Trade Show Moves: Our June Roundup of New Hires & PromotionsTrade Show Moves: Our June Roundup of New Hires & Promotions
UFI, LVCVA, Aluvision, and more announce new leadership, staff, and promotions.
July 4, 2025
As July kicks off, here is our monthly recap of new hires and promotions in the trade show industry.
TSNN’s take on the biggest recent move: Announced on June 4 during the UFI European Events Week in Thessaloniki, Greece, Messe Düsseldorf Group President and CEO Wolfram N. Diener was elected president of UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, for the 2026-27 term.
Big picture: As the legal and official representative of UFI, Diener will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of the association, chairing all important bodies, including the General Assembly, the Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors. As incoming president, he will join UFI’s Presidential Trio at the 92nd UFI Global Congress in Hong Kong in November and will officially assume the UFI Presidency at the 93rd UFI Global Congress in Bahrain in November 2026.
Need to know: Before joining the Executive Board of Messe Düsseldorf in 2018 and taking the helm as its president and CEO in 2020, Diener spent more than 20 years in Asia, holding top positions at UBM Asia (later Informa Markets), The Venetian Macau and Marina Bay Sands Singapore, the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, and Messe Frankfurt. Since November 2021, Diener has served as Treasurer on the UFI Executive Committee and sits on its Board of Directors.
What they’re saying: “Wolfram brings an extraordinary depth of leadership experience from one of the most successful and globally respected exhibition organizations,” said UFI President Hugh Jones, CEO of RX. “Under his guidance, Messe Düsseldorf has seen remarkable international expansion, strategic innovation, and sustained growth. His deep industry knowledge, global perspective, and forward-thinking vision make him exceptionally well placed to help steer the future of our industry. I look forward to working alongside him as we continue to shape a more connected, sustainable, and innovative exhibitions world.”
What he’s saying: “I am honored to take on the UFI presidency at a time of global challenges—not only as a representative of our industry, but as someone deeply convinced of its power to connect, inspire and enable progress,” Diener said. “We must be present where the economy needs us most: in emerging markets and at the crossroads of global exchange. We are bridge builders—within industries, and between business, politics and science. With this mission in mind, I am committed to shaping a global exhibition industry that is collaborative, future-oriented and impactful so that we can make our strongest contribution to moving the world forward.”
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) welcomed Vanessa Claspill as its chief sales officer (CSO), responsible for bolstering key partnerships and help grow meeting, convention, and trade show sales for the leading events destination and the Las Vegas Convention Center. Bringing more than two decades of hotel sales leadership at the property, regional, and corporate levels, Claspill joins the LVCVA from Crescent Hotels and Resorts, where she served as chief commercial officer directing the organization’s commercial division, which included sales, marketing and digital, and revenue strategies. Prior to that, she was senior vice president of sales and top line Strategy at Davidson Hospitality Group and corporate director of sales and marketing for the Sydell Group.
Catch Des Moines
Seasoned sales executive Trina Flack has been selected as the next president and CEO of Catch Des Moines, assuming the role on August 1 following current President and CEO Greg Edwards’s retirement at the end of July following 25 years of service.
As a 17-year veteran of the organization and its current vice president of sales, Flack has been instrumental in securing major events that have brought millions in economic impact to the destination, including multiple NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments, the Dew Tour, IRONMAN North American Championship, and the National Speech and Debate Tournament, to name a few. She also led local planning for the Iowa Caucus Consortium, hosting over 2,000 international media members.
Huntington Place
Legends/ASM Global has ushered in a refreshed leadership team at Detroit’s Huntington Place. Tourism, branding, and customer engagement veteran Douglas Trueblood was welcomed as executive director of revenue and customer experience. He previously served as vice president of marketing for Hudson Yards Experiences in New York, chief sales and marketing officer for the Bermuda Tourism Authority, and a senior leadership role at the Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board.
Becky Bixby was promoted to executive director of venue operations, a newly created role in which she will oversee engineering and facility services, IT, operations, parking, and public safety. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Bixby previously served as Huntington Place’s interim general manager from November 2023 to May 2025, during which she guided the venue through major accomplishments and improvements, including securing the facility’s LEED Gold recertification in January 2023.
Aluvision
Global modular systems and LED solutions developer and supplier Aluvision appointed Dirk Van Peteghem as CEO of its U.S. division, responsible for managing and supporting all operations that service the company’s current North American partners, helping the company expand into new markets and industry sectors, and developing business strategy and process improvements.
Bringing 30 years of management, business development, and global product innovation and customer service experience to the Aluvision U.S. team, the Belgium native most recently served as president and CEO of Varcode. Prior to that, Van Peteghem held various executive roles at UPS, McKesson, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Caterpillar.
Javits Center
Ronnie Burt has joined the leadership team at New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center as chief revenue officer, tasked with developing and executing strategies to drive revenue growth and attract high-profile events. A seasoned hospitality executive with more than 25 years of experience in casino, hotel, convention center, destination marketing, and consulting sectors, Burt has served in senior leadership roles in sales, marketing, and organizational management in major markets across the country, including Washington DC, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Mo., and Atlantic City. Most recently, he served as vice president of sales and marketing at Oak View Group.
Groups360
Hospitality technology company Groups360 appointed veteran event agency leader Jason Bond as vice president of attendee solutions, responsible for leading efforts to enhance and expand client-facing solutions. Bringing more than 25 years of experience in the meetings and events industry, he brings a wealth of agency-side expertise, most recently serving as executive vice president, enterprise event solutions for full-service meetings and events management agency Prestige Global Meeting Source. Prior to that, Bond spent more than 11 years as vice president, global accounts at ConferenceDirect.
Visit Austin
Visit Austin appointed experienced hospitality sales leader Walden Agustin as its new director of Midwest sales, based in Chicago. Bringing expertise spanning new business development, key account management, and strategic sales partnerships, he most recently served as director of Midwest sales for the San Francisco Travel Association. His background also includes roles including director of national accounts at Hiltons of Chicago Complex and senior national accounts director at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Savannah Convention Center
The Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Ga. welcomed industry veteran Fredia Brady as senior director of sales and marketing. She returns to the facility she helped open in 2000 and previously led in the same capacity until 2017. Bringing more than 30 years of experience in venue management, hotel and convention sales, and business development, she most recently served a successful eight-year tenure as general manager of the Wilmington Convention Center in North Carolina.
Visit Panama City Beach
Visit Panama City Beach announced several executive promotions.
As vice president of special events, Patrick Stewart is responsible for the development, implementation, and management of Visit Panama City Beach’s signature events, the creation of new event experiences, enhancements to special event venues, and serving as the primary liaison with city and county officials.
Vice President of Sports Marketing Chris O’Brien will continue leading the destination’s sports tourism strategy, driving business development, and elevating the national profile of Panama City Beach as a premier sports event destination. A Visit Panama City Beach team member since 2015, he brings more than two decades of tourism marketing, event management, and sports facility experience to his new role.
Promoted to director of sports marketing, Kristen Krasinskas will lead strategic efforts to grow the destination’s presence in the sports tourism industry and drive long-term impact through innovative planning and partnership development. She will focus on market expansion by cultivating new national and regional partnerships and leading the development and execution of a long-term sports tourism growth strategy.
