Profiles

Ruud Janssen believes true innovation is about simplifying complexity and getting people to work together and urges all event designers to leave their ego at the door.

As head of global rewards & recognition at Rubrik and a long-time leader at the Incentive Research Foundation, Morgan Crain has learned that one of her strongest assets is her authenticity.

Robyn Duda believes that true innovation comes from listening, iterating, and creating connections people didn’t know they needed.

Marybeth Roberts was on the forefront of the strategic meetings management movement decades ago. Today she is as passionate as ever about innovating and driving cost efficiencies.

Howard Givner built and sold three successful event businesses. He says events are "on borrowed time" if they ignore two areas in dire need of innovation.

Cassandra Farrington didn’t just build a media brand, she helped professionalize an industry long dismissed as fringe. By turning MJBizCon into the must-attend event for cannabis professionals, she proved that credibility, scale, and community could grow even in the most uncharted business terrain. 

Liz Lathan is reinventing business events with emotional clarity and bold ideas, reminding the industry that connection is the real return on investment. 

Lori Allen, vice president, global event operations at MetLife, strives to be the kind of leader who understands what her team needs and creates an environment where they're safe to express that. 

Claus Raasted wants to disrupt the default settings of the meetings industry — one bold, low-stakes experiment at a time. His legacy goal? Make the world a little less afraid, and a lot more willing to try something new.

Janet Traphagen has spent her career helping define what leadership looks like in the business events space, not just through her rise at Creative Group, but through the values she champions: emotional intelligence, authenticity, and culture as a performance driver.