HSMAI's Affordable Meetings Mid-America

'Future of the Meetings Industry' to be Presented by Industry Leader Joan Eisenstodt and Futurist Ma

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. October 14, 2008

MCLEAN, VA, February 21, 2007. For meeting and event planners seeking to hone their skills as well as enhance their professional career, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will present an unparalleled educational component of five workshops and 15 dynamic seminars during its seventh annual Affordable Meetings(R) Mid-America show, taking place April 11-12, 2007 at Chicago's Navy Pier, Chicago, IL.

During HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(R) Mid-America, planning professionals of all levels of experience can choose from a variety of valuable workshops and seminars that will focus on the various "need to know" key subjects of the industry. This FREE comprehensive educational series will offer attendees the opportunity to acquire expert insight, new ideas and inspirational advice, helping them to produce more successful, cost-effective meetings.

Attendees are encouraged to attend a high-energy, interactive general session on "The Future of the Meetings Industry: Impact and Actions." During this presentation, Joan Eisenstodt, Chief Strategist, Eisenstodt Associates and Marsha L. Rhea, CAE, Senior Futurist, Institute for Alternative Futures, will conduct a lively and fascinating session that paints a clear picture of what the meetings industry will be like in years ahead and what core competencies planners will need in the future to be considered a successful meeting professional. All attendees and suppliers are encouraged to attend this informative seminar.

A highly-anticipated feature of the program includes the return of five, three-hour workshops designed to offer attendees in-depth coverage of important industry topics. Workshops on-tap for the 2007 Mid-American show include:

---| Working With Hotels: How to Create Win-Win Partnerships

Gary Hernbroth, President, Training for Winners, Danville, CA

---| Win-Win Negotiations: How to Negotiate with Anyone

Alan Ovson, President, Ovson Communications, San Francisco, CA

---| Forms That Work: Tools for Organizing, Tracking, Reporting, and Communicating

Terry Thiessen, CMP, President, Professional Resources and Events, New Holstein, WI

Building a Better Meeting Budget

Vicky Betzig, CMP, President, Meetings Industry Consulting, Brookfield, WI

---| Cultivating Wisdom: Strategies for Leadership, Balance, and Power

Dr. Teena Cahill, Director, Wisdom and Beyond LLC, Princeton, NJ

In addition to the three-hour workshops, attendees may choose from a variety of programs depending on their career stage and interest. The 15 dynamic seminars featured ranging from the basics of meeting planning to career management during the two-day event include:

---| Meeting Planning Boot Camp - The Basics Part I

---| Meeting Planning Boot Camp - The Basics Part II

Cathy Clifton, CMP, CMM, Meeting Strategist, C2 & Company Meetings & Events, Scottsdale, AZ

Mary E. Young, CMP, Meeting Strategist, M.Y. Events, Inc., Tempe, AZ

---| Hot Hotel Contract Issues and Key Risk Management Considerations

Barbara Dunn, Esq., Attorney and Partner, Howe & Hutton, Ltd., St. Louis, MO

---| 180 Ways to Transform Your Meeting

Sue Tinnish, Prinicpal, SEAL Inc., Arlington Heights, IL

---| Fitness on the Run for Meeting Planners

Ken Weisner, CPT, President, One on One Fitness, Hilton Head Island, SC

---| Using Technology to Effectively Market Your Meetings and Events

Karen Vogel, Founder and President, New Generation Event Solutions, Orange, CT

---| Computer Magic: How to Finish Work Six Times Faster

Peggy Duncan, Personal Productivity Expert, PSC Press, Atlanta, GA

---| The ABCs of Site Selection

Reggie Sears, CMP, Owner/Meeting Planner, Sears Enterprises, Sacramento, CA

---| Schmoozing: Meet, Greet, and Speak with Ease

Lori Silverman, Owner, Partners for Progress, Madison, WI

---| It's All About You - Your Passion, Your Attitude, Your Success

Theresa Syer, President, Hospitality Solutions, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

---| Ethics: The Competitive Advantage

Joan Eisenstodt, Chief Strategist, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC, Washington, DC

---| Planning Creative Food and Beverage on a Budget

Bonnie Wallsh, CMP, CMM, Chief Strategist, Bonnie Wallsh Associates, LLC, Charlotte, NC

Sean Patrick Curry, Executive Sous Chef. Marriott International, Chicago, IL

---| Mastering Memory: An "Essential" for Meeting Planners

Scott Hagwood, First American Grand Master of Memory, Fayetteville, NC

---| Meeting Stress Head On: A Meeting Planners Survival Guide

Judith Miller, Founder & CEO, The Judith Miller Group, Warwick, PA

Susan Lonker, Director of Training, The Judith Miller Group, Warwick, PA

The following seminars have been designed especially for independent meeting planners and exhibitors, respectively, though all delegates are welcome to attend each session:

---| Nine Steps to Building a Profitable Meeting Planning Business (independent meeting planners) Sherese Duncan, CEO, Efficio, Inc., Charlotte, NC

---| The Importance of Follow Up (exhibitors)

Theresa Syer, President, Hospitality Solutions, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

As an added benefit, attendees will receive a complimentary spiral-bound book containing handouts from all of the seminars so they will have access to the ideas and insights shared during each of the sessions and workshops.

HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(R) Mid-America will once again offer attendees the opportunity to meet and do business with more than 350 exhibiting companies during a unique exposition that will showcase venues, products and services to help produce various types of meetings and events.

Over 1,100 attendees, representing meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, with a majority representing corporate, association and independent sectors and the balance from government, non-profit, education, religious and medical/health care organizations, trade show management and the military, are expected to visit HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(R) Mid-America 2007 show. Attendance at HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(R) Mid-America is free-of-charge for qualified meeting planners, defined as those who work full-time, part-time, or as decision-making volunteers for corporations, associations, independent planning businesses, or other active organizations.

Other shows for 2007 include: HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(R) West, HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(R) West, June 19-20, 2007, San Jose McEnery Convention Center - San Jose, CA (new date pattern) and HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(R) National, HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(R) National, Sept. 5-6, 2007, Washington Convention Center - Washington, D.C.

Exhibitor information: Beth Petersen, show manager, GLM, (914) 421-3377; fax (914) 948-2918; e-mail: [email protected]. Attendee information: call 1-800-272-SHOW. Additional information and a complete program schedule can be obtained by visiting the show's web site at www.affordablemeetings.com.