Meeting News - January 28, 2008 - (Page 6)

Inside the Meetings Industry Edited by Elizabeth West elizabeth.west@nielsen.com Convention Ser vices Managers Celebrate Two Decades of ACOM Seattle—The Association for Convention Operations Management (ACOM) held its 20th annual meeting Jan. 11-13 at the Westin Seattle, just ahead of the annual gathering of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) in town. Lynn McCullough, the Princeton, NJ-based executive director of ACOM, said that 250 convention services managers (CSMs), directors, and vice presidents attended the education-heavy event, a slight uptick from last year’s 240-strong event in Toronto. “We’ve definitely met our attendance goals; we’ve seen a steady increase in attendance for the past three years,” McCullough noted. A central factor in the attendance growth is the preparatory coursework ACOM offers to those pursuing Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation—something that many hospitality suppliers are asking of their events personnel. Of the 480 members of ACOM, roughly 40 percent have CMP designation. McCullough added that ACOM is encouraging younger CSMs to attain certification. The meeting’s highlight was a gala dinner on Jan. 12 atop the Space Needle that celebrated ACOM’s 20th anniversary and its past presidents, beginning with William Just, who founded ACOM in 1988. Just raised the profile of CSMs by joining forces in the early 1990s with MeetingNews sister publication Successful Meetings on the Convention Services Manager of the Year Awards. Adult Lear ning Exper t Joins MPI To Ensur e Members Maximize Educational Experiences ‘Director of knowledge’ to sharpen classes, e-sessions Dallas—On Jan. 9, Meeting Professionals International announced the appointment of Graydon Dawson to the position of director of knowledge. Dawson’s mandate at MPI is enhancing the return that members get from MPI’s educational offerings, not just the in-person gatherings but also the distance-learning events. “MPI’s commitment to ‘elevate the member conversation’ is what first attracted me to the position, and it’s an area where I feel I can truly make a contribution,” said Dawson. The timing of the hiring allows Dawson to play a role in shaping MPI’s E-Learning Webinar Series, which has events slated for February, March, and April. Further, Dawson will play a significant role in the creation of MPI’s biggest event: the nearly 4,000-attendee World Education Congress, to be held Aug. 9-12 in Las Vegas. MPI President and CEO Bruce MacMillan said, “Graydon’s track record of success and his credentials are a perfect match for this role. His passion for understanding how professionals learn and connect will ensure that we continue to elevate member knowledge levels as well as conversations throughout our community.” Dawson has held management positions as the director of training, organizational design, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. In addition to holding a doctorate in instructional systems design, Dawson holds master’s degrees in management, organizational development, education, and computer-based training/instructional technology. To be based at MPI’s headquarters in Dallas, Dawson will lead a team of five knowledge professionals and report to MPI’s vice president of knowledge and events, Vicki Hawarden. On Course At ACOM I n addition to the CMP courses, ACOM offers other popular courses separated into three tracks so CSMs from convention centers, CVBs, and hotels/resorts receive information and case studies specific to their situations. Some of the most popular courses include: • Transitioning the client between the sales department and the convention services team. • Building consultative partnerships with clients. • Leveraging the advantages of a CSM’s specific venue to develop unique event ideas. • Understanding F&B trends in order to create menus that satisfy both the demographic and budget concerns of a group. • Contingency/emergency planning. Latin American Meetings & Incentives Show Hits Brazil In mid-December, the only group business travel show dedicated to Latin America had its eighth annual rendition, attracting mostly European incentives buyers Salvador de Bahia, Brazil—Meetings & Incentives Travel Market (MITM) Americas brought 79 buyers from 21 countries to meet with 65 exhibitors from 13 countries throughout the Americas. In mid-2007, show organizer GSAR Marketing announced that its five-year-old MITMarket, held annually in Las Vegas, was incorporated into MITM Latin America; the December event was the first incarnation of the merger. The show is set up as a series of individual meetings between exhibiting suppliers and hosted meeting and incentive buyers. A total of 1,924 individual meetings took place over three days, and $9.6 million in group business was tentatively committed. Exhibitors at MITM Americas acknowledged that most incoming business travel from other continents is not meetings but rather incentive programs. The show organizer noted that Europe is currently the primary source of potential business for Latin America (including Mexico). Nonetheless, exhibitors strived to land incentive business from the United States as a stepping stone to a wider range of group business. MITM Americas has been held in Cuba, Mexico, and Ecuador. Dates for the 2008 event have not yet been released. The next MITM event is the 12th annual MITM Euromed, slated for June 10-11 in Cologne, Germany. The show focuses mostly on destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean. r —Section written by Robert Carey www.meetingnews.com 6 MeetingNews January 28, 2008 http://www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - January 28, 2008

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