Change Your Mind in a
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Snap! By: Jennifer Bergsieker, Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis
An intimate group of Heartland Chapter members gathered on Friday October 12th at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Center St. Louis for first and only networking and education session in St. Louis. We had a great turnout from local members as well as folks from Iowa, Kansas City and other parts of Missouri.
WINTER 2012
Our speaker that afternoon was Joyce Layman Blackburn. She not only shared her personal stories of growth and change, but presented ways to more easily accept change and self-motivate in the workplace. The fact is, change is difficult and few of us enjoy it but Joyce’s rousing and humorous stories showed us her own struggles and how she overcame them. In addition to the 50,000 thoughts or “mind-chatter” racing through our minds on a daily basis, we have to learn how to change our beliefs in order to change the results of how and why we do things. Joyce shared this interesting statistic with the group, 90% of what we do is auto-pilot taking over and 10% is actually our conscious thoughts and actions. This is telling, considering one’s day to day life. With this thought in mind, the group worked in pairs to discuss examples of an individual goal and verbally sharing negative “mind chatter” about ways you couldn’t
reach that goal. Frequently, negative thoughts enter our mind; however Joyce encouraged us to learn to spin those thoughts into positive self-reinforcement to ultimately change our beliefs which change our results. Reminding one’s self of how you will feel and the reasoning of why these changes are important, will also help. Naming your inner voice may help too, she suggests, keeping your “coach” focused on the positive and forcing out the negative. As a fun reminder, Joyce placed bunches of rubber bands on the table for each person to take. The rubber band was a visual reminder that you can “change your mind in a snap.” Thank you to Joyce for an informative and educational afternoon! You can find more information about Joyce on her website, joycelayman.com, on her FaceBook at facebook.com/joycelaymanfanpage or on Twitter at twitter.com/joycelayman. You can also sign up for her “Daily Inspiration, Motivation & Mindset” emails! Thank you to the DoubleTree St. Louis for the amazing luncheon and warm cookie to send us home with. Visit www.Doubletree.com/chesterfield for more information on the hotel and their amazing renovation!
2012 Heartland Chapter Board of Directors PRESIDENT
Chapter Board of Directors List By: Mary Ryan, Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association
Mary Ryan Convention Sales Manager Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association
As 2012 comes to a close, so does my time as the Heartland President. Serving as your president has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I would like to thank all the board and the committees for helping to make this year a huge success. It has been a pleasure to work with you, the time you dedicate and the passion that you hold for this chapter is truly invaluable. I would also like to thank all of our sponsors this past year. Your contributions to our chapter helps to keep our chapter a success and moving forward.
PAST PRESIDENT Robin O’Connor Director of Sales and Services Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau
PRESIDENT-ELECT Vicki Comegys Vice President of Sales & Services Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau
TREASURER Ronda Vaughn, CMP Director of Meeting Services Optimist International
SECRETARY Marilyn Koehler Director of National Accounts Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau
DIRECTORS Joe Tucker Exposition Management, Inc (thru 12/31/12) Sherie L. Howell, CMP, CMM Conference Manager A-S-K Associates, Inc. (thru 12/31/12) Amy Harper, CMP Senior Meeting Planner National Association of Insurance Commissioners (thru 12/31/12) Kristen Kimbrel, CMP Senior Meeting Planner American Academy of Family Physicians (thru 12/31/13) Jennifer Lion, CMP Meeting & Event Manager Experient (thru 12/31/13) Rose Dueming Associate Director, Conventions American Optometric Association (thru 12/31/13)
CONTACT INFORMATION heartland.chapter@pcma.org (816) 678-8876
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The Heartland Chapter ended the year with a bang. We hosted our largest attended event, The State of the Industry on November 8th at the Argosy Hotel and Casino. We had an incredible panel of industry professionals that addressed some of the hot issues we deal with every day. The Kansas State student chapter was represented by 11 students that traveled in for the event along with some new students from Johnson County Community College. Our Community Service committee arranged one of the most successful “Service and Sync “events the Heartland Chapter has ever had. We partnered with Sugar Creek Equinapy and due to the generosity of our wonderful members, we were able to make a large donation to the organization. It is time to pass the gavel to your 2013 Heartland President, Vicki Comegys, and the 2013 Board of Directors. I am looking forward to all the exciting programs and events they have in the works for 2013. As I expressed at the beginning of my term and one of Vicki’s main goals for 2013, I urge you all to get involved and join a committee. When I joined the Heartland Chapter’s program committee over ten years ago, I would have never imagined my involvement would have led to this wonderful opportunity to serve as your chapter president. I hope to see you at the Annual Meeting in Orlando in January. Cheers,
Mary Ryan
Service N Sync Update! During Marriott International’s customer event at the American Royal Rodeo, Stephanie Deel (San Antonio Marriotts), Heartland Chapter Community Service Chair, presented Sugar Creek Equinapy with an advance donation of $500 from Marriott International. Sugar Creek Equinapy has a long affiliation with the American Royal Rodeo and Marriott International wanted to support the Community Service efforts of the Heartland Chapter of PCMA.
Raise your hand and volunteer TODAY for the 2013 Programs Committee. No matter how much time you can invest, we need YOU to help us make the monthly educational programs a learning and networking opportunity for the PCMA Heartland Chapter members. Sign up NOW by contacting Sherie Howell at 1-800315-4333 or showell@askusa.com.
Welcome New Members! Philip W. Arbuckle, CMP President MeetingTrack Inc.
Rhonda K. Green Sales Manager Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel
Tracy A. Orpin, CMP Conference & Professional Development Manager International Association of Administrative Professionals
Emily Michelle Kunz Wedding Planner Intern
Kathryn M. Harth Program Coordinator Conferences and Noncredit Programs Kansas State University Sally Elbert Event Management Lecturer Iowa State University Cassidy N. Coleman, CMP Meeting Planner Society of Exploration Geophysicists Jennifer Hughes Director of Meetings & Convention Services Sweet Adelines International Molly Hackett Principal Nix Conference & Meeting Management Maureen T. Fitzgerald, MPA Program & Logistics Coordinator CityMatCH Aesha Beattle Meeting Planner Applied Measurement Professionals Janice McClain Chapter Administrator PCMA Heartland Chapter
Nancy J. Hansen Instructor Kansas State University Marcy Hyder Director of Sales RiverCenter/Adler Theatre Ashley Diane Young Convention Sales and Services Manager Oklahoma City Convention Visitors Bureau
2012 Heartland Chapter Committee Chairs AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIP Co-Chair - Lauren Harlan International Association of Assessing Officers Co-Chair - Marilyn Koehler Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau
EMERGING LEADERS Chair – Robin O’Connor Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau Co-Chair - Kate Turner, CMP International Association of Fairs & Expositions
COMMUNICATIONS Chair – Jennifer Bergsieker Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis
COMMUNITY SERVICE Chair – Brian Arscott, CMP, CMM National Association of Insurance Commissioners Co-Chair – Stephanie Deel Marriott International San Antonio
MEMBERSHIP Chair – Vicki Comegys Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau
PROGRAMS
Callie L. Umholtz Restaurant Professional
Chair – Sheri Howell, CMP, CMM, CGMP A-S-K Associates, Inc.
Marissa A. Pope Student Kansas State University
SPONSORSHIP
Megan D. Roberts Student Kansas State University Holly K. Litchet Student Kansas State University
Chair – Teresa Hellman Experient, Inc.
PAST PRESIDENT’S TASK FORCE Co-Chair - Belinda Waldo Associated Luxury Hotels International Co-Chair - Dale Shuter, CMP Electrical Apparatus Service Association
Nicole C. Galvan Student Kansas State University Kara M. Waugh Manager, Conferences & Events Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. Kayleen Noel Hicks Program Assistant Kushner & Associates
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INTERVIEW SPOTLIGHT
INTERVIEW SPOTLIGHT
Nonie Lowry has recently stepped down as Chapter Administrator after many years of service. We want to thank her for all of her hard work and dedication to the chapter. Read below for some information about her!
On the heels of Nonie’s departure as Chapter Administrator, we are delighted to welcome Janice McClain to step into that role. Welcome to the team, Janice! Here is a little information to get to know her better!
Nonie Lowry
Name: Nonie Lowry
Name: Janice McClain
Official title/position: President LP etc
Official title/position within PCMA: Chapter Administrator
How long have you been in the industry? 22 years
Official title/position within your career: CMP and principle of my own planning company, J.M. McClain & Associates, LLC, located in Harrisonville, MO.
What are your primary responsibilities? President and owner of LP etc, an association management company that currently manages 14 different surgical associations and medical meetings What is your educational/professional background? Majored in Hospitality Management / Minor Business Administration from Eastern Illinois University How do you plan on using your past experience/ skills from PCMA for a future opportunity? I have belonged to PCMA for my entire career and have always found the education to be exceptional. It has really helped me to keep my skills sharp and also keeps me educated on trends and best practices within the industry for my clients. What is your fondest memory of PCMA during your years of service? I would have to say taking Jill Kawulok to the meeting in San Diego last year. It was her first year in the industry and it was just so much fun to be able to introduce her to individuals in the industry and also to give her the opportunity to gain additional education. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? We enjoy spending time at our lake house and also just hanging with friends. My 15-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son keep me busy as well. What are you spending your time focusing on at this point in your career? No new endeavors, just continuing with existing projects. Our company is just growing so fast that we did not have time to work on PCMA any longer due to the growth.
Good luck to you Nonie and thanks again for everything! 4
Janice McClain
How long have you been in the industry? I’ve been actively involved in the hospitality industry for the past twenty-five years as a member of PCMA, MPI, HSMAI. Most recently, I served on the KCMPI Board of Directors. What are your primary responsibilities? Working as the business details liaison between the Board, Committee Chairs and Membership. What is your educational/professional background? I have a BS from Miami University in Oxford, OH where I majored in Mass Communication with minors in Finance and English. Then I began my career in hotel sales with Hyatt Hotels in Kansas City and Hilton Head Island, the Peabody Hotel Orlando and the Boca Raton Resort and Club. What has your involvement been within PCMA? I was a member of the Chicago Chapter during my years in hotel sales. I’m happy to be involved with PCMA again, and especially with the Heartland Chapter! What is one goal you hope to achieve this year in relation to PCMA? Expand my network of colleagues and friends, and master Regonline very quickly! What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I live in the country so I spend a lot of my time working in my yard and with my landscaping. I love to travel, even though I do a lot of it as an independent planner. I also enjoy writing contemporary romance novels under a pseudonym, Janice Richards, the first of which, Detour, will be released in February.
Welcome to the team Janice!
11th Annual Bowl-a-Thon The 11th Annual Bowl-a-Thon took place on August 2nd at Mission Bowl, Mission, KS. More than 25 members of the Heartland Chapter enjoyed a fun evening bowling, networking and good old-fashioned competition. We rounded out the night with a tremendous collection of school supplies for Operation Breakthrough.
The evening highlight was the presentation of trophies including (from left to right) Best Cheerleader
Vanessa Kane, VFW The Turkey | 3 strikes in a row Kerry Kerr, HelmsBriscoe Most Strikes
Kristen Kimbrel, AAFP 3rd Highest Score Bill Howell, guest of Sheri Howell, A-S-K Associates, Inc. 1st Place Highest Score Rob Wilson, Meeting Evolution Most Gutterballs Mary Ryan, KCCVA Lowest Score
Missy Johnson, Lockton Companies Best Dressed
Teresa Hellman, Experient 2nd Highest Score Brian Arscott, NAIC
We couldn’t have executed the event without the help of our sponsors, (from left to right) Adam Mehl-Agenda USA, Stephanie Deel-San Antonio Marriotts, Jennifer Thompson-Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Lisa Schmidt-Swank Audio Visual, Amy Brewster-JW Marriott Phoenix | Desert Ridge, Mark Underwood-JW Marriot Austin, Leticia HickmanKansas City Marriott Downtown (not pictured) the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau
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The PCMA Education Foundation: What You Might Not Know By Brad Lewis, Executive Director, PCMA Education Foundation Many PCMA members think the PCMA Education Foundation primarily “gives back to the communities in which we meet.” That’s a finding of a research project we conducted in late 2011. And it’s true, we do give back, and feel it’s important for us to set an example for how meetings can help destinations where we meet. However, by far most of the funds raised through our events like Party With a Purpose, the Dinner Celebrating Professional Achievement, the Silent Auction, Partnership Summit and programs like Annual and Planned giving funds grants for scholarships, research and education to advance the meetings industry. I guess that’s a good thing because the survey also showed that those three areas are where our members think we should be primarily spending our money. Two of the grants we fund each year are designed to give back to our Chapters and support popular programs at PCMA. One is the Best in Class program that delivers top-rated speakers from PCMA events to Chapters so that high level education can be offered at the local level. Last year, every PCMA Chapter took advantage of the program.
The PCMA Education Foundation also funds the PCMA effort that supports Service in Sync and donation drives. But the bulk of our funds go to scholarship recipients like Opal Wade, a student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, who would have had to drop out of school this year had she not received a scholarship funded by the Foundation. Other large grants helped to fund research such as the very valuable Economic Significance of Meetings to the US Economy. New research to be unveiled in Convene magazine in August answers the critical question of “What the Millennial Generation Prefers in Their Meetings and Events.” We are always funding research on issues critical to meetings. The PCMA Education Foundation is dedicated to meetings industry innovation and creating a culture of giving to support the transformation and advancement of our industry. To learn more about who we are, what we do and to see a list of individual and Chapter donors and planned giving donors visit www.pcma.org/foundation.
2013 PCMA Convening Leaders in Orlando Offers Ah-ha Moments By Maria Arnone, Vice President Media Development, E-Ascend Integrated Media It’s been 14 years since Orlando hosted PCMA’s annual conference, and as an event professional, you’ll especially appreciate the transformation the destination has undergone during this time. Orlando has added hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, shopping options and still offers its incredibly popular theme parks.
PCMA is also soliciting for Convening Leaders Diehards. With more than 100 novice first-time attendees signed up, PCMA is looking for Diehard veterans to share their expertise with newbies on how to make the most of their experience in Orlando. If you are interested, all you need to do is designate yourself as a “Diehard” on your registration.
The 2013 PCMA Convening Leaders conference will take place at the Orange County Convention Center, Jan. 13-16. This conference will focus on answering, “What does success look like?” Answers will include education explaining how to push outside the perceived dotted lines and challenge the status quo. Attendees will be taught how to showcase adaptable innovation that can be put to immediate use.
Hospitality for Helping Hands will be working with the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and the Clean the World Foundation in Orlando. Volunteer to help either group by selecting Hospitality Helping Hands on your registration.
“From meeting design to engagement, you’ll experience risk and innovation in motion, because we know — the experience matters,” according to the PCMA website. Featured speakers at the conference include three-time Pulitzer Prizewinner Thomas Friedman, who brings his foreign affairs expertise to the show. Oren Klaff, author of Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading and Winning the Deal, will offer a step-bystep process to get people’s attention, communicate ideas succinctly and win their support or business. Morten Hansen, coauthor with Jim Collins of Great by Choice, will explain to attendees what it takes for them and their businesses to succeed in our fast-paced, alwayschanging world.
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You can also be philanthropic with a drink in your hand at Party with a Purpose at Hard Rock Live Orlando at 9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14. Hosted by The PCMA Education Foundation, the event offers a great opportunity to network with your colleagues and enjoy ’80s jams from the Spazmatics. Proceeds will support PCMA Education Foundation’s education, scholarship and research initiatives, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida and PCMA’s Network for the Needy. If you’d like to get physical at Convening Leaders, sign up for the Education Foundation’s tennis tournament from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12. Or you can take a swing at the Convening Champions Golf Tournament at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13. Whatever you choose to attend at Convening Leaders, make sure to join PCMA in Orlando in January. For more information, visit conveningleaders.pcma.org.
I found the venue for your next event!!! By: Cheri Jones, CMP, Vista Productions Inc.
Photography by Timothy Hursley, courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
Ahhhh, Crystal Bridges. Every time I hear those words I smile. The museum includes incredible walking trails that span over 3.5 miles, six lovely galleries, a gift shop, a restaurant and unique event space. The 201,000 square foot museum has several meeting rooms that have views like no other location you have ever seen. This museum is a gift from Alice Walton and her family. The museum holdings comprise art from her private collection as well as numerous acquisitions by Crystal Bridges. More than 450 American art works spanning over five centuries are on view. The Walton Family Foundation gave more than $800 million in endowments to the museum. What an incredible gift to Northwest Arkansas and America, for that matter. Moshe Safdie, a world renowned architect from Boston, designed the structure that is an artwork of its own. The museum’s name comes from the two, copper topped walkways that span the creek base. These structures create the bridges. The Crystal Spring is the natural flowing water source that feeds the water effect that surrounds the Great Hall and Eleven (the restaurant). I had a chance to interview Nathan Pollet, Crystal Bridges’ Special Events Manager, and he stated that the favorite part of his job is the “WOW” their team gets when someone walks into their event space for the first time. He says, “Even completely empty, our facilities are amazing…but after my team has added that extra layer of decorative
icing for an event, they are absolutely jaw dropping.” Crystal Bridges offers several event venues. The Great Hall is their largest indoor venue that is dedicated to event space only. It can accommodate 220 people for dinner or 450 for a cocktail reception. The rental price ranges from $5,000 - $7,000 depending on the time and date. Renting the entire museum is another wonderful option if you have an event for 1,000 guests or less. The cost would be $10,000 - $15,000 for the use of the space. The restaurant on site is named Eleven (after the opening date 11/11/11). This gorgeous room has floor to ceiling windows on two sides that showcase the entire outside of the museum, and give you a peek at the trails and the water effect. It is spectacular. We have had several events in both of these spaces and it truly is a one of a kind event. The food is outstanding and the culinary team is flexible. There are also several smaller meeting rooms that would be perfect for committee or board meetings. Pollet says, “Even if you don’t have a special event in mind, visit the museum when you have time. It is an amazing place with an unparalleled, focused and ever-changing art collection that tells the story of America through artist’s eyes. Since it is situated down in a beautiful holler in the woods and has such expansive views, the whole atmosphere changes with the seasons, so visit more than once! It’s always free to visit! You can get more information on our website www.crystalbridges.org.”
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State of the Hospitality Industry
PCMA Heartland Chapter November 8th, 2012 Meeting By Brad Plumb, CMP, Overland Park Convention & Visitors Bureau The 2012 Annual State of the Hospitality Industry Event was held at the Argosy Casino Hotel and Spa on Thursday, November 8th. This meeting may be the most popular Heartland Chapter event and draws a strong response, not only from our members, but from other hospitality organizations as well including college students from as far away as Manhattan, Kansas.
Kevin O’Keefe, Global Account Executive with Marriott International moderated our panel of experts that consisted of Wanda Johnson, Senior Director of Meetings & Education with The Endocrine Society, Michael Dominguez, Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales, MGM Resort International, Alan Sims, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Little Rock Arkansas CVB, Ann D’Eon, President, ADI Meetings & Events, and Shana Hoy, Event Planner, Husch Blackwell.
Here are some of the highpoints:
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Confidence is building in the marketplace. Booking windows are increasing and contract details such as attrition clauses are being enforced with greater regularity.
As the market becomes healthier, costs are beginning to rise. Deals are not as plentiful as in the past three years. Hotels are beginning to pick and choose among the better options for their properties.
Another result of the recession recovery is that it is becoming harder for meeting planners to provide the same excellent meetings while working under prior year’s budget. Admins are increasingly used outside the scope of their jobs while full time planners are stretched to plan more events.
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Meetings are being scrutinized within the organization as stakeholders become more sophisticated regarding ROI. Outside the organization, planners are less likely to promote meetings and in some cases names of corporations are left off promotional material and reader boards and replaced with the names of third parties that are less identifiable. This is done for security as well as to lessen meeting notoriety.
Alan Sims indicated that his market is approaching pre2008 levels. Although there is still an increased amount of in-the-year-for-the-year business, 2014 and 15 are trending higher as well. Part of this result is due to strategic partnering as well as recently hiring a broker in Washington DC that represents the Little Rock region.
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Our experts, who represented a combined 141 years in the industry, agreed that better days are ahead. Some planning organizations will recover quicker than others while some destinations will price themselves either too high or too low in outlying years. Changing back to a better marketplace is still change and comes with the same uncertainty as trending for the worse. The wise hospitality industry professional will incorporate an “in it for the long term approach” in order to be successful. I can’t wait to attend next year’s meeting and hear about how successful we were in 2013.
Save the Date: April 11 - 12, 2013 PCMA Heartland Chapter Meeting heads “down South� to Bentonville, AR The monthly meeting will be on Thursday, April 11 for lunch and if you would like to extend your stay for a reception at Crystal Bridges. On Friday, April 12th, there will be several breakouts and a city tour. Please stay with us at the new 21 C Museum Hotel. Hope to see you there!
Photography by Timothy Hursley, courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
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Around the Region By Cheri D. Jones, CMP, Vista Productions, Inc.
ARKANSAS – The Natural State
MISSOURI – The Show Me State
Bentonville – 21c Museum Hotel is set to open February 2013. They are having a campaign right now to vote on the Bentonville location Penguin color. If interested, go to www.facebook. com/21cMuseumHotels
Kansas City - Few people know that Kansas City is the Haunted House Capital of the World. In fact, The Beast haunted house is America’s largest and is credited as the creator of the open-format design, which many other scream factories have since replicated. For more info about scary fun in KC, go to VisitKC.com.
Crystal Bridges opened two new exhibits in October – Moshe Safdie: The Path to Crystal Bridges and Light.
KANSAS – The Sunflower State Overland Park - Overland Park’s 36th hotel officially opened its doors on October 12, 2012. The newly constructed Holiday Inn Express & Suites offers 90 rooms and is located minutes from attractions, upscale shopping, a variety of restaurants and the Overland Park Soccer Complex.
IOWA – The Hawkeye State Des Moines – Catch up with us and the new look of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Des Moines Area Sports Commission! It is bold. It’s unexpected. It’s welcoming. It brings an exciting vibe. Catch Des Moines was created to promote Des Moines as a city with big city entertainment. A vibrant city with lots of fun things to do for people of all ages including attractions, arts and culture and nightlife. What makes us shockingly cool is that all of this can be done with ease. That’s because Greater Des Moines is easy to navigate. It’s safe. Affordable. You can catch a play. Catch a dinner table. Catch a ballgame…catch anything you can in a big city, but with ease. Learn more about the process we went through to create this new way of thinking and talking about Greater Des Moines with our Brand Ambassador Toolkit. Access the toolkit at catchdesmoines.com/brand.
IF YOU have events happening in your city, please email them to Cheri Jones, CMP at cjones@vistaprod.com. We would love to highlight exciting things happening in your town. The information is gathered from members, CVB websites and Meeting Focus.
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The Marriott Downtown has a new lobby space area called BARCENTRAL that offers food and beverage service. The hotel is undergoing a $20 million multi year renovation to include guest rooms, fitness facility, restaurant and concierge lounge. St. Louis - The Cheshire Hotel has completed a $4 million renovation in 2011 and is now planning to unveil its new restaurant, Basso. Basso features American-Italian cuisine as well as a bar.
NEBRASKA – The Cornhusker State Omaha – The Hyatt Place Omaha Downtown/Old Market has broken ground for their 159 room hotel and is slated to open in 2014.
OKLAHOMA – The Sooner State Oklahoma City - “The Oklahoma City CVB, in partnership with the Edmond and Norman CVBs, has recently launched a Certified Tourism Ambassador Program (CTA) for the greater Oklahoma City metro area called Greater Oklahoma City Area Certified Tourism Ambassadors. The CTA program is part of a nationwide certification program that serves to increase tourism by training and inspiring front-line hospitality employees and volunteers to work together to turn every visitor encounter into a positive experience. Beyond front-line hospitality employees, many police officers, taxi drivers and attractions employees have already signed-up to receive their certification as well.” The Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) recently announced Morgan O’Neill as a new Convention Services Manager. As a Convention Services Manager, O’Neill is responsible for servicing groups in the religious, fraternal, hobby, agricultural and small group markets. She will act as the primary point of contact for the CVB for convention groups while they are in Oklahoma City.
SAVE THE DATE!
Annual Education Conference & Trade Show Feb. 27, 2013 At KC Bartle Hall, South Hall Ballroom 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Join members from the Heartland Chapter PCMA, KCMPI, SGMP, KCSAE, and the and the National Speakers Association of Kansas City for a full day of education and networking plus lunch and a salute to meeting professionals. Stay tuned for more details.
Have a healthy and happy 2013! 11