New nonprofit creates career, connection, and leadership opportunities for seasoned professionals in events, exhibitions, and meetings and companies supporting the events marketplace
August 24, 2026 — A new nonprofit member organization is launching to address an often-overlooked challenge facing the events, exhibitions, and meetings industry: how to keep its most experienced professionals engaged, connected, and contributing.
APEX Event Network (APEX), a Texas-registered 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, has officially launched as a professional community specifically designed for seasoned leaders and professionals across the events, meetings, exhibitions, and experiential industries, and those companies servicing the entire market.
APEX was created around a simple premise: decades of industry knowledge, relationships and leadership experience should be viewed as a competitive advantage — not a liability.
As experienced professionals navigate career transitions, consulting, entrepreneurship, new technologies and evolving ways of working, APEX will provide a community, services, and resources designed for this later stage of their professional lives. At the same time, the organization aims to help the events industry retain and benefit from the institutional knowledge these professionals have spent decades building.
“Our industry has invested in developing exceptional leaders, and we cannot afford to lose that expertise and knowledge,” said Tim McGuinness, Managing Director of Sterling Advisory and the APEX Chair. “APEX is about creating what comes next — whether that means a new career path, consulting, entrepreneurship, mentoring, or continuing to lead and contribute in a meaningful way. The industry needs these professionals, and they still have tremendous value to offer,” continued McGuinness.
Built for an Underserved Stage of the Professional Journey
While many professional organizations offer programs focused on students, young professionals and emerging leaders, APEX is focused specifically on the needs of seasoned professionals.
Membership is open to professionals with a minimum of 18 years of combined experience across organizations and companies that produce events, meetings, exhibitions, experiential exhibits, and other types of events, as well as hospitality, media, destinations, venues and other companies and service providers that support events.
APEX will initially provide monthly educational programs focused on later-stage career development and career transitions, networking and peer connections, career coaching, thought leadership, articles and professional resources. Additional programs, services and events will be continually added based on member needs.
“Career transitions are happening at every level of our industry, but experienced professionals often face a different set of challenges when determining what’s next,” said Karen Vogel, CEO of Event Performance Group and the APEX Vice Chair. “They may want to reinvent themselves to forge a new career path, start a consulting practice or launch a business, learn new technical skills to be more competitive, or find an entirely new way to put their experience to work. APEX provides a community of peers who understand and can support that journey, along with education, resources, and connections to help them succeed in whatever direction they choose,” stated Vogel.
Experience as an Industry Asset
Beyond supporting individual members, APEX intends to advocate for the value experienced professionals bring to the broader events ecosystem.
Members represent decades of expertise across strategy, event management, sales, marketing, operations, finance, technology, and all other disciplines. By connecting that expertise with new opportunities to work, collaborate, mentor, and lead, APEX aims to help strengthen the industry’s talent pipeline while preserving valuable institutional knowledge.
The organization is led by a board of seasoned event industry leaders, including Tim McGuinness, Managing Director of Sterling Advisory; Karen Vogel, CEO of Event Performance Group; David DuBois, formerly President of IAEE and currently President of The DuBois Group; Chris Brown, formerly with NAB and now President of Level Up Event Strategies; Dan Cole, most recently Senior Director of Sales with AVIXA and founder of TSSNG Group; Jill Birkett, formerly Event Director with Questex and now President of Escapades Together; BJ Enright, President and CEO of Tradeshow Logic; Joe Felperin, Director of Channel Partnerships with Popshap; and Shelley Cohen Renn, a meeting professional with more than 30 years of industry experience.
The inaugural APEX membership term begins October 1, 2026, and runs through December 31, 2027. Industry professionals can join now and
About APEX Event Network
APEX Event Network is a nonprofit member organization created for seasoned professionals and leaders across events, exhibitions, meetings and experiential industries and the companies that support the event market. APEX creates pathways for continued professional relevance, collaboration, and contribution through career resources, education, peer connections, mentoring, and services. Membership is open to qualified professionals with a minimum of 18 years of combined experience. Professionals can apply to join on the APEX website, www.apexeventnetwork.org.
Media Contact:
Karen Vogel
Vice Chair, APEX Event Network
[email protected]
203-904-8021
Learn More:
www.apexeventnetwork.org
