The Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) hosted its annual 2025 SISO Leadership Conference Aug. 19-21 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, drawing leading senior execs and business owners from across the events industry. It was the event’s Indy debut—a decision driven by recent successes SISO members experienced in the city, according to CEO Vincent Polito. “It was the largest summer leadership conference since I’ve been CEO (in 2022),” Polito noted, highlighting an 8% increase in attendance over the 2024 event in Philadelphia. Despite serving an industry that’s largely defined by long-term planning, the SISO Leadership Conference takes a more agile approach. A standout moment, per Polito, was the return of Angel Scalpello, owner of The Scalpello Group, to lead the Women’s Leadership Forum, a program within the larger Leadership Conference focused on empowering women in leadership roles.