ACCESS 2025 - December 2nd - 4th
ACCESS 2025 program subject to change
ACCESS 2025 PROGRAM
DAY 1–Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025
Morning Activities
8:00am – 1:00pm
Fishing Excursion
Sponsored by
8:00am – 12:00pm
Annual EDPA Golf Scramble
Sponsored by
9:00am – 1:00pm
Fort Clinch & Historic Downtown Bike Adventure
Join us for a morning of fun with one of the above excursions! EDPA ACCESS Golf Scramble OR Fishing Excursion OR Bike Adventure.
Select your activity during registration on the Activities page!
3:00pm – 3:45pm
First Timer’s & New Member Welcome
Sponsored by
EDPA New Members and ACCESS first-timers should not miss this opportunity to learn how to make the most of their time at the event.
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Sponsored by
Registration & Networking
Let’s kick things off with some networking – catch up with old friends and meet some new ones in the Anchor Point.
4:30pm – 5:00pm
President’s Kick-off
Chris Griffin – EDPA President
EDPA President’s welcome address to all the attendees.
Week at a Glance & Updates
Liz Nacron – EDPA Event Chair
An overview of ACCESS 2025 – what to expect and what’s new.
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Opening Keynote - Liz Bohannon
The Community Quotient™
Sponsored by
Designing workplaces that elevate connection and authentic community is the fastest path to collaboration, fulfillment and impact, and it is at the heart of The Community Quotient™, a dynamic and refreshing perspective from Liz Bohannon that disrupts conventional thinking on organizational design.
6:00 - 9:00pm
Welcome Reception
Sponsored by
Join us for the opening reception and reconnect with your peers.
DAY 2–Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025
7:30am - 9:00am
Women in Experiential – Activity & Breakfast
(open to women only)
8:00am – 9:00am
Breakfast & Networking
Grab some breakfast and enjoy some great conversations!
9:00am – 9:15am
Day 2 – Kickoff & Update
Liz Nacron – EDPA Events Chair
9:15am – 10:30am
General Session
Industry Design Trends Research Review
Come hear the latest design trends research and learn how our industry's design leaders are leveraging these insights for their clients.
Brian Baker, Vice President Highmark TechSystems & Design Leader Panel
10:30am – 11:00am
Networking Break
11:00am – 11:30am
General Session
How to Leverage EDPA's Economic Survey for Your Company
Since 1968, EDPA has conducted the annual Economic survey to gather comprehensive Designer & Producer company financial data. Dan will share thoughts for leveraging this aggregated data to identify industry trends and help plan for your business.
Dan Serebin, Derse, Chief Financial Officer
11:30 -12:30pm
EXCLUSIVE RESEARCH: EXHIBITORS + ATTENDEES = 2025
Sponsored by
Come dive into one of the most ambitious research initiatives in years. Event Marketer’s Exhibit Strategies group surveyed more than 1,000 end-users and trade show attendees to gauge how clients are evolving their trade show programs—and how attendees are evolving how they interact with brands at trade shows.
Amy Sondrup - President, Access TCA & Kerry Smith – Founder, Event Marketer
12:30pm – 1:45pm
Networking Lunch
Join for lunch and continue conversations with your colleagues.
2:00pm – 2:45pm
Business Track
The State of M&A for Experiential Designers & Producers
The pace of mergers and acquisitions for experiential businesses has begun to accelerate in recent months, powered in part by an unprecedented influx of private equity investment in the industry. Signs point to increased consolidation over the next one to two years. What does this mean for owners and executives, and how can they best position their firms to capitalize on current trends?
Howard Givner, Senior Advisor at Oaklins - DeSilva + Phillips
Development Track
Sponsored by
Handling Difficult Conversations
Back by popular demand! Teresa Freeman rejoins EDPA ACCESS, this time to share insight and pointers on how to navigate challenging workplace dynamics with greater confidence, skill, and awareness!
Teresa Freeman, Founder & CEO, TFA Soft Skills
Sales Track
Leveraging AI tools to Increase Sales
Learn about the latest AI tools you can take advantage of in order to increase your sales
Jordan Walker, Co-Founder, Backtrack
2:45pm - 3:00pm
Break
3:00pm – 4:15pm
Business Track
Private Equity Unplugged: What It Means and Why It Matters
Private equity can sound complex — but it’s reshaping industries, companies, and careers in ways that affect all of us. This panel breaks it down in plain language and shares their experiences. Hear from these business leaders on how private equity works, what attracts funding, and how it fuels growth. Perfect for anyone curious about the business behind the deals.
Moderator: Jason Popp, President and Chief Executive Officer, Moss Inc.
Panelists: Sonny Goyal, Founder, PEMM Capital LLC
Isaac M. Maddox, Principal, Invision Capital
Troy Trice, CEO, Align Exhibits
Development Track
The Evolution of Trade Shows
Starting with a quick dive into the history of the events industry, this session will focus on the lessons learned from the challenges faced and discuss what role we can play in its bright future!
Sales Track
Building a High-Performance Sales Mindset
This session explores how to cultivate a winning sales culture rooted in motivation, ownership, and continuous improvement. Participants will share and discover practical approaches to inspire teams, elevate engagement, and consistently exceed targets.
Phil DeSarno, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Merchandising, CORT Events
4:15pm – 5:00pm
Networking
Enjoy some great conversations in the Anchor Point and at the Connection Wall!
5:00pm – 6:00pm
Break
Time to freshen up for the Gala.
6:00pm-7:00pm
EDPA Foundation – Silent Auction Cocktail Hour
Place your bids on an awesome selection of auction items while supporting a great cause. 100% of the proceeds go to the EDPA Foundation’s good works.
7:00pm – 9:00pm
EDPA Annual Gala
Sponsored by
Tonight, we celebrate and recognize our industry’s best with the EDPA Awards.
9:00pm – 11:30pm
President’s After Party
Sponsored by
Celebrate with us by dancing the night away!
DAY 3– Thursday, December 4th, 2025
8:30am – 9:30am
Breakfast
Grab some breakfast during this final day.
9:30am – 9:45am
Day 3 – Kickoff & Updates
Liz Nacron – EDPA Events Chair
9:45am – 10:45am
Making the Current Economic Climate Work for You
Sponsored by
Economist Michael Feuz will kick off day three focusing on the importance of economic forecasting. A variety of disruptions characterize today’s economic landscape. Focusing on demystifying common economic terminology while simultaneously offering strategic financial insights, Michael will provide key information that will drive fiscal wellness for you and your team.
Keynote Speaker: Michael Feuz – ITR Economics
10:45 am – 11:15am
Break
11:15am – 12:30pm
Business Track (include sales topics)
Business Issues Forum (Part 1)
This session will take on a variety a current challenges businesses are facing within our industry with a series of round table discussions led by industry experts including: AI, State of US Government, Tax Compliance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Finance, EPDA CEO Group Beta, Creating Space in the C-suite.
Development Track
Turning Failure into Fuel!
Through a roundtable format, we will shed light on the power of failure! Join your peers for an open and honest discussion on past slip-ups and how you and your team applied what you learned to make positive changes for your company.
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Networking Lunch
Join us for lunch and continued conversations.
1:30pm – 2:30pm
Business Track (include sales topics)
Business Issues Forum (Part 2)
This session will take on a variety a current challenges businesses are facing within our industry with a series of round table discussions led by industry experts including: AI, State of US Government, Tax Compliance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Finance, EPDA CEO Group Beta, Creating Space in the C-suite.
Development Track
Thriving Not Surviving in a Fast-Paced Industry
Being a leader doesn’t mean running yourself into the ground. In this session, we’ll trade tips, talk honestly about challenges, and swap ideas that actually work to keep you balanced, active, and successful without burning out.
2:45pm – 3:00pm
Closing Remarks - State of the Association
Tara Ericson – EDPA Incoming President
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Closing Keynote: Leo Chan, Chief Innovation Igniter of Abound Innovation
Sponsored by
Think Like an Innovator: Master Associative Thinking
Imagine the world around you as a treasure trove of inspiration, where a simple walk could lead to your next breakthrough. This is the magic of associative thinking, the secret behind the creation of Velcro, inspired by the burdock burr. It’s the skill of connecting seemingly unrelated dots to create something extraordinary.
This is a trait of the world's greatest innovators, and now it can be yours too. In this workshop, we will unravel the mystery of associative thinking and give you practical tools to implement it right away. This isn't just a concept to discuss; it's a skill to master.
KEY AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS:
• learn the key trait of innovators: what associative thinking is all about
• discover the process to associative thinking
• gain practical tools to implement this powerful mindset
4:00pm – 5:00pm
EDPA Chapter Challenge
