Sustainability In Action: A Case Study Of Expo! Expo! 2025

Hannah Deters, CEM, CMP is the Director of Events and Sustainability at the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE). Hannah leads the sustainability initiatives at IAEE and is actively involved in the overall planning and execution of all IAEE and subsidiary-related events. Hannah received her BS in Recreation Management, Business Administration from Pittsburg State University. Prior to joining IAEE, Hannah was the Director of Operations for the Sunflower State Games where she coordinated Kansas’ only amateur Olympic Style sports festival.

Sydney Rhea, CEM, serves as the Sustainability Project Delivery Manager for Informa Markets North America, leading sustainability initiatives across the company’s Agriculture, Aviation, Engineering, Fashion, HIMSS, Licensing, Infrastructure & Construction, New Hope, and SupplySide event portfolios. With over a decade of experience in the hospitality and event management industry, she has been an Operations leader and Event Manager for Informa, the world’s largest trade show organizer.  Sydney is also Chair of Meetings Industry Council of Colorado and was honored with TSE Magazines’ 2024 Women To Watch Award. When not working or advocating for sustainability within the events industry, Sydney enjoys spending time with her family at their mini homestead. She loves tending to her chickens, greenhouse, and the 75+ fruit trees and myriad of fruit bushes they grow to harvest fresh produce.

Brandie K. Townsend is a sustainability strategist specializing in waste diversion and materials management for the exhibitions and events industry. Raised on a dairy farm south of Buffalo, NY, in Chautauqua, she brings a grounded, no-nonsense work ethic to the fast-paced world of tradeshows — pairing rural resilience with deep technical expertise. 

With a Master of Architecture from SCAD, Brandie has built a career at the intersection of design, operations, and sustainability. She leads large-scale diversion programs, develops circular-material strategies, and partners with venues, decorators, and exhibitors to keep show-floor materials out of landfills. Her work spans flooring recovery, C&D diversion, zero-waste planning, and sustainable product development, with hands-on experience at major national events.

A TRUE Advisor, LEED AP, and OSHA-certified professional, Brandie has been featured in Waste Today Magazine and has presented nationally on deconstruction, reuse, and circular manufacturing. She currently serves on the Rome, Georgia, Planning and Zoning Commission and previously served on the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. Brandie is known for building strong partnerships, simplifying complex waste streams, and creating practical, scalable solutions that help the events industry operate more sustainably, one show floor at a time.

Kelly Massey is a Managing Partner and CEO at Grit Productions and Expositions. Kelly has been a leader in the meetings and events industry for over 25 years.  He has helped hundreds of clients develop and execute innovative and memorable event strategies that maximize revenues, branding, and attendee experience on the show floor. Primarily functioning in the Executive Producer role, Kelly has managed diverse B2B and B2C programs such as Annual Meetings, User Group Conferences, Sales Kick Offs, and unique Brand Activation programs, respectively ranging from 200-5,000+ attendees.  He lends his expertise in all aspects of Corporate Event Production and Operations with a focus on adding production value and collaboration between all internal and external team members. 

With her background in corporate event planning, paired with her diligent attention to detail and creativity, Avery Evans has been a valued addition to the Grit Team. Avery leads with a customer-driven, problem-solving mindset, to ensure the events the team produces are executed flawlessly from planning to execution.

With nearly a decade of experience in sustainable events, Julia Spangler, SEPC, brings keen insight and practical know-how to clients at any stage of their sustainability journey. As a sustainability manager for Events & Experiences at Honeycomb Strategies, Julia helps clients increase compost collection, expand donation programs, and measure progress toward sustainability goals. Through her guidance, clients have achieved EIC Platinum Certification, implemented comprehensive zero-waste strategies, and included social sustainability activations to benefit local communities and amplify audience participation in sustainability efforts. Julia is a skilled sustainability educator who has led courses with The Global Sustainable Tourism Council and featured as a guest speaker on many occasions. 

Prior to joining Honeycomb Strategies, Julia owned independent sustainability consultancy Ecosystem Events. She has educated event professionals around the world about sustainability and led waste diversion programs at dozens of events, resulting in waste diversion rates as high as 93%. In her free time, you can find her playing guitar in her folk music band or cooking up fresh veggies from the hobby farm where she resides with her husband, cat, and chickens.