40: Regaining Momentum in the Events Industry with Aaron Bludworth

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We are pleased to be speaking to one of the leaders in our industry today! Aaron Bludworth, the President and CEO of Fern, is joining us as our guest for the show. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aaron is someone who truly walks the walk when it comes to helping others. In this episode, he gives us some great insights and talks about the impact of trade shows on the economy. He tells us why he believes that face-to-face events will never get replaced with online events, and he also explains how we can help others and what we should and should not worry about if we are unable to change a situation. Stay tuned. We know you’re going to enjoy this conversation!</span></p> <p><strong>Aaron Bludworth’s bio:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aaron Bludworth is the CEO of Fern, a top-three exhibition official services provider in the United States. Fern has operations throughout the U. S. and services nearly 1500 exhibitions annually as well as thousands of other events. Aaron’s career in the industry began in 1992, and before joining Fern in 2008, Aaron held executive positions at Modern Exposition Services and GES. Aaron has been engaged extensively in industry leadership throughout his career. Aaron is a past president of the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA), past chair of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), past board member of the International Association of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE), and a former board member of several other industry organizations. Aaron was the inaugural recipient of IAEE’s Humanitarian Award. Aaron is an officer and appointed board member of Tri-ED, an economic development agency in the Cincinnati region. Aaron is a board member of the Next Generation Freedom Fund, an organization focused on reducing intergenerational poverty. Aaron advises and fundraises for poverty relief organizations in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Utah.</span></p> <p><strong>Getting into the industry</strong></p> <p><span