“Connect x BizBash 40 Under 40” is sponsored by VDA, an experiential marketing and event design agency based in Massachusetts that specializes in custom live, virtual and hybrid experiences.
Connect and BizBash have teamed up to introduce our first co-branded “40 Under 40” feature. This impressive list highlights 40 corporate and association planners, incentive organizers, sales managers, event designers, experiential marketers and other noteworthy event professionals who are making an early mark in the event and meeting industry.
The resilient influencers and innovators featured here have helped lead the industry through unprecedented times by thinking outside the box, acquiring new skillsets and forging unconventional paths to success.
Alecia May
Founder & CEO, Eventistry by Alecia
Alexandra Kirshner
Senior Manager of Partnerships & Experiential Marketing, SiriusXM and Pandora
Alon Alroy
Co-Founder, CMO & CCO, Bizzabo
Amanda Engler
CEO, Amanda V Engler LLC
Anais Disla
Director of Special Events, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
Anca Trifan
Founder, Creator & Technical Event Producer, TreeFan Events
Austin Bagwell
Director of Global Sales, MGM Resorts International
Brittany Coley
Convention Manager, Asian American Hotel Owners Association
Carson Helms
Associate Regional Vice President, HelmsBriscoe
Cathy Mariano
Strategic Account Director, Bishop-McCann
Catie Duhon
President, International Meeting Managers Inc.
Chardia Christophe-Garcia
Executive Director, Audience & Community Marketing, Forbes
Charles Eide
Founder & CEO, EideCom
Cory Lewis
Senior Manager, Experiential Marketing, Dell Technologies
Debbie Friedman-Hueller
Manager, Meeting & Event Operations, Land O'Lakes Inc.
Elke Opsahl
Director of Convention Sales, Visit Salt Lake
Gia Lowe
Product Marketing Manager & Cultural Moments Strategist, Meta
Co-founder & Director of Strategic Partnerships, CURLFEST & Curly Girl Collective
Harpreet Atwal
Corporate Events Manager, AlayaCare
Jessica Boskoff
Founder & CEO, Twenty Three Layers
Jitter Garcia
Senior Director, Event Marketing, Univision
Joan Barkowski
Sales Coordinator, Fort Myers—Islands, Beaches & Neighborhoods VCB
Johnny Boufarhat
CEO, Hopin
Katherine Frost
CEO & Founder, ORO Planner
Kayla Crowe
Event Manager, Yahoo
Laura Hess
Senior Sourcing Operations Specialist, HPN Global
Lindsay Carroll
Head of Marketing & Events, Robin Hood Foundation
Micaela Christophe
Vice President of Event Management, BNY Mellon
Michael Chance
Program Visionary Manager, 6Connex
Rishi Patel
CEO & Chief Creative Officer, HMR Designs
Roger J. Whyte, II
Principal, RJ Whyte Event Production
Sahar Pearose
Director of Operations, 360 Destination Group
Selina Mullenax
District Account Executive, CORT Events
Semra Ergun
Senior Manager of Learning & Experiences, Society for Marketing Professional Services
Shawn (Yih-Hsiang) Cheng
Senior Strategist of Brand, Experience & Marketing, DAHLIA+Agency
Shawn Shapiro
Event Planner, Redstone Agency
Simon Miller
Founder & Creative Director, Brand Activation Services
Stephanie Jayko
CEO, Knock Out Productions
Thuy Diep
Senior Experience Designer, Haute
Trey Weaver
Meetings Manager, American Academy of Forensic Sciences
Vanessa Loney
Head of Global Planning, Blue Ribbon Events
About the 40 Under 40 process: Nominations are submitted by colleagues and peers through BizBash and Connect's websites. They are then reviewed by our editors, and finalists are vetted before the final list is selected for publication. Honorees must be under the age of 40 as of April 1, 2022. Job titles and responses reflect the honoree’s status as of February 2022.
While our features may be sponsored by standout companies, to ensure the list remains impartial, sponsors do not have the ability to review or curate any part of the list themselves.
