Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) is an information-sharing and networking event for leaders at associations and independent organizers.

Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) is an information-sharing and networking event for leaders at associations and independent organizers.
Nine out of 10 organizers will use the information within six months.
Two out of three made valuable new connections.
91% renewed valuable contacts.
100% rated ECEF as worth the time — 50% say it "exceeded expectations".
Source: ECEF 2021 Attendee Survey
Need Help Deciding?
This GUIDE will help point you in the right direction.
In-Person Engagement at the Highest Level
Top-to-top networking. More time and more options than ever before.
Video Introductions start on Monday. Video gallery makes networking more productive.
Research that brings real-world decisions into focus.
Sam Lippman's "5 Data Points in 5 Minutes" kicks off the program.
C-level sessions get the conversations started.
Welcome Reception on Tuesday, May 31 kicks off the networking.
TechDemo — The only event tech experience just for executives.
Networking lunch will broaden your contacts and resources.
Earn 4.5 IAEE CEM Recertification hours and 4.5 ASAE CAE credits for application or renewal.
COVID-19 Policy — To better protect you and the entire ECEF community, we have adopted a number of health and safety precautions. For obvious reasons, these precautions are subject to change.
Registration: $795: $395 each additional registration from the same organization.
Substitutions and Cancellations
Special Hotel Rates Starting at $149
Take your choice of two experiences at one address at Marriott’s dual-branded hotel. Reserve your room at The Courtyard by Marriott at the special ECEF rate of $149 plus tax per night or at The Residence Inn by Marriott at $169 per night. To make your reservation, click here. If you need additional assistance, please contact the hotel at 800-236-2427 and reference ECEF 2022.
Map, Directions, Parking, and Transportation
Explore transportation options here.
ECEF connects the leaders of the exhibition and convention industry.
Trustworthy
Executives look to ECEF for top-to-top networking, forward-looking insights, and hidden opportunities.
Provocative
Topics are always timely, challenging, and presented by experts with a C-level point of view.
High Energy
Clients expect an open and spirited peer exchange. And they get it.
Efficient
ECEF delivers targeted executive-level content and networking.
Rewarding
Take away actionable ideas and valuable contacts that will benefit your brand, your event, your organization, and your career.
Insightful
Sam Lippman's presentation of "5 Data Points in 5 Minutes" sets the tone for a fast-paced day.
Safe
ECEF abides by all applicable regulations and requirements.
Event technology products and services are proliferating and improving at an ever-quickening pace. 2022 clients will get full day access to explore solutions from these innovators:
DIRECTORY OF EVENT TECH SOLUTIONS
2022 Program
All Sessions in Eastern Time
In this session hosted by mdg, A Freeman Company and UFI — in conjunction with ECEF 2022 — speakers will discuss how to effectively revitalize your international event strategy, post-pandemic. After the session in Freeman’s Alexandria office, buses will return ECEF registrants to Washington D.C. in time to attend the Welcome Reception.
During the 90-minute program, leaders from the global industry will share the latest insights from the UFI Global Barometer and practical tips for forming alliances, managing delegations and working with influencers to develop your brand internationally. Freeman's SVP of Data Solutions, Ken Holsinger, and mdg’s international marketing strategist, Anjia Nicolaidis, will provide practical advice for ranking, prioritizing and penetrating markets based on criteria such as industry relevance, ease of travel and growth potential.
Registration is complimentary, but space is limited. Please reserve your seat by Monday, May 23. Registering for this event does NOT include registration for ECEF.
Sam Lippman, President, Lippman Connects will start the day with a data-driven overview, spotlighting insights gleaned from recently completed research surveys.
Offering an event program that captures attention, touches attendees’ emotions, and inspires is a tall order when your meeting participants are behind screens. It’s an even tougher task when you consider the struggles your audience faces as unprecedented uncertainty stretches on — coupled with feelings of isolation from the time we’ve spent apart.
Erin Uritus, CEO of Out & Equal, will share the approaches that enabled her organization to welcome 5,000 members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community digitally, grow sponsorship opportunities by 110%, and drive both social change and support for the LGBTQIA+ community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Erin will unpack the Out & Equal event strategy at the most powerful level — blending content and community to create transformative and moving experiences that connect people. She will reveal how you, too, can achieve this success virtually.
You'll take away pragmatic strategies to achieve these increasingly important goals:
While most organizers were reeling from the devastating impact of COVID-19, the SHOT Show surged ahead by doubling down on these time-tested values: Truly know your audience, starting with already strong relationships with exhibitors and attendees; Radical transparency developed a trust between show management and the community and helped neutralize detractors; More, more, more education and communication created more confidence among exhibitors, and a better return on their investment.
We may be occupied with recovery, but corporate exhibit sponsors are more frustrated than ever. For example, supply chain challenges and inflation couldn't have come at a worse time. Drawing on data from Freeman, CEIR and the Health Care Exhibitors Association (HCEA), you'll get a 360-degree panorama of what's on the minds of your biggest customers. Listen now or regret it later.
Key Take Aways from this session:
When a globally respected standards development organization decides that accelerating digital transformation is the best way to serve their constituents, that's called disruption. In September 2021, ASME formed a startup — Metrix Connect, an ASME company — evolving their business model in order to anticipate customers’ future needs. Metrix, a "marketplace company" will host an integrated events and content platform. Building intelligent connections between buyers and sellers is responding to the way people want to connect and consume knowledge in the new world.
Key Takeaways:Explore the potential of a ‘startup culture’ in a legacy organization.
Hear how a virtual event pivot became a permanent value. Pragmatic approach to keeping an agile mindset.External factors can and will play a role in your organization’s transitional choices. It's likely that the pandemic, coupled with your natural progression on strategic planning, is causing you to look at different ways of working and the impact on organizational structure. Hear how AEM managed the transition of longtime exhibition management leader Megan Tanel to President of the association, and elevated Nicole Hallada's position to broader responsibility. They'll take you inside AEM to see how they managed the organization's adjustment to their new roles and how their teams were central to the process.
Key Takeaways:
After two years of navigating the pandemic and adjusting to significant staff changes (and budget cuts), exhibition and convention executives are cautiously optimistic about what's next in the new normal. A lively panel of thoughtful executives will speak candidly about the biggest challenges in returning to in-person events (so far) and the most important concerns for 2022 (and beyond). This frank, unscripted panel will explore the truth behind hybrid events, health and safety, staff limitations, and more.
Panel participants are selected from Freeman’s focus group listening sessions and speaking out for the first time exclusively at ECEF. Panel will moderated by Ken Holsinger, Freeman's Senior Vice President, Data Solutions. In addition to planned questions and responses, this session will include an audience Q&A for a deeper dive into key issues, share additional insights, and explore what organizers need from vendors to move forward.