ICOMIA/IFBSO Congress 2026 Countdown: Kimberly Hardcastle, Freeman Chief Strategist, speaker profile.
Table of Contents
Session Title
Event Trends Every Boat Show Producer Should Be Watching
Session Description
The same macroeconomic, geopolitical and societal trends influencing the marine industry are also reshaping the events industry. Shifting demographics, rising expectations for immersive experiences and rapid advances in digital technology are changing how people discover products, build relationships and participate in events.
In this session, Freeman Chief Strategist Kimberly Hardcastle will share 10 fresh insights from recent industry research and discuss what they mean for producers responsible for keeping their events relevant and growing.
Speaker Bio
As Chief Strategist, Kimberly drives participation, elevates experiences and future-proofs events for Freeman clients. With a Master of Science in Business Administration, over two decades of industry experience, and a unique ability to shift between analytical and creative thinking, she brings both discipline and imagination to solving complex challenges. Her expertise in event marketing, strategic planning, tactical execution and organizational design was shaped during her 24-year tenure at mdg, the agency she helped build before eventually selling to Freeman.
Kimberly is a CEM faculty member, a Krakoff Leadership Institute alumna and has been named by IAEE as an Educator of the Year and a Woman of Achievement. She has a monthly column in PCMA’s Convene magazine and is a frequent presenter at SISO, PCMA Convening Leaders, Expo! Expo! and Lippman Connects events. She’s also the mom of a TCU Horned Frog, wife of a retired Navy pilot, Peloton addict, reader, runner and believer in civil rights.
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