SPEAKER BIOS
Hear First-Hand Advice From These Industry Experts
Barbara F. Dunn, Esq.
Attorney and Partner
Howe & Hutton
Barbara Dunn is an attorney and partner with Howe & Hutton, a law firm specializing in the representation of individuals, firms, and organizations in the travel, tourism, hospitality, incentive, and meetings industries; as well as not-for-profit organizations, including trade associations, professional societies, and other related organizations. Dunn works with many individuals and organizations in the meetings industry—including corporate and independent planners, and suppliers. She has written numerous articles on a wide range of legal issues and is a frequent speaker for MPI and its chapters, the MPI Foundation's Platinum Series programs, SGMP, PCMA, HSMAI, ASAE and its affiliated societies, and other groups in the meetings, travel, and hospitality industries. Dunn was the 2005-2006 chair of the ASAE Legal Section Council—the first woman to serve in such a leadership role. She is also a member of the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys.
Frank E. Gainer, MHS, OTR/L, FAOTA
Conference & Conclave Program Director, Professional Affairs
American Occupational Therapy Association
Frank Gainer has been an occupational therapy practitioner for 32 years and has worked in a variety of clinical settings with a primarily adult population. For the past six years, he has been the conference program manager at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). One of Gainer's responsibilities in this role is to ensure that AOTA's Annual Conference & Expo are accessible for all attendees.
Brad A. Goldberg
Owner and President
TriGold Consulting LLC
Brad Goldberg provides contingency planning and risk management solutions to meeting professionals based on his experience as an officer specializing in risk management with the U.S. Air Force. His leadership in that field led to organizing and managing international risk management conferences for the military and other government agencies. Prior to starting TriGold Consulting in 2008, Goldberg also worked as conference services manager for CommGenix, a medical meetings and communications company, and was a senior meeting planner for the University of South Florida’s College of Medicine.
Eli Gorin, CMP
President
gMeetings Inc.
Eli Gorin launched gMeetings Inc., an Aventura, Fla.-based meeting management boutique, in 2006. His work creating awareness of the Latin American market for corporate meetings and events earned him a spot on MeetingNews’ list of “25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry in 2007”. In 2009, he launched Train2Meet, the first collaborative of top industry trainers providing continuing education within all major segments of the meetings and events industry. Gorin is an adjunct faculty member of George Washington University's event management certificate program, taught as an adjunct professor at Johnson & Wales University, and speaks frequently at industry events. He received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from GWU’s prestigious event management program, as well as an MBA in leadership and quality management from the University of Miami.
Sam Lippman
President and Founder
Integrated Show Management & Marketing (ISM)
As founder of Integrated Show Management, Sam Lippman provides executive-level consulting for the exhibition and convention industry. Prior to ISM, he produced international trade events including CES, GRAPH EXPO, PRINT, and the National Computer Conference. Lippman is also an adjunct lecturer at George Washington University on exhibition marketing and management. He is an active member of the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE) and the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO); and belongs to American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the American Marketing Association (AME), the Business Marketing Association (BMA), and the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA).
Stacy Lucherini
Regional Vice President of Sales
Associated Luxury Hotels
Stacy Lucherini opened ALHI’s national sales office in Chicago in 2003, which now provides national sales services for more than 125 four- and five-diamond/star quality hotels and resorts worldwide. A 24-year sales veteran, Lucherini is a dedicated and motivated sales professional who, prior to joining ALHI, worked as director of national sales for Wyndham International. Her extensive customer knowledge and focus have been key to ALHI’s success in the Midwest—earning her recognition as “ALHI Salesperson of the Year” in 2008.
Margaret Manchik
National Sales Associate
Disney Destinations
Margaret Manchik has been part of the Disney Destinations Chicago National Sales Team for more than seven years, allowing her the privilege of working will all aspects of Disney's convention portfolio: global convention resorts, theme parks, Disney Institute, and entertainment. She is an active member of Association Forum of Chicagoland and PCMA. Working with her association, corporate, and third-party clients, Manchik calls on her 20+ years of industry experience—including national sales and CVB regional sales, as well as property experience at convention and resort hotels—to provide counsel and direction to ensure her clients experience in their meeting, the full extent of the Disney Difference. Margaret has come to appreciate the words of her company's founder, Walt Disney, "All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them."
Lisa J. Mikita, CMP, CAE
Director of Conferences & Meetings
Association of Legal Administrators
Lisa J. Mikita has nearly 30 years of experience as a meeting planner, with more than 20 of those years working for various professional and trade associations. For the past eight years, she has provided meeting management services for the Association of Legal Administrators, earning the title of Director of Conferences and Meetings in October 2008. A past president of MPI's Chicago Area Chapter, Mikita remains active with the chapter volunteering for numerous committees and is in her second year as co-chair of the Meeting Professionals SIG for Association Forum of Chicagoland.
Deborah Popely
President
Green Events Source
Deborah Popely has more than 25 years of experience as an event planner and marketing consultant. For the past five years, she has provided sustainability consulting, procurement guidance, and marketing services in the areas of green meetings and events, green cleaning, and sustainable food policy, as well as green building design, maintenance, and construction. Popely is editor and publisher of The Green Events Source Book and Green Events & Exhibiting E-News. She is also a frequent speaker, workshop provider, and university lecturer on various aspects of green business.
Lise Puckorius, CMP
Senior Vice President, Convention and Trade Show Services
SmithBucklin Corporation
With more than 22 years in the event and hospitality industry, Lise Puckorius is responsible for driving and maintaining a strategic approach to servicing client needs in the event area, and managing day-to-day operations of Chicago’s conference and trade show services unit of SmithBucklin. Puckorius previously worked at A.T. Kearney Inc., where she was the director of global meetings and events. Her other professional experience includes the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau as a national sales manager and director of sales. In addition, Puckorius has experience as an instructor for Roosevelt University. An active member of the meeting and event industry, she serves on the customer advisory board for Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Anaheim’s meetings industry advisory board, and Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau’s meetings advisory council. She has been a member of the MPI Foundation board of trustees and an active member of MPI since 1986.
Sandy Reynolds, CMP
President and Owner
Meetings & Events USA
Sandy Reynolds is the president and owner of Meetings & Events USA, a full-service meeting and event management firm with worldwide scope and experience. Prior to joining and eventually helming Meetings & Events USA, Reynolds worked at SmithBucklin, the world’s largest association management firm, coordinating conferences and trade shows across the country for groups ranging from 25 to 50,000 attendees. She is active in Association Forum of Chicagoland where she serves on the annual meeting planning committee, and Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) where she serves as the 2nd vice chair for GMC-PCMA sponsorship committee for 2009.
Mickey Schaefer, CAE
President
Mickey Schaefer & Associates LLC
A prominent industry leader, Mickey Schaefer has been honored for her service as chairman of the board of PCMA, being frequently named as one of the "25 Most Influential in the Meetings Industry" by Meeting News, and as a 2006 inductee into the CIC's prestigious Hall of Leaders—the highest honor in the industry—for her leadership in standardizing our industry through the CIC APEX initiative. Her 30 years of strategic planning and meetings & conventions experience with the American Academy of Family Physicians, combined with her CVB sales and board of directors’ experience, has defined her company. Schaefer and her team help destinations shape their positioning and marketing strategies to create value for meeting professionals through customer advisory board facilitation, speaking on industry trends, strategic alignment, and creating a new nationwide Certified Tourism Ambassador™ (CTA) program.
Jim Skiba, CMP
Founder and Director
World Incentive Nexus
Jim Skiba has been involved in education, theater, psychology, and meeting planning for more than 25 years. He has worked as a management consultant in time-efficiency, psychological development, and departmental dynamics and continues to produce interactive team-building games through his sister company Incentives To Intrigue. In recent years, Skiba has focused on corporate motivation and the self-image of the individual within the corporate structure. He is also a specialist in Latin America and often consults on global projects in this region.
Skiba was the president of Meeting Professionals International Northern California (MPINCC) from 2004-2005 and a member of Meeting Professionals International Global Development Committee in 2007 and 2008. Additionally, he has been an active member of the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE) since 1990 and, in 1997, founded the Northern California Chapter of SITE. Skiba was the 2006 Chair for the Northern California Chapter of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). He is currently a member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and the International Special Events Society (ISES).
Mark Tunney, CMP
Managing Director, Convention Sales
Chicago Tourism Bureau
Mark Tunney directs a team of 14 sales professionals responsible for booking over 2.5 million roomnights each year, as well as the lead booking engine for Navy Pier and McCormick Place—the largest convention campus in North America. He is a 20 year veteran of the hospitality industry and has held director of marketing positions with Marriott, Hyatt, and Starwood hotels. He managed the Washington, D.C., office for Marriott national accounts, which was the largest national sales office in the country at that time. A Certified Meeting Professional, Tunney is currently working on his Certificate in Exhibition Management (CEM).
