Excellent 2008 IACEP conference!

Keynote exec Katrina Smith recently attended the International Association of Corporate Entertainment Producers (www.iacep.com) annual conference in Las Vegas. Wow - what terrific acts were represented, from speakers to bands to illusionists to comedians.

The IACEP does a great job of selecting which performers to present to the group. Katrina thought for sure they couldn't top last year's showcase, but this year's was even better! (2007 included such Keynote favorites as The Three Waiters, The Passing Zone, and The Water Coolers.)

Standout speakers included Tim Sanders, Bob Higa, and True Colors, and the performers' showcase included standouts Jay Alexander, Kevin Johnson, Rick Lewis, and Mitchell Zeidwig, as well as a number of outstanding show bands and musical acts.

Closing the conference was an eye-opening segment about emerging talent and trends in the industry. In addition to a snapshot of what the demographics and trends of the US will look like in the future, the attendees were also treated to a video display of popular new acts emerging on the corporate scene. Not every performer is "corporate-friendly", so it was great to see that so many cutting edge names making themselves available to the corporate buyer.

The presentation, and the conference in general, were so impressive that Katrina found herself signing up for the "emerging talent and trends" committee for 2009 - so she'll get to spend even more time researching emerging talent for the corporate market