ATTEND YOUR CHOICE OF TWO EDUCATION SESSIONS

Pick one session from each group. Plus, Stan Kasten's keynote presentation at Noon.

Note: Advance session selection is not required.
Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

Convention Sales & Operations: Best Practices in Customer Service - NEW FOR 2008

Although communities will continue to experiment with various structural models, the bottom line is customer service for you, the planner ... A seamless experience from the onset of the sales process through move-out. Join representatives from Destination Marketing Association International, International Association of Assembly Managers, and the hotel community to learn how they are addressing the complex relationship between DMOs and convention center management. Learn how these best practices for planners will affect you and can improve the overall quality of your event experience at the destination level.

Presenters: Peggy Daidakis, Dan Fenton, Richard Green, and Dave Radcliffe

Green Meetings: Cost-Effective Ways to Reduce Your Footprint - SERIES CONTINUATION

Sponsored by MeetingsNet
Whether you're a government employee, an association executive, or an independent planner, everyone in the meetings industry can learn from the green initiatives of the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Recycling Coalition. Find out how you can voluntarily adopt the EPA's 14-point environmental checklist to evaluate facilities for your own events and discover cost-effective ways to encourage recycling and the use if recycled products to reduce your organizations' meetings impact the environment.

Presenters: Harry Lewis and Rebecca A. Mebane

Lights, Cameras, Action! Getting the Most Out of Your A/V Presentation - NEW FOR 2008

Sponsored by Freeman Audio Visual Solutions
Whether you're a meeting planner or corporate event specialist, if you have ever been responsible for putting on a production and hiring audio/visual services, you know just how daunting it can be. Your A/V
presentation often represents the biggest part of your budget and can make or break your show—yet the terminology often sounds like a foreign language.

Learn how presentation technologies are changing and how they affect your events, budgets, and audience. During this seminar, you will look into the technology crystal ball to see how you can benefit as planners and how you can make smarter A/V decisions in a challenging economic environment.

During this seminar, you will:

• Learn the important A/V terminology every planner should know.
• Compare various types of video, sound, and lighting equipment, and discuss the situations and uses appropriate to each.
• Review the labor charges for various types of programs for a better understanding of your overall A/V budget.
• Learn how to submit A/V specifications in a Request For Proposal to insure your bids are comprehensive and competitive.
• Take away creative ideas for maximizing the use of A/V equipment to get the largest bang for your buck.

Presenter: Gary Clark

Learning Strategies: Mapping the Future of Onsite Learning - NEW FOR 2008

Sponsored by Meeting Professionals International
If a meeting fails to maximize the knowledge, momentum, and follow-up resources that participants take away, the resources spent on that meeting are essentially wasted. Yet meeting and destination planners are only now beginning to understand state-of-the-art adult learning strategies and build them into their events.

This highly interactive session will discuss and demonstrate the knowledge that was captured in "Mapping the Future of Onsite Learning," a white paper based on MPI’s 2007 Professional Education Conference-Europe. By attending this session, participants will:

• learn about some of the latest ideas and research on effective learning design;
• understand the steps involved in incorporating learning design principles in their own events; and
• gain access to a community of peers for further discussion and learning.

After the session, participants will receive a free summary report that captures key findings and discussion points—thereby demonstrating one method of extending content and learning beyond the closing session of a conference.

Presenter: Mitchell Beer, CMM

Meetings and the Law: Liability Issues for Meeting Professionals - SERIES CONTINUATION

Sponsored by American Society of Association Executives
Everywhere you turn in today's litigious society, there is a real or threatened liability issue. Part of being a meeting or event professional is knowing what the liability risks are and what you can do to minimize the risk of liability. In this interactive session, participants will discuss the most common liability risks at meetings and conventions, including alcohol liability, injury to attendees, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These areas of liability will be analyzed in the context of different types of events and facilities. Participants will also address less obvious, but just as important, legal risks related to intellectual property infringement—including music licensing, speaker copyrights, and more. The proper use of proactive tools like contracts, license agreements, and waivers of liability will be discussed.

Presenter: Tyra W. Hilliard, J.D., CMP

Plan for Success: Marketing Tools for Meeting Planners That Work - NEW FOR 2008

Your planning skills are superb, your attention to detail impeccable, and your customer service sublime—your bottom line should look amazing too! In today’s hyper-competitive, over-saturated marketplace, uninspired promotions and “me-too” marketing just don’t cut it. But how do you stand out from the crowd? Which mediums should you use? Where should you target your marketing efforts? What puts your name in front of sponsors and attendees?

Let direct marketing expert Jon Goldman show you how to get noticed and get results! In this information-packed, highly entertaining seminar, you will learn practical marketing strategies you can implement right now to retool your marketing, grow your business, and drive up customer loyalty. Learn how to:

• leverage your marketing budget by targeting only qualified “hungry fish;"
• create wildly creative marketing materials using “irresistible bait;"
• boost response rates with premiums, freemiums, and creative mailers; and
• generate buzz and excitement for your events

As part of this interactive presentation, you are invited to bring in your current marketing materials for expert, on-the-spot critique.

Presenter: Jon Goldman

Professional Certification: Obtaining CMP Status - ENCORE PRESENTATION

Sponsored by CIC
Interested in taking the next step in your career? The Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation recognizes those who have achieved the industry’s highest standard of professionalism. Join us to discuss the benefits of being a CMP. Learn the origin of the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation, its structure and organization, and how the test is drafted. Apply now to CIC for your application and bring it along to the session which will guide you step-by-step through the application and examination process.

Presenter: Heather A. Doughlin, CMP

State of the Industry: An Inside Look at U.S. Tourism - SPECIAL SESSION FOR CVB AND TOURISM EXECUTIVES

Join Dr. Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research at the Travel Industry Association, Helen Marano, director of the Office of Travel & Tourism for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and renowned travel author Arthur Frommer as they share their unique views on the state of the U.S. travel and tourism industry. The panel will discuss solutions on how the industry can respond to stay competitive amidst increased global competition. This session will be moderated by special guest Veronica Stoddart, deputy managing editor for USA Today's travel section.

Moderator: Veronica Stoddart; Panelists: Suzanne Cook, Ph.D., Arthur Frommer, Helen Marano

South of the Border: Meeting with Success in Latin America - NEW INTERNATIONAL SERIES

Sponsored by Mexico Tourism Board
This special session provides expert advice for anyone planning or considering a meeting in Latin America.

Presenters: Cathy Vijeh and TBA

Working with Uncle Sam: Successful Events Strategy in the Federal Government - NEW FOR 2008

Sponsored by Society of Government Meeting Professionals
Most all meetings present unique challenges for the planner, but an added layer of do's and don'ts can further complicate meetings for the federal government. This session examines funding, Comptroller General decisions, contracts and negotiations, increased per diem, and other aspects of planning that are unique to government events. Learn the rules and regulations in spending federal funds for events, and the ethics restrictions of the government planner, along with a “Test Your Ethics IQ” quiz to review common areas of ethical concerns and the right way to do business. The following topics will be covered:

• value of government business;
• federal funding/authorizations
• impact of Comptroller General decisions;
• food and beverage
• prevailing government rate;
• negotiations;
• contracts and letters of intent;
• attrition, cancellation, and industry standards; and
• ethics.

Presenter: Garland Preddy, CGMP

World Affairs I: Globalization and International Meetings - NEW INTERNATIONAL SERIES

As a result of globalization, many associations and corporations are recognizing an increased need for international meetings and conventions to serve their growing base of overseas members and customers. This unique session will examine the business decisions that come along with planning an international event. Participants will learn what information is needed to successfully identify an international destination, how exchange rates and conference pricing structures influence audience attendance, and how conference pricing structures affect different cultures. You’ll also gain insight into pinpointing first-, second-, and third-tier cities overseas; discover which cities handle large congresses; and which regions are more technologically advanced.

Presenters: Kristin Horstman, CMP, and Paul Flackett, CITE

World Affairs II: Not So Common Knowledge for Planning Overseas Meetings - NEW INTERNATIONAL SERIES

Sponsored by Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives
You've been asked to plan a conference in Warsaw, Poland...or maybe it was Dubai, Barcelona, or Hangzhou, China ... Now what do you do? Planners, this is your opportunity to ask questions. Talk with two professionals who have planned events all around the world and find out what makes some successful and others not when working in a foreign locale. Discover some common strategies that will apply in whatever country you are working. Learn how to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls, when to use local suppliers, and what partners might be helpful when you're working in a country without the comfort of a common language.

Presenters: Sue Davis and Terrance Barkan