Award Winning Event Strategist Driving Growth and Transformation For YOU | Plug-and-Play Project Manager | Technology Enthusiast | Always Curious

Shaping the Future of International Meetings | Collaborative Growth | Event Transformation

Curiosity - Innovation - Storytelling

As the Regional Director for North America at ICCA, I am passionate about driving growth and fostering collaboration within the global meetings and events industry. ICCA has stood at the forefront of shaping the future of international association meetings since 1963, and I'm honoured to be part of a team that champions innovation, sustainability, and advocacy on a global scale.

Over the years, I've had the privilege of strategizing, planning, and executing transformative events—from intimate gatherings to international conferences. My career has been built on an unwavering commitment to innovation, creative problem-solving, and a collaborative approach to ensure that every event exceeds expectations. Along the way, I've been fortunate to be recognized with honours such as "Planner of the Year" by Smart Meetings and a spot on the "40 Under 40" by Connect x BizBash.

But more than accolades, it's the connections I've built and the stories we've shaped together that truly inspire me. It was the Guinness World Record attempt to host the largest online event gathering, GMID Goes Virtual, in 2020, which connects almost all the industry associations across the globe. It was #EventprofsBreakShit that I co-founded in 2021, seeking an honest, authentic, but joyful way to explore event technology. 

These are the real rewards of our work, and they underscore the power of collaboration in our industry.

At ICCA, we're not just organizing meetings—we're creating spaces where ideas flourish, communities grow, and the future of our industry is redefined. I'd love to connect if you're interested in exploring how we can collaborate, build meaningful partnerships, or simply share ideas. Let's work together to amplify the value of international meetings and create sustainable, innovative solutions for the future.

Are you ready to shape the future of international association meetings? Let's connect and make an impact together.

Shawn (Yih-Hsiang) Cheng

Social27 Inc.

Managing company's go-to-market functions including Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, Solutions Engineering, Pricing, and Revenue Operations

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) | Partner

Social27 is a Virtual Events Platform powered by Intelligent Automation. The leading enterprise ready platform allows event organizers to create a 'no friction' journey that humanizes the virtual event experience and enables attendees and sponsors to meet their business objectives.

Additional Social27 solutions: 
The Playlist: Accelerates sales and revenue growth in a virtual event or any online experience by empowering B2B marketers to deliver a personalized and ‘binge-worthy’ content experience in real-time. 

The AI Assistant: This smart chatbot identifies buyer intent, qualifies leads, schedules appointments, and more through out a virtual event or any online experience. 

Other business solutions include 
- Online Academies (Cyber security and NASBA accredited Accounting Academy)
- LMS (Learning Management System)
- Video Production Services

Clients include Microsoft, Amazon, ATD, Dell, ASCD, University of Washington, and DocuSign. Social27 is based out of Redmond, WA with offices in UK and India.

Partner and VP Business Development

HiveGPT

HiveGPT empowers businesses to soar with AI-driven marketing campaigns, seamless event planning, and secure AI models. From creating buzz to booking meetings, our platform facilitates every step – from crafting campaigns and landing pages to orchestrating events.

Chief Revenue Officer

CyberTraining 365

CT365 is an online academy that offers most in-demand cybersecurity training and certification through different subscription models. Members have access to the ever growing library of quality, engaging videos that are taught by some of industry’s best and most recognized experts. 

CT365 is powered by Social27's patented cloud-based eLearning platform, providing members with an engaging and collaborative learning environment. Through best in class content, social learning tools, and gamification, CT365 is taking eLearning from Isolation to Collaboration.

Co-Founder

AccountingEd

AccountingEd is a NASBA accredited online accounting academy that offers a growing library of over 150 hours of accounting, fraud and cybersecurity training. Learn from top industry experts while earning your CPE credits.

Prudential Financial

Progressive sales and new business development experience across a wide range of investment/asset management and fiduciary services. My area of expertise pertained to advising individuals/families with a minimum net worth of $1m with their financial planning, investment management, wealth transfer and risk management planning needs.

Specialties: Financial Planning, Investment Management, Wealth Transfer Planning, Risk Management Analysis and Trust Services.

Financial Planner

Ford Motor Company (Bill Pierre Auto Centers)

Led the recruitment, management, and operations of all 3 departments of the dealership; gathering critical feedback from local and national consulting firms on the future of each division to make financial and personnel decisions.

Built a sales force from ground up, strategically trained it and moved departments around; raising the average unit sales from 30 units to 65 units per month and raising average profit from $190,000 to over $400,000 per month, within five months. 

Managed external and internal sales teams as well as outside vendors in development of a market segmentation framework; redefining our customer targets, altering marketing strategies, and evaluating our services and products.

Designed and published a five segment interactive daily sales training series which includes: Meet and Greet, Pre-Appraisal, Alternative Selection, Overcoming Objections, and Handling the Phones.

Established and maintained reputable relationships with top managers of major banks and financial institutions in the state and around the country; allowing for direct negotiations to ensure all sales and service contracts are funded.

Engaged with the company President, CFO and Corporate District Manager on both short and long term goals including advertising strategies, sales promotions, staffing needs, lease promotions and compensation plans. 

Created all marketing and advertising campaigns; working and negotiating directly with executives of The Seattle Times, NWCT, Everett Herald and internet advertising sources: autotrader.com, vehix.com, and cars.com.

General Sales Manager

Nissan Motor Company (Rainier Auto Group)

Architect of the company-wide Internet Sales Department; creating new pricing models, hiring qualified personnel, importing Cobalt CRM, and administering the outsourcing of web design and maintenance  

Managed all aspect of daily operations; structuring and completing car deals, administering vehicle appraisals, purchasing vehicles at major auto auctions around the country, and customer retention.

Developed a formula to manage $8 million in new and used car inventory; reducing flooring costs incurred by old age units and to ensure the proper mix of supply for maximum turnover efficiency.

Ensured to have an advanced understanding of all federal, state, and local regulations that affect business operations.

General Manager

Social27 is a Virtual and Hybrid Events Platform powered by generative AI. The leading enterprise ready platform allows event organizers to create a 'no friction' journey that humanizes the virtual event experience and enables attendees and sponsors to meet their business objectives.

Manpreet is an innovative Leader and Executive with over 15 years of global experience in StartUp’s, General Management, Sales, Marketing, and Business Development. Throughout his career, Manpreet has worked with large and complex multinational corporations, and in diverse environments across the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

As a trusted thought leader in Virtual Events, AI Automation, Cyber Security, and GDPR, Manpreet has delivered informative presentations at conferences, webinars, and online academies, including CyberTraining365.com, to generate marketing awareness and leading Social27 to drive predictable revenue growth, win substantial market share, and earn customer/channel loyalty.

Manpreet Wadan

Still writing your event content like it’s meant for Google?
AI search is built for conversation, not keywords.

Search is no longer typed. It’s spoken. And if your event content doesn’t match how people talk, you’re already harder to find.

WRITE HOW PEOPLE SPEAK
 Use natural language and direct answers so AI can understand intent, not just terms.

LEAD WITH THE ANSWER
 Your first sentence is everything in voice and chat search.

STRUCTURE FOR CLARITY
 Q&A formats and clean sections help AI surface your content faster.

Your attendees are asking real questions. Make sure your content can be the answer.

Pls watch full video for the breakdown.

CRO @ Social27 (AI & Event Tech) | Driving $10M+ ARR YoY | Helping Fortune 1000s Scale Event ROI | UW Foster MBA

Are ad budgets getting slashed in your org too?
The events industry is feeling it more than anyone.

When tariffs and rising costs hit, paid promotion is always the first thing cut.

That means less pre-event buzz and a much bigger lift for planners and marketers to keep visibility alive.

Here’s what the most effective event teams are doing:

1. SHIFT TO OWNED MEDIA
Your mobile app and digital event platform become your strongest channels when paid is limited.

2. BUILD COMMUNITY MOMENTUM
Events with active pre-event communities generate more engagement without paying for reach.

TARGET WITH AI
AI helps every message land with the right person so you get more out of the channels you already have.

THE TAKEAWAY:
This moment isn’t about spending more, It’s about spending smarter.

👉 Pls watch the video for a quick walkthrough of how teams are adapting their event strategy.

Tariffs are rewriting your event budget
And the impact is showing up everywhere

Event costs are rising across the board. Imported gear, signage, lighting and most everything physical now costs more.

Yet planners are still expected to deliver the same experience with fewer resources.

1. SMALLER FOOTPRINTS
Tariffs are pushing events toward leaner builds and more local sourcing.

2. THE SHIFT TO HYBRID
Hybrid isn’t just reach anymore, it’s becoming a cost-control strategy.

3. USE AI TO OFFSET SPEND
AI now powers content delivery, digital support, and matchmaking, reducing costs while improving the attendee experience.

If your production model still relies heavily on logistics and labor, you are already feeling the impact. 

This is the moment to rethink what should be live, what should be digital, and where can tech take weight off the budget.

Please watch the video to learn more.

Tariffs Are Reshaping Event Budgets
Teams are being forced to plan differently, not just spend less

Tariffs are putting real pressure on event budgets and it’s changing how programs are being built and marketed. 

Sponsorships are tightening, physical builds are getting leaner, and international attendance is dipping.

Here’s what’s actually happening:

1. SHIFT TO HYBRID PRESENCE
Planners are reducing on-site footprint and extending reach through virtual layers that add scale without adding cost.

2. AI-DRIVEN CONTENT DELIVERY
AI is helping teams personalize sessions and surface the right content so engagement doesn’t drop even as physical builds shrink.

3. SMARTER LEAD TARGETING
With budgets squeezed, AI-powered targeting and follow-up are becoming essential to protect pipeline and attribution.

The Takeaway:
The events that win in this environment aren’t the biggest, they’re the ones adapting the fastest.

Is your global event  audience shrinking?
Travel costs and visa delays are reshaping who can actually show up

You can’t wait for attendees to come to you. You have to meet them where they are. 

We are seeing this first hand all across the globe, including COP30, and here is what you need to do as a planner:  

PLAY 1: GO BEYOND BASIC STREAMING
Global reach comes from full virtual experiences, not one-way broadcasts.

PLAY 2: ADD AI FOR PERSONALIZATION
AI helps tailor sessions, content, and networking so engagement doesn’t dip even when travel does.

PLAY 3: BUILD DIGITAL-FIRST ACCESS
Visa delays and travel costs don’t stop the event when your digital platform does the heavy lifting.

THE TAKEAWAY:
If you want real global reach today, build for digital scale first and physical attendance second.

👉 Pls watch the video for a quick breakdown of what planners are doing to adapt.

taplio

The Battle

Shawn (Yih-Hsiang) Cheng

Manpreet Wadan

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The Battle

Shawn (Yih-Hsiang) Cheng

Manpreet Wadan

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Manpreet Wadan's LinkedIn Performance

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