Leadership

Shari Gelfand : Managing Director

Shari is an accomplished marketing leader with 20+ years of experience in the B2B event industry. Her passion in marketing began at the Institute for International Research, then ExL Events, and now continues at Momentum. Expert in multi-channel marketing for live and virtual events, Shari also excels at creative development, project management, search, website and data strategy. She loves spending time with her family and traveling in her spare time.

Scott Grossman: Chief Content Officer

He has successfully launched and scaled event series across sectors such as Life Sciences, Talent Acquisition, Business, and Spa & Wellness. As head of content development, Scott plays a key role in shaping the organization’s event portfolio—spearheading new initiatives, growing flagship programs, and ensuring every event meets the evolving needs of executive audiences.

With a background in both conference production and life sciences recruitment, Scott brings a unique perspective to trendspotting, content curation, and program design.

Outside of work, Scott enjoys traveling with his family, reading, and cheering on the New England Patriots.

Lauren Arcady : VP, Sales

Lauren is the Vice President of Sales at Momentum, where she specializes in overseeing all event sponsorship and business development opportunities. With over 10 years of experience in event management and business development, Lauren brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to every client partnership.

Her role involves working with clients to develop customized sponsorship opportunities and growing business development strategies to ensure measurable outcomes. She is dedicated to finding creative solutions that enhance the sponsorship experience and helping others turn connections into valuable business opportunities.

Erika Banchs : Marketing Director

Erika Banchs has effectively navigated various roles that have honed her skills and broadened her professional expertise in the event industry. She began her career as a Delegate Sales Manager at ExL Events, where she developed a foundational understanding of event sales dynamics. Erika’s journey continued at Momentum Events, where she transitioned into the Marketing Department. This unique experience allowed her to gain comprehensive insights into both sales and marketing functions, giving her a well-rounded perspective on the industry.

Her core competencies include team leadership, marketing strategy, and project management. She’s passionate about marketing and consumer psychology, always striving to understand the intricate motivations behind consumer behavior to create compelling and targeted marketing strategies.

Erika enjoys spending time with her family & her three cats, watching documentaries or a good thriller.

In Memory Of Matt Godson, Co-Founder​

In 2012 Matt left the American Conference Institute to launch Momentum Consulting and Momentum Events.

Born in London, Matt Godson studied Economics at Manchester University before joining Baker Tilly Accountants. Matt joined the Events Team at the Business Design Centre in London in 1994 launching, leading and supporting several high-profile conference and exhibitions including IDW, ART, and London Music Week.

In 1997 Matt joined the London Telecoms event team at the Institute for International Research producing more than 120 annual events globally in the Telecoms, Technology and Broadcasting sectors. Transferring to the New York offices of IIR in late 2000 and promoted to Regional Marketing Director, Matt launched IIRs Large Scale Event initiative with the highly successful Pharmaceutical Marketing Congress, CRM Focus, Design and Culture, Prepaid Markets Expo, In Building, CDMA World Congress and many more.

In 2004 Matt joined the American Conference Institute as Head of Marketing and assumed responsibility for the US and European Marketing Operations in 2007. Matt was an accomplished trainer and public speaker having presented at industry conferences in the US, UK and Europe.

On July 31 2017, Matt passed away after a quick battle with gliomatosis cerebri, an extremely rare brain cancer. He was one day shy of his 45th birthday. Matt is survived by his wife, fashion designer Emily Shalant and his sons Charlie & Giles.

A beloved husband, father, son, brother, friend and partner, his legacy will live on, preserved by the countless lives he touched, the people he made better, the ideas he created and the vision that helped form Momentum.