119: Innovation, Events, and Leadership with Gary Shapiro

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today we have the pleasure of speaking with an amazing leader and a legend in our industry, Gary Shapiro! Gary is President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association- the association that owns the famous Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. He is a New York Times bestselling author and was recently awarded a Legend of Honor. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gary is full of drive and passion! In this episode, he talks about his experiences and shares his fascinating views on the meetings and events industry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We hope you enjoy listening to today’s inspiring conversation with Gary Shapiro!</span></p> <p><strong>Bio:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gary Shapiro is an acclaimed author, lobbyist, president, and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, which represents over 1,500 consumer technology companies and owns and produces the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) ® — The Global Stage for Innovation. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Georgetown Law graduate, Shapiro began his career as an associate at the Squire Sanders law firm. After an extended tenure in law, he began working on Capitol Hill as an assistant to a prominent member of the U.S. Congress. Later in his life, Gary would use this combined law and legal experience to be named one of The Hill’s top lobbyists numerous times throughout his career (2015-2021). As his experience in law and politics progressed, he became more aligned with the world of technology, which eventually brought him into the fold of the Consumer Technology Association in 1982. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Taking the role of President and CEO, Shapiro evolved the idea of the workplace over his 40-year-long tenure leading the organization. Directing a staff of 150 employees alongside thousands of industry volunteers, he built a forward-thinking and successful business focused on the further development and integration of tec