IAEE Member Spotlight on Robyn Davis, CPTD

Hometown: Grew up in Dublin, OH; current resident of Mount Pleasant, SC (just outside of Charleston)

 University of Education: University of Tennessee – Knoxville (Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, with minors in Adolescent Health and Psychology)

How long have you been an IAEE member? Almost two years

What advice would you give to a new member?

IAEE is a fantastic organization with many, many great benefits for members in all categories, but I admit that it took me some time to really feel “at home” here. So, my advice for new members is to keep coming back and challenge yourself to try out all of the different engagement opportunities/available benefits at least once – in my experience, there really is something for everyone at IAEE!

For example: I’ve met some of my best IAEE friends at events like the Southeastern Classic and Expo! Expo!, plus I’ve learned a ton from serving on the national Advocacy Committee and downloading CEIR reports…

What do you like most about your chapter?

Although there are numerous benefits to being a member of the Southeastern Chapter, I just moved from Atlanta to Charleston earlier this month; as such, my current favorite benefit is that my chapter includes so many states… like Georgia AND South Carolina.

Staying in the same chapter gives me the perfect excuse to keep in touch with my old Atlanta-area friends, despite the new distance, without losing any momentum towards getting even more involved with IAEE in the future (for example, I’m currently on the ballot to serve as one of our newest Board of Directors for the next term – fingers crossed!).

What community service projects do you like to be involved in? Why?

I’m always happy to serve the community any way I can! Some of the projects I enjoy the most are the ones that let me see who/how I’m helping (I love the more “hands-on” projects my IAEE chapter does to support the local communities we’re in) or that align with one of my favorite causes – for example, on my own, I’ve done fair amount of volunteering to support our “future leaders” and that has been a very rewarding experience.

What would you say is the #1 IAEE member benefit?

The #1 IAEE member benefit, to me, is the collaboration with the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR)… it’s actually one of the main reasons I joined originally – the cost savings from downloading even a couple of reports per year (for free, through IAEE) pays for my entire annual membership fee!

In addition to referencing their research often, as noted below, I attended my first CEIR Predict conference (along with several CEIR webinars) this year, due to my affiliation through IAEE, and was recently invited to become a contributor to the CEIR blog.

What do you like most about Expo! Expo!?

Expo! Expo! is where I meet influential exhibition organizers and other awesome industry professionals that I wouldn’t have access to otherwise. There are great educational sessions (I’m speaking twice this year!) and the exhibit hall is always really interesting to see, but my favorite part is the networking. I’ve only been to Expo! Expo! a couple of times so far, but every time I participate, I walk away with new friends and new business.

How do you use CEIR research, and what reports have you downloaded?

I refer to CEIR research in everything from a casual conversation with clients and friends to my most serious training presentations.

For example, every summer I host a multi-week program called Trade Show Summer School (free training empowering exhibitors and exhibition organizers to improve their future event efforts). Ever since I joined IAEE, I’ve included special sessions highlighting my takeaways from CEIR studies including their Head of Marketing Insights Series, B2B Exhibition Sponsorship Playbook, How to Grow Attendance Series, and others – these sessions have always been well received and helpful to all (including me!).

How do you currently use social media for your events?

I use Twitter to “live tweet” most of the industry events I attend (especially the educational sessions) – that way, my industry contacts who can’t be there can still feel like they are and enjoy the experience, at least a little bit, too… I use LinkedIn for pretty much everything else – sharing takeaways and tips through articles, videos, or text posts, connecting with the professionals I meet (or had hoped to meet, but missed), and inviting contacts to get involved in my speaking sessions by listing them as “events.”

For me, social media is a great extension of the face-to-face and virtual events I participate in… it helps me amplify my efforts and keep in touch/keep learning long after each event is over!

Fun fact about you - What is one thing most people don't know about you?

I’m a very private person. I share a lot on social media and elsewhere for my business/work-life, but not for my personal life – I really value my personal privacy.