Speaker Biographies
A Who's Who of Meetings Industry Experts
Note: This is a preliminary list of speakers. Additional presenters will be added over the coming weeks.
Scott Beck
President & CEO
Visit Salt Lake
A Utah native, Scott Beck has been president/CEO of Visit Salt Lake since 2005. Previously, he was general manager of the Salt Lake City Marriott City Center and worked with the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee as a host hotel for AT&T and the European Broadcasting Company. Prior to the Marriott, Scott was general manager of the Cedar Breaks Lodge Hotel. He also spent three years as director of food and beverage at Sundance Resort, followed by six years as director of sales and marketing. Scott began his hospitality management career as part of the opening management team for the Baci Trattoria and Club Baci in Salt Lake City. He is an active member of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors, serves on the executive committee for the Utah Tourism Industry Coalition, and is currently on the board of the US Travel Association.
» Session: "APEX in Action: Destinations, Sustainability, and Standards"Rachel Benedick
Vice President of Sales & Services
Visit Denver
Photo and bio coming soon.
» Session: "Leveraging Value: How Hotels and CVBs Perceive Your Event"
Tamela Blalock, CMP
National Sales Manager
Team San Jose
Tamela Blalock is an active member of the tourism and hospitality industry, and has been recognized as a Connect magazine "40 Under 40" honoree (2011), MPI Potomac Chapter "Rising Star" (2011), and PCMA "Student Planner of the Year" (2010). She transitioned to Team San Jose after three years with the George Washington University, as assistant director of sales and marketing for the summer housing department. Prior to reinventing herself into the tourism industry, Tamela worked in premium ticket sales for the Washington Redskins. Her first experience in the meetings industry was planning foreign dignitary events for the Central Intelligence Agency. She currently serves as chair of the PCMA Capital Chapter mentoring program, co-chair for the MPI Potomac Chapter marketing committee, co-chair for the AMPs newsletter committee, and is an active member of SGMP and Just Because.
» Session: "Teaming for Success: Maximizing Hotel, DMO/CVB, and Planner Relationships"
Stacey Chattman
Director of Operations
Courtesy Associates
Stacey Chattman's 23 years of industry experience includes a wide-variety of events from city-wide conventions, exhibit programs, special events and awards galas, to wildlife expeditions, and c-level conferences—both domestic and international for organizations such as the American Hotel & Motel Association, Choice Hotels International, National Wildlife Federation, American Insurance Association, Epiphany Productions, Hanley Wood Business Media, and Courtesy Associates. She has planned events for many different audiences and industries, including hospitality, technology, conservation/green initiatives, building and construction, charities, non-profit and political fundraising, and corporate sales and marketing.
» Session: "Cover Your Meetings: Everything You Need to Know About Meeting Insurance"
Shannon W. Derrick, CMP
Global Sales Director
Wyndham Hotel Group
Shannon Derrick joined Wyndham in August 2007 and previously represented the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Kimpton Hotels in Washington, DC, and Spirit Cruises. He has received multiple awards—including "Top Sales Performance Team" in 2008 and "Sales Director of the Quarter" in 2010 and 2011. Shannon also received MPI's "Tomorrow’s Leader" award in 2005 and, in 2003-2004, his local MPI Potomac Chapter presented him with the "Rising Star" award. He has also held board positions with MPI Potomac Chapter and currently sits on the chapter advisory council for MPI. Shannon is also a member of the Capital Chapter of PCMA and was asked to represent Wyndham Worldwide on the corporate advisory council of the National Gay & Lesbian Chapter of Commerce in 2009.
» Session: "Teaming for Success: Maximizing Hotel, DMO/CVB, and Planner Relationships"
Cele Fogarty
Vice President, Event Services
SmithBucklin
Cele Fogarty's extensive conference and meeting management experience includes planning, organization, management, and implementation of conventions, trade shows, and other meetings for SmithBucklin client organizations. She also serves as the lead on the American Society of Nephrology and has been instrumental to the success of events for the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Cancer and Bone Society, and the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration. Cele joined SmithBucklin in 1988 as a temporary employee and has been promoted numerous times. She serves on advisory boards for the Philadelphia CVB and the San Francisco CVB.
» Session: "Cover Your Meetings: Everything You Need to Know About Meeting Insurance"
Diane Fulton, CMP
President
Meeting Masters, Inc.
Diane Fulton has been in the conference planning field for more than 18 years. She founded Meeting Masters in 1993, where she manages events for associations, corporations, federal agencies, and non-profit organizations; as well as produces events for high-level government officials, foreign dignitaries, and heads of states. Diane previously worked for six years as an analyst for a major health insurance trade association and began her career as an account manager for Madison Management, which owned the Madison and Dolly Madison Hotels.
» Session: "Two Birds, One Stone: Engaging Meeting Attendees Through Philanthropic Activities"
James M. Goldberg
Principal
Goldberg & Associates, PLLC
James Goldberg routinely reviews and negotiates more than 150 client contracts with hotels, convention centers, and other service providers each year at his practice focused on trade association and professional societies, independent meeting and event planners, and other providers servicing the association and event communities. He is author of "The Meeting Planner's Legal Handbook," which is used as the text for his course on "Meeting Exhibition Law and Ethics" taught at NoVa Community College. James is also a charter member and has served on the board of the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys, was a member of the legal advisory council and contract panel for CIC's APEX initiative, and is active in the DC Bar's committee on tax-exempt organizations.
» Session: "Staying Fair in Trying Times: Tips for Canceling a Hotel Meeting Contract"
Lauren Jarrell
Director of Communications
Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Lauren Jarrell is responsible for creating and implementing campaigns to support Atlanta CVB's marketing, sales, and tourism programs; as well as working closely with the organization’s leadership team on corporate positioning and community relations. In 2007, her PR team was selected as a one of four finalists for PR Week’s "Non-Profit PR Team of the Year." Lauren was also awarded ACVB's "Employee of the Year" in 2003. Prior to joining ACVB in 2002, she worked at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s awards and grants department and then with Cohn & Wolfe Public Relations' consumer practice. Lauren serves on the board of directors for the Public Relations Society of America’s travel and tourism section, is co-chair for Georgia’s PRSA travel and tourism section, and is also a member of the Society of American Travel Writers.
» Session: "Powerful Partnerships: Leveraging DMOs to Drive Attendance"
Alyssa Kolat, CMP
Educational Programs Manager
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Alyssa Kolat manages several annual conferences and provides stewardship for faculty and volunteers across the nation. She previously served as director of events and education for the National Association of Federal Credit Unions, whose largest event attracted 1,000 association members. Prior to NAFCU, she was training and development manager at the Falmouth Institute, where she managed the training administration, meeting planning, and customer care functions to deliver 15 monthly seminars and six annual conferences. Alyssa also spent several years in IT consultant training and management, and has worked in training operations for Pepsi and McKesson. She also serves on the board of AMPs, and is a member of MPI and PCMA.
Lawrence Leonard, CMP
APEX Program Director
Convention Industry Council
Lawrence Leonard manages APEX, an industry initiative to develop and promote voluntary best practices, along with the development of the APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards, a set of nine formal specifications addressing sustainability in all facets of meetings and events. He has more than 15 years of management and planning experience in the meetings, events, and exhibitions industry. Prior to CIC, Lawrence was director of conferences for the National Association of Home Builders, where he directed educational and networking events—including the NAHB National Green Building Conference.
» Session: "APEX in Action: Destinations, Sustainability, and Standards"
Tara Letort
Director, Group Communications and Public Relations
New Orleans CVB
Tara Letort has more than eleven years of marketing experience and has been in her current role with New Orleans CTB since 2007. A member of a five-person PR department, she provides attendance-building tools to upcoming conventions and serves as an extension of each group's marketing department. Tara works closely with meeting planners, marketing and PR directors, as well as local committee members to customize marketing plans that promote the city and the upcoming meeting. She is an active member of the local American Marketing Association and is currently pursuing her CMP designation.
» Session: "Powerful Partnerships: Leveraging DMOs to Drive Attendance"
Kristalyn J. Loson, Esq.
Associate, Regulatory Practice Group
Venable, LLP
Kristalyn Loson works with charities, trade and professional associations, and other nonprofit organizations on a wide array of legal issues—including incorporation and tax-exemption, IRS audits, corporate governance, membership issues, contract negotiation, and charitable solicitation regulation, among others. She regularly assists with agreements between nonprofits and other parties, such as hotel agreements, contracts with meeting vendors, and conference speaker agreements. Prior to entering law school, Kristalyn worked as a fundraiser for a large multi-national nonprofit.
» Session: "Cover Your Meetings: Everything You Need to Know About Meeting Insurance"Lisa Nalker
Program Manager, Conferences
American Society for Microbiology
Photo and bio coming soon.
» Session: "Teaming for Success: Maximizing Hotel, DMO/CVB, and Planner Relationships"Peter O'Brien CMP, CASE
Association Account Executive
Marriott & Renaissance Global Sales
Photo and bio coming soon.
» Session: "Leveraging Value: How Hotels and CVBs Perceive Your Event"
Garland L. Preddy, CGMP
Director of Special Events
United States Marshals Service
Garland Preddy retired in late 2007, after 30 years of planning events for the federal government, but returned in early 2008 and continues to use her expertise in planning and executive successful government events. For the past 10 years, she has taught classes on both government even planning and ethics. Garland teaches the preparatory class for the Certified Government Meeting Professional offered by SGMP, also teaches at The George Washington University, and was an adjunct professor at George Mason University.
» Session: "Planner Integrity: Doing the Right Thing When No One Is Looking"
Christi Schroader
Account Executive, Insurance Services
Mesirow Financial
Bio coming soon.
» Session: "Cover Your Meetings: Everything You Need to Know About Meeting Insurance"
Christine "Shimo" Shimasaki, CDME, CMP
Managing Director of empowerMINT.com
Destination Marketing Association International
With more than 15 years of experience in the destination marketing industry, Shimo Shimasaki facilitates the overall business development goals and objectives of DMAI's empowerMINT.com. She joined DMAI after serving as executive vice president and chief strategy officer for the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau (ConVis), where she led every division—including convention center sales, hotel meeting sales, marketing, business development, information technology, and operations. Prior to ConVis, Shimo held positions with several Marriott properties and has distinguished herself as a recipient of the TWIN Tribute to Women & Industry in 1998, as well as 1995 winner of the "Salesperson of the Year" Gold Key Award from the San Diego Hotel Motel Association.
» Session: "Leveraging Value: How Hotels and CVBs Perceive Your Event"
Patti Steele, CMP
President
Steele Conferences
Patti Steele has more than 15 years of experience in the meetings and events industry. She began her career as a chapter assistant at the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals and eventually became director of conferences and meetings. She later held positions with the National Child Support Enforcement Association, Experient, and the Federal Circuit Bar Association. Patti started her own consulting firm in 2010, assisting clients with emergency meeting management, interim staffing needs, and all aspects of event planning. She served on the board of the Potomac Chapter of MPI and has taught courses on food and beverage management, volunteer relations, convention insurance, and meeting room set-ups.
» Session: "Two Birds, One Stone: Engaging Meeting Attendees Through Philanthropic Activities"
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Andrea Sullivan
Leadership Development Expert and
Founder, BrainStrength Systems
Andrea Sullivan is an accomplished speaker, trainer, consultant, and coach with more than 25 years of experience designing and facilitating workshops to produce organizational and personal growth. Her lifelong work with people led her to create her own business, BrainStrength Systems, offering programs on brain-friendly meeting design, leadership development, performance improvement, and personal mastery. In recent years, Andrea has focused on applying her knowledge to the field of learning and meeting design to contribute to the exciting new developments in understanding how meetings and conferences can be more engaging, productive, and conducive to genuine learning.
Andrea holds a master's degree in organizational psychology from Vermont College of Norwich University. She has introduced brain-compatible learning strategies and leadership development into many organizations, including Fortune 500 companies such as Merck, Aetna, and Northrop Grumman Corporation. For the past eight years, Andrea has served as adjunct faculty for Temple University’s professional development program. She is a member in good standing of the American Society for Training & Development, Meeting Professionals International, and the National Speakers Association.»
» General Session: "How We Buy: Meetings, Your Brain, and Purchasing Decisions"
Gregg Talley, CAE, FASAE
President & CEO
Talley Management Group
Gregg Talley has a broad range of experience from more than 25 years in the association and meetings industry. In addition to professional society and association management, he has personally planned and managed conferences for groups of 3,000 to 50,000 in the U.S. and abroad. Prior to founding Talley Management Group in 1987, Gregg worked for a convention bureau, a hotel development company, and another multi-management company. He currently carries the title of chief strategy executive for the Convention Industry Council, a TMG client. Gregg is a past-chair of PCMA, currently serves as the treasurer on its Foundation board, and is also treasurer of the Association Management Company Institute. In April 2011, Gregg was awarded PCMA’s 2011 “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
» Session: The Big Picture: Delivering Meetings that Meet Your Organization’s Strategic Plan
Valarie Wilder
Sales Manager,
Rancho Bernardo Inn
Owner, My E-Image
Valarie Wilder's passion for helping meetings and hospitality professionals feel comfortable with social media stem from childhood and her 16-year career in the industry. Starting out at her family-owned restaurant fueled a spirit to serve her guests and now clients. After nine years at Marriott International, a return to a family-owned business was in order. She has spent three years with independent San Diego resorts—finding new and creative ways to attract group business through tools such as LinkedIn and Twitter. As her ability to help others achieve their business goals is catching on, Valarie recently started her own company, My E-Image.
» Session: Virtual Networking: How to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn
