The International Association of Exhibitions and Events has selected this year's Top Public Events to be recognized at Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeting & Exhibition on tap Dec. 9-11 in Los Angeles.

The IAEE Top Public Events program was established in 2011 to honor the best consumer shows in the nation.

Events that submitted applications were measured on broad criteria to include sound business practices, stability, exceptional customer service, and how the event serves the community and overall industry. With several top quality events to choose from, the judges had some tough decisions to make.

Here are the IAEE 2014 Top Public Events:

Abilities Expo – New York Metro
2-4 May 2014
New York Metro Area (New Jersey Convention & Expo Center)
5NET4 Productions, LLC, Producer

Abilities Expo – New York Metro is recognized as an IAEE 2014 Top Public Event for community engagement, unparalleled attendee experiences and innovative marketing initiatives. Show management engaged with the community through an "ambassador" program, connecting with members of the local community with disabilities. These are high-profile individuals who spearhead the event's grass-roots community outreach initiatives and who remain connected and represent Abilities Expo throughout the year in local and state governments, area hospital and rehabilitation centers, and at many community events.

Attendee experiences are a high priority for show management as they work hard to identify and provide products and services that are meaningful for every disability group possible. Their research shows that, while attendees come primarily to see the products and services for persons with disabilities, they stay for all the fun. The introduction of a more robust and inclusive activities schedule has had a tremendous impact on the show energy, the attendee attitudes and the number of participants who return in subsequent years. 

Abilities Expo uses its online presence to promote the events to both exhibitors and attendees and to continually expand its opportunities to connect with the community. AbilitiesExpo.com is the nerve center that creatively presents the numerous, can't-miss features of each Expo. Already a household name within the community, Abilities Expo continues to solidify its position as the premier event for persons with disabilities through a series of successful online initiatives. The combination of these and other efforts has resulted in a 44 percent increase in online traffic in the last 12 months over the year prior.


Earth Day Texas
26-27 April 2014
Dallas, Texas (Fair Park)
Earth Day Texas, Producer 

Earth Day Texas is recognized as an IAEE 2014 Top Public Event for innovative marketing/public relations initiatives, exceptional volunteer outreach and high caliber education opportunities. 

An Earth Day Texas App (EDTx App) was designed to provide up-to-date event information to mobile users 365 days a year. Not only does the app provide event details, it also goes a step further and provides current statewide environmental conditions including: ozone levels, reservoir levels, water usage guidelines, and consumer tips and news. Another noteworthy item was the development of a social media campaign targeted to the Hispanic and Young Professionals demographics which resulted in an 8,700+ page "like" increase with an engagement rate of 2.13 percent (industry average is  approximately 1 percent).

Earth Day Texas' volunteer outreach is truly impressive. For the 2014 event, 364 volunteers logged in 3,000 volunteer hours. Volunteers ranged from corporate entities, neighborhood associations, schools, hospitals, sororities, fraternities, and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America.

Earth Day Texas is all about education. They recently acquired two OmniGlobes, 32- and 60-inch spherical displays containing approximately 180 animations and models demonstrating various aspects of tens of thousands of years of environmental history. The event also hosts the Eco Expo, a forum about sustainability and environmental education. In addition, workshops, entertainment, community outreach, advocacy, a Green Talk Speaker Series and much, much more round out this high quality event.