In the past, companies typically slowed down with their hiring and other employee changes throughout the summer months, but not anymore.

Now, it’s full steam ahead all-year long with a plethora of new hires and promotions occurring throughout the past few months.

Ellen Schwartz has been promoted to General Manager of the Los Angeles Convention by AEG Facilities, operators of the downtown Los Angeles facility.

Additionally, Brad Gessner, who has held the position of general manager of the Convention Center since AEG Facilities was awarded the management contract in October of 2013, has been promoted to senior vice president of the LACC, responsible for contract administration, strategic planning and participating on the expansion & modernization team for the LACC.

In her new role, Schwartz will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the 867,000 square foot facility including sales & marketing, public relations, operations, guest services & security, event services, human resources, food & beverage and parking operations while also overseeing the convention center’s operating budget, and revenue maximization.

Having joined the staff of the Los Angeles Convention Center in Oct. 2013, Schwartz has held a variety of executive and management positions including vice president of sales and marketing before being named assistant general manager in July 2017.

Comexposium, the global events organiser, appointed Romain Chassinat as chief digital officer (CDO).

Romain joins Comexposium from Rexel, where he most recently was MarketPlace business development director.

As CDO, Romain will be responsible for driving the digital transformation of the business, as Comexposium seeks to deliver more value to its customers through the integrated alignment of data and technology.

Core-apps, a technology platform for the events industry, hired on Scott Andryk as senior manager, National Corporate Sales.

Andryk is a meetings management, sales and event technology professional with more than 20 years’ experience as both an organizer and supplier. He also is rejoining the company and his former role, as sales executive to the expanding corporate event market.

Andryk most recently served as director of business development for Bucom International, an incentive and meeting management firm headquartered in Chicago.

He’s also developed an ongoing strategic partnership with industry leader PCMA, served on many corporate boards including Hilton, Marriott, and United Airlines and currently is serving on SITE Chicago's BOD, as director of Sponsorship.

Reed Exhibitions (RX) tapped industry veteran Tony Shellman, best known as co-founder of cult-followed streetwear apparel labels Mecca, Enyce and Parish Nation, who will join the ReedPOP West leadership team.

Shellman joins RXUS on the heels of the announcement of Ron Walden leading as group vice president overseeing the Fashion & Festival portfolios of ReedPOP West.

Shellman will serve as Agenda Vegas event director working with ReedPOP West’s sales and marketing teams for the Agenda Vegas event.

The ReedPOP West team currently produces 6 events, which include Agenda Shows, Agenda Festival, ComplexCon, Pop Sugar Playground and more to be announced.

Full-service sourcing, housing and event management company Connections Housing has made an executive team promotion to enhance its continued growth and customer service focus, with Robert Colvin has assumed the role of COO.  

As COO, Colvin will focus on growth and expansion initiatives, overall executive oversight of operations, customer service enhancements, call center and travel department operations and enterprise-wide increased efficiencies.

Previously executive vice president for Connections, Colvin joined the company in June of 2010 after numerous years in various housing and hotel executive positions.  

Colvin also has been an active member of numerous industry trade organizations, as well as leadership roles with the Southwest Chapter of IAEE.  

Jill Buckley joined Meet Minneapolis as a national account executive and will lead the sales effort in the Northeast association and corporate meetings market.

In addition, Buckley will be responsible for sales efforts in the government meetings market across the country.

Prior to joining Meet Minneapolis, Buckley was a sales manager with GES, a global event marketing company.

Buckley’s career also includes roles as a global account executive for ConferenceDirect, a corporate sales manager at US Airways, and she spent nearly a decade with Visit Charlotte as its national sales manager.