The top innovators shaping the future of the events industry in U.S.

These are the people—marketers, fund-raisers, designers, producers, and other professionals—that, with new ideas and smart strategies, are setting the standard for events and meetings today.

On our list of innovative people this year are folks from all over North America, including an Ohio-based executive with a mission to turn passive museum-going experiences into theatrical live events and an Austin, Texas–based conference director using audience feedback to adapt South by Southwest in meaningful ways. There are inventors of new digital services, budget-conscious nonprofit planners, and meeting strategists from some of the biggest tech companies in the country.

Among the direct travel-industry related professional on this Bizbash list include Peggy Fang Roe of Marriott International and Roger Dow of U.S. Travel Association.