Benjamin Rabe, Cem Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

In my current role, I oversee nine teams that are dedicated to managing and executing highly effective, engaging events. We recognize the significant role that events play in our client organizations’ overall business, which is why I encourage my teams to create new experiences for client organizations and their attendees through integration of knowledge spanning the disciplines of education, technology and marketing. As evidence of our success and capabilities, four of the events we manage are regularly featured on the Trade Show News Network’s Top 250 Trade Shows List including one in the Top 10. Smithbucklin’s clients benefit from our experience as one of the most respected and engaged organizations in the conference and event industry. We deliver powerful results through the creation and management of educational programming, conference design, business model development, participant marketing, site selection, registration, advanced technology, attendee experience, and tradeshow and sponsorship sales and fulfillment.I graduated Smithbucklin’s Leadership Learning Forum, an intensive 12-month program that each year inspires the individual learning, self-discovery and personal growth of 15-20 SmithBucklin employees by exposing them to leadership concepts and principles. Created by SmithBucklin CEO Henry Givray, who is also the program’s lead facilitator, its goal is to build leadership capacity throughout the company – to grow leaders from within.Smithbucklin is the association management and services company more organizations turn to than any other. Our mission is to achieve the missions of the client organizations we serve and provide uncompromised stewardship for their long-term prosperity. We offer full-service management and outsourced services to trade associations, professional societies, technology user communities, industry consortia, charitable organizations, corporations and government institutes. Smithbucklin is 100 percent employee-owned.

In 2007, I was promoted to a management role where I was responsible for managing and executing the onsite brand for each of my clients. I also focused on improving the exhibitor experience. At this time I also began to manage the team responsible for sales of sponsorships, exhibits, advertising, and Web properties for our tradeshow clients as well as provide support to our executive group in developing Smithbucklin talent.Under my leadership, one of my teams was honored with the Fastest 50 award from Tradeshow Week for producing one of the “Fastest 50” growing shows – three years in a row – for the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association. I also began working with corporate clients, including Carol Anderson by Invitation (CAbi), where I focused on bringing their brand to life at their semi-annual events. I began working with KeHE Distributors during this time, and still do today. Our focus is their hosted buyer program for their two semi-annual tradeshows and two regional tradeshows.

I joined Smithbucklin in 2002 as a coordinator focusing on trade show operations. My responsibilities included exhibitor customer service, assignment of exhibit space, and management of various contractors. My initial clients included the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association, the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON) and the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM). I also helped produce The NAFEM Show, a mainstay on the Trade Show Executive's Gold 100 and Trade Show News Network’s Top 250 Trade Shows List. I continued to serve NAFEM from 2007 through the 2017 show as the exhibit director.

Managed logistics, details, budget forecasting and expense tracking for 100+ regional conferences. Assisted Events Team at national conference with booth set-up, promotions and special events. During my time at Follett I grew the workshop program from 22 to 38 seminars annually.