The Skift Meetings 2023 Event Trends Summit is all about providing event professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to prepare for the year ahead. There will be both opportunities and challenges, and with the help of forward-thinking experts event professionals are better equipped to thrive in 2023 and beyond.
Meet the ten expert speakers featured in the Skift Meetings 2023 Event Trends Summit who are sharing insights and providing frameworks for creating successful event programs in 2023.
Ashanti Bentil-Dhue, CEO, Good Soil Leaders
Session: Making Events More Inclusive — Morality Versus Practicality
Ashanti is a diversity and inclusion practitioner, speaker and coach who supports organizations in the hospitality, events and finance industries. Her experience in regulatory banking compliance gives her an in-depth understanding of governance, change management and workplace culture shifts.
Ashanti believes that systemic change requires a considered, blended and accountable approach that takes into account lived experience, and uses dynamic and innovative approaches to facilitated thinking. You can listen to her critical analysis and research on the Confessions of a DEI Pro Podcast.
Catherine Chaulet, CEO, Global DMC Partners
Session: The New Rules of Travel Planning (Panel)
Catherine leads the strategy, success and growth of Global DMC Partners and their network of over 65 DMCs worldwide. She is known for creating a culture of excellence by setting high standards, forming collaborative teams and motivating employees, partners, and affiliates to perform at their best.
Prior to Global DMC Partners, Chaulet worked for Fidelity Investments where she managed two of their subsidiaries and brought them to worldwide success. Catherine is also a French Trade Advisor (Conseillers au Commerce Exterieur) and a board member of the Boston chapter.
Greg Bogue, Enterprise VP, Brand, Experience & Innovation Ecosystems, Maritz Global Events
Session: From Event Planners to Designers of Time
For more than 30 years, Greg has been dedicated to creating messages and experiences that move people. As chief experience architect for Maritz Global Events, Greg focuses on improving the guest journey and overall experience in meetings, events and incentive travel programs to create greater impact for both organizations and their guests. The recipient of numerous awards, Greg most recently was awarded PCMA’s Visionary Awards as Supplier of the Year 2019.
Jesse Gainer, Director Growth Strategy, C2 International
Session: What Really Counts and Can Be Counted
Jesse Gainer leads C2 International’s strategy, business development, and account management teams while also managing relationships with key white-label clients such as Twitch, KPMG, and FIS. He is passionate about telling authentic stories through creative experiences that connect with audiences and achieve client objectives. He joined C2 in 2019 after 15+ years of client management and business development in the media industry for companies like VICE, Sportsnet, CityTV, Canadian Business, MacLeans, and Chatelaine.
Juraj Holub, co-founder, Remote People
Session: Events That Boost Remote Teams
Juraj Holub is the former chief meeting designer and marketing director at audience interaction platform Slido, now co-founder of Remote People, a company looking to help remote teams collaborate better.
Juraj was awarded PCMA’s 20 in their Twenties distinction and was recognized as one of top Meeting Innovators in the South East Europe. His work as a speaker and writer focuses on pushing the boundaries in audience engagement, meeting design and public speaking at events.
Lisa Vogel, Field & Event Marketing Leader at Webex Events (formerly Socio)
Session: Taking Intentionality From Buzzword to Event Best Practice
Lisa Vogel has been in the event marketing field for over 16 years. She was hooked from her first job in college coordinating training classes and trade shows at the local conference center. Lisa is the Field & Event Marketing Leader at Webex Events (formerly Socio), and has held various event marketing positions from off-highway engine manufacturers and B2B software companies to the wine industry where she acquired her first level sommelier certification. She is passionate about producing events that create engaging, unique and inclusive experiences.
Liz Lathan, co-founder of The Community Factory
Session: Designing Networking for Humanity
Liz is Co-Founder of The Community Factory, creating better belonging through transformative gatherings that activate, grow, and engage brand communities. She is the creator of the new business metric Return on Emotion℠ (ROE). She is a corporate event & experiential marketer who’s obsessed with applying modern marketing principles to events and ensuring all events have ROE. Because ROE drives ROI. Liz has led event marketing strategy and teams at Fortune 50 companies and consults on how to optimize events within a broader marketing program.
Nancy Tudorache, regional vice president, the Americas, GBTA
Session: The New Rules of Travel Planning (Panel)
Nancy Tudroche has 20 + years’ experience in the travel industry, leading and serving in a wide variety of capacities within the business travel industry. Nancy joined GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) nine years ago in the role of Regional Director, Canada before being promoted to Regional Vice President of the Americas, encompassing Canada, USA, Mexico & LATAM. Nancy is responsible for delivering member benefits across the regions including innovative networking & educational opportunities, relevant content and the annual convention, conferences, symposiums and virtual events.
Nicola Kastner, founder, The Event Strategist
Session: Event Marketing and the Field of Dreams Mentality
Nicola Kastner is the Founder of The Event Strategist, a boutique event consultancy firm. Nicola has worked on both the brand and agency sides of the business, including most recently as the global vice president of event marketing strategy for SAP.
Nicola has designed event that capture new audiences, drive accelerated business performance, and add customer value, as well as led teams through strategic reinventions of event portfolios as approaches shifted from in-person to the appropriate mix of physical, digital, and hybrid events.
Vaibhav Jain – CEO and founder, Hubilo
Session: Why Events Are Now Top Drivers For Revenue Growth
Vaibhav is the CEO and founder of Hubilo an event tech platform that has raised over $150M from leading hedge funds and venture capital firms.
Vaibhav’s vision is that events will play an integral part of the marketing mix and will be the major driver for demand generation and revenue growth. He believes that event technology provides marketers with increased market insight, customer touch points and intelligence, all of which can be translated into growth strategies.
