1st Quarter, 2024

Chapter Newsletter

Dear IAEE Midwestern Chapter Members, 

As we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day this month, I find myself reflecting on how LUCKY we are to be part of the exhibitions and events industry. I want to take a moment to say thank you to each of you for being a member of the IAEE Midwestern Chapter. 

For those of you I haven’t met, my name is Alyssa Sterioti and I’m currently serving as your 2024 Chapter Chair. My journey with IAEE started in 2014 on the Young Professionals committee. A decade later, I’m thrilled to take on this new role working alongside many dedicated IAEE MWC volunteers. 

In the first quarter, we “kicked” off the year with our Annual Kickball Tournament at McCormick Place. With eight industry teams and over 60 participants, the competition was fierce. Congratulations to Choose Kickago (Chicago), our 2024 champions. In February, we had our first educational program of the year at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Approach Marketing led an interactive session on the power of social media in event marketing and utilizing AI in our industry.

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce our lineup of events to provide educational and networking opportunities throughout 2024. Please mark your calendars for the following:  

• Industry Xchange 2024: April 11th at Convene in Chicago
• June Educational Program: June 18th at the Renaissance Schaumburg
• Young Professionals Summer Series: Stay tuned for more details! 
• Annual Top Golf: September 5th at Top Golf in Naperville
• Annual Meeting: November 7th at the Guinness Brewhouse in Chicago
• IAEE Expo! Expo! Chapter Reception: More details to come. 

These are just a few highlights of what’s in store for the year ahead. We encourage you to stay connected and engaged with our IAEE Midwestern Chapter community through LinkedIn and chapter emails for regular updates. 

On behalf of our Board of Directors and committees, we can’t wait to see you at one of our upcoming events! 

Alyssa Sterioti

IAEE Midwestern Chairman of the Board

Senior Manager, Business Development | GES

Want to be highlighted in the next newsletter? 

Industry Exchange 2024

April 11, 2024 | Chicago, IL

3:00 - 7:30 PM

Join your fellow Chicago meeting and event industry professionals as we celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day. 

Learn More

Education Program

June 18, 2024 | Schaumburg, IL

Details Coming Soon!

Top Golf

September 5, 2024 | Naperville, IL

Additional Details Coming Soon!

Chapter Annual Meeting

November 7, 2024 | Chicago, IL

IAEE Expo!Expo!

December 17-19, 2024 | Los Angeles, CA

Noticing things as they are

An interesting perspective from Marco Giberti, an entrepreneur. investor, and advisor with a strong focus on events, event tech, and b2b media. Below is an excerpt from his blog on events and technology:

"During our Business of Events masterclass program, I repeatedly mentioned that events 'are a human experience.' This 'human experience' could and should be improved using tech tools, but in the end, it will be about that human connection that makes it unique and irreplaceable. My personal revelation … is that because events are a human experience, they can be very successful in many cases without sophisticated or expensive event technology."

"Am I giving up on event tech? Not at all, but I’m doubling down on the essence of events—the human experience and connection."

Read the entire blog post.

An investigation into fake list vendors

Event Technologies undertook an effort to look into these list brokers to see if we could gain any insight into how they operate, what they are selling and whether or not they can be stopped. Our plan was to make contact with as many of these soliciting companies as possible to see what we could learn. We asked our prospects and existing clients to forward us any solicitation emails they received. The response was overwhelming. Over the course of six weeks, we received over 300 emails from organizers and exhibitors who had received these solicitations. Clearly, we had stumbled upon a widespread issue.”

Discover what Chris Tremblay President of Sales and Marketing at Event Technologies, wrote in TSNN that the company uncovered and how your exhibitors are being targeted.

We welcome the following individuals who have joined our chapter during Q1 of 2024. 

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IAEE Midwestern Chapter | www. iaeemwc.com

c/o M.A.R. Association & Meeting Management

PO Box 1432 | Ashburn, VA 20146

Phone: 571-207-5214

*IAEE Midwestern Chapter is managed by M.A.R. Association & Meeting Management