ABC Kids Expo is making some key leadership changes for next year’s show, with changes in the front office and board of directors being effective from 1 January 2021.
Show organiser All Baby & Child has announced that Aaron Pederson will be stepping down as chairman of the board to assume the role of chief executive officer, overseeing trade show production and management at ABC.
Aaron has been chairman of ABC since April 2019 and has presided over a changing business climate in the B2B trade show industry as well as the quick pivot to hosting virtual events following the cancelled 2020 ABC Kids Expo, due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Following Aaron’s move to a new role, the board of directors has elected Lea Culliton (who is currently president of HABA USA and brings with her 18 years of experience in the toy and game sector) to fill the remaining term as chairman.
“Though I will miss working in my family’s retail stores on the eve of our 40th anniversary, the opportunity to lead ABC through a shift in what trade shows of the future may look like is a challenge I look forward to,” said Aaron. “I want to thank Lea and the entire board of directors for their trust in me to carry out a new vision that keeps the ABC Kids Expo positioned as the leading North American juvenile trade show.”
“I am deeply honored to accept the chairman of the board position for ABC Kids Expo,” commented Lea. “I’m excited to embrace the challenges that are occurring in the industry. I’ve always enjoyed the thrill of finding new ideas, new resources, and doing the research to see if those ideas would potentially work. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t, but at least we learn along the way and are not standing still.”
All Baby & Child looks forward to announcing a full line-up of events for 2021 while continuing to monitor the raising concerns around the spread and safety of Covid-19.
The board of directors would also like to thank Larry and Elizabeth Schur for their 17 years of dedication to the All Baby & Child organisation since its inception as well as their contributions to the juvenile industry at large.
