SPEAKER BIOS
Hear First-Hand Advice From These Industry Experts
Barbara F. Dunn, Esq.
Attorney and Partner
Howe & Hutton
Barbara F. Dunn, Esq. 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. The firm has offices in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis and serves as general counsel to Meeting Professionals International among hundreds of others.
Barbara works with many individuals and organizations in the meetings industry—including corporate and independent planners, as well as suppliers to the industry. 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. She 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 last 6 years, he has been the Conference Program Manager at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). One of his responsibilities in this role is to ensure that AOTA's Annual Conference & Expo are accessible for all attendees.
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 and the Society of Independent Show Organizers; and belongs to American Society of Association Executives, the American Marketing Association, the Business Marketing Association, and the Trade Show Exhibitors Association.
Don Neal
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President
Leading Authorities Inc.
Don Neal is an internationally recognized expert on the subjects of marketing, branding, customer loyalty, and designing a customer-centric approach to profitable growth. Neal has spent his career building profitable businesses in consumer and business-to-business markets in industries such as automotive, retail, financial services, associations, and nonprofits, among many others. Previously, he was the president of Echelon Marketing Group where his clients included Mercedes Benz, Marriott, Net Jets, Harvard University, and Microsoft.
Prior to joining Leading Authorities, Neal served as the managing director and chief marketing officer of the consumer and commercial practice at Marsh & McLennan, a leading professional services company. He has also served on the faculty of the American Marketing Association, the Bloch School of Business, the Direct Marketing Association, and the National Center for Database Marketing. Neal is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University teaching graduate students integrated marketing communications, advertising and branding.
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. She is editor and publisher of The Green Events Source Book and Green Events & Exhibiting E-News. Popely is also a frequent speaker, workshop provider, and university lecturer on various aspects of green business.
ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON.
