Preparedness and optimism dominate the program for the Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF), coming to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. on June 1.

In announcing the program, Sam Lippman, President, Lippman Connects, said, “It’s not too early to take account of the most practical success strategies.” Because the ECEF emphasis is on top-to-top networking, Lippman stressed that each session will be shorter, highly focused, and more interactive. “This is C-level content that will get executives talking and sharing,” Lippman added.

The program features insights from 13 exhibition and convention industry notables.

Recognizing the difficulty of forward business planning during the pandemic, Lippman Connects is reaffirming its mission to prepare exhibition and convention industry professionals for whatever comes next. Executives, managers, and event professionals will have nine opportunities to exchange best practices, emerging techniques, proprietary data, and make career connections at nine Lippman Connects events in 2022.

• Exhibit Sales Roundtable (ESR), February 17, Arlington, VA
• Attendee Acquisition Roundtable (AAR), March 10, Arlington, VA
• Large Show Roundtable (LSR), April 7, Delano Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
• ECEF, June 1, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington D.C.
• ESR, June 30, Chicago, IL
• AAR, July 28, Chicago, IL
• LSR, August (To Be Determined)
• ESR, September 29, Arlington, VA
• AAR, October 27, Arlington, VA

For more than half a decade, Lippman Connects has been benchmarking event industry performance criteria in conjunction with its Roundtable series: Attendee Acquisition Roundtable (AAR), Exhibit Sales Roundtable (ESR), and Large Show Roundtable (LSR). Pledging to continue this important initiative on behalf of Roundtable clients and the exhibition and convention industry, Lippman Connects and EVOLIO Marketing have announced they will jointly conduct specialized research in conjunction with the eight Roundtables planned for 2022.

EVOLIO Marketing will be the exclusive market research sponsor of all eight Roundtables, including:

• ESR, February 17, Arlington, VA (DC Metro)
• AAR, March 10, Arlington, VA
• LSR, April 7, Las Vegas, NV
• ESR, June 30, Chicago, IL
• AAR, July 28, Chicago, IL
• LSR, Summer (To Be Announced)
• ESR, September 29, Arlington, VA
• AAR, October 27, Arlington, VA

Unprecedented Choices & Opportunities Face Leaders at Association & Independent Events

ARLINGTON, VA—October 7, 2021—Although the pandemic continues, signs of structural change and growth offer optimism for executives at association and independent organizers. Several points of light will illuminate the stage of the Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF).

For its 20th anniversary on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, ECEF moves just across the Potomac to the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. Totally reconfigured to prioritize both safety and top-to-top networking, ECEF 2021 requires clients to be vaccinated and wear a mask.

In-Person ECEF Returns Nov. 3; Online on Freeman’s OnlineEvent® Pro Platform Nov. 1-5

ARLINGTON, VA—June15, 2021—Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) announced that Freeman has renewed its commitment as the exclusive Gold Sponsor. ECEF 2021 will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary with an in-person event on November 3 in addition to an online experience from November 1 through November 5.

Lippman Connects will mark the first anniversary of Digital Summit with the debut of its fourth series on June 24.  Lippman Connects also announced that Digitell will be the exclusive sponsor of the Summer 2021 series. 

June 24 – Practical Strategies for Managing In-Person Events in the Face of Continuing Uncertainty                  

 July 15 – Proving ROI: Developing Metrics That Will Strengthen Exhibitor and Sponsor Loyalty                         

August 5 – Using Data to Create Cost-Effective Attendee Acquisition Campaigns                       

August 26 – Post Pandemic Sponsorships and Ancillary Revenue Sources                       

September 30 – Leveraging Pent-Up Demand to Secure Larger Commitments from Exhibitors and Sponsors

Marking 20 years of connecting leaders to leaders, Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF) will open for a full day of in-person interaction on November 3 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA located just outside of Washington D.C. The 20th Anniversary agenda offers a re-conceived format with expanded networking activities punctuated by four provocative C-level presentations.

"Attendee Marketing: Digital Marketing Applications and Solutions Delivering the Best ROI,” the first of five Digital Summit online discussions, will take place on Thursday, February 11 via Zoom. Lippman Connects, producer of Digital Summit, also announced Feathr will be the exclusive sponsor of the entire five edition series, including:

·         Re-Opening Your In-Person Event for the Next New Normal on Thursday, March 11.

·         Selling & Retaining Exhibitors/Sponsors for In-Person and Virtual Events on Thursday, April 8.

·         2019 Is Never Coming Back: Attendee Acquisition for Re-Opening Events on Thursday, April 29.

·         Bringing Back Exhibitors/Sponsors: What Do They Want Now? on Thursday, May 13.

“All areas continue to show growth” is the central take-away of the 2019 ECEF Pulse survey of exhibition and convention executives. The survey is conducted annually by Freeman and Lippman Connects, producer of Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF).