Professor Joe Goldblatt holds the world’s only professorial chair in event studies and is the executive director of the International Centre for the Study of Planned Events at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was the founding president of the International Special Events Society and the developer of the original Certified Special Events Professional program. Prior to joining Queen Margaret University he was Senior Lecturer and Executive Director for the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where his programme was named “best in the world” by the International Festivals and Events Association (ISES). He also served as Dean of the graduate school at Johnson & Wales University where he created the first master of business administration degree program in Event Leadership. He has produced hundreds of events for luminaries including two U.S. presidents and the opening of the Donald Trump Taj Mahal Resort. He is the author and editor of 21 books in the field of planned events. He has conducted research and presented educational programmes for EventScotland, Homecoming Scotland 2009, the East Lothian and Fife Councils and other organizations in Scotland and throughout the world. Goldblatt received the first ever Lifetime Achievement award for service to the industry from ISES. Event Solutions Magazine awarded him the Industry Visionary Award for his contributions to event management education and research. In 2007, Professor Goldblatt was named Event Educator of the Year by the Professional Convention Management Association and in 2008 he was honored as the Distinguished Alumnus from his alma mater, St. Edward’s University. Also in 2008 he was the first educator to be inducted into the International Festivals and Events Association Hall of Fame. Professor Goldblatt has been married to Nancy Lynner for over thirty years and they have two sons, Max, age 30, who is a successful professional actor in New York City and Sam, age 27, who is the executive director of the Edinburgh, Scotland 48 Hour Film Festival and the author of Greener Meetings and Events that will be published by John Wiley & Sons in 2011.