Society of Independent Show Organizers Rolls Out Red Carpet for CEO Summit and Film Festival

January 20, 2012
With a fun play on some of Hollywood's biggest films, the Society of Independent Show Organizers' SISO CEO Summit and Film Festival, on tap March 25-28 at San Diego's The Grand Del Mar luxury resort, will kick off with an opening night reception, followed by two days of education and networking events. The Grand Del Mar, the location of the summit that is attended by for-profit C-level show organizers, has won several accolades, including being distinguished by TripAdvisor's 10th Annual Travelers' Choice Awards as the Best Luxury (4 and 5-Star) Hotel in the United States. The Grand Del Mar also took second place in the Best Hotel in the U.S. category. モAnyone who has visited The Grand Del Mar for a past SISO event can tell you that it's a first-class destination all the way,ヤ said Lew Shomer, executive director of SISO. He added, モWe're thrilled that the site of the 2012 CEO Summit has received such high honors. But now that the word is out, it's time to make your reservations!ヤ The event will feature speakers, including Reed Exhibitions' CEO Mike Rusbridge, UBM CEO David Levin, one of the founders of LinkedIn, Eric Ly, Hugh Forrest, director of SXSW Interactive, and many more talking about topics such as technology, new media, globalization, merging old school and online promotional techniques and mobilizing communities, to name a few. The educational portion of the summit will debut with the モStar Trekヤ session, featuring a documentary produced and directed by Denzil Rankine, executive chairman of AMR International, and written by AMR International, which is set in the year 2015 and outlines winning exhibition strategies based on CEO interviews from around the world, external benchmarks and industry analysis. モIt's the ムwhat's in-what's out' summary where the industry is going,ヤ according to SISO event organizers. In another take on Hollywood film, モHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Tryingヤ, will feature three real-world entrepreneurs - Denise Medved, Todd Brockman and Bridget Bray, as they explore the ins and outs of raising money to fund their own businesses in a world where traditional funding has gone underground. Other sessions throughout the day themed around films include one focusing on trends in marketing, aligning celebrities and brands on the showfloor and creative a powerful community in the online space. The day's activities are capped off by a networking reception and dinner, followed by Afterglow cocktails. The next morning starts off with Charles McCurdy, CEO and chairman of Apprise Media, discussing モThe Art of the Dealヤ, followed by discussions about the モGlobal Viewヤ and モMonetizing Digitalヤ. The rest of the day continues the film festival theme, with a session called モGoodfellasヤ – a discussion led by Larry Arnaudet, executive director of the Exhibitor Services & Contractors Association, with Paul Dykstra, chairman, president and CEO of Viad; Joe Popolo, CEO of Freeman; and Marty Glynn, president and CEO of Metropolitan Exposition. After an afternoon of sports – golfing, tennis or croquet/bocce ball – the SISO CEO Summit and Film Festival closes with an awards reception and closing night dinner. For more information and to register, please visit www.siso.org

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