The Third Annual BIZBASH Florida Expo & Awards
Wednesday, April 18th, registration at 7:30 a.m.
Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward Convention Center
1950 Eisenhower Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
www.bizbashfloridaexpo.com

BizBash Media, today’s leading authority on the events industry, returns to Broward County for its third annual BizBash Florida Expo & Awards, sponsored by The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The third annual installment of BizBash Florida Expo & Awards will bring together the state’s largest gathering of event and meeting professionals and feature some of today’s most acclaimed pioneers in production, design, catering, hospitality and lifestyle. This year’s Expo will feature the most entertaining and informative series of attractions during a fun-filled day long schedule of events, developed to inspire and enthrall the anticipated 1500 attendees expected at this year’s showcase.

“Our third annual BizBash Florida Expo & Awards will be the most compelling and innovative to-date,” says Richard Aaron, President of BizBash Media. “The economic recovery is certainly putting the events industry back on its feet, especially in Florida, and we look towards developing new and exciting ways to empower each and every individual in the business, not only through our publications and resources, but through the BizBash Expo & Awards. Our event not only brings the entire industry together under one roof, but allows our magazine to come to life each year for our avid readers.”

BizBash Florida Expo will feature over 130 exhibitors to inspire, educate and entertain. The show floor will not only bring fresh ideas, local to the sunshine state, but provide access to special guest appearances by renowned specialists in the event and corporate planning industry who are at the cutting-edge of their own field of expertise.

Barton G. Weiss, Founder, CEO of Barton G., and one of the region’s most esteemed event designers, will be the headline keynote speaker for the morning General Session. Mr. Weiss has created nearly 20,0000 events in his two-decade career and is known nationally and abroad as one of the industry’s most creative geniuses, with a singular flair for redefining imagination. Richard Aaron, President of BizBash Media, explores the professional journey with the man himself, on making the Barton G. brand.

As part of the Conference Program scheduled throughout the day, some of the industry’s most renowned experts will take to the stage for a series of keynote speaker presentations.

Howard Givner has over 20 years of industry experience, and is a widely recognized expert, thought leader and business consultant in the field of special events. As Executive Director of the Event Leadership Institute, Givner will make a special presentation on “Getting Your Business To The Next Level.” Whether a solo planner or managing a team in a corporation, this program designed by Givner will cover a wide range of topics considered critical for business success.

Erin Patrick McDonald has been in the industry for more than 20 years. After six years of being the driving force behind the venerable Heffernan Morgan he decided to leave his post and launch Erin Patrick Event, a full event management company. He has worked with top celebrities such as Oprah, Gloria Estefan, Ivana Trump and recently produced an exclusive party for President Obama. McDonald also hosts the second year of the BizBash Event Design Lab – a highly interactive approach to mastering event design for the most discerning of clients. McDonald will take participants through the fundamentals of event design including linen selection and floral arrangement before attendees have an opportunity to collaborate with a team to design a reception table that would make Martha Stewart drool.

David Kliman, CMP, CMM is President of The Kliman Group, a communications and market research consulting firm based in Sausalito, California specializing in facilitating customer advisory boards, focus groups, education sessions and strategic planning meetings for tourism and hospitality industry organizations. David helps his clients understand industry trends and convert those issues into sales, service and marketing best practices. Kliman will be giving a presentation on “The Path to Ultimate Event Career Success.”

As part of the morning general session, two industry visionaries will be inducted into the BizBash Hall of Fame. BizBash’s Hall of Fame was created to recognize and reward key event strategists who in their careers have made major contributions to furthering the event industry’s goals, as well as to personal philanthropy. This year’s honorees will be Victoria Ascione, CMP, CMM, Director – Corporate Meetings and Events for Bacardi USA and Wendy E. Kallergis, President/CEO of The Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association.

The second annual BizBash Readers’ Choice Awards honors the best of the local event industry, nominated and voted by the readers themselves in over ten categories, including: Corporate Event Planner of the Year ; DJ of the Year ; Entertainment Act of the Year ; Event Designer of the Year ; Event Producer of the Year ; PR Professional of the Year ; Social Event Planner of the Year and Venue Manager of the Year. New categories for 2012 are Caterer of the Year (Off-Premise); Caterer of the Year (On-Premise) and Fund Raising Event Planner of the Year. Winners of the Readers’ Choice Awards will be announced as part of the awards presentation ceremony on the main stage during the afternoon session.

As the largest industry trade show in the region, BizBash Florida Expo & Awards offers industry vendors the ultimate opportunity to connect with event and meeting professionals from across the Southeast. This year’s trade show floor will include more than 130 exhibitors, including presentations in the latest in audio/visual technology, as well as a series of culinary demonstrations from the likes of Chef Dewey LoSasso, who will be attending for the first time on behalf of the award-winning Miami Beach restaurant, The Forge.

Event Innovators Roundtable, sponsored by IML brings 50 of the region’s top event producers together with BizBash CEO David Adler and Executive Director of The Event Leadership Institute, Howard Givner, to discuss issues affecting the state of the events industry.

BizBash Top 100 Events Luncheon, sponsored by Constant Contact, Grey Goose and MPI, will feature a presentation by Chad Kaydo, BizBash Media Editor-in-Chief, on “Trends In Events.” During an extravagant luncheon, BizBash Media will also recognize the Top 100 best individuals of 2011 in the events industry. The luncheon requires attendees to pre-register.

Event Leadership Institute Forum will feature 15-minute flash sessions, providing tips and strategies from a number of experts on successful event planning. The schedule (subject to change) includes:

“Getting to Yes, Without Saying No” by Cheryl Kahn Brocco, Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group
“Augmented Reality De-Mystified” by Edwin Rivera, Credelis Media Group
“Beyond Centerpieces: Designing At The Edges” by Donald Braun, Donald Braun Events
“Increasing Attendee Engagement” by Sharon Fisher, Play With A Purpose
“Modernizing Events With Mobile Technology” by Laraine Hart & Tim Tilson, Redfish Media
“The Myth of Brainstorming” by Howard Givner, Event Leadership Institute
“Selling to the Hispanic Market” by Roxy Quevendo, Latin Events Network
“Boosting Your Creative I.Q.” by Debra Roth, Pink Powered By Moss
“Building Your Brand Through Smarter Networking” by Ingrid Adolphs, The Event Production Company

Afternoon Keynote Presentations: Event Technology Revolution: Experts in the field of technology and new media explore the future of event planning by using the very latest applications and software. The following industry professionals will give presentations.

Felix Pike, Production Manager, Media Stage
Aram Fischer, General Manager, BizBash Media
Howard Givner, Executive Director, Event Leadership Institute
Tim Tilson, Director of New Programs, Redfish Media
Laraine Hart, Director of Marketing & Social Media, Redfish Media

The BizBash Conference Program allows attendees to enroll in a series of hands-on and interactive program tracks. For the Full Day conference program, attendees select one conference workshop in the morning, and one conference track in the afternoon. A Full Day program includes all floor pass amenities: tradeshow floor access, morning and afternoon general sessions with keynote presentations, award show and post-Expo party. For the Half-Day conference program, attendees select one conference track in the afternoon. A Half-Day program includes all floor pass amenities, tradeshow floor access, morning and afternoon general sessions with keynote presentations, award show and post-Expo party.

Morning Conference Workshops include the following:

Business Accelerator: Getting Your Business To The Next Level, by Howard Givner, Event Leadership Institute
Hands-On Event Design Lab, by Erin Patrick, Erin Patrick Event
BizBash Event Bootcamp, by Dr. Mary Jo Ross, CSEP, CPCE, University of Central Florida
The Path To Ultimate Event Career Success, by avid Kliman, CMP, CMM, The Kliman Group

Afternoon Conference Tracks include the following:

8 Things You Need To Know When Starting Out On Your Own, by Howard Givner, Event Leadership Institute
Trends in Event Marketing: From Invite to Onsite, by Steve Paster, Alpine Creative Group and Erik Mintz, Constant Contact
Trends in Catering: Petite, Sweet & Savory, by Warren Dietel, Puff n’ Stuff Events & Catering , Executive Chef Paul Lorrain, Puff n’ Stuff Events & Catering and Elgin Woodman, Corporate Executive Chef of A. Joy Wallace Catering

Throughout the Expo, attendees will be captivated by the LIVE entertainment scheduled that includes performances by George St. Kitts, Lyrian, Acoustic Joe, as well as atmospheric entertainment, courtesy of Champagne Creative Group and Emagination Creative Group.
This year’s signature event not only presents an industry insider’s guide, showcasing the latest developments in technology, products and services but also provides with the ideal networking environment for event aficionados or aspiring professionals to connect with thousands of other experts in the field during the post-Expo Awards & Attendee Appreciation Cocktail Reception on the Tradeshow Floor from 4:00pm to 5:30pm.

A one-day Expo Floor Pass starts at $59 with pre-registration and includes access to the pre-Expo party at China Grill in the Ft. Lauderdale Hilton Marina, trade show floor, morning and afternoon general sessions, Readers’ Choice Awards presentation, on-floor entertainment, Event Leadership Institute Knowledge Forum, stage sessions and post-Expo cocktail reception. A half-day conference pass, for those who pre-register, starts at $125, and includes access to the pre-Expo party, any of the one-hour afternoon conference tracks, trade show floor, morning and afternoon general sessions, Readers’ Choice Awards presentation, on-floor entertainment, Event Leadership Institute Knowledge Forum, stage sessions and post-Expo cocktail reception.