Rewards & Recognition Expo Relocates in 2018 to Join ICEE Engagement World in Galveston
- R&R Industry Leaders on Display
- Education and Certification in All Areas of Engagement
- Reuniting the Industry’s Leading Learning Programs
The Rewards & Recognition Expo at RandRExpo.com will return to a resort location in 2018, moving to the historic seaside city of Galveston, TX on May 8-9, to co-locate with Professional Education Days, a three-day combination of events under the umbrella of Engagement World, designed to attract more corporate practitioners and solution providers in all areas of business and government.
Engagement World will be held at the Hilton Galveston Resort and adjacent Conference Center facing the Gulf of Mexico from Monday, May 7 to Wednesday, May 9. Galveston is about an hour south of downtown Houston.
R&R Industry Leaders on Display
The R&R Expo features the leading brands, master fulfillment companies, gift cards and technology firms active in the world of rewards and recognition and attracts planners and buyers from leading solution providers and corporations. R&R Expo education kicks off Tuesday, May 8 with the Incentive Marketing Association Incentive Professional training program, followed by a plenary session on “New Opportunities for Rewards & Recognition,” facilitated by the Enterprise Engagement Alliance curriculum committee. The Expo opens Tuesday evening from 5:30 pm-7:30 pm with an exhibit-floor reception, followed by the R&R Expo annual industry dinner. Exhibits are open 9:30 am-3:30 pm on Wednesday.
The Expo format includes semi-private Conversation Centers with tables and chairs for each exhibitor, instead of traditional booths, to promote one-on-one discussions. Explains Nick Gazivoda, Show Director: “The format is designed so that exhibitors can replace about 20 days on the road seeing customers with two days at the R&R Expo, and buyers can have quality one-on-one discussions about their needs in a relaxed atmosphere.” The R&R Expo is the only industry expo in the U.S. open to all qualified corporate practitioners and solution providers, Gazivoda adds.
Education and Certification in All Areas of Engagement
The Rewards & Recognition Expo will anchor Professional Education Days at Engagement World, May 7-9, sponsored by the Galveston-based International Center for Enterprise Engagement (ICEE) at the Healthcare Management Institute of the University of Texas Medical Branch. ICEE is a joint venture of the Healthcare Management Institute of the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Enterprise Engagement Alliance, and was founded to create the first formal ISO 10018 Certification for Quality People Management, as well as to support the first university-based professional education and academic curriculum program for the field.
Participating organizations include:
- The CultureWorks Leadership Training Program and Certification Program for corporate management.
- The Incentive Marketing Association’s Certified Professional program for incentive field specialists.
- Recognition Professional International's Professional Certification program for recognition professionals.
- The Enterprise Engagement Alliance’s Advanced Engagement Practitioner (AEP) program for solution providers and corporate practitioners seeking ISO 10018 Quality People Management certification.
- A special program on Return-on-Engagement measurement, sponsored by ICEE.
Says Dr. Ron McKinley, co-founder of ICEE and Executive Director of the Healthcare Management Institute of the University of Texas Medical Branch: “Engagement is not only critical to the healthcare profession, but to any organization, not-for-profit or government organization. Because our university medical center is based here on this beautiful resort city, we want to make Galveston a center for ongoing education and certification on all aspects of engagement and we're excited to host the Rewards & Recognition Expo."
Reuniting the Industry’s Leading Learning Programs
According to Nick Gazivoda, RRN Vice President of Sales and R&R Expo Director, “It has been years since so many reward, recognition and incentive certification/workshop options have been available in one place. This program aligns completely with our vision to elevate the field of rewards and recognition and bring fresh buyers to our event each year, which made the opportunity to co-locate with ICEE and a university-based center so compelling. We were also impressed with the support provided by the Galveston Convention & Visitors Bureau, which clearly wanted this event, and the ability to attract professionals from the nearby Houston metro area, not to mention the rest of the state of Texas and important Mountain State and West Coast regions located nearby.”
Gazivoda believes that “ISO 10018 Quality People Management certification and the growing respect for formal engagement practices will create new opportunities for the industry by recognizing the art and science of program design, reward selection, presentation and experience, as well as the vast expertise involved. All of the research and facts show that rewards and recognition should be treated with the same care as any other marketing medium, rather than as a retail cash-equivalent as is often the case today.”
He concludes: “It also doesn’t hurt that Galveston is the sort of unique destination promoted by RRN’s sister media platform at Shortescapes.net. There's a big opportunity for incentive and eevent planners to take advantage of getaway destinations like this with a unique history and flavor. We believe our committed buyers will enjoy the opportunity to learn, build new business relationships and explore the 'First City of Texas' with its terrific history, recreational opportunities, great restaurants and shopping, which just happens to sit right on a beautiful Gulf of Mexico beach.”
For more information or to exhibit, contact
Nick Gazivoda
914-591-7600, ext. 238
