Turning Point

Turning Point: 13 Interviews, Endless Inspiration

Over the last few months, SISO and mdg brought you a look at how leaders across the events industry are navigating a world forever changed by COVID-19. We hope you've enjoyed Turning Point: An Interview Series, and that you've gleaned inspiration, ideas or even confirmation that you're doing things right during these trying times.

In case you missed an installment or want to revisit your favorites, we've assembled all 13 interviews below.

Turning Point Interview Series
Freddie Peterson, General Manager, Miami Beach Convention Center

Strong partnerships and open communication between show organizers and venues will be key for a successful return to live events—which is why SISO and mdg are bringing you the venue operator perspective in this installment of Turning Point: An Interview Series. Here, you’ll learn why Freddie Peterson, General Manager at the Miami Beach Convention Center, believes that restoring confidence will be vital to moving forward—and how he’s planning to do that at MBCC.

Interview with Renaud Hamaide, Chairman, Comexposium

How are show organizers adapting to new challenges and focusing on the future amid the COVID-19 pandemic? In Turning Point: An Interview Series, SISO and mdg bring you insights and inspiration from some of the leading minds in our space. In this installment, you’ll learn how Comexposium Chairman Renaud Hamaide is drawing on his French roots and past experiences to find his way forward.

Interview with Frank Poe, Executive Director, Georgia World Congress Center Authority

How can event leaders and venue operators work together in adapting to meet new challenges brought about by COVID-19? SISO and mdg have extended Turning Point: An Interview Series to venue operators to bring you their perspective and ideas. In this installment, you’ll learn what Frank Poe, executive director of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA), thinks are the keys to a successful partnership as we prepare a return to live events.

Interview with Brian Field, interim president and CEO at Emerald

Brian Field, interim president and CEO at Emerald, thinks it’s critically important to be open with what we know during this time of crisis. We couldn’t agree more—which is why SISO and mdg have teamed up to bring you an inside look at how leaders in the events space are thinking through new challenges, adapting to meet today’s demands and planning for the future. In this installment of Turning Point: An Interview Series, you’ll learn how Field is fostering communication across his organization (and why he loves spending time in the forest).

Interview with Alan Steel, President and CEO, Javits Center

Over recent weeks, SISO and mdg have brought you an inside look at how leading show organizers are thinking through new challenges and planning for the future. In upcoming installments of Turning Point: An Interview Series, we’ve invited venue operators to share how they’re adapting to meet today’s demands and how the community can work together on a successful return to live events. Here, you’ll learn what Javits Center president and CEO Alan Steel is doing to create a safe environment for attendees (and why he is proud to run toward a challenge).

Interview with Charlie McCurdy, CEO, Informa Markets

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to change the world—and the future of our industry. In order to stimulate creative thinking and help us all find the way forward, mdg and SISO have teamed up to bring you a series of interviews with key leaders in our space. In this installment, you’ll find out what Charlie McCurdy, CEO of Informa Markets, is doing to make sure participants stay safe and feel comfortable when live events return.

Interview with Mary Larkin, President, Diversified Communications USA 

Across the events industry, leaders are working together, sharing information and creating solutions to challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. To add to this enhanced spirit of collaboration—and provide an oft-needed dose of inspiration—SISO and mdg are bringing you a series of interviews with some of the brightest minds in our space. In this installment, you’ll learn why Mary Larkin, president of Diversified Communications USA, thinks working together now is essential to the future of the industry.

Interview with Damion Angus, Group Managing Director, Montgomery Group

SISO and mdg have partnered to bring you a look inside the minds of some of the most forward-thinking leaders in the event space. This series of interviews focuses on the pandemic’s impact on our industry, and how the people behind top organizations are adapting to overcome new challenges.

Interview with Hervé Sedky, President, Reed Exhibitions Americas

Fresh perspectives spur creative thinking and help us translate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic into new opportunities for the event industry—which is why mdg and SISO have partnered to bring you a series of interviews with some of the most innovative leaders in our space.

Interview with Bob Priest-Heck, Chief Executive Officer, Freeman

No one knows what the future of the events industry will look like. By sharing our perspectives and experiences, however, we might be able to help shape it. In this installment of Turning Point: An Interview Series, created by mdg and SISO, you’ll learn what Freeman CEO Bob Priest-Heck is doing to navigate today’s challenges and create brighter tomorrows (and how he’s mastering the art of mindfulness).

Interview with Cassandra Farrington, Co-Founder & Chair Marijuana Business Daily

Leaders across the events industry are adapting their businesses, evaluating past practices and finding new opportunities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. SISO and mdg have partnered to give you a peek inside the minds of some of the most forward-thinking individuals in our space, with a new series of original interviews. In this installment, you’ll find out what Marijuana Business Daily Co-Founder and Chair Cassandra Farrington is doing to keep her organization agile—and her family focused on the positive.