IAAPA hires Ryan Strowger for top expo post and Amy Pepin as meetings manager
By amusementtoday | May 24, 2012
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) welcomes two staff members to its global headquarters staff in Alexandria, Virginia: Ryan Strowger and Amy Pepin.
Ryan Strowger joined the attractions industry trade association as vice president of exhibitions, conferences, and sales. In this role, Strowger is responsible for growing IAAPA’s three trade shows: Asian Attractions Expo, Euro Attractions Show, and IAAPA Attractions Expo. He will also oversee IAAPA conferences and manage the exhibit, advertisement, and sponsorship sales teams. He comes to IAAPA with nearly 20 years of experience in show management and development, including exhibit sales, business development, vertical category development and growth, exhibitor marketing, logistics/operations, and advertising and sponsorship sales.
Most recently, Strowger served as director of business development for the International CES (Consumer Electronics Show), which is owned and managed by the Consumer Electronics Association. He was with the Consumer Electronics Association for 12 years and while there helped grow the International CES to the largest annual trade show in the United States. The 2012 International CES featured 3,100 exhibiting companies spanning more than 1,860,000 net square feet of exhibit space, and drew 156,000 attendees.
Strowger serves on the board of directors of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE). He attained the Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) designation and in 2004 received the IAEE Merit Award for his contributions to the industry. Strowger is a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
Amy Pepin joined IAAPA as manager of conference, trade show, and meeting operations. Pepin will work with the director of conference and trade show operations and the director of meetings to oversee trade show and event registration, coordinate special events, manage attendee services, and play a key role in event housing and transportation logistics.
She comes to IAAPA with six years of event planning experience, most recently with John Snow Inc., a public health research and consulting firm, where she planned conferences in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Before John Snow Inc., she served as educational programming manager for the American Resort Development Association and was responsible for logistics and programming for trade association events in the United States.
