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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER OF PCMA

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Theresa J. Barrett

3Hyatt Convention Alliance

4The Rise of the Millennials

7Journeys

8Golden Rules

10Member Spotlights

12Volunteer Information

13Sponsors & Hosts

14Membership Committee Update

14New Members

Theresa J. Barrett, PhD, CMP, CAE2015 GPPCMA PresidentDeputy Executive Vice PresidentNew Jersey Academy of Family Physicians

THE WILL TO CHANGEThanks to PCMA’s Education Con-ference, I had the opportunity to hear CNN analyst and  leading authority on leadership, Mel Rob-bins’ closing keynote address. Robbins’ message was simple: we know we can do anything we want to do and we know exactly how to do it or find out how to do it (thank you Google). The problem is having the will to act. According to Robbins, you are either going to do “it” (fill in whatever “it” means to you) or you are not.

What keeps us from changing so we can tackle the “its” in our life? Brain science explains why we avoid change. Change equals danger. Our brains evolved to recognize any change as a potential threat to survival…the movement of the tall grass could be the wind or an approaching lion looking for dinner. Everything we are today is built upon that primitive need for survival. While today the chance of be-

ing a lion’s dinner is relatively slim, our brain still sees any change as a potential threat and reacts accordingly – ac-tivating the fight or flight re-sponse. We are hard-wired to have a negative reaction to change.

If we want to change we need to act quickly, before our brain can talk us out it. Robbins’ advocates adoption

of the “5 second rule.” The minute you want to change something, you have 5 seconds to act on it.1 Take any longer than that and your brain will tell you all the reasons why it is a bad idea. Remember, the brain change equals a threat to survival.

So the next time you want to change something, whether it is improving your networking skills, joining a committee, or getting more involved in GPPCMA act – immediately. Write the idea down, take the first step, pick up the phone. Outsmart your brain by taking an action to make your change real in the world. Once you do that, it will be much easier to accomplish your goal.

1. Robbins, M. Mel Robbins: Follow the Five-Second Rule. Success, 2012.

“We are hard-wired to have a negative

reaction to change. ”

This Issue Sponsored By:

We value your business. We also understand it.

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Hyatt Regency Orlando, which provides the most meeting space of any property within the brand, has partnered with nine other Hyatt properties in key meetings markets to form the Hyatt Convention Alliance.

This initiative provides customized meeting solutions for plan-ners who coordinate multi-year bookings in several convention destinations throughout the United States. Designed using event planner and customer feedback, Hyatt Regency Orlan-do’s access to the Hyatt Convention Alliance will give planners the ability to book meetings seamlessly from one market to the next over multiple years.

Hyatt Convention Alliance offers planners access to ten Hyatt properties providing more than 1.5 million square feet of functional event space, 13,313 guest rooms, and customizable packages based on the client’s needs. To ensure a seamless transition from one event to the next, a Convention Alliance associate will be on site to learn how the event takes place, and apply that knowledge to following years’ events for a com-pletely turnkey approach. Signing a contract with the Hyatt Convention Alliance ensures clients will have a dedicated team for the entire rotation.

“We’re fortunate to own and manage some of the premier Con-

vention Hotels in the majority of primary destinations across the U.S.,” said Jack Horne, Vice President of Sales for Hyatt’s Americas Region. “We’ve listened to our convention customers, and by leveraging our unrivaled convention hotel collection, now offer a streamlined, hands-on solution for multiyear book-ings starting with the RFP all the way through paying the bill.”

“Orlando continues to be a leading destination for meetings and events,” said Nate Hardesty, Director of Sales & Marketing for Hyatt Regency Orlando. “It’s an exciting time for the desti-nation as well as our hotel with a number of new developments including our new kosher kitchen, reworked spa menu, and new restaurant, Urban Tide. We’re looking forward to assisting planners here in Orlando, and through the Convention Alliance, throughout the US as they plan for the years ahead as well.”

A collaborative effort between Hyatt Americas and directors of sales in eight Hyatt Regency’s and two Grand Hyatt’s, the Con-vention Alliance combines the collective power of ten Hyatt Hotels in primary markets throughout the U.S. Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt properties in San Diego, Denver, Dallas, San Antonio, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Chicago, have joined Hyatt Regency Orlando to implement this initiative.

HYATT REGENCY ORLANDO PROVIDES CUSTOMIZED MEETING SOLUTIONS FOR MULTI-YEAR BOOKINGS WITH THE LAUNCH

OF HYATT CONVENTION ALLIANCE

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THE RISE OF THE MILLENNIALS

We value your business. We also understand it.

LaShanna Mackey  Exhibits Associate Meetings & ExhibitsAmerican Association for Cancer Research

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend as a guest the 2015 Marriott International Associ-ation Masters in Austin, TX. The keynote speaker, Jason Dorsey, gave us the latest information on Millennials and the work place. The Millennial Generation or Generation Y (Gen Y) are those individuals born

between 1977 and 1995. There are approximately 8 million of us walking around.

Jason Dorsey is said to be the #1 Millennials speak-er and researcher in the world, and after listening to him speak for almost 2 hours (which is hard for most millenials to do), I can see why. His unique speaking style combined with his sense of humor kept me intrigued the entire time. “Globally, we [Millennials] are the emerging adult population that is gradually exerting more influ-

ence due to our sheer numbers, expected longevi-

ty and hyper-connectivity,” says Dorsey.

Personally, I am not one that particularly likes be-

ing labeled and put into categories; however, after

hearing this keynote and doing some research of

my own, I am glad to be a part of this generation.

Technically literate like no other generation, we

have a lot to offer to the workplace.  Millennials are

said to be great multi-taskers. We can talk, walk,

listen, type, and text at the same time. We have all

seen that person walking down the street, head

down, phone in hand, rapidly texting/scrolling,

with headphones on.  I guarantee you that person

just emailed their cover letter and resume to a pro-

spective employer, made dinner reservations with

friends, purchased an external hard drive from

Amazon, paid their credit card bill, and down-

loaded the entire season of Game of Thrones,

all before they got to the next street light. Just

imagine what we could accomplish in the right

work environment!

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CONVENTIONS ELEVATEDPLAN YOUR SITE VISIT AT CONVENTIONSELEVATED.COM

EventsSummaries

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Warren AbrahamVice President Account Management,National Operations DivisionPSAV

Growing up with a father who was Senior Vice President of the American Society of CLU, responsible for his

organization’s meetings, presented interesting opportunities and exposure to an industry that very few people knew of in the 70’s. One year they held their annual meeting at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel on City Line Avenue, a sprawling 750 room hotel with the largest meeting space of any Philadelphia hotel. Some of the old timers (like me) will remember the property. At age 13, my father put me to work at registration for his annual meeting and I guess I was bitten by the industry bug.

The following year our family flew to San Diego and rented a 28’ Winnebago Camper. We toured six states over a four week period. Our stay in San Diego was to enable my father to conduct a site visit for his upcoming annual convention at the Town & Country Hotel. After touring several National Parks and states out west, we ended up at the San Francisco Hilton where my father had scheduled another site visit for his annual convention in two years.

Fast forward four years, my senior year of high school and I knew I wanted to work in hotels after college. I began working as a busboy at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel’s Kings Wharf

restaurant the day after I turned 18 years old; you had to be 18 to work where alcohol was served back then. Dad’s connection helped a bit in landing that job. Upon graduation from high school, I decided to attend a two year col-lege (Brandywine College in Wilmington, DE) that offered associate degrees in hotel admin-istration. During my two years at Brandywine College I returned home every two weeks to work weekends as a room service waiter at the Philadelphia Marriott. Over the next two years I worked at the Marriott as a banquet waiter, room service waiter, pool bartender and a little time as a bellman.

Once I graduated from Brandywine College I decided to take a year off to work in the indus-try as a room service captain at the Fairmont Hotel( the old Bellevue Strafford - again, some of the old timers will remember) famous for Legionnaire’s Disease. Working as the room service captain enabled me to gain valuable experience and save quite a bit of money for the final few years of college. While my parents were not too happy about the year off thing, they were happy to hear me say, a few months into my employment with Fairmont, “if this is what works all about, I’m going back to college for a few more years to get my Bach-elor’s degree in hotel administration.” My last few years of college were spent at the Univer-sity of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) were I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration. Talk about getting a complete education, try going to college in Las Vegas…

I worked several jobs in or related to the hotel and meetings industry while completing my education. After graduating from UNLV’s Ho-tel School I was offered two jobs, an assistant convention service manager position at the

Hyatt Regency New Brunswick Hotel and a sales manager position at Bauer Audio Visual in their Las Vegas office. I really didn’t know much about Bauer AV, so I went to Dad for some guidance. Dad told me what Bauer AV was all about and said that even if I took that position for a year, I’d still be involved in the industry and the experience would benefit me if I chose to look for a hotel job in convention services after a year. Well, I took the Bauer AV position so back to Vegas I went. I started with Bauer AV on April 1, 1983, April Fool’s Day, I guess it wasn’t a joke; I’m in my 33rd year with PSAV (Lots of name changes and acquisitions of companies along the way).

I’ve held several positions with PSAV, from Sales Manager, to Branch General Manager, Regional Vice President, and Account Manager to my current position as Vice President of Account Management with PSAV’s Premier Global Events (PGE) Division. It’s been a great journey with lots of hard work, long hours, convention centers, hotels and airports. I still get excited when PSAV moves into a conven-tion center to set up for a large convention and the building is empty, then two to three days later a city has been built inside the convention center that hosts thousands and thousands of people. Watching so many people and com-panies work side by side as a team to build registration, the exhibit floor, the food and beverage areas, and of course, set up all the audio visual and technology still amazes me.

It’s an exciting industry that has enabled me to make a nice living for my family and me. I’ve had the opportunity to meet thousands of people, spend time in every major city in our great country and establish great relationships that have lasted for years and years.

How did I get here?

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Myriame DutesMeeting CoordinatorFernley & Fernley, Inc.

If you’re like me and fairly new to the meet-ings industry, you may have experienced moments of intense panic or sleepless nights wondering if you dotted all of your I’s and crossed all your T’s for an upcoming meeting. Whether you’re a supplier or a planner, there are millions of pieces of meeting data running through your mind at any given moment. Even when you’re confident that you have brought your “A” game, being new to this industry can still create anxiety when not knowing all the curve balls that might be headed your way. Unfortunately, many of us weren’t blessed with a fairy meeting godmother to guide us along the way. Many seasoned planners and suppliers have weathered the storm of trial and tribulation by learning the hard way when they didn’t have any guidance. So I have decided to share with you a few Golden Rules by tried and true meeting planners here at Fernley & Fernley, the pio-neer in Association Management. I’ve been fortunate to have great guidance along the way, but that’s not every emerging profes-sional’s case, so this is especially for you. This may even be helpful for our seasoned professionals; you might find a golden rule not already in your playbook.

1. DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING: Monica Mobley’s, Director of the Meeting Planning Department here at Fernley, meeting mantra is “do not assume any-thing.” These are the truest words you’ll ever hear when it’s comes to meetings, es-pecially when you are working with suppli-ers and vendors, relying on them to get the job done. You just can’t afford to assume that job will happen. Your best course of action is to verify everything and if you decide to play risky and hold onto your assumptions at least validate them. One of our Meeting Managers, Kacie Sheppeck shared the following advice with me - the second you make an assumption, “there is always a chance that things will go wrong!” Kacie had an incident at a hotel were the lay-out was a bit funky. A VIP was checking

in to the hotel from a long international flight. She had said goodnight to the VIP and retreated to her office to shut down for the night. Approximately 20 minutes later Kacie found her VIP wondering around exhausted in the darkness of the Arizona dessert night. She had assumed that he knew the golf cart would take him to his room and so did the front desk, however the information wasn’t provided to him. Needless to say, the CEO of her company wasn’t too happy the next day. It never hurts to over communicate information and ask as many questions as necessary.

2. AN EXTRA SET OF EYES: Kacie also shared another golden rule; have a colleague or supervisor check your work, especially when you’re extremely busy and working on larger projects with many details. It’s easy to get so bogged down in the trenches that you lose sight of the big picture, a minor detail or worse - a key component of the meeting that you may have overlooked. An extra set of eyes works great to ensure that you stay on track!

3. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: Astrid Schrier, a Meeting Manager who is well ex-perienced in the Association world, shared this golden rule specifically geared to associations: “We cannot assume that just because one thing worked for one group, that it will work for another. “ Unfortunately, “cookie cutter” models just won’t do, espe-cially when associations have varying goals, strategic objectives, interests and needs. By knowing your audience, you will be able to tailor the best model or practices to fit their needs.

4. ON THE ROAD ETIQUETTE: Lights, Camera, Action…It’s show time. As planners, many of us have to travel and be on-site for meetings, conferences, and conventions. This may be one of the very few times you will have in-person contact with attendees. Nicolette Peblano, Meeting Coordinator gave me some tips for being on-site at a meeting; “Remember to Smile!” Things can surely get stressful especially when people are coming at you from every direction, but the attendees shouldn’t

see you sweat. You don’t want to give the attendee the impression that you don’t have it under control. You want to radiate a sense of calm and avoid giving off vibes of shear panic even if everything is going wrong. As Nicolette stated, “everything can be fixed and there is a solution for every-thing” but also “know, understand and accept that something will likely go wrong or someone will be unhappy.” If you have an understanding of this concept, you’ll be more prepared to face trouble head on in the likelihood something does go wrong.

Another tip that may be difficult for many especially when we spend months in some cases years planning a meeting is not to take things personally. It’s understandable, our meeting is our baby and we don’t want to hear any criticism, constructive or oth-erwise. We should use whatever feedback we receive, even negative feedback, as an opportunity to improve our next meeting.

The next tip is primarily for the ladies, being a fashionista I get the need to look your best, but I can’t stress enough along with Nicolette - wear comfortable shoes. When you have an urgent matter two miles across the Convention Center, there isn’t much those stylish heels will be able to do for you but slow you down.

5. GET INVOLVED: This last tip comes directly from me as I have experienced per-sonally the benefit of getting involved with a professional association such as PCMA. As an emerging professional there is so much to gain, the list of benefits is tremendous and the professional relationships you make can last a lifetime. The resources avail-able to you as an emerging professional are endless and will have you well on your way to success.

Now that you have a few golden rules un-der your belt you are well equipped for the journey ahead. If you know someone who could use a little guidance, please share this information as we all have experienced the stress of not knowing the ins and outs of the industry.

GOLDEN RULESF O R T H E E M E R G I N G M E E T I N G P R O F E S S I O N A L

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T H E 2 0 1 5 G P P C M A B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S C O M M I T T E E C H A I R S

MEMBER NEWS

Congratulations to Chuck Hilpl!

Hotel industry sales and marketing veteran Chuck Hilpl has formed the Hilpl Group, LLC, delivering exhibit/sponsorship sales, event planning, show floor management and meeting planning services to association and corporate meeting planners. In addition to exhibit and sponsorship sales, services will include property selection, meeting staffing and management of events and shows.

Throwback ThursdayLook back through the years of GPPCMA on our Facebook page. Each Thursday, we post a Throwback Thursday picture. Share your GPPCMA memory by emailing a photo and description to gppcma@comcast.net.

facebook.com/GPPCMA

NOMINATING Susan W. Wagner, CMP Independent Planner

EDUCATION Neil R. SchrieverStarwood Hotels & Resorts

Heather Seasholtz, CMPTalley Management Group

SPONSORSHIPDebi Maines, CMP-HCA. Fassano & Company

Donna Young, CMPAmerican College of Physicians

PRESIDENTTheresa Barrett, PhD, CMP, CAENJ Academy of Family Physicians

PRESIDENT ELECT Belinda Keota, CMP, CEMProduce Marketing Association

SECRETARYShane JacksonPhiladelphia Downtown Marriott

TREASURERClorinda HollandSalt Lake CVB

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTSusan W. Wagner, CMP Independent Planner

BOARD OF DIRECTORS(1 YEAR REMAINING)

Leslie K. Bellini, CMP Assn of Corporate Travel Executives

Pat Kraft HilplPhiladelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau

Danielle Pinto

COMMUNITY SERVICESSharon GoodspeedCaesars Entertainment

EMERGING LEADERS Shannon Fagan, CMPAssociation Headquarters

Chris Keane, CMPOmni Hotels & Resorts

MEMBERSHIPCheryl Gallagher, CMPTalley Management Group

Kathy Smith, CMP, CHCPIndependent Planner

BOARD OF DIRECTORS(2 YEAR TERM)

Warren AbrahamPSAV

Robin Geary, CMP Association Headquarters

Diane RehielASTM International

GPPCMA COMMITTEE CHAIRSCOMMUNICATIONS Erica A. KeagyGPPCMA

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SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT PLANNER SPOTLIGHT

Gysela S. Fillingham, CMPCitywide Sales Manager, North-east RegionVisit Denver / The Convention & Visitors Bureau

On a recent trip to Denver, I had the pleasure of meeting Gysela Fillingham, CMP. In case you don’t know, Gysela is Visit Den-ver’s citywide sales manager for the northeast region of the US.

Gysela lived in England until age 21. She trained and worked as a chef there, until her aunt invited her to visit Los Angeles. She came to visit and never moved back. Her first job in LA was as chef at the Century Plaza Hotel. It was fate. She met her husband, also a chef at the hotel. After time in the kitchen, Gysela wanted to learn the front of the house. She did various jobs at the hotel, eventually moving into sales. She loved working with the variety of clients and never went back to the kitchen.

Later, her husband received a job offer in Denver and they have lived there ever since. Gysela took a job at the Westin Denver Downtown and eventually landed in convention services, and has worked for Visit Denver for the last 12 years.

She enjoys meeting people, says she learns something new from every group she works with, and thinks it’s a privilege to represent all the hotels in Denver. Gysela joined PCMA in 1995 to network, and later became involved with the Denver chapter serving in various leadership capacities. She is past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter.

I asked if she had a favorite childhood memory. She said it was camping and fishing with her sisters and their dad. She thinks maybe her dad wanted a boy. He took the girls fishing and put the worms on the hooks for them. She said the girls enjoyed spending time with their mum and dad.

Gysela enjoys travel, especially in Europe (her family lives in Scot-land), she is a foodie (Indian food is her favorite), and has fun with her 9 year old daughter Frances going to basketball games and ballet lessons. She likes all types of music but was stumped when I asked if she had a favorite movie. Right now she said she watches Annie and a lot of Shirley Temple movies with her daughter. De-spite all her travel, Gysela loves Denver best – its home!

By Karen Lennert, CASESenior Account ExecutivePSAV, Premier Global Events

Sally O’Shea, CEMOwner, Comprehensive Show Management

I had the pleasure to interview Sally O’Shea, CEM for our planner spotlight this quarter. Sally has been an independent planner for over 17 years and owns Com-prehensive Show Management. She worked on the facilities side of the business for several years prior. Sally worked for the Valley Forge Convention Center and the

Philadelphia Civic Center (for those of us who remember that big old building). Her transition to being a business owner started when she began to work 60-80 hours per week without a pay increase. She quit her job, took the summer off and hit the ground running in the fall of 1998. The majority of her work is from the trade show side, conferences and special events.

Over the years, Sally has learned tremendously from colleagues. Throughout this long and cold winter, Sally’s favorite saying was “It is what it is, but it will be what you make it.” As she moves forward with planning for the next event, she has adopted three words, “Value, Inspire, Motivate.”

Sally is from a small town in central PA called Danville that had exactly two red lights in the entire town. She is one of five children that are now spread across the country.

Sally is a Temple Graduate with a degree in recreation and leisure studies…which is prior to the time of Park Management studies. While attending graduate school she worked for a dean on campus and began helping to plan Temple’s graduation.

While working at Temple for six years, a former employee approached her about a job at the Philadelphia Civic Center, which she ended up getting. Lesson learned; treat your staff as if they may be your boss some day. She worked there for seven years and was debating about moving to the suburbs, but found out that you had to live in the city to be employed at the Civic Center. While job searching she and her boyfriend (now husband) went to a Phillies game where he proposed to her during the game. The event was on the local news that evening. The gentleman who had interviewed her earlier that day saw her on the news that night. Needless to say she got the job at the Valley Forge Convention Center and got her husband.

Sally and her husband have three sons. Her husband (a former electri-cian) is now retired and enjoys spending time with their seven grand-children. This summer they are going to New England with the two oldest grandsons to do the history tour. They both enjoy traveling in the offseason. Sally is looking forward to a cross-country trip next year with her sister, aunt and Mother to visit family. Her other hobbies include Yoga and gardening.

By Sharon GoodspeedRegional Sales ManagerCaesars Entertainment

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GPPCMA NEEDS YOU – VOLUNTEER TODAY!

Communications CommitteeChair: Erica Keagy (gppcma@comcast.net)The Communications Committee is responsible for ensuring chapter news, activities, and important event information is communicated to members on a timely basis.

Some of the things we do: Design and deliver a quarterly newsletter devoted to content relevant to the profession and GPPCMA; Develop chapter specific communications when necessary for the good of the organization; Plan and execute a social media strategy

What can you do? Volunteer to write for the newsletter, help with proofing and editing content, join the social media team and keep our Facebook and Twitter accounts active.

Community Service CommitteeChairs: Sharon Goodspeed (sgoodspeed@Caesars.com)The Community Service Committee exists to build the connection between the Chapter, its members, and the local community, through participation in service activities, donation drives, and fundraising efforts for Greater Philadelphia based charities, non-profits, and community outreach organizations. Some of the things we do: Design Community Service Activities; organize and promote charitable donation drives; promote member wellness by educating our members about community and public health issues that affect us all and provides members information and tools they can use to address these issues.

What can you do?Brainstorm ideas for CS activities; Research and suggest organizations to partner with; Participate in CS activities, and arrives early to assist in facilitation; Attend functions as representative of the committee; Act as a “cheerleader” to boost participation in CS Activities

Education Committee (previously called the Program Committee)Chairs: Neil Schriever (neil.schriever@starwoodhotels.com) and Heather Seasholtz (hseasholtz@talley.com)The Education Committee is responsible for planning and executing high-quality networking, social and educational events that create opportunities for the local industry part-ners and promote professional development.

Some of the things we do: Develop themes for chapter events; secure presenters; create and promote educational activities

What can you do?Brainstorm ideas for educational events; help find present-ers; help find venues

Emerging Professionals CommitteeChairs: Shannon Fagan (sfagan@ahint.com)Chris Keane (christopher.keane@omnihotels.com)The Emerging Professionals Committee of the GPPCMA ex-ists to provide education and networking opportunities to students and professionals who have been in the industry for less than 10 years. Some of the things we do: Create inexpensive network-ing opportunities for new/emerging professionals; Provide small education opportunities for students and emerging professionals; visit student chapters What can you do?Help organize happy hours by contacting potential host locations; Promote the committee to new professionals; Speak at student functions

Finance CommitteeChairs: Clorinda Holland (cholland@visitsaltlake.com) and Brendan Morrissey (brendan.morrissey@hilton.com)The Finance Committee establishes monetary objectives and limitations for the financial operation of the organiza-tion and monitors all accounts

Some of the things we do: If there is money involved we are involved

What can you do?Serve as member-at-large on the committee

Membership CommitteeChairs: Kathy Smith (kathysmith95@gmail.com) and Cheryl Gallagher (cgallagher@TALLEY.com)The GPPCMA Membership Committee facilitates continued growth of the chapter and ensures that members have an excellent experience so that they achieve maximum benefit from their membership.

Some of the things we do: Foster a welcoming environ-ment for all attendees at GPPCMA events; recruit and retain members

What can you do? Become a GPPCMA Ambassador; Mentor prospective new members; Send welcome letters, birthday cards, and notes

Sponsorship CommitteeChairs: Donna Young (dyoung@acponline.org) and Debi Maines (debimaines63@gmail.com)The Sponsorship Committee solicits support dollars for all chapter meetings and events scheduled throughout the year, as well as for the quarterly newsletter.

Some of the things we do: Connect with potential sponsors; promote the organization to sponsors; Build relationships

What can you do?Help find new sponsors; Network with existing sponsors

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MONDAY, JULY 20Community Service Activity at The Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City(Note: Transportation will be provided. 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm Details TBA.)

MONDAY, JULY 20                                   Chapter Retreat Opening Reception6:00pm-8:00pmHarrah’s Atlantic City

TUESDAY, JULY 21                                   Chapter Retreat7:30am-3:30pmHarrah’s Atlantic City THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17                  Education Day9:30am-3:00pmPennsylvania Convention Center OCTOBER DATE TBDChapter Fundraiser5:00pm-8:00pm  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12Chapter Meeting and Breakfast/Service in Sync8:00am-12:00pm   THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3Holiday Event/Board and Officer Induction5:00pm-8:00pm

*Dates and times are subject to change. http://www.pcma.org/Chapters/Greater-Philadelphia.htmfor up-to-date information.

Anaheim/Orange County VCBAustin CVB

Association Headquarters, Inc. Atlantic City CVA

Boston Convention Marketing Center Brulee Catering

Caesars EntertainmentChemical Heritage Foundation

Fort Lauderdale CVBHard Rock Hotels & Resorts

Hilton Inn at PennHyatt Hotels & ResortsLincoln Financial FieldLoews Chicago Hotel

Long Beach CVBNational Constitution Center

Orange County Convention Center PPMG & Company Accountants & Advisors

Pennsylvania Convention CenterPhiladelphia CVB

PSAVSan Francisco Travel

Sheraton PhiladelphiaSheraton Society HillSimmer Creative, LLC

Starwood Hotels & ResortsThe Convention Store

The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill CollegeTourisme Montreal

Visit SeattleTourism Vancouver

Tourism TorontoTravel AlbertaVisit DenverVisit NorfolkVisit Orlando Visit Salt Lake

THANK YOU TO OUR 2015 SPONSORS AND HOSTS!

For more information, contact one of our Sponsorship Committee Co-Chairs, Donna Young at dyoung@acp.org or

Debi Maines, debimaines63@gmail.com

REACH OVER 300 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS! ADVERTISE IN:

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

2015 EVENTS

Jessica Bittmann Director of Sales

Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau

Colleen Braun Professional Development Delivery Specialist

PMI

Natascha Chung Student

Thomas Edison State College

Stacey Dangel Student

Pennsylvania State University

Melissa DeLitta Student

University of Delaware

Ashley Duffy Meeting Planner

Talley Management Group, Inc.

Amy Flynn Senior Manager, Meetings & Exhibits

American Association for Cancer Research

Kelly Fox Program Events Specialist, North America

Bentley Systems

Diane Haggerty Manager, Meetings and Conferences Metal Powder Industries Federation

Mike Hausman CHME National Sales Manager

Borgata

Marc Kaminetsky Director of Convention Sales

Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau

Tawana Seward Account Director

Sheraton Atlantic City

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!through 6/23/15

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE UPDATE

Kathy Ann Smith, CMP, CHCPIndependent PlannerGPPCMA Membership Committee Co-Chair

Cheryl GallagherSenior Meeting ManagerTalley Management GroupGPPCMA Membership Committee Co-Chair

You, our members, are the most important element in making GPPCMA the premiere industry organization in the region! Although we come from differing backgrounds and varied ex-periences, we join at GPPCMA events to learn from our educa-tional programming and from each other. We are known as an inclusive and welcoming organization.

OUR MISSION: The GPPCMA Membership Committee coor-dinates efforts to retain and recruit members. The mission of the Membership Committee is to facilitate continued growth of the chapter and to ensure that members have an excellent experience so that they achieve maximum benefit from their membership. Based on PCMA Headquarters goals, at the end of 2014, GPPCMA achieved a 106% retention rate and 94% recruitment rate for 2014.

GOALS: Our 2015 goals are:1. Retain a minimum of 85-90% of active members.2. Recruit a minimum of 35-40 new members.3. Foster a welcoming environment for all attendees at

GPPCMA events.

Some of the things we do to achieve our goals are: • Send birthday cards to all members• Contact new members• Contact members in danger of cancelling • Contact prospective members • Look for new opportunities to collaborate and coordinate

efforts with other GPPCMA committee initiatives• Implement the Ambassador program/‘Buddy System’ for

new members and guests.

Please let us know of any suggestions you may have on ways we can improve our efforts.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? It’s simple…ALL chapter members can help to create the welcoming atmosphere that we want to extend to our members and guests. At a chapter event, please take a few minutes to talk with someone new. In-troduce him/her to other members with whom you are talking. Tell them a little about the chapter. Everyone can benefit from these interactions!

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Executive Editor & GPPCMA Chapter AdministratorErica A. Keagy

Senior EditorTheresa J. Barrett, PhD, CMP, CAE

Art Direction, Design & ProductionSimmer Creative

Contributing WritersKaren Lennert, CASESharon Goodspeed

Connections Advertising610-220-1232

gppcma@comcast.net

Connections is a quarterly publication of GPPCMA.

The views, opinions, and advertisements in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Board

of Directors, members, or staff of the Greater Philadelphia PCMA unless otherwise stated.

Thank you to the volunteers who contributed articles to this issue of Connections. The deadline for articles and ads for the

next issue is Friday, August 7.

© 2015 Greater Philadelphia Chapter Professional Convention Management Association