Spring Greetings,

Can you believe that the first quarter of 2023 is already over? Time flies when you are having fun … or trade shows to manage. Our board directors are in the midst of their Spring events, and so are many of you. So great to see all the success stories on social media.

Spring is also a time for change. As days are getting longer, plants beginning to grow, flowers blooming, and animals awakening from hibernation, industry colleagues are also changing jobs or exploring new avenues. I'm the latter. Yes, yours truly is making a change in her life. For the next couple of months, I'll be fulfilling a lifelong dream – traveling the world! Well, at least parts of this beautiful planet. Do not fear – the Chapter will be in very good hands while I'm on travel. Mark Shadwick, your Vice Chair, has agreed to step up in the interim to lead the Chapter. Thank you, Mark.

While I'm excited about my journey, I know I'll have FOMO when it comes to the events planned for the next three months:

• April: Volunteer at DC Central Kitchen on Sunday, April 30. Sign up here
• May: We appreciate every single one of our members and what you are doing for the exhibitions and events industry. To show our gratitude, we are working hard to organize members-only social events across the DMW during Member Appreciation Month. Stay tuned for more details. 
• June: Our Q2 Education session will take place on Friday, June 9th with the topic, “Love the Venue You're In.“ Intrigued? Check out our events page for more information.

Please join your fellow board members, DC Chapter members, and industry colleagues at one or many of these events. The best meetings are nothing without you, our attendees.

In the beginning of my term, I mentioned to you that we plan to engage our members and industry colleagues more this year. We formed a Membership Committee, and you will start receiving emails soon with more information and some small ‘asks' to make this mission successful.

Claudia Maurer
IAEE DC Chapter Chair