The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) has secured a major international keynote speaker for the EEAA 2019 Leaders Forum and Conference in Margaret Ma Connolly, CEO of Informa Global Exhibitions Asia.
Connolly will share her expertise on the key issues that are impacting the industry globally – talent acquisition and environmental sustainability.
EEAA Chief Executive, Joyce DiMascio said she was pleased to announce Ms Connolly as the keynote speaker to discuss Informa Asia’s latest talent strategy, how to find people with the right skills and careers in business events.
“I had the privilege of hearing Margaret speak at the UFI Asia Pacific Conference in Tokyo recently, she was the highlight of the two-day program and I have no doubt our audience will value the opportunity to learn about her approach to building and empowering strong teams – and sustainable organisations,” DiMascio said.
“Connolly will address the challenges associated with attracting and retaining the right workforce for the future – and also will speak about her work in merging the workforces of UBM and Informa following the historic acquisition announced in January 2018.”
The Informa Group employs more than 11,000 people and owns and operates a portfolio of more than 500 leading exhibition brands serving 15 core industry verticals including Health & Nutrition, Life Sciences & Pharma, and Real Estate & Construction.
In addition, it owns a portfolio of confex/conference brands, a range of specialist information and intelligence brands and B2B consulting and marketing services. Informa services businesses in growth markets including the US and China, India, Brazil, the Middle East, Europe and the UK and, of course, Australia.
Connolly joined the group in 2008, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience in trade exhibitions, B2B media and e-commerce development to her role with the company.
Following the acquisition of UBM by Informa PLC, Ms Connolly oversees Informa Exhibitions in Asia, covering businesses in Mainland China, Japan, India, Korea and Taiwan.
In the last 10 years, she has spearheaded development in key market sectors and successfully grown the business in China via organic development and partnerships.
The EEAA 2019 Leaders Forum and Conference is a gathering of the business events leading industry representatives to share knowledge, refine skills and build a professional network. The program will be held over two days in Melbourne, 5-6 June 2019 and consists of five major events.
- Wednesday, June 5 – EEAA 2019 Leaders Forum
- Wednesday, June 5 – EEAA 2019 Global Exhibitions Day Dinner
- Thursday, June 6 – EEAA 2019 Conference
- Thursday, June 6 – EEAA Annual General Meeting
- Thursday, June 6 – EEAA Annual General Meeting Networking Reception
“We curate our events with great care to ensure participants have access to outstanding speakers and content and we are delighted to be tackling ideas such as environmental sustainability, careers in our sector and many more,” DiMascio said.
The program’s themes are aligned with the key messages of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) for Global Exhibitions Day (#GED19), the worldwide campaign that promotes the importance of the exhibition and events industry, celebrated on 5 June 2019 this year.
“#GED19 is an opportunity for our industry to celebrate the Power of Exhibitions and our sector’s contribution to economic development, trade and export, careers and employment, visitation and knowledge sharing,” DiMascio said.
#GED19 key messages are:
- Exhibitions are a large global industry
- Exhibitions are an effective and sustainable way of doing business
- Exhibitions can contribute to a sustainable world
- The exhibition industry offers a variety of job opportunities
Join the EEAA by becoming part of the world-wide campaign and put a spotlight on the important work you do. There are many ways to get involved in #GED19, both online and offline.
Start planning your activities now and register them through the #GED19 online portal.
EVENT DETAILS DAY 1: EEAA 2019 LEADERS FORUM & GLOBAL EXHIBITIONS DAY DINNER
Date: Wednesday, 5 June 2019
Time: 8.30am – 5.00pm (Leaders Forum)
6.30pm – 10.00pm (Global Exhibitions Day Dinner)
Location: Melbourne, TBC
EVENT DETAILS DAY 2: EEAA 2019 CONFERENCE
Date: Thursday, 6 June 2019
Time: 8.30am – 4.30pm
Location: Melbourne TBC
EVENT DETAILS DAY 2: EEAA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Date: Thursday, 6 June 2019
Time: 4.30pm – 5.00pm Registration
5.00pm – 6.00pm AGM
6.00pm – 7.30pm Networking Drinks
Location: Melbourne TBC
Registrations open soon.
