In this first episode, host Jeff Hannah sits down with Laura Palker, President of the Exhibitions & Events Workforce Development Federation, to discuss the critical challenges facing the trade show industry today. They explore the massive workforce shift post-COVID, the impact of the "Silver Resignation", and the need for skilled workforce development.

Laura shares insights into the ongoing efforts to secure industry recognition through O*NET and NAICS codes, the importance of apprenticeship programs, and how industry associations must work together to secure the future of exhibitions and events. If you're passionate about the future of trade shows and workforce development, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

Some key points from this episode:

· The trade show workforce before and after COVID

· The urgent need for industry coding and classification

· How apprenticeship programs can fill the skills gap

· Collaboration between trade show industry associations

Jeff and Laura also discuss the important launch of Jeff's new Trade Show Basics course, which is designed to support newcomers to the industry.

Laura Palker is the CEO of the Trade Show Solution Center, and a Top 100 Most Influential People in the Industry (Eventex Awards) honoree.

This episode was recorded at the amazing ET Global USA Headquarters in Suwanee, Georgia.

Part 2 of my interview with Laura.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurapalker/

Website: https://ee-wdf.org/

Website: http://www.tssolutioncenter.com

www.globalexhibitor.com