Ian K Sequeira

VP, Freeman Data Solutions

Ian has over 35 years of experience in the trade show and event industry working with exhibition organizers, exhibitors, and brand marketers and to help develop their measurement programs and performance metrics. Ian heads up research operations and serves as consultant on many key accounts such as SFA, RSA Conference, NBAA, Infocomm, ASCRS, ATS, WEFTEC, HP, and Pure Storage.

He is a regular speaker at industry conferences and a faculty member at ExhibitorLive’s annual conference for over 25 years. As chair of the CEIR (Center for Exhibition Industry Research) Research Council from 2014 to 2020, he is very involved in guiding industry research. He is still an active member of the Research Council. In December 2018, Ian was awarded IAEE’s Distinguished Services Award.

His educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Allegheny College and a MBA from American University.

Digital Event Strategist Certification

As a CEMA Member, you get 20% off with code EDU20. Sign up before the discount expires on March 31st.

“Focus more on what you can create than on your perception of what has been taken from you.” — Camilla Webster, fine artist and best-selling author, in her Convening Leaders ‘21 session, “The Art of the Pivot”

At CL21, participants experienced how a digital experience can engage, inspire and transform. Wonder, how can YOU create such an experience for your audiences?

Our Digital Event Strategist certification can help. You will come away with the knowledge you need to have the right conversations with the right people for your virtual events, all while gaining a supportive community. Don’t just take our words for it — hear directly from Elyse Dawson, DES, Manager, Corporate Events and Conference Center, Invesco.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Sign up here: https://www.pcma.org/products/des/

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Bland to Grand: Jay Acunzo and Shane Snow webinar exceeded expectations

If you missed their presentation, no worries as below is the link. The masterful tips Jay and Shane provide are free to CEMA members. Thank you again to Rob Gibbons and Speak Inc. for sponsoring. Just a few of the highlights include:

1) Respect the virtual Golden Rule…Don’t just grab attention. Hold it.
2) Craft a digital experience that “maximizes the medium,” deploying audio, video, music, voice, visuals, and more.
3) Production value is a spectrum, with every choice we make contributing to the quality and immersive feel of the experience.

Here’s the link www.shanesnow.com/CEMA for

• Jay’s Principles for How To Craft The Perfect Virtual Talk
• Shane’s Forbes piece on How To Create A Captivating Digital Event
• Access the slides and Keynote video from the webinar that demonstrate how to rock virtual presentations

WATCH THE WEBINAR

 

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Calling all Experts: Help Us Build the CEMA “Next Normal” Knowledge Base

One of our core tenets as a member organization is generous knowledge and experience sharing. Over the years, we’ve worked to build a repository of expert content on the CEMA website with our CEMA Blog and Case Study/White paper section. Last year, the pandemic put a hold on that activity, but we are ramping it back up in 2021.

We’re encouraging all CEMA members to become guest contributors this year. It’s a great way to promote your brand, your team and yourself, while helping inform and enlighten your fellow members.

We welcome content on just about any relevant event marketing topic, but one thing we really want to showcase is the creativity and innovation that’s taken place over the past 12 months to pivot successfully from in-person events to digital – and now, the road back to live events.
Topics include:

• Unique ideas and programs that are driving participation and engagement.
• Breakthrough strategies and programs that helped re-define participant experience in digital environments.
• Calculated risks that worked – and lessons learned from the ones that didn’t.
• Smart, creative approaches to architecting hybrid events.
• Exciting technologies and services that are supporting event marketers as the landscape shifts.
• Trends, promising new approaches, best practices, tips and advice.
• Thoughtful perspectives on “the next normal” – experience, engagement, security, balance, wellness, etc.
• New measurement models and how data is informing event ROI.

Content Specs:

• The ideal length is 300-500 words but we’re flexible. If a case or white paper is longer, we’ll post a summary on the CEMA site and link to the full document.
• A relevant and compelling image, chart or graph is always good.
• Of course, your name, title and if possible, a headshot.

Don’t let length, format or your bandwidth be an obstacle to sharing! Send what you have to Patrick.foarde@thegandalfgroup.com, and we’ll work with you to get it published!

Don’t wait! Send your story today. We’re excited to share your great work!

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Skipping on to Retirement

Best wishes to CEMA member Skip Cox who recently retired after 56 years in the exhibition and events industry starting with Exhibit Surveys and ending with Freeman. He has been a passionate supporter of CEMA, serving as a Board Member and advisor for many years. As a trailblazer in event data metrics, we will enjoy watching him trailblaze retirement.

His CEMA colleagues shared their well wishes.

“Skip, I heard you talking about data and trends years ago and I decided that’s the guy I want to be. You set the trend line into why being a data geek is a winning career choice.” Gordon Stake

“Skip, you are going to be missed but not forgotten! You are irreplaceable for making sense out of human behavior at business events. I am happy to have served with you on many industry associations and used your services whenever I had a wacky idea I wanted to justify. My research team was so happy to see me retire!! You are the best, hope to see you soon my friend.” Chris Meyer

“You were smarter when measurement wasn’t the issue. The industry caught up to you once we got the meaningful impact data has on our industry. And you’re now blazing the retirement trail too which we deeply appreciate and look forward to joining you.” Joe Spaccarelli

“Skip, if I had a nickel for every time Gordon speaks your name on data trends I’d be wealthy.” Audrey Snyder Kerr

“Skip, I met you about 15 years ago and you helped me and our programs measure and position our exec speaking program, and to this day it made a huge impact on me, my career, and the program! IT WAS A HUGE BONUS YOU WERE FROM JERSEY!!!! So glad CEMA helped us reconnect again! Jill Leithner

“Skip – always enjoyed your company at the CEMA summits and cutting a rug or two over the years for final parties. A fond farewell and if ever on the west coast SF bound – I’m good for a glass or two or three of fab cab!” Megan Warzniak

“My CEMA mentor was Billi Little who taught me to carry 4 drinks with 2 hands. My CEMA guru was Skip Cox who showed me that sincere relationships and old school values were the path to success with CEMA. Thank you Skip for always living what you preached.” Richard Steinau

“Thank you for all your contributions to the industry throughout the years, Skip – the man, the myth, the legend – all powered by data to back it up :). Best of luck, and I’ll happily join in with Megan in sharing some cab in SF whenever you make it out to these parts!” Danalynne Menegus

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Marriott expands Connect with Confidence hybrid meeting initiatives

As an expansion of our Connect with Confidence initiatives, we are introducing new tools and resources to help make the planning of hybrid meetings and events easier and more streamlined. Specifically, we have curated a list of providers including Encore, Cvent, Convene, MeetingPlay, and Hopin that offer technology solutions for hosting hybrid meetings. These providers offer a range of features and services that allow meeting and event professionals to execute hybrid meetings across the Marriott portfolio of hotels in the United States and Canada and are slated to be available globally in the near future. As you may recall, we announced a similar list of providers (offering optional health protocol services) in December that was very well received by our customers, media, and the industry overall.

Additionally, we are pleased to share insights and best practices from our recent hybrid meetings at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in Virginia and Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Colorado. Drawing lessons learned from hybrid in-person and virtual experiences, our new Connect with Confidence Hybrid Meetings and Events Insights Guide offers practical considerations for meeting and event professionals as they plan engaging meetings, conferences, conventions, tradeshows, and special events in a time of seismic change for the industry.

Sparks Continues Multiphase Growth Plan with Acquisition of Chicago-based 3D Exhibit

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — (February 09, 2021) Sparks, a leading global brand experience agency, today announced the acquisition of 3D Exhibits, a known leader in the trade show exhibits industry. The addition of 3D Exhibits, headquartered in the greater Chicago area, with locations in Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Las Vegas, completes Sparks’ mid-west geographic expansion strategy.

“This acquisition significantly increases our trade show business and is consistent with our approach of viewing this challenging time as an opportunity for dynamic moves that might otherwise not have been possible,” states Sparks CEO Scott Tarte. “The addition of 3D Exhibits advances our strategic goal of filling the middle of the country and emerging a stronger, more complete company than we were pre-pandemic.”

As the companies work through long-term growth plans, a process estimated to take approximately one year, 3D will retain its name in the marketplace, operating as “3D Exhibits, a Sparks company.” 3D clients will benefit from expanded creative and strategic resources, a large proprietary events division, and increased geographic reach both domestically and internationally.

The CEO and owner of 3D Exhibits, Gene Faut, joins the Sparks executive team as President of the 3D Exhibits division and will hold a minority ownership position in a growing Sparks entity.

“I am excited about the partnership between these two strong companies. Our combined resources, global reach, and talented personnel will provide immediate value to all of our customers, says Faut. “While we are two different companies, we share similar philosophies, commitments and standards. Together these values will make the combined entity stronger as we ride out this storm and build towards the future.”

“In 3D, we have acquired a terrific business, with exceptional employees and a proven leader in Gene,” adds Tarte. “The entire Sparks organization welcomes them to the family and looks forward to collaborating to build upon their impressive success.”

The addition of 3D Exhibits, along with the previously announced acquisition of Group Delphi in Q4 2020, is a continuation of Sparks’ multiphase growth plan. Now with major fabrication facilities in Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Wayne, Las Vegas, and Philadelphia, eight sales and service offices across the US, and international offices in Paris, France and Shanghai, China, the Company is well-positioned for continued growth in both new and current client channels.

About Sparks. Sparks is a live + digital brand experience agency. We specialize in creating connection–-real human connection–-onsite and online. Through a mix of sound strategy, breakthrough creative and flawless execution, we create memorable trade show exhibits, live and virtual events, brand activations, retail environments and other immersive experiences that deepen relationships, inspire action, and build trust—and we do it all over the world. Learn more at wearesparks.com.

CONTACTS: Kristy Elisano (Sparks) Chief Marketing Officer 215.668.3250 kelisano@wearesparks.com Nicole Genarella (3D Exhibits) Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing 630.644.5141 ngenarella@3dexhibits.com