The president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), Dennis Slater, is retiring from his post after many years at the helm. He has also received The Lifetime Achievement Award from The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) in a special presentation held during the IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Philadelphia.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is a special award recognising IAEE members who, over the course of their career, shape the industry and significantly impact how the industry operates.
According to IAEE, Slater’s impressive participation record with IAEE spans 35 years. Slater has been a long-time advocate for the trade show industry and, under his leadership, AEM has been a tremendous supporter of IAEE, Exhibitions Mean Business and CEIR.
During his acceptance comments, Slater mentioned that he started in the trade show business with no experience at all.
“The first thing I did was join IAEE to learn the business, and to do it quickly,” said Slater. “That decision opened the door to what would be the start of my 36-year career involved in this exciting business.
“The AEM team that organises CONEXPO-CON/AGG and our other events is building on our past successes with shows that offer so much more than booth space,” continued Slater. “The team is forging ahead with a new strategic direction to work through COVID to not only survive but to thrive. It is this team at AEM and all of you in the trade show industry that will continue to rebound from the pandemic to bring exhibitors and customers together face-to-face to do business.”
AEM announced in August that Slater is retiring AEM president, effective December 31, 2021.
“It is a great pleasure to bestow these honours on our very deserving colleagues. These awards acknowledge the outstanding contributions IAEE members make to the advancement of the exhibitions and events industry,” said IAEE Awards Committee chairperson Kellie Shevlin.
The IAEE Awards are selected after careful consideration and review by the IAEE Awards Committee and approval by the IAEE Board of Directors.
