Opening keynoter John Barrett, executive director of ISSA—the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, explained how his organization is growing through acquisition while staying true to its mission. Or, as he called it, working on the engine while driving down the highway.

ECEF Gold Sponsor PSAV provided iPads participants could use to take polls, take notes, download slides, ask questions, and create word clouds, like this one during the panel on attracting and retaining key staff.

One of the highlights of the ECEF 2018 education was a case study by Nicole Peck, executive vice president of BizBash Media, on how they launched an event chatbot called Betty, sassy "personality" and all.

ECEF 2018 Gold Sponsor PSAV's staging was a big hit with the crowd.

Margaret Core, CAE, vice president, marketing and industry events with the Food Marketing Institute, joined her colleague, senior vice president and chief collaboration officer Mark Baum, in walking the audience through a case study of how FMI retired its signature event—and re-energized its events lineup.

Informa Global Exhibition's chief technology officer Michael Clapperton explained the main pitfalls that cause data capture programs to fail, and how you can avoid them.

Macy Fecto, executive vice president, human resources and administration with Access Intelligence, joined ASIS CEO Peter O'Neil and Clarion UX CEO Greg Topalian in a dynamic panel discussion on how to attract and retain top talent. Hint: It has a lot to do with your corporate culture.

Clarion UX CEO Greg Topalian emphasized how vital it is to back up the vision of your organizational culture with action. For example, if you say you value innovation, you have to make sure that you don't penalize someone who starts something new, he said. 

Mickey McManus, Autodesk visiting research fellow, Boston Consulting Group senior advisor, and coauthor of the book Trillions, closed the show with a whirlwind exploration of where technology is taking us, and how we can partner with present and future tech to co-create new ideas. 

The show ended with a TechDemo/closing reception combination that gave event leaders the opportunity to test drive 10 real-world technology solutions while enjoying some sweet and savory treats.