Trade Show News Network will celebrate Karen Malone, vice president of meeting services for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, as the TSNN Industry Icon Award honoree at the 5^th annual TSNN Awards Nov. 14-16 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Malone has more than 30 years of meetings industry experience and has been with HIMSS since 1997.

She oversees a staff of 18 in logistics, exhibits and sales activities, including oversight for the planning of HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, a $34 million event that is No. 34 on the 2013 TSNN Top 250 trade show list.   

“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be the recipient of this wonderful award,” Malone said. “It is especially gratifying to be acknowledged for working in an industry I truly have a passion for. I am blessed to work for an amazing organization whose culture and leadership values instill entrepreneurialism and innovation, which has shaped the person I am today.”

Rachel Wimberly, TSNN president and editor-in-chief, said, “We are thrilled to honor Karen at this year’s awards. Her passion, hard work and commitment to the industry are exemplary, and we look forward to celebrating her achievements.”

Malone will be feted, along with 50 fast-growing shows and five Show  Manager of the Year award winners, during a three-day weekend that will feature an opening night party at the Cleveland Browns private club, followed by a Saturday conference and awards gala at the Cleveland Convention Center and ending with a Sunday brunch at the International Exposition Center’s Fabulous Food Show.

The HIMSS Annual Conference boasts nearly 1,250 exhibitors, 39,000 attendees and 21,000 hotel rooms on peak night.  HIMSS also hosts 60-plus small to mid-size meetings each year as well as conferences in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Since joining HIMSS, Malone successfully has managed the meetings department, which included the launch of HIMSS international meetings and significant growth in the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition.

With the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition going to Las Vegas for the first time in 2012, Malone successfully managed the growth of the conference which included a 19 percent jump in attendance, 6 percent growth on the exhibit floor (space was sold out) and an 18 percent increase in housing pick up.

During Malone’s tenure the HIMSS Conference has doubled in size from 160,000 net square feet and 18,000 attendees to 467,000 net square feet and nearly 40,000 attendees.

In Cleveland, Malone and her team supported exhibit services/set up for the HIMSS Innovation Center at the Global Center for Health Innovation and now are responsible for sales in the space.

Malone frequently is a speaker for PCMA, IAEE and other industry organizations and featured in many industry publications on issues ranging from housing management to conference programming to exhibit floor services and planning. 

She is a prior advisory board member for citywide convention planning for the cities of San Diego and Chicago and currently sits on the client advisory board for Orlando, Boston and IHG Hotels.

Malone also has been a strong supporter of the Greater Midwest PCMA’s student mentorship/membership committee actively pursuing the importance of cultivating new talent into the industry.  

She’s been instrumental in creating a program and speaking to students about the business skills and knowledge necessary in today’s environment for successful meeting planners.

Malone currently sits on IAEE’s education committee for the annual meeting.

For more information on the TSNN Awards, please visit www.T-awards.com.