Meeting News - April 7, 2008 - (Page 8)

Inside the Meetings Industry Edited by Elizabeth West elizabeth.west@nielsen.com ADME Meets and Celebrates in Big Easy New Orleans—Wrapping up one of the most active years in its 13-year history, the Association of Destination Management Executives held its annual meeting Feb. 20-24 at the Sheraton New Orleans. The group had much to tout: 2007 saw the launch of the Accredited DMC program, the expansion of education through a new webinar series, the opening of a new career center, and a new member-focused blog called DMConversations. Fran Rickenbach, executive VP of ADME, said that attendance was just over 200 this year, a 25-percent increase over last year’s event. The reasons? Explained Rickenbach, “We were recognizing the first class of Destination Management Certified Professionals, as well as the 24 firms that were the first to earn the Accredited Destination Management Company (ADMC) designation. But there was also a strong commitment by members to help New Orleans, both by our attendance and by contributions of used instruments and funds to the Tipitani Foundation,” which helped the city’s music scene return to its glory. The educational sessions that drew the most attention were those that addressed dealings with meeting- and event-planner clients. For instance, “Deal or No Deal? Tough Choices in DMC Pricing” reviewed different pricing models and how they can be effectively used to land clients of different sizes and needs. And “Business Ethics: Not an Oxymoron” discussed the confidentiality of DMC proposals and how to prevent idea poaching. The conference ended on a high note with the presentation of the ADME Achievement Awards. Honors were given for outstanding events created with budgets of less than $50,000, between $50,000 and $100,000, between $100,000 and $200,000, and more than $200,000. Other categories included best teambuilding event, best recreational event, best tour program, and best transportation logistics. In fact, the winning firm in that last category earned the honor for its work surrounding a huge public event—the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. To see a list of all the winning firms and their programs, visit www.adme.org. AIME Hits the Mark Melbourne, Australia—The 2008 Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) took place at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre Feb. 19-20, with more than 3,250 corporate and association planners canvassing the show floor, which was comprised of 850 exhibitors from 40 countries. Attendance was up 23 percent this year versus last year, in part because of a new hosted buyer program that brought 496 planners to the show. On the educational side, this year saw the rollout of “Master Class” sessions, which were 10 one-hour seminars on the most topical issues affecting planners and suppliers in the Asia-Pacific region. The two most popular sessions were ones where a panel of industry experts focused on new ideas for meetings, incentives, and business events; each one drew nearly 200 people. The sessions that generated the most show floor buzz, though, were two dedicated to the environment and how both planners and suppliers can act to limit their impact on the planet. Back-to-back panel discussions were scheduled, with show organizers expecting that attendees would attend either the first or the second session. But with a panel featuring high-profile travel buyers such as Robin Lokerman of MCI and Kevin Iwamoto of HewlettPackard, plus Phil Smith of environmental specialist firm Climate Friendly (which assisted AIME in offsetting 100 percent of the event’s carbon emissions), many attendees stayed for both sessions. This forced some on-thespot adaptation as well as brainstorming by the panel in order to present more information. r —Section by Robert Carey www.meetingnews.com M*A*S*H: Meeting A Surefire Hit s that the cast of M*A*S*H? Close. Minneapolis-based firm metroConnections came up with a M*A*S*H-themed event for a client—complete with look-alikes of the classic ’70s show’s cast and authentic military props—that conveyed, “We’re all in this together as one unit.” The effort won an ADME Achievement Award for innovation with a budget under $50,000. Company chief Sam Thompson accepted the award at the ADME annual in New Orleans. I ASAE Adds Diversity Officer Washington, DC—On Feb. 25, the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership announced that 20-year veteran Trish Kerlé has been named director of diversity and inclusion. Kerlé will develop an organization-wide initiative to ensure that ASAE & the Center represents a diverse and inclusive organizational model for the association community, and to support member associations in their own diversity efforts. 8 MeetingNews April 7, 2008 ASAE President and CEO John Graham IV said,“ASAE & the Center wants to model successful organizational planning for associations, and our diversity initiative is an integral part of that effort.”Added Susan Sarfati, president and CEO of the Center for Association Leadership and executive vice president of ASAE, “A commitment to diversity will strengthen our organization…and provide a wider array of ideas and perspectives that will benefit all of our members.” http://www.adme.org http://www.meetingnews.com

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