Darrell Fleming-Kendall is the events manager and special projects director for the ITAD Summit, Mobile Disrupt, and CarbonWyze. Darrell has worked in the recycling industry for the past 15 years, before that focusing on international development. Darrell holds a BA from Bowling Green Statue University and an MA from the University of Kansas. In his spare time, Darrell, his wife, and their five kids run a sustainable cattle ranch, a non-profit, and a few other local food production and distribution operations.
John Shegerian: Do you have a suggestion for a rockstar Impact Podcast guest? Go to impactpodcast.com and just click “Be a Guest”, to recommend someone today. This edition of the Impact Podcast is brought to you by ERI. ERI has a mission to protect people, the planet, and your privacy, and is the largest, fully integrated IT in electronics asset disposition provider and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company in the United States and maybe even the world. For more information on how ERI can help your business properly dispose of outdated electronic hardware devices, please visit eridirect.com. This episode of the Impact Podcast is brought to you by Closed Loop Partners. Closed Loop Partners is a leading circular economy investor in the United States with an extensive network of Fortune 500 corporate investors, family offices, institutional investors, industry experts, and Impact partners. Closed Loop’s platform spans the arc of capital from venture capital to private equity, bridging gaps and fostering synergies to scale the circular economy. To find Closed Loop Partners, please go to www.closedlooppartners.com.
John: Welcome to another edition of the Impact Podcast, a really special edition because we’ve got my friend back on the show again, Darrell Fleming-Kendall. He’s the events manager and special projects director for the ITAD Summit and for Mobile Disrupt. Welcome back, Darrell.
Darrell Fleming-Kendall: Thank you, John. It’s always an honor, always a pleasure. And especially, I got to spend a couple of weeks with you in the month of July, it’s like…
John: Exactly.
Darrell: I think I’ve seen more of you than I have my own family.
John: Yeah, me too. We’ve been in Miami together, unbelievable event. We’ve been in Las Vegas together, a total blowout success. Talk a little bit about both events, the success that we just came off of Miami and Mobile Disrupt, and then the big success over in Las Vegas last week at the ITAD Summit.
Darrell: Yeah, absolutely. So Mobile Disrupt, we started in the first week of July, right after the 4th of July. I think it was the 7th. I don’t even remember, maybe 8th or 9th. But down the amazing Fontainebleau in Miami, when you got a hotel and a venue with the history and the cache that that place has, it’s hard to not have a great event, right? We had 1100 people, 1200 people there for the Mobile Disrupt event, which was record numbers. And we filled that exhibit hall, which as you’ll recall, we filled last year for ITAD Summit, which is our larger show. And so to fill it with Mobile Disrupt was really cool. And the atmosphere there, I mean, it was just buzzing with all the mobility folks were super excited to be in Miami and kind of asking to go back. And it seems like a lot of business was done there, a lot of great conversations. Of course, you are, as usual, a phenomenal keynote kickoff speaker.
John: Thank you.
Darrell: So it was a great way to start the show. And I don’t think it slowed down until we closed down Bodega on Wednesday night.
John: Every client, every partner, every colleague from the industry that I know just said it was just first class all the way. I loved it. I stayed the whole show and there was so much to be done. Like you said, you created a centerpiece where everyone could get together and enjoy being with each other, but do a lot of commerce too. So you’ve created a very warm, friendly, and fun atmosphere.
Darrell: Yeah. I mean, look, I say all the time, if we can make connections, engage in networking, close deals and have fun, those four things make some memories along the way and get some ROI. It’s hard to justify not coming back the second year. So those are the four things we really focus on as we build the agenda and as we build the activities around it. And Mobile Disrupt hit on all four of those, so it was really cool.
John: That’s really cool. And then you come almost back to back a couple of weeks later with the ITAD Summit. Talk a little bit about the great success at the ITAD Summit in Las Vegas.
Darrell: Yeah, we had what, 2 weeks in between them. So it was quite a bit of scrambling in those 2 weeks, a little behind the scenes, behind the curtain, look at what it was like. But, yeah, the ITAD Summit, every indication we had going into it was that it was going to be record breaking. We broke last year’s attendance, or registration anyway, with a week and a half to go. So we kind of knew going in that we had a big crowd. We also knew we had some challenges in that, like, they had an event that closed up on Sunday. So we had to get the whole show put together on Monday. And so behind the scenes, we were up at 5:00 a.m. on Monday, getting the hall set and everything and ready to go. But man, the only word I’ve got for it is electric. We simply put together a forum and the attendees brought the energy, man. From Todd’s opening session, which of course including you and Eric from SK Tech [inaudible], from that moment on, that room was packed, standing room only, from start to finish. And, really, the entire vibe just never chilled until I got booed off the stage at the closing night reception when I said that the ITAD Summit is officially over.
John: [inaudible].
Darrell: So I’ve been to a lot of conferences and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anybody boo that it’s over. So really cool, really exciting. And the number of people, John, that came to me during the event and after the event and have said either that they’ve closed more business than they’ve ever closed in an event or they closed the largest deal ever in the history of their company at the ITAD summit. I will put in all the hours required in order to make events like that if that’s the kind of business that’s going to happen because that’s why we do it. The events are fun and the receptions are fun and all that stuff. The awards are cool. But man, if we can make people’s businesses better and we can make them stronger, we’re doing something great for the industry and that’s all that matters.
John: And there was north of 1800 people there, right?
Darrell: Yeah. So our final registration number was over 1800 and I think the final check in number was right at 1800.
John: That’s awesome. So for our listeners of yours, first of all, itadsummit.com and will be in the show notes. Itadsummit.com is sort of the platform for all the information about all of the great events that Darrell hosts. Next year is not going to be anything less than the greatness, probably going to be even better. Next year, Mobile Disrupt and ITAD Summit are going to be back at the same locations at Fontainebleau and the Bellagio again?
Darrell: Yeah, we haven’t finally confirmed that, but I would say 90%. We are going to those 2 venues for the 2 shows.
John: Great.
Darrell: But our original intention, John, was to flip-flop home and kind of keep it fresh. But truth be told, the ITAD Summit has really outgrown the Fontainebleau. We took 45,000 square feet of exhibit hall, and we really just don’t have that at the Fontainebleau. And then you add to that, we have got to feed 1800 people, maybe 2000 people next year and that takes space as well. And the Fontainebleau, as amazing and sprawling as it is, it just doesn’t have the capacity for all of it. So it looks like we’re going to be at Bellagio for the ITAD Summit. And frankly, that venue is so great. It’s hard to [inaudible].
John: That’s awesome. So next year, we’ll be back in Miami and we’ll be back in Las Vegas again together. I know you have some other announcements that you want to share with our audience and our listeners and our viewers. Why don’t you share some other information you have that you’re really excited about, Darrell.
Darrell: Yeah, so we’ll start with the one that we haven’t really talked about too much, but one of the things we’re really excited about is the budding community that has been created around these shows. One of the things that we’ve heard repeatedly from our attendees, from the folks in the industry, and not so subtly from folks like you, John, is that we gain all this momentum in the month of July, and then we have to wait a year to get back to it. And really, the ITAD industry is growing. It’s maturing. It’s becoming a force to be reckoned with. And you and I were on a panel together. I was moderating, you were providing wisdom, I just asked questions.
John: Oh, you did great.
Darrell: But we were on a panel together talking with an OEM and a retailer and HP and Timo about the role that ITAD plays in the circular economy. And really, we take a quarter of that, right? If you add consumers, we take a quarter of that circle. And so the time has come that we really build some community around that. So we’re going to have some really exciting things going on kind of going into Q4, Q1, related to expanding the role of the ITAD Summit-Mobile Disrupt within our part of the circular economy and really just galvanizing the relationships among the folks that play in the ITAD space. And so we’re very excited about that. More to come, but we really want the ITAD Summit and the spirit of ITAD Summit-Mobile Disrupt to carry on through the year. So watch out for that.
John: That’s going to be great. And you have another big announcement as well with regards to Mobile Disrupt and the ITAD Summit.
Darrell: Yeah. And this one, I think, is just about as exciting as they come. We talked about it, and we launched it at the awards event, on Tuesday night at the ITAD Summit. It was the first time we really talked about it publicly. But we’re taking the show on the road, man. We’re really excited. We have a ton of partners internationally who love our events and continue to talk about how great our events are. And so making good on a promise from a couple of years ago, we’re taking the ITAD summit and Mobile Disrupt, kind of combining the themes to Nice, France, April 15th and 16th. Yeah. So they’ve got a phenomenal new facility right there, right on the coast there in Nice on the French Riviera. And so we figured we like to do it big at these venues, right? When you go home and tell your friends you’re going on a work trip and you say you go to the Bellagio or Fontainebleau, we like to make it carry a little weight. And so now you can tell your friends you’re going on a work trip to the French Riviera, and we’re going to be there. Already talking about some of the fun things we’re going to do associated with that.
John: Will the information for the hotel and the venue and the registration be on the itadsummit.com in the coming weeks ahead?
Darrell: Yeah, so the event will eventually have its own website. But for now, I would direct everybody to itadsummit.com where there’ll be updates about the hotel room blocks, the event, and the agenda. And certainly, I wouldn’t be doing my job as an event coordinator if I didn’t suggest that the opportunities for sponsorship and exhibiting and things like that will all be on there as well because we want to make sure that we do it up the way we did here in America for our friends over in Europe and in order to do that, we need some really great sponsors. So that will be there too.
John: We’ve already raised our hand because we’re coming in force to that event. That event’s going to be very impactful, Darryl, and we’re very excited at ERI. And I know all my colleagues in the industry in the United States are very excited as well and they’re all coming to Europe.
Darrell: You know, John, I’ll tell you what, when we announced it, the number of people that just committed on site to at least participation was honestly a little shocking. So we’re really excited about it. What we felt was going to be a pretty significant uphill climb and getting some momentum behind this maybe doesn’t feel so uphill anymore. So we’re really excited. I think it’s going to be truly a one of a kind event.
John: April 15th and 16th, 2026, in Nice, France.
Darrell: In Nice, France. That’s on the French Riviera. Yeah, that’s right.
John: So excited, Darrell. So excited. Can’t wait for that event. I can’t wait. It’s going to be so much fun.
Darrell: It’s going to be cool for sure.
John: All right. And people who go to the ITAD Summit, it’ll be in our show notes, itadsummit.com. To keep learning about all the details upcoming for Nice, France and also for Mobile Disrupt next year and for the ITAD Summit next year, and all the other great stuff you’re up to and all the other information you need to spread, it’s all on itadsummit.com. You can look at the show notes from this podcast. But I look forward to being with you again in Nice, France. We’re going to be at the Leadership Summit coming up and that’s going to be really fun too. And, Darrell, I think your events are only going to get bigger and better every year.
Darrell: That’s the goal, man. It’s a nice reminder of why we do it when we break these records year over year. But I mean, really, again, it’s a testament to the industry and really, that’s what we’re here for. If the industry gets stronger and better and grows, truthfully, the show is going to continue to grow. And it just gives us an opportunity to make the wow factor even bigger when we have gotten more attendees.
John: Darrell, I’m really, really thankful for our friendship, and I’m really thankful for the friendship also that we have, of course, with Rob. You guys are amazing. You’re making big impacts on the planet. And I’m just grateful for all that you do. And thanks to both of you for making the world a better place.
Darrell: Absolutely. And same to your team, John. I mean, they’re second[?], the whole group of them. So thank you.
John: This edition of the Impact Podcast is brought to you by Engage. Engage is a digital booking platform revolutionizing the talent booking industry. With thousands of athletes, celebrities, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, Engage is the go-to spot for booking talent, for speeches, custom experiences, live streams, and much more. For more information on Engage or to book talent today, visit letsengage.com. This edition of the Impact Podcast is brought to you by ERI. ERI has a mission to protect people, the planet, and your privacy and is the largest fully integrated IT in electronics asset disposition provider and cybersecurity focused hardware destruction company in the United States and maybe even the world. For more information on how ERI can help your business properly dispose of outdated electronic hardware devices, please visit eridirect.com.