Veteran meetings industry professional and association executive Jason Ware died June 24 at age 53 following a second battle with cancer.
Ware passed away suddenly and peacefully in the home of his best friend and fellow meeting professional Kelly Schulz, who currently is senior VP, communications and PR for New Orleans & Company but worked with Ware at MPI in the early 2000s. Ware was in New Orleans researching the destination for an upcoming meeting at the time of his death.
Ware logged more than 30 years of meetings industry service, having most recently served as vice president of events and experiences for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE).
Before joining IAEE, where he developed and implemented strategy around all of global events (including Expo! Expo!), fundraisers and marketplace and attendee acquisition initiatives for the association, Ware served as vice president of convention housing operations and contracting/sourcing strategic management for Experience MCI USA. He has also worked as director of meetings for the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and as director of meetings and exhibitions for the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.
Ware was also a member of Meetings Today’s Content Advisory Board.
Ware was born April 9, 1973, in Jacksonville, Florida, where he was raised, and moved to Dallas in 2003 to work in the headquarters of MPI in the capacity of liaison between MPI International headquarters and its more than 60 local chapters throughout North America. After being hired by MPI as a chapter relations manager, Ware was promoted to senior manager of membership marketing.
On his mother’s side, he is survived by his mother Nancy Ware; aunt Carol (Wayne) Levo; cousins Kimberly and Kristen Levo; second cousin Miranda Levo; uncle Eric Faulkner; cousins Megan, Justin, Kaylee, Eric Jr., Corral, Jordan and Jesse; and numerous second cousins.
On his father’s side, he is survived by father Raymond Ware Jr.; “bonus mom” Sharron; brother Matthew; uncle Billy (Genny) Ware; uncle Brian (Laurie) Ware; uncle David (Susie) Ware; aunt Merlo; and cousins Amy, Chad, Rachel, John and Sarah.
Ware is also survived and will be missed greatly by his best friend, Kelly Schulz, along with thousands of friends and colleagues around the world.
Jason Ware: A Career of Service
During his work at MPI, Ware was renowned for phrases such as “Next in Line” and “Member Care with Jason Ware.”
Ware was diagnosed with stage four non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2019, raising thousands of dollars for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS), which has since been renamed Blood Cancer United, and served as the keynote speaker at its Annual Meeting in St. Louis. He was also named an LLS National Ambassador and freely shared his treatment journey.
Additional charitable efforts by Ware included donating wigs and hand-knit beanies to the Medical City Dallas Cancer Resource Center, along with creative efforts such as his annual Super Bowl squares challenge that raised funds for the hospital by leveraging his massive network of friends and colleagues.
He was also passionate about his mother Nancy’s community service organization, the GFWC Lake Shore Woman’s Club, Inc., in Jacksonville, Florida, a nonprofit that supports nursing homes, schools, food banks and animal shelters in his hometown.
Ware was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2024 and underwent 31 rounds of treatment while working full time as a meeting planner, and even enthusiastically rode in the Morpheus Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans in 2025 and 2026.
Ware was also an ardent fan of Broadway musicals, boasting an impressive collection of playbills from shows in New York City and London’s West End. He was known to fly to New York City for 48 hours and see five Broadway shows.
Celebrated for his exuberant love of the Christmas, Ware’s holiday activities included Facebook Christmas countdowns, elf costumes, themed trees, nutcrackers and over-the-top decorations. For the past several years, he collected holiday toys, stuffed animals and blankets around the holidays for Medical City Dallas Children’s Hospital.
Giving in Memory of Jason Ware
Those interested in honoring his memory can consider the following:
- Make a donation to the GFWC Lake Shore Woman’s Club Inc., via mail to 2352 Lake Shore Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32210. ZELLE: LSWC2352@gmail.com.
Donate a wig or other needed items to the Medical City Dallas Cancer Resource Center. Please contact Phillip.Foreman@HCAhealthcare.com.
Photo of Jason Ware (far right) at IAEE Women's Leadership Forum. Credit: IAEE.
