REED TAPS RON WALDEN TO LEAD AGENDA, COMPLEXCON

Event and trade show organization Reed Exhibitions has announced industry veteran, and former senior sales director at Nike, Ron Walden will join its U.S. leadership team, effective March 19. Walden will be based in the Reed Exhibitions Los Angeles office, reporting to Reed Exhibitions’ president of Americas, Hervé Sedky.

Walden will serve as group vice president and head of the fashion and festival portfolio, with 5 events, which include Agenda Shows, Agenda Festival, ComplexCon, and more to be announced.

Walden, has an immense knowledge of the fashion and event industries, with over thirty years industry experience, most recently serving for over 6 years at Nike, in the position as the senior sales director. Prior to his time with Nike, Walden also spent 8 years as VP of sales at MAGIC tradeshow. Walden brings his vast industry experience and will work to align his relationships with retailers and brands across the fashion and festival portfolio at Reed.

“I’ve been a fan of Agenda, ComplexCon, and Aaron’s work for quite some time,” said Walden. “I’m excited for the opportunity to connect the dots, building progressive platforms, pushing boundaries and disrupting our industry’s norms.”

Walden joins Reed on the heels of the announcement that Aaron Levant is retiring from the trade show industry, but will be taking a role as an advisor. Levant will be working closely with Walden to assist in a smooth transition, as well as a larger role advising across Reed, with the goal to lead in creating an immersive event experience across the Reed portfolio.

“I’ve known Ron over 10 years and I’m confident he is the perfect person to carry my vision and legacy alongside our talented team,” added Levant. “Ron has been both a friend and colleague. I’m honored to have him continue to lead the group I’ve built at Reed with his deep understanding culture, brands and retail.”