july2017

22 23 things we have going on at a local level.” In China, she reports that they even have WeChat andWeibo accounts–two Chinese platforms–so that they can better reach out to 800 individuals there who are IAEE-certified in exhibition management, but are not yet IAEE members. DuBois adds that while most of the IAEE’s lit- erature is in English, the Association just began a monthly newsletter in Mandarin.“We do have com- munications in Portuguese because of our Brazil and Portugal members,”he notes.“We do have commu- nications in Spanish.And we’re looking at getting a grant from the Japanese government to do our certification program in Japanese.” And, of course, in an industry that is actually de- fined by face-to-face exhibitions and events,what could be more natural than the IAEE hosting its own annual event in order to fulfill its mission of educat- ing its own members? “We have Expo! Expo!–which is our brand for our annual meeting,” says DuBois. “We draw, on average, about 2,500 members and non-members from 20 countries. It’s always been in the U.S., but we’re exploring, in future years, the possibility of Expo! Expos! outside the U.S.–maybe a Middle Eastern Expo! Expo! Or an Asian Expo! Expo!” In addition, each spring the IAEE sponsors a women’s leadership forum–almost 60 percent of its members are women; and everyAugust there’s another leadership conference for members looking for leadership training.“Our members want to see each other succeed,” says Bowman.“When they come to our events, they know that they are going to get education and experiences that they can immediate- ly take back and apply in their workplace.They don’t just show up.We have high-level quality education and case studies.We really immerse the attendee in the experience.And that’s what really sets us apart. People want to pay to hear what we have to say.Our committees, our councils, our task forces are all made up of members who take the time to further the IAEE mission.” DuBois says that the IAEE even has its own show at the Show of Shows, the giant exposition of historic arms and military collectibles sponsored by the Oho ValleyMilitary Society.“We have about 280 compa- nies each year–exhibition/convention center ex- ecutives, technology companies, and official service contractors who stage these big, beautiful,wonderful, IAEE When they come to our events, they know that they are going to get education and experiences that they can immediately take back and apply in their workplace. They don’t just show up. We have high-level, quality education and case studies. We really immerse the at- tendee in the experience. And that’s what really sets us apart. People want to pay to hear what we have to say. DAVID DUBOIS PRESIDENT AND CEO