An exclusive event designed for CEOs and their revenue-critical C-Suite teams leading businesses in the information and data economy. Join the industry leaders and visionaries leveraging digital, data, and AI to fuel exceptional growth and superior enterprise value.
Lia Bliss transforms digital engagement into measurable business growth. As a LinkedIn strategy expert with algorithm intelligence that cuts through the noise, she operationalizes social selling for Fortune 500 companies and high-growth entrepreneurs alike. Beyond traditional platform tactics, Lia's systematic approach converts digital presence into revenue through her Executive Thought Leadership programs, Enterprise Training for teams, and dynamic Keynote Speaking. With a background in sales enablement and a reputation for delivering predictable results, she brings both strategic vision and tactical precision to professionals navigating the digital landscape. When corporate leaders need digital engagement that performs, they turn to Lia for the systematic advantage their competition hasn't seen before.
Mike Carlucci is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in the events and exhibitions industry. Since joining Clarion Events in 2014, he has played a pivotal role in transforming North America's sales, operations, and service functions, driving significant revenue growth. As Chief Operating Officer, Carlucci oversees the commercial vision for customer success, sales enablement, and operational excellence, ensuring scalable growth and profitability. In 2023, his role expanded to include management of the key attendee team, where he continues to enhance customer-centric strategies and industry partnerships.
Prior to Clarion, Carlucci spent 13 years at Reed Exhibitions, advancing to Group Portfolio Director, where he managed sales for high-profile events such as Global Gaming Expo and The Vision Expos. His deep commitment to improving customer satisfaction and fostering long-term relationships has made him a trusted leader in the industry.
Carlucci also serves on the IAEE Board of Directors, the UFI North America Advisory Board, and MGM Resorts International Meetings and Events Advisory Board. A graduate of Bentley University, he resides in Connecticut with his wife and two daughters.
Jacob Donnelly is the founder of A Media Operator, a publication covering digital media & events in the U.S. and U.K. He most recently served as Publisher at Morning Brew, overseeing the growth of its B2B business with division revenue growing over 5x in his time there. Prior to that, he was Managing Director of Digital Revenue at CoinDesk, overseeing digital monetization, and began his career as a Business Analyst at ThomasNet.
Doug Emslie was most recently CEO of Tarsus Group, having joined the business when it was launched in 1998. He previously held senior positions at Blenheim Group plc and after its takeover, United Business Media plc.
He is a past Chairman and Director of the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), as well as past Chairman of the Events Industry Alliance. He is a board member of US industry advocacy body, the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA) and was also the first international board member of the US industry trade body, SISO, where he went on to serve as Chair.
Doug oversaw the acquisition of Tarsus Group by Informa plc. and now, as head of Cuil Bay Capital, he is rapidly expanding his events investment portfolio with more than 10 assets to date including Raccoon Media, Jacobs Media, Easyfairs and Life Sciences Connect. In his spare time, he runs marathons and ultra-marathons around the world. He also is Chairman of the Trustees of the Green Hub for Teens charity.
Diana Florescu is the CEO and Founder of mediaforgrowth (MFG), a multi-media investment firm operating one of the leading U.S. media capital funds. She is a trailblazer in the media-for-equity investment model, an innovative approach that pairs venture capital with strategic media to accelerate consumer brands' growth.
As part of MFG she also advised on the creation of MMC, the first independent media capital fund in the U.S., where she played an instrumental role in designing and deploying the fund. Before launching MFG, Diana led global marketing and growth strategy at Startupbootcamp and Rainmaking, two of the world’s largest early-stage investors and venture studios, operating over 20 accelerators in 15+ countries.
She has built go-to-market strategies for startups and advised top-tier VC firms, accelerators, and innovation consultancies worldwide. In 2022, Diana was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in Media & Marketing. She holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Entrepreneurship from University College London (UCL).
Kerry Gumas is founder and CEO of Metacomet Advisors, which provides strategic advisory and board services to technology, marketing services, information companies and event owners and, via Metacomet Ventures, co-invests in early stage and growth businesses. Kerry co-founded and served as a director and CEO of Questex, a leading global business information and event producer, and previously held senior executive positions at Reed Exhibitions, Advanstar, and IDG.
His industry affiliations include prior service as chairman at the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and service as board member of Connectiv, the global business information association division of SIIA.
Tina Hannagan is Chief Commercial Officer at Definitive Healthcare, where she leads global sales, marketing, and customer success to accelerate growth and deliver measurable client value. She brings more than 20 years of leadership in the data and analytics industry, with a track record of scaling businesses through data-driven strategy and commercial excellence.
Before joining Definitive Healthcare in 2025, Tina was EVP & GM at Fusable, driving business transformation and revenue growth. She previously held senior roles at Dun & Bradstreet, including SVP of Shared Services, where she focused on client relationships, operational efficiency, and sales effectiveness.
Tina holds an MBA and a B.S. in Economics from the University of Delaware.
Heather Holst-Knudsen is a distinguished figure and expert in the events, media, marketing and technology sectors. Using her extensive experience, she guides clients in adapting to structural economic and market changes, seizing the chance to innovate and evolve. She specializes in digital and data disruption and opportunity, exploring how these overarching factors can impact revenue growth, customer-centricity, operational efficiency, profit margins, and the overall valuation of companies in both public and private markets.
Her journey began at her family business, Thomas Publishing Company, where she honed her skills. She further expanded her expertise by holding positions at early industry giants Miller Freeman, Reed Elsevier, and IDG. Returning to Thomas Publishing, Heather founded and was the President of Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, an integrated media portfolio connecting buyers and sellers in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Starting in 2015 and spanning the next seven years, she leveraged her expertise as a revenue and business leader in various SaaS businesses, including Feathr, Gleanin, Brella and Edflex.
Heather is deeply passionate about digital innovation, data monetization, and AI and how these technologies and strategies fuel revenue growth, profitability, and enterprise value. To serve and create value for clients in these areas, she launched H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect, dedicated to generating and leveraging value through data for media, data and business information, events, and adjacent technology and service markets.
In her current role as CEO of Clarion Events North America, Liz oversees the strategic direction for the Clarion North American business by focusing on customer and behavioral insights, commercial effectiveness, digital platform development, and innovation. In addition, she is responsible for product strategy development where she partners with Clarion’s portfolio directors to identify growth opportunities to enhance our existing events and develop new digital offerings. Her forward-thinking mindset constantly has her eye on the customer experience and how to continuously evolve what our events, media and products offer to increase the value we provide face-to-face and digitally.
Liz earned her bachelor’s degree from Niagara University, a master’s degree from the University of New Haven and a digital marketing certificate from Cornell University. She is active in her community where she volunteers, assisting her sons’ sports teams throughout the year, managing communications and events. Liz is the Chair of SISO’s Marketing Special Interest Group and is on the Board of Directors for SISO and the Board of Directors for UFI. Liz has been named to The 100 Most Influential People in the Events Industry, The Virtual Event Industry Smart 100 List and Event Content Professionals to Follow list. She is also an active member in the Women In Exhibitions Network North American Chapter and is a member of several Event Technology Advisory Boards. Liz lives in Connecticut with her husband, two boys, two dogs, and a cat.
Jonathan Kazarian is an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader with a proven track record in the event technology space. He began his career at Windham Capital Management in 2012 as an Associate in Investments. In 2014, he transitioned to Windham Labs as Director of Sales and Business Development, where he played a key role in driving growth initiatives.
In 2015, Jonathan founded Accelevents, where he currently serves as CEO. Under his leadership, Accelevents has become a leading event technology platform, offering users a robust suite of tools for virtual and hybrid events, including keynote talks, breakout sessions, interactive workshops, virtual exhibitor engagement, networking opportunities, live polling, and more.
Jonathan holds a degree in Economics & Finance from Bentley University and has also earned a Captain’s License from the U.S. Coast Guard. His entrepreneurial vision and leadership have made him a recognized figure in the event tech industry.
Blair LaCorte is a dynamic business executive and transformational leader with a career spanning industries such as entertainment, aviation, artificial intelligence, aerospace, and supply chain management. Known for his ability to align and inspire teams, Blair drives organizations to achieve operational excellence and impressive growth.
With expertise in strategy, change management, and team development, Blair has successfully navigated companies through every stage of the business lifecycle, including startups, restructurings, and IPOs. His passion for mentorship and value-based leadership extends to his service on national boards for positive coaching organizations and active engagement with over 100 companies and nonprofits as an investor or advisor.
A space enthusiast and former NASA Innovator of the Year, Blair is also an investor in space ventures such as Moon Express and Virgin Galactic. He is preparing for his first spaceflight as a Virgin Galactic astronaut. Blair earned his MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, receiving the Leibowitz Award for outstanding contributions, and completed executive coursework in Human Capital and Organizational Behavior at Stanford University.
Will Lee is the CEO of ADWEEK, the leading media brand and platform serving the marketing and advertising industry. Prior to ADWEEK, Will served as Chief Operating Officer of NPR, overseeing strategy, transformation, and growth for the revered news and cultural organization and its network of 249 member stations.
Previously, Will led the digital businesses for PEOPLE, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, and The Hollywood Reporter, and has two decades of experience in content creation, audience expansion, brand development and a continuing commitment to and evolution of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Will lives in New York City with his wife Suejin and son Troy.
Denise Medved is the current Chief Commercial Officer at Informa Markets, North America, where she leads commercial strategy and drives growth initiatives across the region. Before joining Informa, she served as Senior Vice President of Money 20/20 USA and as a fractional executive for several major companies, contributing her expertise in business strategy and event management.
Medved previously founded and led Tiny Kitchen Inc. as President and CEO, overseeing the strategic direction of popular events like the MetroCooking DC’s Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show, which later sold a majority stake to E.J. Krause & Associates. Her extensive career also includes senior leadership roles at Reed Exhibition Companies, IDG World Expo, and National Trade Productions, where she honed her skills in trade show and conference development.
A graduate of George Washington University with a BBA in Finance, Medved is also the author of two books on cooking and entertaining. Her creativity, leadership, and strategic sensibility have earned her accolades such as Tradeshow Week’s Fastest 50 award and Expo Magazine’s Expo Elite award.
As CEO of Questex, Paul Miller drives the company’s growth strategy and strengthens its position as a leader in the experience economy. A proven business leader, he has successfully grown companies with revenues between $30 million and $250 million. He played a key role in the $1.2 billion sale of Penton to Informa.
Before Questex, Paul was President of Informa’s Industry & Infrastructure Intelligence, where he focused on innovation and ROI for customers. He also served as President of Penton’s Industry Group and CEO of UBM Tech, overseeing digital transformation and international expansion.
Paul holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Sheffield Hallam University and a Marketing Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Jane Qin Medeiros is General Manager of the Brand & Content business unit within Informa TechTarget. With a media portfolio of 221 publications serving an audience of over 50 million across multiple technology and industry markets, the Brand & Content solutions unit serves audiences with the knowledge they need to drive business growth. The Brand & Content group also houses Informa TechTarget’s Content Studio for marketers, helping clients build brand, earn trust, and drive demand.
Previously, Jane was the GM of Industry Dive, the leading B2B digital media company serving industry audiences across 38 publications. Jane’s a commercial leader and content marketing specialist, spending over a decade building studioID, Industry Dive’s global content marketing group, from the ground up. Before Industry Dive, Jane served as the SVP of Customer Success at NewsCred. Jane was born in Beijing, grew up in Southern California, and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two kids. She holds a J.D. from Boston College Law School.
Constance Sayers is Chief Revenue Officer at Wellesley Information Services, where she leads all revenue generation, sales strategy, and go-to-market performance across the company’s brand portfolio.
Before this role, she served as Chief Revenue Officer at GovExec (formerly Government Executive Media Group), where she oversaw all revenue and sales across GovExec’s content brands, platforms, and data businesses, including GovTribe, The Atlas, Military Periscope, Forecast International, and others. She previously held leadership roles at GEMG, launched Route Fifty and Defense One, and managed high-profile election programs at National Journal.
She has been recognized multiple times by Folio as one of their “Folio 100” innovators and among the “Top Women in Media.” She holds an M.A. in English from George Mason University and a B.A. in Writing, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Pittsburgh.
Jaime Schultheis has been championing the power of data for over two decades. Her career began with a database marketing company, where she honed her skills in developing effective strategies for publishers. After 13 years of consulting, Jaime joined a consortium of major publishers, including Tribune, Hearst, McClatchy, and Gannett, focusing on boosting national advertising revenue through collective first-party targeting scale across top U.S. markets.
Today, Jaime serves as the Head of Global Data Partnerships at Bombora, a leading provider of intent-based B2B marketing data solutions. In this role, she collaborates with hundreds of media companies worldwide, helping them harness the power of enriched first-party data, offer scalable targeting and measurement solutions, and leverage intent data at scale. Jaime's expertise lies in smart data integration, which she believes can "unlock serious marketing magic". Her approach aligns with Bombora's commitment to innovation and collaboration within the B2B marketing landscape, as evidenced by the company's recent recognition as "Most Collaborative Data Partner" for the third consecutive year.
With her extensive experience and passion for data-driven strategies, Jaime continues to be a driving force in helping publishers and marketers seize the power of data to achieve their goals in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape.
With over 20 years of executive and board-level experience in the media, events, and B2B sectors, Christine is a passionate and visionary leader committed to driving growth, innovation, and excellence for Naylor Association Solutions, a premier provider of member engagement and non-dues revenue solutions for associations. Serving as the CEO and President of Naylor, Christine steers the strategic direction of the company, overseeing all operational aspects, performance metrics, and strategic partnerships.
Christine's expertise spans mergers and acquisitions, digital transformation, financial and sales turnaround, and ESG strategy and execution. Demonstrating a consistent track record of delivering tangible results and creating value, Christine has successfully empowered teams across diverse platforms and markets. A staunch advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Christine was also the founder and host of Her Success Matters, a podcast highlighting and inspiring women leaders in various industries.
Holding executive certifications from MIT Sloan in data monetization and management, as well as leadership, Christine is honored to be recognized as one of the Top 10 Best CEOs of 2021 by Industry ERA Magazine.
Kate Spellman is a seasoned leader with a distinguished career in the media and events industry, bringing a wealth of expertise in driving growth, innovation, and strategic leadership. Currently, she serves as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Questex, a role she assumed in August 2023 after serving as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) from 2018 to 2023.
Prior to Questex, Spellman was President of Informa Engage, where she led revenue growth initiatives and strategic client engagement. During her time at Penton, she significantly elevated the company’s enterprise value by tripling it, while also driving marketing and data services revenue to an impressive $40 million.
With over three decades of industry experience, her visionary leadership has left a lasting impact across multiple organizations. Spellman holds a degree in Political Science, with a minor in Philosophy, from Ohio Wesleyan University.
Nino Tasca is a seasoned product leader with over 25 years of experience in the technology and media industries. He is a former Director of Product Management at Google, where he managed multi-billion dollar ad products, was a founding leader of the Google Assistant team, and played a key role in scaling Speech and NLU technologies to hundreds of millions of users across Google products. He also served as VP of Technology at Penton Media, where he spearheaded a digital transformation. Nino has held senior technical roles at Ziff Davis and RFE/RL and is a partner in several angel investing syndicates focused on technology-backed startups.
In his personal life, Nino is an avid sports fan, both watching and participating. He has completed multiple Ironman triathlons and enjoys skiing, golf, and hiking with his wife and daughter.
Nino holds a B.S. in Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from NYU. He currently resides in San Diego, CA.
Matt Yorke is the Chief Executive Officer of The Channel Company, a global leader in delivering news, insights, strategy, events, and marketing services for the IT industry. With decades of experience at the intersection of media, marketing, and technology, Matt is a recognized industry leader known for driving transformation and innovation.
Before joining The Channel Company, Matt served as Global Chief Revenue Officer at Foundry (an IDG Inc. company), where he oversaw all revenue streams and spearheaded significant growth through four acquisitions, transforming the company into an integrated marketing technology and data provider. Prior to that, he led digital transformation and M&A initiatives as Chief Digital Officer at Northstar Travel Group and held senior leadership roles at Arizent, OMD, and IDG.
Matt's contributions to the industry have earned him numerous accolades, including Foundry's Outstanding Business Performance Award (2021), Folio Industry Pioneer (2017), and BtoB's Media Business Executive Innovator (2010). Known for his visionary leadership, Matt continues to shape the future of media and marketing technology with a strong focus on growth and innovation.
