Meet the 2015 Hall of Leaders & Pacesetter Award Winners
The Convention Industry Council (CIC) today revealed the names of the 2015 inductees into the CIC Hall of Leaders and the fourth class of Pacesetter Award recipients. The awardees will be formally recognized at the Hall of Leaders and Pacesetters Celebration on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in Las Vegas, during IMEX America.
"This year’s class of CIC Hall of Leaders and Pacesetter Award inductees represent a global footprint of the meetings, conventions, events and exhibitions industry, and we are excited to celebrate their expertise, leadership and breadth of achievements. The iconic Hall of Leaders encapsulates a lifetime achievement award, while the Pacesetter Awards recognizes emerging leaders who have made an impact," said the CEO of the Convention Industry Council, Karen Kotowski, CAE, CMP.
Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group, said, "We are delighted that CIC has chosen to hold the prestigious Hall of Leaders event at IMEX America again this year. Through our partnership, we will be showcasing the inductees throughout the show – ensuring that the wider meetings industry can meet and learn from them through educational sessions – as well as recognizing them through our TV channel and publications. We look forward to welcoming the inductees to the show."
The Hall of Leaders recognition program draws attention to the contributions that the meetings industry has made to the larger society as a whole by highlighting the specific achievements of industry pioneers and emerging leaders who not only changed the landscape of the profession, but changed the culture of business as well. Nominations are submitted either by CIC member organizations or the general industry community, and honorees are recognized during the culminating awards ceremony and their stories housed virtually at www.conventionindustry.org/vhol.
This year’s honorees are:
- Amy Spatrisano, CMP, Former Principal of MeetGreen®, nominated by Green Meeting Industry Council
- Larry Luteran, Former Senior Vice President of Group Sales and Industry Relations, Hilton Worldwide, nominated by Meetings Mean Business
- Jane E. Schuldt, CIS, CITE, Founder and President, World Marketing Group, Ltd., nominated by Society of Incentive Travel Excellence
- Patricia Farías Barlow, CEM, CEO of the Puerto Vallarta Convention Center and FIDEES, nominated by International Association of Exhibitions and Events
- Craig Smith – Retired, Formerly President of Freeman Audio Visual, Inc., nominated by Exhibition Services and Contractors Association
Additionally, the following people were selected to receive Pacesetter awards:
- Rafael Hernández, CEM, Publisher and CEO, Latin American Meetings
- Kinga Socko, Poland Convention Bureau
- Kate Patay, CPCE, Executive Director of Sales & Marketing, Creative Coverings
To date, 114 pioneers have been inducted into the Hall of Leaders. A complete listing of previous HOL award winners, along with pictures and details from the 2014 fete, can be found on the CIC website at
www.conventionindustry.org/HallofLeaders/HallofLeadersInductees.aspx.
The Pacesetter Award, established in 2012 to honor achievement "in real time," rather than over a lifetime, has recognized nine emerging leaders whose recent accomplishments are defining how we will work in tomorrow’s industry.
Information on attending the Hall of Leaders and Pacesetters Celebration can also be found on the CIC website: www.conventionindustry.org/.
Events Industry Council