Leadership Lab Webinars

In August 2024, a group of ESCA members gathered around a shared vision to empower the next generation of leaders in the exhibitions and events industry. That spark became the ESCA Rising Leaders Committee, a place where passion met purpose.

These leaders poured their time and expertise into building a community where young professionals and newcomers could grow, connect, and thrive. While the Rising Leaders Summit provides in-person learning and skill-building, the new Leadership Lab webinar series was born to offer a year-round space for sharing ideas, exploring trends, and gaining practical guidance.

Have an idea for a future webinar? Use this form to suggest a topic you would like to see covered. Your input helps us develop timely, relevant content for the ESCA community.

Watch Recordings

Past Sessions

September 2026

AI in the Trade Show Industry: A Conversation with Rich Stone

Artificial intelligence is already changing the work before, during, and after the show. In this conversation, EXPOCAD CEO Rich Stone shared where AI is transforming the exhibition industry today and what rising leaders should be paying attention to, with practical applications across estimating, design, project management, sales, customer service, marketing, and operations.

Speakers

Key Takeaways (PDF) ›

August 2026

Working with Labor: What Every Rising Leader Needs to Know

Labor is one of the most complex and most important parts of event operations. This session broke down how labor jurisdictions are determined on the show floor, the factors that influence staffing and scheduling decisions, and the communication and planning strategies that help prevent the most common issues before they start. Rising leaders left better equipped to navigate labor operations with confidence.

Speakers

Key Takeaways (PDF) ›

July 2026

The Human Side of Safety: Creating a Culture of Care in Events

Creating a safe event environment goes beyond policies and procedures. It starts with the decisions, communication, and leadership shown every day on the show floor. A panel of industry professionals explored what duty of care looks like throughout the event lifecycle, from move-in to show days and move-out, and how managers and rising leaders can support their teams, navigate operational pressures, strengthen communication, and build a culture where safety is everyone's responsibility.

Speakers

Key Takeaways (PDF) ›

March 2026

Winning the Show Floor: Passing Along the Secrets of Successful Exhibiting

Optimizing your time on the show floor doesn't happen by accident. Our speakers shared the strategies that drive real show-floor success and how to apply them not only to your own exhibiting efforts, but to the guidance you provide exhibitors. Built for professionals across the trade show and convention industry, this session delivers practical, proven insights you can use immediately and confidently pass along to your audience.

Speakers

Key Takeaways (PDF) ›

November 2025

Navigating the Top 4 Current HR Challenges: Retention, Compliance, Benefits, and AI

The HR landscape continues to evolve at record speed, and employers are feeling the pressure to keep up. From attracting and retaining top talent to navigating new compliance mandates and adapting to benefit plan changes, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for HR leaders. This session covers employee attraction and retention best practices, common employment compliance issues, benefit plan updates (including 401(k) plans and GLP-1 medications), and employee use of artificial intelligence.

Speakers

Key Takeaways (PDF) ›

October 2025

A Tale of Two Politics: An Advocacy Update from ECA

“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” Policy and political developments continue to significantly impact the industry, both positively and negatively. What's the latest from Capitol Hill? What should ESCA members expect going forward? How can you get involved? Tommy Goodwin, Executive Vice President of the ESCA-supported Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), shares the latest news from Washington, D.C. on the four “Ts” impacting the industry: taxes, talent, tariffs, and travel.

Speakers

Key Takeaways (PDF) ›

September 2025

Closing the Loop: The Path to Sustainable Events

Sustainability is reshaping the trade show and events industry, moving from a trend to a business imperative. This session explored how to shift from a linear model of consumption and waste to a circular approach that maximizes resources, reduces environmental impact, and boosts efficiency, including strategies for waste reduction, zero-waste goal setting, and designing sustainable event spaces, plus how these efforts can enhance client decisions and brand reputation.

Speakers

Key Takeaways (PDF) ›

Subscribe for Updates

Be the first to hear about upcoming Leadership Lab webinars, Rising Leaders Summit news, and other opportunities to grow with ESCA.


About ESCA

ESCA is the premier association for companies providing services and materials to the meetings, exhibitions, and hospitality industry. Our extensive network of members allows us to offer unparalleled opportunities for networking and resources.