event marketing and attendee and exhibitor acquisition, mdg brings together strategists, data and digital specialists, engagement experts, international marketers and a robust creative team to provide complete solutions that help clients achieve their objectives. Kimberly is a CEM faculty member, a Krakoff Leadership Institute alumna, a columnist for PCMA’s Convene magazine, a presenter of industry seminars on strategic planning and, most importantly, an integral collaborator for several prominent event clients across the country.
Jackie Williams
Jackie Williams has more than 17 years of experience in the tradeshow and events industry. With vast involvement in the B2B and B2C space, Jackie has worked a variety of events, including New York Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, and BookExpo America, as well as several joint ventures, and has been an integral part of many event launches. Jackie is currently the Event Director for Bar Convent Brooklyn and was named to Trade Show Executive’s 2022 Women to Watch List. An active reader and warm weather enthusiast, Jackie resides in the suburbs of Washington, DC, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Kelly Comboni
Kelly is an accomplished leader in the events industry with 20+ years of experience in both consumer and B2B events. With a visionary mindset, Kelly has been at the forefront of some of the most remarkable ventures in the field, including the triumphant launch of New York Comic Con. Her unique ability to curate and execute exceptional experiences has been evident as she has overseen more than 100 events across the United States, Canada, and Brazil. Her portfolio includes renowned consumer enthusiast brands like Anime NYC, Anime Frontier, Awesome Con and Rose City Comic Con, demonstrating her commitment to delivering captivating experiences for attendees. In addition to her contributions to the consumer events industry, Kelly has brought innovation to the forefront with events like MAU (Mobile Apps Unlocked), IGA (Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention), IGB Live! North America (iGaming Business), Consero, and Quartz Events & Network.
Lisa Malikow
Lisa Malikow has over 22 years in exhibitions management experience. She is responsible for the strategic and operational management of The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show®. Lisa joined the Show in October 2008 as Show Manager of the International Wine, Spirits and Beer Event focused on the adult beverage segment in foodservice. Currently, Lisa oversees a variety of critical areas for the Show, including event operations, special events, education programming, year-round digital strategies and budget management. Prior to the Restaurant Show, Lisa spent over 7 years at SmithBucklin Corporation primarily focused on tradeshows in the technology and business-trade sectors. Lisa is a former Chairperson of the Midwestern Chapter of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events and is currently vice-chair for the Major American Trade Show Organizers (MATSO) council.
