Tuesday, June 24, 2025
We were pleased to welcome the following panel at the 2025 Education Forum, where industry leaders came together to share their perspectives and spark meaningful dialogue
9:45-11:00 a.m.
Overcoming Rising Costs and Evolving Expectations in the Event Industry
Areas of Interest: Strategic Thinking and Impact
CMP-IS Domain A: Strategic Planning
The meeting and events industry has faced significant shifts in recent years — from the challenges of the pandemic to facing surging costs and tariffs across goods, services and travel. As budgeting season approaches, meetings professionals and hospitality partners must stay informed and collaborate to work together to produce high-quality, affordable events without compromising the attendee experience.
In this insightful panel, industry leaders will share practical strategies for managing rising costs across all aspects of event production. Attendees will gain valuable insights on effectively communicating budget challenges to stakeholders, optimizing sourcing decisions and maintaining exceptional event experiences. Walk away with the tools and strategies you need to thrive in a complex, cost-conscious event landscape with confidence.
Shola Richards is the CEO and Founder of Go Together Global™, the best-selling author of Making Work Work, and Go Together, and he is a positivity writer with a passionate worldwide following. His articles and wildly-popular “Go Together Movement” email series have been read by readers in over 160 countries, and his work has been featured on the Today Show, CBS This Morning, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Complete Wellbeing India, Business Insider Australia, and in numerous other outlets all over the world who recognize him as an authority on workplace happiness and engagement.
As a speaker, Shola has shared his transformative message with leading healthcare organizations, to universities, Silicon Valley, the motion picture industry, on the TEDx stage, and in his greatest honor to date, as a keynote speaker for the Department of Homeland Security three days before the 15th Anniversary of 9/11, under the Obama Administration. Last, but certainly not least, Shola is a father, husband, identical twin, and a selfprofessed “kindness extremist” who will not rest until bullying and incivility is extinct from the American workplace.
Meet the Panelists
Ryan Crist, Senior Director, Portfolio Sales, Marriott International
Panelist
Ryan Crist is a seasoned sales and marketing executive with nearly two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. Currently, he serves as the Senior Director of Portfolio Sales and oversees brands/markets for Marriott International. His current focus is the MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, where he focuses on enhancing property performance and customer experience. Ryan splits his time in Las Vagas and Denver, Colorado, and stays actively involved in many professional organizations. He is honored to be participating in the FICP Education Forum once again!
Nate Horne, Senior Account Executive, L!VE
Panelist
Nate Horne is a Senior Account Executive with the creative event production agency, L!VE, serving clients in the financial services, software and IT sectors. Based in Atlanta, Nate has been a hospitality partner with FICP since 2012 and currently serves as Chair of HPAC. He loves connecting people to brands and to each other using innovative and thoughtfully designed in-person and virtual production experiences.
Shawn Jereb, Senior Vice President, Revenue Management and Distribution, Montage International
Panelist
Shawn Jereb is the Sr. Vice President, Revenue Management & Distribution for Montage International. In this role, Mr. Jereb is responsible for maximizing overall revenue generation and profitability at all properties under the Montage International portfolio and developing revenue strategies to position the company for continued growth and sustainability.
Mr. Jereb joined Montage with over three decades of hospitality experience, 27 of which focused specifically on revenue management. Prior to joining Montage, Mr. Jereb spent nine years with Belmond Ltd. in London as vice president of revenue management & distribution, more than six years with Morgans Hotel Group, holding director and regional director of revenue management positions at various locations, and also held revenue management and sales roles with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Marriott.
Stacie Nerf, CTE, Manager, MICE – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions, Delta Air Lines
Panelist
A 33-year airline veteran, 18-year veteran in MICE market and a #deltaproud veteran of 10 years. Stacie started her Delta career in Specialty Sales on the MICE team, virtually based in Dallas/Fort Worth.
The MICE team, develops, markets, and sells all Delta Business Meeting & Events products: Corporate Meetings, Conferences & Events, and SkyTeam Global Meetings.
Stacie holds certifications as CTE and HMCC and currently sits on Site’s Foundation Board of Trustees and is a previous EIC APEX Commission member and CAB member of various CVB Boards.
Amy Somer, CMP, Senior Event Manager, Meeting Management & Event Strategy, Liberty Mutual
Moderator
Amy Somer is a Senior Event Manager on the Enterprise Recognition Events team at Liberty Mutual, where she excels in sourcing, designing, and managing both domestic and international incentive conferences of all sizes. Amy is fortunate to collaborate with a team of dedicated professionals, creating an environment of mutual support that fuels her passion for event management.
With over 30 years of experience, Amy has successfully planned events for notable organizations such as MetLife, Mercer, and McKinsey & Company. She also gained valuable experience as a Conference Services Manager at the Hotel Jerome and the St. Regis Aspen in Colorado.
An active contributor to the industry, Amy is a former member of the SITE Northeast Chapter Board of Directors and Planning Committee Co-Chair for FICP 2025 Educational Forum. She holds a degree from Smith College and a Certificate in Conference and Meeting Management from NYU School of Continuing Education.