His Excellency Fahd Bin Abdulmohsan Al-Rasheed was appointed by Royal Decree as Advisor in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2023. He plays a key role in some of the most significant development projects and initiatives under Vision 2030.

H.E. Al-Rasheed currently serves on several boards and committees, including the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Riyadh Foundation, New Murabba Development Company, Diriyah Company, Qiddiya Investment Company, Hevolution Foundation, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), King Saud University, Expo 2030 Development Company, and Riyadh Art. He also chairs the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority and has represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a lead on Urban 20 since 2020.

H.E. Al-Rasheed was formerly the CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), the authority in charge of the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he oversaw the transformation of Riyadh into a top global city for investment, tourism, and livability by 2030. Before RCRC, H.E. Al-Rasheed served as the Group CEO and Managing Director of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), the world’s first publicly traded city and one of the largest private sector projects globally. Before joining KAEC, he served as the Deputy Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (now the Ministry of Investment).

H.E. Al-Rasheed holds a BSc from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from Stanford University. He also completed the Advanced Management Program in Real Estate at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader (YGL) in 2011.

Jan Alessie is the Co-Founder & Managing Director of World Football Summit (WFS), a global platform that brings together key stakeholders to shape the future of the football industry. Since its launch in 2016, WFS has grown into a benchmark event series connecting professionals across sports, business, and investment.

He is also the Founder of Nexus Fostering Partnership, the company behind the development of WFS, and was involved in launching South Summit, Spain’s leading event for startups, entrepreneurs, and investors.

With over 18 years of experience as a senior consultant, content producer, and strategic advisor, Jan has worked across Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, building partnerships with public and private sector leaders. His background includes organizing investment forums, negotiating commercial agreements, and leading global media projects with a strong focus on sports and business.

Fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian, with a working knowledge of French, Jan is passionate about fostering collaboration and driving meaningful conversations that contribute to the growth of the football and sports industry.

Richard Attias, born in Morocco in 1959, is a civil engineering graduate with a master's degree in mathematics and physics. His early career at IBM ignited a passion for innovation, driving him to establish firms in the IT and global communications sectors. He has crafted over 1,000 high-profile events. As Founder and Executive Chairman of Publicis Events Worldwide from 1993 to 2008, Richard produced the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos and co-founded the Nobel Laureates Conferences.

In 2008, Richard was tapped by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to shape the nation branding strategy for Dubai, which emerged as the region's top destination. That same year, he launched Richard Attias & Associates. His subsequent co-founding of the Clinton Global Initiative, New York Forum, and New York Forum AFRICA showcases his dedication to international discourse.

Since 2008, Richard has orchestrated a plethora of events, including the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, the African Cup, the APEC CEO Summit, the Misk Global Forum, the Future Minerals Forum, the Red Sea Film Festival, and the Future Investment Initiative.

In 2018, Richard entered into a financial partnership with Sanabil, part of the Saudi Public Investment Fund. A year later, he became CEO of the FII Institute. In 2024, he was appointed Special Advisor to PIF.

Mourad El Hebil is a seasoned tourism executive and destination marketing strategist with over two decades of experience promoting Morocco as a leading global travel and meetings destination.

As the former Director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office in New York, he spearheaded Morocco’s promotional strategy across North America, building strong partnerships with tour operators, airlines, and media outlets. During his tenure, he organized major tourism events and conventions for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), significantly elevating Morocco’s visibility in the U.S. market.

Mourad is the Founder of Imperial Morocco Travel & Tour Company, an exclusive tour operator known for its high-end, tailor-made cultural and incentive programs.

Today, he plays an active role in advancing the MICE sector through the Marrakech Convention Bureau, promoting the city as a premier destination for international meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. His strategic focus is on fostering public–private collaboration, enhancing destination competitiveness, and driving sustainable growth within Morocco’s business tourism landscape.

Orson Francescone is the Managing Director of FT Live, the global events arm of the Financial Times, overseeing a global portfolio of over 250 events annually. He is a Board Director of TNW, the tech startup media and events company and is also a member of the advisory board of the Fondazione Politecnico di Milano and of the Randstad AI Foundation.

Chris Gallon joined Clarion in 2002 as a Show Manager to innovate and launch new shows into the UK Consumer market. He was appointed Managing Director of the Enthusiast division in 2012 and since then he has held a number of posts responsible for Clarions key sectors including Enthusiast, Retail, Gaming and Digital Marketing.

Chris joined the senior management team in 2020 and was appointed EMEA CEO in 2022, with over 25 years of experience working in the industry, building and executing market leading brands through organic launch, product development and acquisition.

Chris is a Fine Art graduate with a passion for this creative industry, he currently serves on the AEO UK Organisers group.

Dr. Senthil Gopinath has served as the CEO of the International Congress and Convention Association since 2019. Gopinath has more than 20 years of experience in the meetings, association, and leisure industry, having held a wide range of positions, including CEO of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, and Vice President of Kuoni Travel. He has distinguished himself in the world of international events as a leader and change-maker, managing an array of teams throughout the industry.

Kai Hattendorf is one of the most prominent thought leaders in the global business events and exhibition sector, building on a decade-long legacy of transformation and innovation across the sector.

In his decade-long tenure as CEO of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, he led numerous initiatives and projects aimed at developing the sector, enhancing public awareness, and expanding the association’s reach and significance.

As Chair of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), a global council comprising international and global associations serving the Business Events Industry, Kai championed advocacy efforts such as the “Global Industry Manifesto,” which fosters a unified narrative for the entire events sector.
Collaborating with industry associations and global organisations like UNFCCC, OECD, and ISO, he established and supports initiatives, including the “Net Zero Carbon Events Initiative.”

Kai’s contributions to the events industry have been recognised through numerous awards and accolades worldwide.

Greg Hitchen is the Group CEO of Terrapinn, a global events company. With over 35 years in the industry, Greg has been instrumental in growing Terrapinn's global event brands, platform and footprint. Having worked directly in Australia, Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe, USA, and Latin America, he now focuses on growing Terrapinn through acquisitions and value creation. He champions events as a rewarding career within Terrapinn's creative, merit-based culture.

Terrapinn is the largest privately owned (non-PE) events company in the world and is in the top twenty of global exhibition organisers.

At Terrapinn, the company looks forward to the opportunities that AI will bring to its business, its people, and the industry.

Issa Jouaneh is President, Connections, at Emerald, and is responsible for leading the strategic oversight and growth optimization of the company’s core business, comprised of 140+ leading events, trade shows, and conferences.

Issa joined Emerald in March 2021 as Executive Vice President of Emerald Xcelerator, leading the company’s market diversification strategy through new shows, partnerships, and sub-expo launches.

Issa has over 20 years of experience leading multidisciplinary, cross-functional teams across a wide range of industries.

His professional journey includes leading technology, application, and web development teams at Electronic Data Systems and a 14-year tenure at The American Express Company and American Express Global Business Travel. He ultimately served as Senior Vice President and General Manager, leading American Express Meetings & Events globally, where he successfully led the transformation of the business, tripling its size and reaching over 2,400 employees in 25+ proprietary countries.

Issa holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from McGill University and a Master of Business Administration from Schulich School of Business at York University.

Nonnie Kubeka is a distinguished executive leader with 25 years of expertise in destination marketing, MICE Events, and the finance industry. As the Executive Director of the Gauteng Convention and Events Bureau (GCEB), she leverages a strong academic background, holding a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and an MBA in Strategic Marketing, to drive strategic vision.

Her impressive career includes pivotal roles at Grant Thornton, Transnet, Standard Bank CIB, as well as leadership positions as Commercial Director of the Cape Town International Convention Centre and Chief Marketing Officer at Gauteng Tourism. In her current capacity, Nonnie is dedicated to establishing Gauteng as a leading global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) destination. Her strategic focus is on stimulating business tourism, generating significant employment, and injecting billions into the provincial economy. She is a proven expert in forging strategic alliances, successfully bidding for high-profile international exhibitions and sporting events, while simultaneously advocating for community development.

Nonnie's exceptional contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including features in Forbes Africa Woman, the Standard Bank Top Women Leadership Award, the ICCA Inspirational Award, and the Women in MICE Award. She has also been listed among the Top 100 and Top 50 Most Influential People in the global MICE events industry by Eventex.

Beyond her corporate achievements, she is deeply committed to mentorship and industry development. Nonnie serves on multiple advisory boards, including UNISA, Vaal University, SAAIA, and SAACI, and has previously contributed to the boards of South African Airways and Cape Town Tourism. A sought-after speaker on over 100 international, regional, and local platforms, she is passionate about cultivating the next generation of leaders and ensuring a lasting legacy of excellence and innovation for the MICE Events industry and SME sector.

Dr. Fahad bin Mushayt is the CEO at ASFAR, Saudi Tourism Investment Company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund established to drive the growth of tourism investment in partnership with the private sector to create captivating destinations in Saudi Arabia for visitors from all over the world in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.

Dr. Mushayt has recently been honored as one of the Top 100 CEOs in the Middle East by Forbes, a recognition that underscores his exceptional leadership and strategic vision at ASFAR. This accolade highlights his commitment to driving innovation and excellence within the Kingdom’s tourism sector, where he has successfully propelled the organization to new heights.

Boasting more than two decades of experience, Dr. Fahad bin Mushayt's illustrious career spans across multifaceted domains including city management, mega investments in real estate, mergers and acquisitions, strategic business development, and operations management. He has also taken on challenging roles in myriad sectors including information technology and telecommunications, as well as infrastructure development.

Before his tenure at ASFAR, Dr. Mushayt held pivotal positions in both government and semi-government entities. He spent nearly twenty years at the Saudi Telecom Group holding several other key positions including CEO of Mega Strategic Projects, Vice President for Business Development, and Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Performance. He then became the CEO of Saudi Telecom Specialized Company for three years. In 2021, he became Deputy Governor for Investment and Business Development at the State Property General Authority, after being CEO of the Diplomatic Quarter General Authority (DQGA) in Riyadh for three years.

He has also served on the boards of various organizations worldwide including Maxis Communication Berhad Holding Company in Malaysia, Aircel Company in India, and Axis Company in Indonesia, to name a few.

Dr. Fahad bin Mushayt holds a PhD in Economics, Political Economy and Public Policies from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in economics from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Research from King Saud University, Riyadh. In July 2024, Dr. Mushayt completed the Advanced Management Development Program at Harvard University. His ongoing commitment to professional development reflects his dedication not only to personal growth but also to the advancement of the tourism sector in the Kingdom, ensuring that ASFAR remains at the forefront of innovation and excellence.

As Managing Director at Comexposium since 2017, Laurent Noel leads a division overseeing more than 50 trade shows and digital events in sectors such as agriculture, food, wine, construction, manufacturing, and homeland security. Driving operations across 15 countries on four continents, he brings expertise in global leadership, P&L management, and team leadership to deliver impactful events.

Laurent's mission is to foster customer-centric innovation and operational excellence within the organization, ensuring events meet market needs and deliver value to stakeholders.

As CEO of the Messe München Group, Stefan Rummel is driving the global expansion and oversee all capital and consumer goods shows worldwide with well-known brands such as bauma, IFAT and IAA Mobility. Within the group, his responsibilities also includes Corporate Strategy & Innovation, M&A, People and Culture, Corporate Governance, IT as well as the Operational Services. He started his career as a consultant and joined Messe München in 2011. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) and a member of the Board of Directors of The Saudi Conventions & Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA).

Chris Skeith OBE has served in the exhibition industry for over 30 years, and is Managing Director & CEO of UFI, The Global Association for the Exhibition Industry, which represents over 900 organisations in over 90 countries who build, maintain, and support the world’s market places: trade show organisers, venue owners and operators, service providers, and national as well as international associations of our industry.

Chris has built a career in the not-for-profit sector, starting his exhibition career in media auditing at ABCUK, moving to the associations sector in 2006, merging two event associations in the service supplier sector to form ESSA, and in 2010, he also ran the venues association, AEV, in the UK. In 2014, he took the role of CEO of the organisers association, AEO which represents UK-based organisers who operate worldwide.
During this time, he held voluntary positions to raise the profile of the sector to Government and regulators, including Chair of UKEVENTS, and served as an UFI Board Member and chair of their associations committee.

In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021, he was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen, for services to the Events Industry.