SPEAKERS

Idea Factory speakers represent a wide range of industry segments and bring their years of expertise to the sessions being taught at the 2012 Event Solutions Idea Factory. Meet the speakers of our 2012 roster.

Linda Alpert
Owner
Affairs with Linda, Chicago, IL
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Preston Bailey
New York, NY
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Mark Bowling
Chief Strategist
BlackSheep Productions, Inc., Atlanta, GA
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Dave Calzaretta
President
Magnificent Events, Ltd., Plainfield, IL
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Carleen Cappelletti
President
BOUNCE-AEG, Los Angeles, CA
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Evan Carbotti
VP of Media Relations
Perfect Surroundings, Inc., Newport, RI
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Jordan Carbotti
Director of Concept Design
Perfect Surroundings, Inc., Newport, RI
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Nico Cervantes
President
Nico Designs, Santa Barbara, CA
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Branden Chapman
Executive In Charge of Production / Chief Business Development Officer
The Recording Academy, Los Angeles, CA
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Therese Cole-Hubbs
President
Electric Karma, Houston, TX
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Petra Compel
Event Producer
Feats, Inc., Baltimore, MD
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Midori Connolly
CEO and Chief AVGirl
Pulse Staging and Events, Escondido, CA
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Bernadette Coveney Smith
Founder and President
14 Stories, New York, NY
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Wendy Dahl
Chief Inspiration Officer / Author / Instructor / Coach
Chic Productions, Huntington Beach, CA
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Michael Davis
President
Cloth Connection, New York, NY
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Eddie Diaz
CEO / Special Event Producer
Encore Creations, Orlando, FL
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Daniela Ferdico Faget
CEO and Creative Director
Bella Signature Design, Inc & Cerebral Artisan, Seattle, WA
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Cheryl Fish
Vice President, Design Services
Someone’s in the Kitchen, Los Angeles, CA
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Silke Fleischer
CEO
ATIV Software, Santa Rosa, CA
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Liese Gardner
Founder
Mecca Communications, Los Angeles, CA
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Gayle Gilberto
President and Lead Event Design Producer
Art of the Event, Inc, Boston, MA
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Howard Givner
Executive Director
Event Leadership Institute, Scarsdale, NY
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Robin Hall
Senior Vice President
Macy’s Parade & Entertainment Group, New York, NY
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Hillary Harris
Executive Director
Warner Bros. Studios Special Events, Burbank, CA
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Nancy Hays
President
Nancy Hays, Chicago, IL
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Gunnar Hencmann
Director of Operations
Catering by Design, Denver, CO
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Sue Hershkowitz-Coore
CEO
High Impact Presentations, Scottsdale, AZ
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Jeff Hurt
Director, Education & Engagement
Velvet Chainsaw, Dallas, TX
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Lee Kite
Director of Distinguished Events
American Cancer Society, Illinois Division, Inc., Chicago, IL
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Bart Kresa
President & Master Projection Designer
BARTKRESA design, Inc.
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Jessica Levin, CMP, MBA
President and Chief Connector
Seven Degrees Communications, Edison, NJ
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Gary Levitt
Vice President
Sequoia Productions, Los Angeles, CA
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Curtis Love, Ph.D, CHE
Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Studies Program
William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration,
University of Nevada Las Vegas, NV
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Sean Low
President
The Business of Being Creative, New York, NY
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Richard Martin
Owner
R & J Martin Enterprises, Scottsdale, AZ
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Carolyn Mason
Owner / Lead Planner – Grand Affair, Inc.
Attonrney at Law – Law Offices of Carolyn M. Mason, Esq., Los Angeles, CA
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Kelly McDonald
President
McDonald Marketing, Dallas, TX
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David Merrell
Owner / Creative Director
AOO Events, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
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Darrell Mullis
Founder
Stratactics, Boulder, CO
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Julia Mullis
Director
Stratactics, Boulder, CO
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Erin Patrick McDonald
Owner / President
Erin Patrick: Events Fashioned, Chicago, IL
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Cade Nagy
Chef / Owner / Creative Director
Catering by Design, Denver, CO
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Ali Phillips
Chief Wedding Orchestrator
Engaging Events By Ali, Inc., Chicago, IL
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Shawn Rabideau
President and Founder
Shawn Rabideau Events & Design, New York, NY
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Bryan Rabin
Owner
Bryan Rabin, Los Angeles, CA
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Shari Lynn Rothstein-Kramer
President
SLK Creative, Miami, FL
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Ian Scarth
Professor of Food and Beverages Strategy
Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland
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Sarah Sheehan
Vice-President Interantional Events
Atlanta DITC, Atlanta, GA
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Patti Shock, CPCE
Professor
Harrah Hotel College at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
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Robert Sivek, CSEP, CERP
COO
The Meetinghouse Companies, Inc., Elmhurst, IL
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Sasha Souza
President / Event Planner
Sasha Souza Events, Napa, CA
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Kristin Steele
Operations Director
Samantha Swaim Fundraising, Portland, OR
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Liene Stevens
Founder & CEO
Splendid Communications, New York, NY
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Samantha Swaim
Event Director
Samantha Swaim Fundraising, Portland, OR
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Raymond Thompson
Owner
Images by Lighting, Los Angeles, CA
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David Tutera
New York, NY
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Caitlin Weiskopf
Executive Director of Special Events & Partnerships
ELLE, New York, NY
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Bill Werner
Associate Professor
William F. Harrah College of 
Hotel Administration, 
University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
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Andrew Zill
Event Stylist
Feats, Inc., Baltimore, MD
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