1:00 - 2:30 pm
Risk Assessment Panel Discussion
Michael Dominguez, CHSE
David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA
Matthew Marcial, CMP, CAE
Jenn Kimbel, CMP
Moderated by Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CSP
CMP-IS Domain: A: Risk Management 1.5 CE Hour
Session description and learner objectives
Join a panel of industry leaders as they discuss risk assessment and security in our ever changing meeting and convention industry. Hotel versus convention center, contingency and communication plans, screening of participants, probability at your event? These are the questions that will be discussed.
After attending this session, the participant will be able to:
- Begin the process of Risk Assessment
- Determine what are the possible threats, what are the probabilities?
- Assess whether or not they have the right plan in place.
- Contingency and communication plans, how important are they?
Bio
Senior Vice President, Global Hotel Sales
MGM Resorts International
Immediate-Past Chairman, International Board of Directors, MPI; Executive Committee, US Travel Association; Co-Chair, Meetings Mean Business Coalition; Co-Chair, APEX Taskforce on Piracy
Bio
David DuBois is the President and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE). As IAEE’s president, DuBois is responsible for the management of 23 full-time professional staff, producing the annual business operating plan and budget, overseeing the support of all meetings of governance units, leading business development, directing fund raising efforts, advocating for the industry and the organization’s members, providing organizational leadership and strategic counsel to the board. Also, he serves as the association’s representative with industry coalitions, partner organizations and strategic alliances.
DuBois began his career with Sheraton Corporation in various sales positions including Regional Director of Sales and the Director of Marketing Programs. He has served as both President and CEO, and Senior Vice President at the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) where he was responsible for all operations and a $7 million budget. As Senior Vice President he managed the development of 15 new chapters and was responsible for magazine advertising sales and membership recruitment and retention.
DuBois has also served as both the Chief Operating Officer at Meeting Professionals International (MPI) from 1996-2000. During this time, he supported programs and services for more than 16,000 members worldwide, and served as the Executive Vice President of the MPI Foundation. David has also served as MPI’s Vice President of Sales and Key Account Management and Vice President of Corporate Services.
Most recently, DuBois has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau where he had oversight and full responsibility of 42 staff, with the responsibility of attracting convention and tourism business with a $8.5 million budget.
DuBois has also served as a board member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Texas Society of Association Executives; board member and Chairman of the Dallas-Fort Worth Tourism Council; and board member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Convention Industry Council (CIC) as its Immediate Past Chairman. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the Meetings Mean Business Coalition as well as the U.S. Travel Association.
Bio
Matthew Marcial, CMP, CAE is Vice President, Education and Events for Meeting Professionals International (MPI) in Dallas, where he has strategic oversight of the association’s global events portfolio and the MPI Academy educational products, experiences and professional certificate programs. He joined the MPI Global Team in 2014 and previously served as the association’s Senior Director of Events.
Prior to MPI, Matthew led the Meetings & Education Department at NAFA Fleet Management Association and the Meetings & Events Department at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. He has a background in hotel & resort management, previously holding positions as National Sales Manager, Convention Services Manager, and Director of Reservations. In addition, he has served as an instructor for the Duke University Continuing Education Department’s Event Development Program.
Matthew was selected by Association Forum of Chicagoland and USAE for their Forty Under 40 List in 2016, and Connect Magazine named him amongst their 2014 40 Under 40 honorees. Also, ConventionSouth magazine honored him with a 2012 Meeting Professional to Watch Award. He is an active member of ASAE where he served on their Professional Development Section Council, and is also a member of PCMA – currently serving on their Exhibits & Tradeshow Task Force.
Matthew holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint Leo University and an MBA from Florida International University. He holds the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Association Executive (CAE), and Digital Event Strategist (DES) designations.
Bio
Jenn Kimbel, CMP, has over 17 years of experience in the conference and event industry. In her current position of Manager, Events at Sage Software Responsible she is responsible for overseeing the internal and external attendee experience for Sage’s global flagship event including all touch-points pre-event, on-site, and post event to deliver an exceptional attendee experience.
Prior to this role Jenn worked as a Project Manager at Experient where she employed project management principles on complex and multi-service Experient accounts ensuring project planning remains on track, within scope and budget for all contracted services. Specifically, her role entails consultation with clients to continually improve overall efficiencies and facilitation of clear stakeholder communication throughout the project cycle.
Jenn earned her Certified Meeting Professional designation in 2001 and was recertified in 2006, 2011 and 2016. Jenn is the Director at Large of Education for MIC and has been on their Board for the past 3 years.
Bio
Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CSP is a high stakes meeting facilitator, conference designer and professional panel moderator. She’s been facilitating conversations between executives and managers to make better decisions and achieve substantive results for over 20 years.
She is the author of the award-winning book, Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve and Inspire Audiences to Action. She is also the past president of the US National Speakers Association and on the Executive Development Faculty in the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto.
Tuesday, March 14 – Opening General Session
4:00 - 5:00 pm
Fun With Tim: Customers For Life
Presented by Humor Strategist, Hall of Fame Speaker and MIC Conference Emcee
Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE
CMP-IS Domain: I: Marketing – 1.00 CE Hour
Session description and learner objectives
Discover how one unforgettable life-changing experience for your customers can either cost or generate millions of dollars in revenue. The opportunity is yours to see and create, and you won’t believe how easy and fun it can be. Over the last 23 years, I’ve traveled millions of miles and spoken at thousands of events. Along the way I’ve discovered secrets of what makes customers for life. The magic is in how and when you connect with your customers and impact them in a way they’ll never forget. Anyone can create these emotion filled life-changing experiences following a few simple “#funwithtim” customer connection principles. Emotional customer satisfaction anchors transcend momentary problems and can allow for life long customers that spark multi-generational consumers of your brand based on not just the telling, but the living and reliving of these emotional anchors. Unforgettable life-changing experiences are laughter filled or heartfelt moments that are unexpected, genuine and profoundly personal. Laugh and learn how “#funwithtim” customer connection principles empower almost anyone to better connect with their customers one person, one moment at a time.
Learner Objectives
- Three fast, easy ways to connect with customers using the #funwithtim formula for success.
- Why employees should perform at least one Simple Act of Kindness (SAK) for every customer. When employees are totally present and “in the now” they avoid an assembly-line mindset and instead, are prepared to look for and take advantage of opportunities for SAK.
- How and why anyone can use Tim’s #funwithtim “baseline” technique to be able to refresh and renew in between negative encounters with toxic people, psychic vampires and scammers.
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Speaker Bio
Tim Gard, CSP, CPAE, is a tears-in-your-eyes funny keynote speaker who teaches people to be more resilient and resourceful, and coaches businesses on how to enhance productivity and employee enthusiasm. He is a Hall of Fame Speaker, CPAE (Council of Peers Award of Excellence), an elite honor shared by 150 people worldwide and a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional). Tim has spoken at over 2,000 events worldwide from Texas to Tasmania and was selected by Meeting Planners Magazine as one of the “Best speakers ever seen or heard on the main stage.” Tim’s down-to-earth style and real-life humor leaves a lasting impression that you will benefit from for years to come. His skillful use of ordinary items in extraordinary ways and extraordinary items in everyday ways make him one of the most popular main stage speakers on the platform today. During the past two decades, Tim has traveled almost two million miles to perform, is the author of 4 books, and an inventor of stress reduction tools that are marketed & enjoyed worldwide.
Speaker Bio
Speaker Bio
Wednesday, March 15 – Opening Remarks and Morning General Session
9:00 - 10:00 am
State of the Industry and Top Trends
Presented by Michael Dominquez, CHSE
CMP-IS Domain: A: Strategic Planning – 1.00 CE Hour
Session description and learner objectives
Learner Objectives:
- Learn what the anticipated first 100 days of the new administration means to business and to travel in general
- Understand the current macro and micro environments that will impact the hotel business and most importantly the meetings environment
- Understand what is driving the new competition for both guest rooms and meeting space
- Have a better understanding of what is Myth versus reality when it comes to our new business environments
- Understand the need to think like a start up in order to be relevant in today’s environment
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Speaker Bio
Michael Dominguez is the Chief Sales Officer for MGM Resorts International providing for the transient and group segments for the company as well as industry relations, diversity sales and MGM Resorts Events & Production Services. Michael is actively involved in leadership roles in the Meetings and Events Industry and currently serves as a Past Chairman on the International Board of Directors for Meeting Professionals International and sits on the US Travel Executive Committee.
Speaker Video
Wednesday, March 15 – Concurrent Breakout Sessions A
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Transforming the Attendee Engagement Experience with Technology
Presented by
Richard Reid
CMP-IS Domain: G: Meeting & Event Design – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Richard is an accomplished public speaker who delivers informative lectures about event technology that are well researched and delivered in an engaging, high energy style attendees remember. He is also a published author who writes about the use of technology in the trade show industry. Most recently, Richard co-authored the chapter, “Bring Meetings to Life: Event Technology,” for the book “Professional Meeting Management, 6th Edition.”
Session description
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Learn how this technology can be used to provide a personalized attendee-driven experience based on the context that each individual desires.
- Understand the value of what happens when personalized and relevant experiences are presented that reflect the attendee’s behavioral preferences.
- With these types of technology, the learner can demonstrate tangible ROI for visitors/attendees, exhibitors and sponsors.
Making the Most of Meetings: The Fine Art of Engaging Clients, Members and Guests
Presented by
Debra Fine
CMP-IS Domain: F: Stakeholder Management- 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Bestselling author, keynote speaker and trainer Fine began her career as an engineer, an occupation that allowed her to maintain her natural shyness and avoid situations that required social and personal interactions. Now a long time member of the National Speakers Association, she presents and trains audiences across the globe. Fine designs her presentations and researches her books to teach technically oriented professionals conversation skills and business networking techniques that help in developing business relationships, gaining visibility and building rapport. Fine’s bestselling books: The Fine Art of Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Networking Skills—and Leave a Positive Impression (Hachette), The Fine Art of the Big Talk: How to Win Clients, Deliver Great Presentations, and Solve Conflicts at Work (Hachette) have been translated and published in over 2 dozen countries around the world. Just released is Debra’s third in the “Fine Art” series: Beyond Texting: The Fine Art of Face-to-Face Communication for Teenagers (Canon). Her books have been translated and published in over 2 dozen countries including Spain, United Kingdom, France, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and China. View additional information about Debra at www.DebraFine.com .
RECOGNITION
Recognised as a conversation and business networking expert Fine spent the last 20+years training and presenting to leading organizations around the world (US, Canada, UK, EU, South Africa, Australia and throughout Asia). Fine is a Rotarian for 20+ years serving as President of Denver Southeast Rotary Club 2011-2012. A regular Huffington Post blogger she has made numerous appearances in the media including the Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, Fox Business News, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.
Session description and learner objectives
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Engage and influence guests/clients/ customers and colleagues with great conversation starters and enhanced confidence
- Issue the invitation to build a business relationship
- Avoid communication barriers and conversation killers
Reinventing Panel Discussions
Presented by
Kristin Arnold
CMP-IS Domain: G: Meeting & Event Design – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Kristin J. Arnold, MBA, CPF, CSP is the president and founder of Quality Process Consultants, Inc., with offices in Scottsdale, Arizona and Cape Traverse, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
As a high stakes meeting facilitator, keynote speaker, and professional panel moderator, Kristin has worked with over a hundred different organizations, three hundred different teams, and presented to over a half a million people around the world on the topics of leadership, strategy, innovation, critical thinking and teamwork.
As one of the first female graduates of the United States Coast Guard Academy and the first woman stationed onboard an ocean-going buoy tender, Kristin learned early on about working with others. In 1990, she became one of the first Coast Guard facilitators – and made every mistake one could! Frustrated, she avidly researched this nascent skill called “facilitation” and found herself training a cadre of internal facilitators. By 1992, companies were asking her to teach their people how to facilitate and lead teams! Since then, she has been sharing her concrete approach to leading teams with a treasure trove of practical concepts, tools and techniques her clients can apply immediately to see positive, sustainable results.
Kristin’s passion for leading teams is reflected in her writing, speaking, facilitation and consulting. She is an award-winning author, newspaper columnist and contributing author to myriad other team-based books such as The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation. Her latest book, Powerful Panels: A Step-By-Step Guide to Moderating Lively and Informative Panel Discussions was published in November 2013.
Featured in numerous publications such as Harvard Business Update, USA Today, Selling Power, Kristin knows what it takes to lead, facilitate and participate on high performing teams. She was on the board and President of the National Speakers Association of the United States (2010-2011). She also served as President of the Downtown Hampton (Virginia) Development Partnership (2001-2), a nonprofit business organization attributed to turning Downtown Hampton from a quaint, sleepy town to a thriving entertainment, retail and residential center. She retired from the USCG Reserves in 2002 as a Lieutenant Commander.
Kristin is on the Executive Development Faculty in the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, specializing in Leadership Through Teambuilding.
Session description
Your attendees want that “Wizard of Oz” moment–the peak behind the scenes into a frank conversation among really smart practitioners they can’t get anywhere else. It’s not on YouTube. They have to come to your meeting to be able to listen in to that amazing panel discussion. 95% of annual meetings have panels–and it’s a fifty-fifty proposition they are any good at all. Expectations decrease dramatically when your attendees walk in and see the traditional draped head table with microphones on short stands.
In this session, we’ll have a collaborative conversation about how to take panels from boring to bravo! You’ll walk away with creative ideas to spark your own reinvention of the panel discussion. You will be able to create memorable connections between the panel experts and the audience, generating interest and continued engagement around the topic even after the session is over.
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- See 3 vastly unique room sets that will get your participants immediately engaged
- Learn 5 specific formats to transform boring panels into sensational, memorable discussions
- Discover 7 strategies to make the conversation lively, informative and relevant
You have 7 seconds. Make them count!
Presented by
Sylvie di Giusto
CMP-IS Domain: E: Human Resources- 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
As an exceptional speaker, an effective trainer, and an enthusiastic coach she uses her extensive corporate experience to help clients to project a powerful visual image onto their target market, within the first seconds of being seen. She uses a series of core marketing principles and packaging design knowledge to develop strong visual brand aesthetics for her clients, because successful packaging designer sell an experience through their packaging. Perception, perception, perception. It’s all about perception!
Sylvie brings awareness to everything from clothing and speech to posture and online presence. If your employees can convey trustworthiness, competence, a level of sophistication and professional desirability – within seven seconds of meeting your clients – your company will appear genuine, strong and capable. Successful companies therefore invest in the image of their employees and understand it is crucial to their reputation to implement professional image training.
Session description
You have 7 seconds. Make them count!
“People Packaging is what I do”… says Sylvie di Giusto who helps individuals and organizations to explore how people make up their minds very quickly about them, their leadership potential, their products and services, or their company, and either open the door or slam it shut. People whom we meet make quick decisions about us. Should they hire us? Vote for us? Trust us? Buy something from us? Like it or not, they judge us during the first seven seconds. This is that brief moment in time when others first see you, whether it’s at a meeting, on the job, at the point-of-sales or at an interview. The good thing is that this impression is something you can control. During this session Sylvie will show you how you can influence the message you send to others, and how you can impress clients, prospects, colleagues, audiences, or anybody in seven seconds or less. Twenty years of corporate experience and her ability to empower people to influence the success of their own career has led Sylvie to launching Executive Image Consulting (www.executive-image-consulting.com), based in New York City. She is also the author of The Image of Leadership (theimageofleadership.com) and the creator of How You Impress (howyouimpress.com). She uses her extensive corporate expertise as a professional speaker, corporate trainer and image consultant for professionals, politicians and companies who place great importance in themselves and their reputation. Sylvie is Austrian by birth, French in her heart, Italian in her kitchen, German with her work ethic and American by choice.
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- understand the impact their appearance & behavior have on others’ decision making processes
- take responsibility for the way they appear, behave, and communicate every single day
- understand that the consequences are serious and wide-ranging both for them and for the organizations they work for
Building Strategic and Experiential Sponsorships
Presented by
Wendy Holliday
CMP-IS Domain: F: Financial Management – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Wendy Holliday joined PLM World this year as their Executive Director. A seasoned association professional, Wendy has spent over 20 years in events bringing a long-term strategic growth and member engagement approach. She has a broad background managing and implementing change, as well as spearheading creative development, cost reduction, attendance acquisition, board and volunteer development, and sponsorship relevance initiatives.
Prior to joining PLM World, Holliday held the position of Vice President Attendee Acquisition and Experience with Velvet Chainsaw Consulting. She previously served as Vice President, Marketing and Member Services for the National Association of College Stores (NACS), where she led initiatives concerning the planning and direction of NACS Inc. branding and marketing strategies, national partner programs, event marketing, advertising sales and membership recruitment and retention.
Additionally, Holliday led Special Projects and Strategic Partnerships at Certified Angus Beef LLC and served as the Assistant Dean of Students for Southern Arkansas University and at Kent State University, overseeing student programs and University-wide events.
Holliday holds Masters and Bachelor’s degrees from Kent State University. She lives in Wellington, OH, with her husband Tom and sons Jacob and Joey.
Industry Bio
Attendee expectations are higher and conference and expo budgets are tighter. Regardless of your conference size, increase your attendee satisfaction along with your sponsorship revenue with a new approach to sponsorships. Sponsors want thought leadership, category exclusivity, access to attendees and a direct impact on their business. Learn to offer these sponsor musts while meeting attendee needs for entertainment, professional help, greater connections with other attendees, activities that align with their personal passions and something that they can consume or take home and share.
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Explore alternatives for selling premium priced sponsorships that align with your suppliers marketing objectives and your attendee needs.
- Explore sponsorship activation elements that enhance the attendee experience
- Gain insights to assist sponsors in activating their investment for desired results
Experience Branding: Creating ExtraOrdinary Experiences for your Brand
Presented by
Jerome Joseph, CSP
CMP-IS Domain: I: Marketing – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Jerome Joseph, CSP, CSPGlobal, PMC, is a brand experience strategist, CEO of a Nasdaq listed company, and best-selling author of more than 5 books on branding. His experience with world-acclaimed brands have led him to becoming one of the early pioneers of internal branding – an employee and company culture focused approach to branding as well as driving brand across people, customers and organisations. With more than twenty years of branding experience under his belt, Jerome is a master in innovative brand differentiation and creating extraordinary branded experiences. Jerome runs programs and keynotes ranging from Internal Branding (Building Brand Champions in your organisation), Brand Mastery (Strategies to Build a World Class Brand), Branded Customer Experience, Personal Branding and Asian Brand Strategies based on Lessons from the top 30 Asian Brands.
Jerome has impacted more than 1000 brands in over 30 countries such as Pfizer, Dell, BASF, SENAAT, Prudential, AIA, Singapore Sports Council, QIAGEN, SAP, Asia Pacific Breweries, Singtel, Master Builder Solutions, Petronas, Honeywell, DBS and many more. His cutting-edge thinking, solid case studies and systematic approach to brand building has enthralled audiences all around the world, making each of his programs a truly memorable one. His love for story-telling and talent for distilling experiences into succinct, bite-sized lessons has garnered rave reviews from clients.
Industry Bio
Experience Branding Establish Deep Audience Connection through the Brand Experience Framework
We know that experiences have a big role to play for meeting planners, but how do you use it to your advantage to build loyalty and engagement to your brand and event? In this highly interactive session, learn how to utilise consumer psychology insights and our proprietary brand experience framework to create a deep and lasting connection between your brand and your target audiences. Meeting planners will get to think about how to engage their stakeholders using the Brand Experience framework of Heart, Soul and Mind, with the results that stakeholders are more engaged, more motivated to share and stronger advocates to your brand and events that they are part of.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain an in-depth understanding of experience branding and how it works including our proprietary experience branding framework involving heart, soul and mind.
- Learn about emotions and expectations – a hot topic in consumer psychology and how you can connect better with your stakeholders through experiences
Map and Develop your strategic brand experience platform of your next meeting or brand project - Drive brand loyalty by delivering enriching experiences and moments to your customers
- Increase buy-in and develop a sense of ownership as you and your teams develop your very own branded experiences
Wednesday, March 15 – Luncheon Keynote
12:00 - 2:00 pm ~ Luncheon Program and Keynote
Discover How the World Sees You
Presented by International, best-selling author and Hall of Fame Speaker
Sally Hogshead, CPAE
CMP-IS Domain: N/A
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Session description and learner objectives
Use your Advantages, and you’ll fascinate anyone in 9 seconds.
As part of the Meetings Industry Council of Colorado Educational Conference and Trade Show, you have a free opportunity to find out your Advantages, with Sally Hogshead’s Fascination Advantage® system.
This is not your typical personality test…
Other tests measure how you see the world.
This one measures how the world sees you.
In her keynote speech at the Meetings Industry Council of Colorado Educational Conference and Trade Show, Sally Hogshead will teach you how to fascinate your clients and co-workers in 9 seconds, using your unique personality Advantages.
Speaker Bio
World-class branding expert Sally Hogshead discovered a new way to measure how people perceive your communication, through the Fascination Personality Test.
Before researching the science of fascination, Sally rose to the top of the advertising profession in her early 20s, writing ads that fascinated millions of consumers.
Over the course of her ad career, Sally won hundreds of awards for creativity, copywriting and branding, and was one of the most awarded advertising copywriters right from start of career.
Sally frequently appears in national media, including NBC’s “Today” show and the New York Times. She was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame, the industry’s highest award for professional excellence.
She is the creator of the Fascination Personality test: the world’s first personality assessment that measures what makes someone fascinating. Unlike the Myers-Briggs type indicator or the StrengthsFinder™ test, this assessment is not about how you see the world–it’s how the world sees you.
The science of fascination is based on a decade of research with more than 700,000 participants, including dozens of Fortune 500 teams, hundreds of small businesses, and over a thousand C-level executives.
The Fascination Personality Test has helped hundreds of thousands of participants discover their natural advantages of persuasion. Hogshead further explores the science of fascination in her internationally-acclaimed book, Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation (HarperBusiness, 2010), which explains the irresistible influence of fascination in the world of business and thought leadership. Fascinate has been translated into over 14 languages, with praise from thought leaders such as Seth Godin and Tom Peters.
Wednesday, March 15 – Concurrent Breakout Sessions B
2:15 - 3:15 pm
Conversations That Matter: Addressing Forbidden Topics To Get To Back To Work
Presented by
Jessica Pettitt, M.Ed., CSP
CMP-IS Domain: E: Human Resources – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
For more than a decade, Jessica has been educating college and university staff members to support and guide diverse students to success. Her social justice and diversity curricula are used nationwide. This background uniquely qualifies her to educate employers on building welcoming, productive, and innovative teams. The ability to communicate, listen, learn, take responsibility, acquire and retain talent and resources will lead to and maintain a welcoming, and dare we say, fun workplace environment. This has a direct impact on your bottom line NOW.
Session description
In this session, we will explore multiple forbidden work place topics like racism, religion, political views, and how “real life” comes in between our responsibilities and our ability to fully “show up” to work. We also will brainstorm potential approaches and best practices to help everyone manage and respect painfully opposing views of coworkers that threaten to degrade the overall office culture while focusing on our organizational values. No “right” answers exist here, but the issue around explosive current events and diversity-related biases (positive and negative) that evoke passions on multiple levels is influencing how associations operate. From Police Violence to Islamophobia to hate crimes to genocide – with care, respect, transparency, and authenticity – we can work together, learn from one another, and grow across our differences. Let’s move from tolerance and frustration to being heard and valued. Let’s talk about it.
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Learn a 3 part framework or model for taking responsibility of how they show up.
- Develop skills for a significant and powerful (and free) method to change culture around difficult topics and see other’s as differently right.
- Utilize personal patterns to recognize them in others so we can leave room for edits in our stories.
- Personally recognize our “kryptonite” and how habitually it limits our behaviors, responses, and beliefs as well as fuels us to build momentum when we need it the most.
Curation + Choice + Coaching = The Inside Track to Unforgettable Meetings
Presented by
Andrea Driessen
CMP-IS Domain: G: Meeting & Event Design- 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Andrea Driessen is a TEDActive and TEDSummit attendee, and is on the audience-experience and sponsor-acquisition teams at TEDxSeattle. As Chief Boredom Buster at No More Boring Meetings, she’s also an international award-winning business owner who books compelling thought leaders, designs fresh meeting formats and fosters purposeful play. A regular contributor to The Huffington Post and The Meeting Professional magazine, she’s been serving the meetings industry for 25 years.
Session description
Let’s go behind the curtain to explore how best practices in content curation, attendee choice, and strategic speaker coaching make some events compelling and un-missable. In this interactive session, we’ll also explore why “less is more” and the importance of giving attendees chances to authentically connect with one another.
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Curate content that leads to exclusive, cutting-edge educational experiences
- Understand how choice factors in, and how suppliers can better meet the needs of planners in this area
- Coach speakers on story-development and presentation techniques that help participants pay attention, remember more, and activate your meeting content
It’s 5:00 Somewhere! Harnessing the Happy Hour Effect for Time Management, Productivity and Goal Setting
Presented by
Kristen Brown
CMP-IS Domain: E: Human Resources – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Recently named one of the top 20 trendsetters in the meetings industry by Meetings Today magazine, Kristen Brown helps minimize stress, leverage goals and boost performance which directly impacts personal and bottom line growth. Prior to starting her company she spent 15 years in corporate leadership roles. She holds a Master’s in Integral Theory (the art and science of multiple perspectives), a holistic coaching certification and has won several awards. Past media and speaking appearances include Live with Kelly, Forbes, PCMA, General Mills, Boston Scientific, Regis and more. Kristen and her daughter live in Minneapolis and she will do just about anything for bacon.
Session description
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Understand the impact of unproductive time on our professional and personal success.
- Create a customized Life Map to help change your mindset around time and how you’re spending it.
- Uncover your time sucks and time energizers so you can better prioritize your demands even when life gets busy or stressful.
Parallel Dimensions: Creating an Online Experience for Your Offline Event
Presented by
Alex Plaxen
CMP-IS Domain: I: Marketing – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
After graduating with a Master’s in Tourism Administration, he was the Director of Marketing for EventRebels. In Fall of 2015, he left EventRebels to start his own company, Little Bird Told Media, a consulting firm focusing on social media strategy and implementation for conferences. He has been recognized as a top social media influencer at Inbound 2015 (14,000 attendees), Inbound 2016 (17,000 attendees), Dreamforce 2015 (135,000 attendees) and MPI WEC 2016.
In addition to his industry work, Alex has been an active member of PCMA and MPI. He currently sits on the Potomac Chapter of MPI’s Board of Directors. He has been honored locally and internationally as an emerging leader in the events industry, receiving the MPI – Potomac Chapter Rising Star Award 2013-2014, and being named to the PCMA 20 in their Twenties Class of 2016.
Find Alex on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat @aplaxen. Find Little Bird Told Media on Twitter @LilBirdTM.
Session description
Creating an online experience that mirrors your offline event can be a challenge. In this session we’ll discuss the importance of fully integrating social media into your show. Plus, we’ll explore best practices for social media marketing, customer service and engagement at your event. By the time you leave this session you’ll have a blueprint for the different stages of the online experience for your attendees, suppliers, sponsors, and stakeholders. We’ll answer the question, “How do I start building the social media strategy for my event?”
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Analyze needs to form your event’s social media strategy
- Apply best practices to your event’s online digital experiences
- Articulate the social media needs to your event’s partners and stakeholders
In the Hot Seat: Satisfying the C-Suite & Meeting Attendees
Panel Presentation
Deb Brannon,
Claire Repass
Jeff Gaillard
Moderator Beth Buehler
CMP-IS Domain: G: Meeting & Event Design – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Claire Repass, CMP, Director of Events, Inspirato – Oversees 600+ annual meetings & events with a goal of annual growth and retention for her company, Inspirato.
Jeff Gaillard, Chief Marketing Officer, ViaWest
Moderator Beth Buehler, Editor of Colorado Meetings + Events and Mountain Meetings magazines
Session description
Two planners and an executive discuss how to future-proof meetings and conferences that happen annually, satisfying both attendees and the C-Suite.
This riveting session that will transport attendees to the C-Suite, teaching them the art of thinking like an executive as they create a roadmap for successful events that will impact their organization and members year after year.
By attending this session, the attendee will:
- learn how to build a growth roadmap for their annual programs
- gain insight about how to pitch their executive teams on an event roadmap
- hear real-life examples about holding annual events that both survive and flourish and meet strategic business needs.
- discover new technology aimed at sustainable tracking and engagement with attendees.
Resilient Leadership & Engaged Teamwork for Facing Challenge, Change & Uncertainty in Meetings, or on Everest
Presented by
Jim Davidon
CMP-IS Domain: E: Human Resources 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Jim Davidson is a resilience expert, expedition leader, New York Times best-selling author, and professional speaker. From his 35 years of adventure and survival, Jim distills compelling stories and uplifting lessons about how to be more resilient. This powerful program has been shared with meeting industry leaders (Marriott International, NSA Chapter Leaders, MPI, etc.) and with major corporations (SunTrust, Nationwide, Procter & Gamble, etc.).
Jim has shared his incredible experiences and insights with CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Smithsonian Channel, PBS and more. His epic survival story was featured in an international TV episode of “I Shouldn’t Be Alive” on the Discovery Channel. Jim co-authored the NYT best-selling survival memoir, “The Ledge: An Inspirational Story of Friendship and Survival”. Just seven days after this MIC meeting, Jim and his teammates are returning to try climbing Mount Everest once again. After the session, attendees can follow Jim’s journey through field-dispatches and photos sent from Nepal during his expedition.
Jim's Video
Session description
Meetings have unexpected challenges and changes pop up all the time, so meeting professional must be resilient leaders and responsive team members. This interactive session puts attendees right in the middle of an intense leadership and teamwork challenge. When massive earthquakes and avalanches tragically struck Mount Everest in 2015, expedition climber and resilience speaker Jim Davidson was right there on the glacier at Camp 1. In this session he’ll facilitate the group through this real-world epic and have the attendees work together to pinpoint the traits and characteristics of resilient leaders and engaged team members, including:
Learner outcomes
- Identify 6 communication traits leaders use to spark resilience
- Distill 3 critical phrases that amplify engaged teamwork
- Complete your own “Resilient Leadership & Teamwork Self-Assessment”
This energetic scenario will be brought to life by interactive group discussions and by Jim’s intense videos, photos and first-hand experience of being on Everest when the quakes hit.
Wednesday, March 15 – Concurrent Breakout Sessions C
3:30 - 4:30 pm
PCMA Convening Leaders LIVE Case Study
Presented by
Jennifer Kingen Kush, DES
Executive Director
PCMA Digital Experience Institute
CMP-IS Domain: G: Meeting & Event Design – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
As Executive Director, Jennifer leads the strategy, vision and purpose of the Digital Experience Institute. A passionate digital events and experience marketing professional, Jennifer has been involved with producing PCMA digital events from the very start. Kush and her team are responsible for the strategy, design and execution of all PCMA digital events. In additional, she is responsible for leading the Digital Experience Institute education, certification and consulting for digital event strategy.
Session description
Go behind the scenes with PCMA to find out how they pull off a successful live hybrid event during their largest face-to-face meeting each year.
Discover the secrets to their success like growing both audiences year over year and missteps to avoid.
- Hear insight on the strategy and design of the PCMA 2017 Convening leaders LIVE
- Gain perspective of the onsite logistics involved to create a flawless digital event
- Walk away with insider tips to start or implement your own live streams
This session will be designed to answer your most pressing questions. Please submit your top three questions here by February 15th.
Positively Negotiate Work Drama to Get More Done
Presented by
Linda Swindling
CMP-IS Domain: E: Human Resources – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
From the courtroom to the boardroom, Linda Swindling, JD, CSP knows firsthand about high-stakes communication and influencing decision makers. Her specialty is helping people communicate powerfully so others will listen.
Linda is an experienced consultant, executive coach and master facilitator. A Certified Speaking Professional and “recovering attorney,” Linda is a past-president of the National Speakers Association/North Texas. She is the author/co-author of more than 20 books and is called “one of the country’s top experts on communications” by the Network for Executive Women and “an expert on bargaining” by American Way magazine.
Session description
Constant Complainers take up resources, time and mental bandwidth in the workplace. When you change a culture of complainers to one of contributors, you boost morale, increase productivity, and promote effective communication. This program will provide concrete strategies and phrases to help you get more done with less drama.
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Identify and negotiate with specific energy drainers in your work environment.
- Self-assess to determine when you can be a complainer and how to stop it.
- Use concrete phrases and strategies to turn constant Complainers into productive Contributors.
What Big Brands Know: Creating Powerful Event Marketing Strategies
Presented by
Gerry O’Brion
CMP-IS Domain: I: Marketing – 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
Gerry O’Brion is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and marketing expert who helps companies thrive in good times and bad.
His keynote address, What Big Brands Know, has helped thousands of independent business owners. He is the Founder of What Big Brands Know® and the creator of the Ignite Your Goals program.
Gerry began his career in marketing at Procter & Gamble, working with brands such as Crisco, Tide, Mr. Clean, and Spic & Span. Next, he managed Coors Light, became VP of Marketing for Quiznos, and VP of Marketing for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.
Session description
In a market crowded with competition for your attendees’ attention, how do you make your meeting stand out as the best way to connect and spend their time and money? Gerry O’Brion will discuss the four questions you must ask yourself when planning and marketing your event to maximize your attendance.
You’ll gain clear strategies to create the language and messaging to resonate with your target and differentiate yourself from your competition. Learn the power of “because” in crafting and marketing your event. Ignite your word-of mouth referrals for your event, and send your attendees home talking about what they learned and did, helping to set up even higher attendance for subsequent events!
Gerry’s strategies require little to no marketing budget, making this a great session for meeting planners of all backgrounds and budgets!
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Learn the same strategies the big guys use to sell your event, even with little to no marketing budget.
- Understand the four questions to ask yourself when planning a meeting or event to maximize your attendance.
- Create clear and compelling messaging about your event to make more attendees say ‘yes’ to registering.
Ideas to Execution-Innovation
Presented by
Tamara Kleinberg
CMP-IS Domain: E: Human Resources- 1.00 CE Hour
Speaker Bio
From being part of the elite group of TED speakers to completing three Tough Mudders (and counting), Tamara’s life is about breaking through the status quo for game-changing results. As the founder of a thriving business, GoToLaunchStreet.com – the online education and community platform to help people innovate and differentiate in an oversaturated world , Tamara knows what it takes to drive growth and innovation daily in an ever-changing market-place. As the creator of the Innovation Quotient Edge (IQE) Assessment, Tamara has developed the only tool able to measure people’s natural innovation strengths and deliver insights and tools for performing at their peak, bringing more innovative ideas to the table, and being a high value team member. At 27 she was the youngest person ever named to leadership in a leading global advertising agency. If you’ve walked the aisles of Target you’ve pushed your cart past products and brands that have benefited from Tamara’s innovative approach – everything from Cheerios and Johnsonville Sausage to Procter & Gamble and Clorox.
When companies like Disney, General Mills and RICOH want to up their innovation quotient, they call Tamara. She has run multi-million dollar businesses and launched a few of her own, learning from her successes and, most importantly, her failures. Tamara has been featured on the TODAY SHOW, EO FIRE Podcast, the New York Times, Denver Business Journal, NBC 9News and on radio stations across the country. As a kid in computer camp, Tamara won the “I’ll try anything once” award – a motto she still lives by.
Session description
After attending this session, the attendee will be able to:
- your unique Innovator Profile so you can be recognized as the go-to innovator on your team and ignite change
- easy to use tools that will help you move from “that’s the way it’s been done before” thinking to “meaningful and innovative ideas and solutions” ideation
- the key language of innovation that ensures your ideas are heard, valued and executed on