2019 Spring Education Day Session Details

Morning Keynote 1

The Top Technology Trends Transforming the Events and Tradeshow Industries and What It Means for You!
- Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP, DES, MS

The confluence of social media and mobile technology will likely change meetings more in the next five year than has technology done in the past 15 years. Event participants, speakers and event planners will be able to use a plethora of new apps and tools (many at low cost or free) to get more out of the meeting and make for a richer experience. Bring your mobile devices and experience some of them in real-time.

Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP, DES, MS is an international speaker, consultant and writer helping clients worldwide use technology to save time and improve productivity. With 20 years of experience running international technology meetings, he now is a highly acclaimed speaker with the ability to make complex subjects understandable and fun.  His articles have appeared in hundreds of national and international publications and he has been quoted in the U.S. News & World Report, Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Fast Company, PC Magazine and others. Corbin serves or has served on numerous hotel, corporate, convention bureau and association boards. Corbin is being inducted into the EIC Hall of Leaders for 2018, the most prestigious honor in the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry. He is the only person to have received both the MPI International Supplier of the Year and the MPI International Chapter Leader of the Year awards. Corbin has been named as one of "The 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry" five times by Successful Meetings/MeetingNews magazines.

Morning Keynote 2

Winning the Internal Head Game:  How to MOVE When Life Feels Stagnant
- AJ Gibson 

In the fall of 2016, AJ was emotionally battered, in the midst of his lowest of rock bottom moments and on the verge of taking his own life. He had to dig deep and come out swinging to get the ball rolling again and he wants to show others how to do the same.   From his small town upbringing to his career in Hollywood, AJ has been at the highest of highs and lowest of lows.  With this keynote, AJ’s intention is to give the audience the tools to experience more highs, while getting excited about the lows and embracing those moments as exhilarating opportunities for growth! Using his M.O.V.E. system, AJ will help people shift their perspective on what a rock bottom moment really is.  

ATTENDEES WILL LEARN:
 ✓ How to stop yourself when you feel like retreating and instead build momentum in the right direction. 
✓ The truth about perspective, how to take back control of your own and create a student mentality. 
✓ How shifting your perspective can alter your view of the world around you, creating space to find beautiful opportunities in life’s rock bottom moments. 

AJ Gibson - Author, speaker, perspective coach, social influencer and celebrity TV host AJ Gibson has a gift for helping individuals shift out of a fear based mindset into one of abundance and opportunity! He does so through his keynotes and coaching and workshops.
Using his signature M.O.V.E system, AJ helps individuals strengthen their ability to view every experience as an opportunity for growth no matter their current reality. They leave feeling empowered with the ability to transform their thought patterns into a productive action oriented mindset.

From his small town Ohio upbringing to his fast paced LA life, AJ Gibson has experienced it all!  Since entertaining viewers as a contestant on ABC’s “Expedition Impossible” in 2011 and being singled out as “What To Watch” by TV Guide magazine, AJ has turned his 15 minutes in the spotlight into a successful career as a television host and public speaker. AJ spent 2 years as the host of Hollywood Today Live on FOX, has filled in as a guest co-host on Access Hollywood Live and appears regularly on Southern California’s iconic morning chat fest Good Day LA!  From time to time, you can also catch AJ sitting next to the ladies of The Talk on CBS or giving fans the Inside Scoop on The Wendy Williams Show.

Afternoon Keynote

S H - - T
- Chris Gasbarro

Actually…that's not a typo, but some of you may think "SHIFT" is a bad word. Regardless, it's the 21st century, and there are more tools, ideas, partners, inspiration..and more need to create transformational meetings and events to influence results within your organization and shift your meetings forward. Shame on us if we don't find opportunities, big or small, to shift the design, creativity and execution of the events we produce. Our responsibility to the attendee is massive – and this session will feature a plethora of ideas, techniques and "Challenges" to you to think differently and take calculated risks with your next meeting.

Chris Gasbarro - With 20 years in the meeting & events industry, Chris is still energized to produce some of North America’s most unique and powerful meetings.  As President of Ember, a forward thinking gathering agency, he helps to influence the meeting and event portfolios for wicked awesome brands that include Bauer Hockey, Saucony, Keds, Footjoy Golf, Wolverine Worldwide Inc, Hanover Insurance and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. From a humble beginning as a touring guitar tech to now shutting down Wall Street for an IPO launch event or collaborating with Taylor Swift, Keds and Nordstrom’s to launch a new shoe for the 1989 Tour, Chris has been lucky to assemble and lead a team of some of the best meeting and event producers in the industry.  Ember is a 17 person creative gathering agency based in the small seaside city of Newburyport, Massachusetts who exist to amplify brand passion through extraordinary gatherings.

As a member of the meetings industry, Chris is a past President of both MPI New England and ILEA New England chapters, and also served on the MPI International Board of Directors.  A recipient of the Collaborate Magazine’s “40 under 40” and BizBash’s “Innovator of the year” and about a dozen other industry awards including MPI New England’s “Planner” and “Supplier” of the year award (different years).

Prior to Ember, Chris grew up in several meeting and event industry firms including Party by Design and massAV.  Even before that, Chris was a roadie, sound engineer and tour manager for some very obscure bands - touring North America in Jeep Cherokee’s and the occasional converted 1974 MCI tour bus.

Breakout Sessions

Moving from "Attendee" to "Participant" - Audience Engagement Ideas to Improve Events
- Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP, DES, MS

The confluence of social media and mobile technology will likely change meetings more in the next five year than has technology done in the past 15 years. Event participants, speakers and event planners will be able to use a plethora of new apps and tools (many at low cost or free) to get more out of the meeting and make for a richer experience. Bring your mobile devices and experience some of them in real-time.

Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP, DES, MS is an international speaker, consultant and writer helping clients worldwide use technology to save time and improve productivity. With 20 years of experience running international technology meetings, he now is a highly acclaimed speaker with the ability to make complex subjects understandable and fun.  His articles have appeared in hundreds of national and international publications and he has been quoted in the U.S. News & World Report, Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Fast Company, PC Magazine and others. Corbin serves or has served on numerous hotel, corporate, convention bureau and association boards. Corbin is being inducted into the EIC Hall of Leaders for 2018, the most prestigious honor in the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry. He is the only person to have received both the MPI International Supplier of the Year and the MPI International Chapter Leader of the Year awards. Corbin has been named as one of "The 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry" five times by Successful Meetings/MeetingNews magazines.

Breakout Sessions

Dimensionalize the Attendee Experience
- Chris Gasbarro

Today’s meeting and event marketplace is challenged with providing more unique, consistent and engaging programs to achieve organizational goals. It’s not just about putting all of your design and wow into one event during a conference, it’s integrating a message throughout every program opportunity that will stimulate and enhance learning and experience objectives for a more impacting experience for your attendee. This program will demonstrate creative ways to create cohesive meetings and events through environmental design of how to dimensionalize the attendee experience.