The 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry
Each week we'll highlight one member from our list of the 25 most influential people in the meetings industry, with the full list going live in July. Check back each week for new installments, or sign up for our weekly newsletter to get an early look at each winner.
Reggie Aggarwal, founder, Cvent. 2011 was a great year for Aggarwal—especially July when the founder of the event management, venue selection, and web survey software raised $136 million in funding, the largest investment in history for the meetings and event technology industry. Cvent plans to use its investment for "substantial technology developments, continued global expansion, and potential acquisitions so the meetings industry will be feeling the impact of this for years to come.e.
Corbin Ball, Founder, Corbin Ball Associates. It seems like Ball (CSP, CMP, MS) has been around forever. But if he didn't exist, surely the meetings industry would have to invent him. He is the foremost authority on all things tech when it comes to the meetings industry. At a time when the pace of technological development is lightning fast, the industry has a crying need for more people like him, who can provide organizations with perspective on how to use this dizzying array of technology to improve meetings management.
Ray Bloom, Chairman, IMEX Group. It could be argued that no one did more for revitalizing the meetings industry in 2011 than Bloom. IMEX America (along with AIBTM) firmly established the European hosted-buyer MICE show concept, which Bloom pioneered, in the US. According to post show surveys, IMEX America will generate a total of $2.2 billion in business with IMEX America exhibitors.
Eduardo Chaillo, executive director of meetings for the Mexico Tourism Board. He's got one of the hardest jobs in the meetings business right now—selling Mexico— and he's doing a first-rate job. So good, that the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) just gave him its Profile and Power Award. The award, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have made "significant contributions" to advancing the awareness and influence of the meetings industry in their respective communities, was bestowed upon Chaillo because of his leadership in conducting a comprehensive economic impact study of Mexico's meetings industry.
Cimex lectularius (The Bed Bug). Though not actually a person, (or even a mammal for that matter) the number of reported bedbug incidents in 2011 shattered 2010 totals by more than 660 percent, according to travel website Raveable.com. Overall, the number of individual hotels with bedbugs rose by 250 percent, making these parasites the most prolific event crashers in the history of the meetings industry.
Roger Dow, President, CEO, U.S. Travel Association. Under Dow's leadership, the meetings industry successfully lead the fight against the AIG Effect, and brought the meetings and events industry together for its first truly effective lobbying effort. From demonstrating the value of the business and it's impact on the U.S. economy to advocating visa reform to bring more international meetings to the U.S., Dow has been tireless—and quite possibly the most effective advocate the industry has ever had.
Jack Dorsey, creator of Twitter. In 2011, tweeting played a major role in bringing down dictatorships, organizing protests like Occupy Wall Street, and in general changing the way information is disseminated. You’d be hard pressed to find a conference, sales meeting, or tradeshow that doesn’t have a tweeting component as part of it’s pre- and onsite promotional strategy. It has also transformed attendees into brand ambassadors (or brand assassins in some cases).
Abdalla Salem El-Badri, Secretary General of OPEC. The price of oil affects everything from airfares to the cost of F&B. In 2011, the wildly fluctuating oil prices made it tough for everyone in the meetings industry to take positions when negotiating. As the public face of the most important cartel in the oil industry, Abdalla Salem El-Badri can alter the price of all goods and services simply by issuing a statement.
Jim Evans, CEO, Brand USA. Created by the Travel Promotion Act in 2011, Brand USA is America's first-ever global consumer brand. So overdue, it's actually pathetic, Evans has the gargantuan task of aligning a brand and corporate messaging strategy for a country that offers a range of destinations and experiences that are unparalleled in the world
market. His level of success (or failure) at that task will have a profound effect on the meetings industry.
