Speaker Biographies
Meetings Industry Experts
Linda Andreani
Director, Professional Development Programs
Destination Marketing Association International
Linda manages learning & development programming and growth strategies within the professional development and meetings department of DMAI. She previously served as vice president of programs for the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting. Linda's other prior roles include consultancy targeting business performance and human capital management, national sales and services at Marriott International, and corporate development and program expansion in the nonprofit sector.
» Session: "Industry Certifications: An Avenue for Career Enhancement"
Marlene Blas
Associate Director for Meetings & Events
California Western School of Law
Program Advisor & Instructor
California State University San Marcos
Committed to education, Marlene established and funded the San Diego MPI Student Member Scholarship in August 2012. She serves on numerous industry advisory boards and co-edited Meeting and Event Analysis: Tales from the Trenches, a compilation of case studies for use by those teaching at undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels.
» Session: "Are You Ready? Disaster Prep for Meeting, Convention, and Trade Show Professionals"
Cathy Breden, CAE, CMP
Chief Operating Officer
International Association of Exhibitions and Events
Cathy began her association management career in 1984 and has served as a member of several boards of directors, as key staff contact, chief staff executive, volunteer leader, and consultant. She helped IAEE repositioning itself from an individual-member professional association to a trade association representing hundreds of organizations in the exhibitions and events industry and is currently responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization, including overseeing marketing and communications, membership, education, conventions and events, and administration. Additionally, Cathy serves as executive director the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) and is an active member of ASAE. She served as the 2010 chair of CIC's Certified Meeting Professional board of directors and wrote the "Marketing, Promotion, Publicity" chapter of The Convention Industry Council Manual, 7th edition, A Working Guide for Effective Meetings & Conventions.
» Session: "Industry Certifications: An Avenue for Career Enhancement" 
Katie Callahan-Giobbi
Executive Vice President
Minding Your Business, Inc.
A 25-year industry veteran, Katie helps organizations develop strategies that drive business, as well as design and execute innovative live event experiences. Before joining Minding Your Business, she served as executive vice president of the MPI Foundation and senior vice president of sales for LA Inc. Earlier in her career, Katie was area director of sales and marketing for W Hotels of New York, as well as The Century Plaza Hotel & Spa and the St. Regis Hotel & Spa in Los Angeles. She was also director of sales and marketing at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago and held similar positions at other Chicago-area hotels. Katie has served in a variety of roles on MPI’s executive committee and international board of directors, as well as a past president of the MPI Chicago Area Chapter. She currently serves on ASAE’s Meetings & Exposition Council and is a frequent guest lecturer on the meetings industry at Roosevelt University.
» Session: "Walk With Them or They Might Walk Away: Assessing Your Meeting from the Attendees' Perspective" 
Gayle Dahlman
Certification Director
Convention Industry Council
Gayle brings nearly a decade of certification experience to CIC's Certified Meeting Professional program, with a breadth of knowledge that includes strategic management and positioning of certifications, expertise in keeping certifications current with rapidly evolving professions, best practices in program administration, and the benefits of achieving professional certification.
» Session: "Industry Certifications: An Avenue for Career Enhancement"
Barbara F. Dunn, Esq.
Attorney and Partner
Howe & Hutton, Ltd.
Barbara works with many individuals and organizations in the meetings industry—including corporate and independent planners, as well as suppliers. She has written numerous articles on a wide range of legal issues and is a frequent speaker for ASAE, MPI, PCMA, SGMP; along with other meetings, travel, and hospitality industry groups. Barbara was the 2005-06 chair of the ASAE Legal Section Council—the first woman to serve in such a leadership role—and is also a member of the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from the John Marshall Law School, where she served on the editorial board of the John Marshall Law Review.
» Session: "Meetings and the Law: Must Knows for the Digital Age"
George G. Fenich, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Hospitality Leadership
East Carolina University
Dr. Fenich has delivered over 100 seminars and presentations to both academe and industry. He has served on DMAI's Student and Educator Advisory Council; along with service to MPI, PCMA, ACOM, and ICHRIE. Dr. Fenich is also an active consultant to the industry and his "FuturePace" processes are being used by over 50 DMOs in the U.S. He personally experienced hurricane Katrina.
» Session: "Are You Ready? Disaster Prep for Meeting, Convention, and Trade Show Professionals"
Bill Lemmon
Director of Sales
Omni Hotels & Resorts - Chicago
Bill has 15 years of hospitality experience that includes positions with hotels, destination marketing organizations, and trade show general contractors. In his current role, he is responsible for directing and implementing marketing, sales, promotion, advertising, and public relations activities to generate and maximize overall revenue for the four-diamond Omni Chicago Hotel, located on the Magnificent Mile.
» Session: "Vital Decisions: Getting the Most From Your RFPs"
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Kelly McDonald
Marketing & Advertising Expert
McDonald Marketing
Kelly McDonald is considered one of the nation's top experts in multicultural marketing and consumer trends. She has been featured on CNBC; in Forbes, BusinessWeek, and Fast Company; as well as on CNNMoney.com and Sirius/XM Radio. Kelly was named #1 on the list of “26 Hot Speakers” by Successful Meetings and Advertising Age has twice named her company one of the top ad agencies in the U.S. She is the author of two books: “How to Market to People Not Like You”, one of the best selling business books of 2011, and her latest book “Crafting the Customer Experience for People Not Like You”.
» Keynote Presentation: "How to Connect with Others—Regardless of Age, Wage, or Life Stage: Building and Fostering Relationships that Grow Conferences, Revenue, and Profit"
Dawn McEvoy, CMP, CAE
Director, Education
Professional Convention Management Association
Dawn manages the day-to-day operations of PCMA's education department. She is responsible for developing the educational strategy, as well as researching opportunities for growing the organization's educational product offerings.
» Session: "Industry Certifications: An Avenue for Career Enhancement"
Monique Montoya, CMP
CMP Program Manager
Convention Industry Council
Monique manages the day to day operations of CIC's Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Program, the foremost certification of the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry. The CMP program, established in 1985, recognizes individuals who have achieved the industry's highest standard of professionalism. Prior to joining CIC, Monique worked as the meetings manager at the Glass Packaging Institute.
» Session: "Professional Certification: Obtaining CMP Status"
Regina Panza
Senior Planner, Meetings & Events
McDonald's Corp.
Regina has worked on a variety of events over her 17 years at McDonald’s, including senior global leadership meetings and RMHC Awards of Excellence gala events. Additional areas of focus include contract negotiations, convention registration, and housing. She also oversees the HelmsBriscoe relationship and RFP strategy as part of the McDonald’s Strategic Meetings Management Program. Regina began her event planning career began in the hotel world, as well as off-premise catering sales.
» Session: "Vital Decisions: Getting the Most From Your RFPs"
Terri Roberts
Director of Training for empowerMINT.com
Destination Marketing Association International
Terri joined DMAI in June 2010, bringing more than 25 years of hospitality industry experience to her role. She previously held positions with Marriott Hotels & Resorts and the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau, in both sales and training capacities. Her personal forte is the design and delivery of high-energy, high-impact training sessions, aligned with business needs, to engage participants and enhance learning for maximum personal and professional growth.
» Session: "Vital Decisions: Getting the Most From Your RFPs"
Michele C. Wierzgac, CMM
Principal Consultant, Trainer, and Speaker
Michele & Company
Michele is an experienced business leader and speaker delivering powerful programs that address current business issues in the areas of integrated marketing communications, self-branding, and leadership. She is an ad hoc professor for the School of Hospitality Management at Kendall College, as well as a frequent guest lecturer at numerous universities. Michele is well known for her column Forward Thinking, and has been recognized by MPI as one of their top five speakers and named to the Chicago chapter's Hall of Fame.
» Session: "Effective Supervision: Shifting From Colleague to Boss"
