Galen A. Poss, CEM, is Vice Chairman for dmg events which owns and operates events globally in the construction and oil/gas sectors.  In addition to his role with dmg events, he also serves as Vice Chairman of Winsight Media which produces the National Restaurant Show.  Additionally Poss provides consulting services to leading profit and not-for-profit event organizers.  Previously he was President of Hanley-Wood Exhibitions, a division of Hanley-Wood, LLC from its inception in January 2000 until June of 2009. Poss, along with his team, was responsible for managing and growing the company’s exhibition activities, which were concentrated in the building and construction industry.  During his tenure with Hanley Wood the Exhibitions Division grew from one show and $11 million in revenue to seventeen events and over $70 million in revenue.

Prior to joining Hanley-Wood Exhibitions, Poss spent six years with the Dallas Division of Miller Freeman, Inc. in Dallas, Texas.  As Group President, he had overall responsibility for the real estate, design, decorated apparel, sewn products, building, association management and equine markets, as well as the company’s South American division and corporate exhibition central services.

Poss began his career in the tradeshow industry in 1977 in sales with the Greater New Orleans Tourist and Convention Commission. In 1979 he joined the Automotive Service Association heading up the organization’s convention department. In 1983 he formed Precision Planning & Sales (PPS), Inc., an exhibitions management company, providing exhibition and conference services for associations.  Poss sold PPS to Miller Freeman in November of 1993.  He earned his CEM (Certified Exhibitions Manager) designation from the National Association of Exposition Managers (now IAEE) in 1987.

Poss is a frequent speaker at exhibition industry events.  He is a former board member of the International Association for Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Additionally, he served as Chairman of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), the Society of Independent Show Organizers, the IAEE’s Service Corporation and the IAEE Foundation.  In 1999, Poss was the recipient of IAEE’s highest service award, the William Hunt Eisenman Career Achievement Award.  In 2013 he received IAEE’s Industry Legend Award and in 2018 he was presented with the Society of Independent Show Organizers’ Robert Krakoff Lifetime Achievement Award.

Poss lives with his wife in Southlake, Texas.