Ashleigh Cook

Ashleigh Cook, CMO at RainFocus, is an accomplished marketing executive with deep expertise in sales, marketing and product best practices and technology. Before RainFocus, she led marketing teams spanning GTM strategy, demand generation, ABM, client marketing and operations at SiriusDecisions and Forrester.

Alex Alles

Alex Alles is the executive director of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), where he is responsible for the overall operations of the association as well as the project office of the Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE), an industry-wide initiative aiming to help stakeholders of the meetings and events sectors to decarbonise. Throughout his career, Alles has been organizing numerous business events, from small meetings to large conferences

A.J. Titus

A.J. Titus is president of Signarama, a sign and graphics franchise and the largest brand at United Franchise Group. In his role, Titus leads the brand’s growth efforts worldwide while also helping current franchise owners expand their businesses and maximize profitability. He is also president of Starpoint Brands, a family of award-winning brands that provide products and services known for quality, reliability and value.

Dan Sundt

Dan Sundt is an adjunct Brand Strategist and Master Designer for Design Studio by Maritz. By applying advanced experience design tools to events, he helps organizers deliver much better satisfaction and business results to all stakeholders.

Irina Shateeva

Irina Shateeva is PR Manager at ExpoFP, an interactive floor provider that saves time on event management, increases revenue and makes navigation easier with digital wayfinding. She has more than six years of experience in PR and organization of business events worldwide, including her role as conference producer at RX.

Tommy Goodwin

Tommy Goodwin is Vice President for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), an association dedicated to the advancement of the business events industry. He leads ECA’s advocacy and member engagement work on behalf of the interconnected ecosystem of exhibitors, show and event organizers, suppliers, venues and destinations that comprise the global business events landscape.

NO WISH IS TOO BIG AT THE ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER

Overview:

The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events.

Rayna Katz

Rayna Katz has been covering the trade show and meeting industry for over 25 years. She has been a staff editor at MeetingNews, BizBash and Meetings Focus and has written for Skift, The Meeting Professional, Meeting Mentor and a host of other industry publications. 

Morten Brøgger

Morten Brøgger is CEO of MapsPeople, a Danish-based, market-leading provider of indoor mapping. He has many years of leadership experience with multiple prominent SaaS businesses throughout the world, including Wire, Huddle and MACH.

Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact