On Dec. 3, Laura O’Brien will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 39th annual FN Achievement Awards. Below is an article from the magazine’s Dec. 1 print issue about how the executive director of The Atlanta Shoe Market persevered to build up the industry’s top trade show.

For Laura O’Brien, it all boils down to passion.

“What I love the most about my job is helping my members, helping the retailers, helping the manufacturers. And that’s what I do — I’m in the service industry. I’m here to service them and do the best possible job to bring the industry together twice a year,” said the executive director of The Atlanta Shoe Market .

In her more than 40 years leading The Atlanta Shoe Market , O’Brien has grown the trade show from a regional gathering to the largest footwear sho

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