Informa and RX Leaders Appointed to Govern Women in Exhibitions Network North AmericaNEW YORK, August 19, 2024 — Informa Connect VP of Group Content of Meetings, Sports, Travel Danica Tormohlen has been appointed president of Women in Exhibitions (WiE) Network North America (WIEN) and RX Global VP, Corporate Development/M&A Toni Piela has been named secretary, effective immediately. Founded in 2018, the WiE Network supports the professional development of women working in exhibitions and provides opportunities for them to meet and network. Corporate members include leading trade show organizations, like Informa, RX Global, Clarion Events, Arc, Tembo, MAD Event Management and Amsterdam RAI—to name a few. Besides its chapter in North America, WiE Network has chapters in the UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany and the Middle East. Tormohlen, who had been serving as secretary, succeeds mdg, a Freeman company, President Kimberly Hardcastle, who served a one-year term. Piela joins the WiE chapter leadership team, serving alongside incoming treasurer Elizabeth George, Senior Conference Lead for HIMSS Global Conference & Exhibition, which was acquired by Informa last year. “It was an honor to serve an organization that has a mission so closely aligned with my own personal mission,” said Hardcastle. “I’m excited to see all Danica and Toni will do to continue promoting the importance of women actively supporting other women in the event space.” Over the past 30 years, Tormohlen has reported on association, independent and corporate events, producing award-winning content for industry media. She currently oversees content for four media brands, including TSNN, BizBash, Corporate Event News and MeetingsNet, as well as in-person content for nine Connect Marketplace events held annually in the U.S. Tormohlen is also host of the Trade Show Talk podcast. Tormohlen said of her new role: “As a founding member of WiE North America, it’s an honor to serve an organization that helps connect women in our industry to mentors, resources, information and colleagues to grow their professional networks. I’m excited to work alongside Elizabeth and Toni to build upon the great work that was done by Kimberly and all the volunteers who have invested their time and experience to our growing network.” Starting as marketing manager with RX in 2009, Piela has held various roles at the company over the last 15 years. In her current corporate development role, she combines management of mergers and acquisitions, financial modeling, new event development/launch, RFP evaluation, identification of acquisition prospects, due diligence management, integration, and competitive analysis/tracking. Piela said of her new role: “Joining WiE North America has been one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve had in my 15+ years in the events industry. From the Inaugural Women in Exhibitions Summit in Maastricht (including my first external speaking engagement) to dozens of high-quality content sessions and in-person meet-ups at industry events, WiE North America gives women in our industry the chance to cultivate relationships and learn in a judgment-free environment. I’m excited to step into the secretary role and continue building this wonderful community.” Upcoming WiE events The 2024 WiE World Summit will be held Nov. 18–19 at Chiostri di San Barnaba in Milan, Italy just prior to the UFI Global Congress in Cologne. The event’s theme for 2024 is ‘Building bridges, breaking ceilings’ and will include keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive workshops. GES is sponsoring two networking sessions and will be contributing to the conference content. 
 A preview of the second annual event by Exhibition World can be found here and another by TSNN here. The North America chapter hosts monthly Zoom meetings at 12 p.m. ET on the third Thursday of each month. In 2024, the online NA chapter meetings have offered exclusive access to some of the industry’s brightest stars, including:
In addition to top-notch speakers and education on relevant topics facing exhibition organizers and suppliers, the digital forum features breakouts for networking and discussion. Upcoming events on the North America calendar include:
Looking back In 2023, WiE produced its first World Summit, June 13-14 at MECC Maastricht in The Netherlands. The inaugural two-day event drew around 100 junior, mid-level and senior women and men representing exhibition organizers, service providers, venue operators from across the world. The theme was ‘Beyond bias: breaking business barriers.” In the last 12 months, the North American chapter has hosted in-person meetups at all major exhibition industry events, including UFI Global Congress, IAEE Expo!Expo!, PCMA Convening Leaders, ESCA Summer Education Conference, IMEX America, SISO CEO Summit, SISO Leadership Conference, Exhibitor and ECEF.
 With sponsorship from Visit Detroit, Messe Dusseldorf North America, Expo Convention Contractors, Inc., Visit Atlantic City and SearchWide Global, WiE has brought together hundreds of females for conversations, connections and cocktails. In 2024, monthly online meetings have featured presentations on a variety of topics, including:
Follow WiE Network North America on LinkedIn to stay up to date on all upcoming chapter events. For more information Danica Tormohlen, [email protected] Sonia Thomas, Executive Director, Women in Exhibitions, [email protected], Tel: +33 7 69 87 37 70 |