ACCESS 2025 - December 2nd - 4th
ACCESS 2025 program subject to change
ACCESS 2025 PROGRAM
DAY 1–Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025
8:00am – 1:00pm
8:00am – 12:00pm
9:00am – 1:00pm
Morning Activities
Fishing Excursion
Annual EDPA Golf Scramble
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
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
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
Liz Bohannon – Opening Keynote
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
Join us for the opening reception and reconnect with your peers.
DAY 2–Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025
7:00am - 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
Brian Baker, Vice President Highmark TechSystems & Design Leader Panel
Come hear the latest design trends research and learn how our industry's design leaders are leveraging these insights for their clients.
10:30am – 11:00am
Networking Break
11:00am – 11:30am
General Session – TBD
11:30 -12:30pm
EXCLUSIVE RESEARCH: EXHIBITORS + ATTENDEES = 2025
Amy Sondrup - President, Access TCA & Kerry Smith – Founder, Event Marketer
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.
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
Howard Givner, Senior Advisor at Oaklins - DeSilva + Phillips
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?
Development Track
Handling Difficult Conversations
Teresa Freeman, Founder & CEO, TFA Soft Skills
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!
Sales Track
Leveraging AI tools to Increase Sales
Jordan Walker, Co-founder Backtrack
Learn about the latest AI tools you can take advantage of in order to increase your sales
2:45pm - 3:00pm
Break
3:00pm – 4:15pm
Business Track
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.
Sales Track
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
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
Keynote Speaker: Michael Feuz – ITR Economics
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.
10:45 am – 11:00am
Break
11:00am – 12:30pm
Business Track (include sales topics)
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!
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Networking Lunch
Join us for lunch and continued conversations.
1:30pm – 2:30pm
Business Track (include sales topics)
Development Track
Sustainable Success in a Fast-Paced Industry
No; we don’t mean reduced waste and recycled materials (although that is an important part of sustainability in the events 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
Chris Griffin – EDPA President
3:00pm – 4:00pm
Closing Keynote: Leo Chan
Leo Chan is the Chief Innovation Igniter of Abound Innovation
Inc. He's a people and heart-first entrepreneur who believes everyone can be an innovator. With 55 US patents and over 20 years of experience, he has helped organizations—from non-profits to Fortune 500s unleash the innovative potential of their employees.
Leo has worked with the world’s most innovative companies. He's spoken at TEDx, SXSW, STORY, WEC, WBECS and many other conferences. Leo’s friendly, joyful and enthusiastic demeanor makes the journey to innovation exciting and attainable.
He's a LinkedIn Learning Instructor and a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator who believes unlocking innovation takes new approaches.
4:00pm – 5:00pm
EDPA Chapter Challenge
