The Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), the unified public policy voice of the US business and professional events industry, has announced its 2026 elected officers and Board of Directors.
The following elected officers were selected by the ECA Board to serve a one-year term ending on 31 December, 2026:
- Fernando Fischer (chair), president, Americas, RX (representing the Society of Independent Show Organisers)
- Mark Bogdansky (vice-chair), vice-president, trade shows and community engagement, Auto Care Association (representing the International Association of Exhibitions & Events)
- Chris Griffin (treasurer), president & CEO, Crew XP (representing the Experiential Designers & Producers Association)
- Hervé Sedky (secretary), president & CEO, Emerald (representing the Society of Independent Show Organisers)
These elected officers are joined on the ECA Board of Directors by recognised leaders from across the interconnected ecosystem of exhibitors, event and conference organisers, venues, suppliers, and partners that employed more than 2.6m Americans, generated more than $400bn in direct spending nationwide last year:
- Mike Carlucci, chief operating officer, Clarion Events North America (representing the International Association of Exhibitions & Events)
- Beth Cowperthwaite (appointed), senior vice-president, communications, Emerald
- Janet Dell (appointed), CEO, Freeman
- Martha Donato, founder and president, MAD Event Management (representing UFI)
- Douglas Emslie, chairman, Cuil Bay Capital (representing the Society of Independent Show Organisers)
- Marsha Flanagan, M.Ed., CEM (ex-officio), president & CEO, International Association of Exhibitions & Events
- Senthil Gopinath, CEO, International Congress and Convention Association
- Sherrif Karamat, president & CEO, PCMA
- Trevor Mitchell, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CDP, president & CEO, International Association of Venue Managers
- Vincent Polito (ex-officio), CEO, Society of Independent Show Organisers
- Chris Schimek, chief operating officer, event & exhibit services, Freeman (representing the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association)
- Nancy Walsh (representing the Society of Independent Show Organisers)
“The year ahead presents both significant challenges and important opportunities for the business and professional events industry,” said Fernando Fischer, ECA’s chair. “I am honoured to work alongside this accomplished Board of Directors as we continue to strengthen ECA’s role as the unified voice of our industry and advance a policy agenda that helps create new jobs, reduce economic uncertainty, safeguard affordability, and increase the competitiveness of the US industry.”
ECA also recognised Hervé Sedky, president & CEO, Emerald’s service as ECA’s inaugural chair.
“Since its founding, ECA has benefited tremendously from Hervé Sedky’s selfless leadership and unwavering advocacy on behalf of the industry,” said Tommy Goodwin, ECA’s executive vice-president. “Over the past five years, Hervé’s tenure as chair has played a critical role in ECA’s advocacy success, and he has positioned the organisation to go from strength to strength under Fernando Fischer’s leadership.”
Based in the US, ECA is a coalition of leading associations comprising the unified public policy voice of the business and professional events industry. To learn more about ECA, visit: https://www.exhibitionsconferencesalliance.org/.
Source: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk
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