The International Association of Exhibitions and Events’ 2014 Chairperson Jonathan "Skip” Cox passed the gavel to chairperson-elect Megan Tanel, vice president of exhibitions and events at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, at the Annual Networking Business Luncheon and Awards Ceremony held during Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeting & Exhibition last week in Los Angeles.

"I look forward to contributing to a robust agenda of advocacy, education development, global expansion and increasing engagement of all members during my term as IAEE Chairperson in 2015," Tanel said.

She added, "I am a passionate advocate for the power of exhibitions and could not feel more honored to serve IAEE in its mission to promote the importance and value of the exhibitions and events industry."

At AEM, Tanel is responsible for overseeing AEM trade shows and show partnerships, U.S. and globally, and association education/meeting programs.

She also has served as director of AEM's CONEXPO-CON/AGG exposition, which focuses on construction equipment and materials and is the largest event of its type in the Western Hemisphere.

Tanel has served as IAEE Education Committee Chair, is a graduate of the IAEE Krakoff Leadership Institute, and \ is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).

IAEE welcomes its newest members of the IAEE Board of Directors: Director Robert "Bob" McLean, Jr., CPA, Executive Vice President, Promotional Products Association International; Director Robert "Bob" Morgan, General Manager, Dulles Expo Center and Director Stephen "Steve" Sind, President & CEO, Global Event Strategies, LLC.

Ex-officio directors include Walter Yeh, Executive Vice President, TAITRA – Taiwan External Trade Development Council representing the IAEE Asia Exhibition Council; Britton Jones, President & CEO, Business Journals, Inc. representing the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR); and Ex-officio Greg McCormack, CEM, Director of National Sales, T3 Expo representing the Robert L. Krakoff seat.

Continuing directors include Immediate Past Chairperson Skip Cox, President, Exhibit Surveys, Inc.; Chairperson-Elect Julia Smith, CEM, CTA, Senior Vice President of National Sales, Global Experience Specialists (GES); Secretary/Treasurer Daniel McKinnon, CEM, Vice President, Client Services - Global, FreemanXP; Vicki Bedi, Director, PSBedi & Co Pvt Ltd; Thomas Cindric, Jr., CEM, Vice President, Hanley Wood Exhibitions; Christopher McCabe, Executive Vice President, Emerald Expositions; Martin Moggre, CEM, Executive Vice President & Chief Sales Officer, Expositions, Freeman; Manolita Moore, MBA, Owner/Managing Director, Las Vegas Show Management, LLC; Susan Schwartz, CEM, Managing Director, ConvExx; and Ryan Strowger, CEM, Vice President of Exhibitions, Conferences and Sales, International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA). Continuing ex-officio members of the board include Kristin Barranger, CEM, Manager, Expositions & Communications, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), representing the Chapter Leaders Council and Chris Nemchek, Senior Vice President, Sales & Exhibitions, Specialty Food Association, Inc. represents the IAEE MATSO Council.

Members of IAEE's Board of Directors are elected on an annual basis by the official voting member of each IAEE member company. All officers serve a term of one year, except the secretary/treasurer who holds office for two years. The directors are divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, each to serve three years in staggered terms to ensure continuity in the governance of the association.