Greg Walthour

Greg Walthour is co-CEO of Intero Digital, a 350-person Columbus SEO Company that offers comprehensive, results-driven marketing solutions. With more than 20 years of experience directing paid media strategies, optimizing SEO and building solutions-oriented content and PR, he leads a team of experts in web design and development, Amazon marketing, social media, video and graphic design.

Adrian Si

Adrian Si is the Director of Marketing Strategy at experiential marketing agency ASV.

Joy Kaufman

A visual communicator and creative problem-solver who specializes in brand communications, Joy Kaufman is senior creative director at Impact XM.

JR Sherman

JR Sherman is the CEO of RainFocus. With more than 20 years of leading highly impactful service and SaaS businesses, he is highly regarded for his expertise in SaaS, events, marketing and experiential marketing. Sherman was named one of the 25 Most Influential Executives by Business Travel News.

Allen Plante

Allen Plante is the director of banquets at the award-winning Radisson Blu Mall of America. With more than 25 years of event management experience, Plante and his team strive for innovation, creativity and readiness for each hosted event. Whether working on a high-profile event for Super Bowl LII or the Ryder Cup, or crafting an intimate, private celebration, Plante’s enthusiasm and expertise ensure each event is memorable and unique.

Live and In-Person: How Events Have Shifted in 2022

Exclusively Sponsored by SmartSource

The past two years have transformed how we work, interact, and hold events. Hybrid and remote work options have taken a firm hold in the professional sphere alongside more traditional in-person work environments. In the same way, in-person events transformed into virtual ones, and while we have seen a shift back to in-person meetings, conferences, and trade shows, virtual components and novel innovations remain.

Marco Giberti

Marco Giberti is a successful entrepreneur and investor with more than 25 years of intensive experience in media, technology and the live events industry. He is the founder and CEO of Vesuvio Ventures, where he works with startups, venture and private equity investors, and corporate innovators as a coach, advisor, interim executive, board member or angel investor (or a combination thereof). He is also a co-author of the best-selling books “The Face of Digital,” focusing on how digital technologies are changing the live events industry, and “Reinventing Live, the Always-On Future of Live Events.”

Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.    Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.    Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.   The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.    MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.     MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.