The Event Leaders Exchange (ELX), a community network for corporate global meeting and event executives, is gearing up to launch its first ELX Annual Congress in 2023.

Debuting Feb. 1-2 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, the new event will convene a significant group of the most senior corporate event leaders with the common goal of learning, benchmarking, networking and tackling some of the most urgent and pressing issues facing the meetings and events industry today. Attendees will comprise existing ELX participants who share commonalities in their extensive global event programs, budget size and team structures. 

“ELX is focused on helping the people with the greatest influence in corporate meeting and events to work together to solve the biggest challenges they face as industry leaders,” said David Kliman, co-founder of ELX. “I can’t wait to see Hyatt Regency Chicago brimming with the best brains in the events industry discussing burning issues and consuming the very best insights available. This will be a milestone moment for the global corporate events community.” 

The Congress’ program will include a combination of collaboration sessions, TED-style talks and breakout groups enabling participants to focus meaningfully on topics including organizational design, human resources, event technology, DE&I, sustainability and enterprise data and measurement. 

“With the significant changes that have impacted our industry the past two years, we are excited to host the Inaugural Event Leaders Exchange and are looking forward to bringing these leaders together in a meaningful way,” said Patrick Donelly, general manager of Hyatt Regency Chicago, venue partner for the ELX Annual Congress.

Event participants already confirmed include representatives from big-name corporations such as McDonald’s, Baker McKenzie, Walmart, Google and Allianz.  

“I am super excited to be attending the ELX Annual Congress in February, where I’ll have the opportunity to connect with the best minds in the event industry,” said Dean Armintrout, director of events at T-Mobile and ELX Steering Committee participant. “It’s going to be a fantastic couple of days of learning, best practice sharing and networking!”

The Annual Congress sits at the heart of ELX’s comprehensive year-round program of virtual and in-person events designed to provide event leaders with a “safe” discussion space and a unique opportunity to discuss and resolve shared challenges under Chatham House Rule.

“We are thrilled to welcome this influential group to our hometown and looking forward to contributing to this important gathering,” said Lynn Osmond, president and CEO of Choose Chicago. “We will be pulling out all the stops to make this Chicago experience truly memorable.” 

The ELX Annual Congress is free to attend for senior event executives and ELX participants. To learn more and to register, go here. 

Don’t miss any event-related news: Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter HERE, listen to our latest podcast HERE and engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram!