Written by Allison P. Kinsley, CMM, CMP

Every two years, the leaders from 53 countries representing the former British Empire come together for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).  In my 26 years of meeting management, I’d be hard pressed to name a more diverse, eclectic and fascinating group than CHOGM.  Let me explain.

In attendance are the countries’ prime ministers and finance ministers, who are accompanied by other government officials, security and international media.  CHOGM also draws affiliated meetings, such as a Business Council and Youth Forum.  Of course, the most recognizable guest is the Queen of England, who addresses the meeting and hosts a black-tie dinner.
 
The Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, a two-island nation just off the coast of Venezuela, hosted the November 2009 meeting.  Their capital city, Port of Spain, boasts a population of 128,000 and has limited accommodations of the caliber needed to house the thousands of CHOGM guests.  Arrangements were made for two cruise ships to be brought in as floating hotels.  They planned to dock adjacent to the Hyatt Regency, the headquarters for the meeting.  So far, so good.

Unlike hotels, however, the ships did not have established reservations departments.  And with a guest base stretching across every time zone PLUS the multiple contingents and methods of making and paying for reservations, a highly customized website was needed.  With four months until the event (and delegations clamoring to make arrangements), everyone was nervous about getting processes in place immediately.

Enter Kinsley.  Within three weeks of submitting our proposal for the ship housing process, we had developed and launched the CHOGM ship reservations website.  Delegations, media and affiliated meeting attendees could request reservations on the two ships, including selection of eight cabin types and prices per cruise ship.  Housing crisis averted. 

With the appropriate technology now in place, the meeting’s personality truly started to emerge.  For when the sea is your welcome mat and the world is gathering, “we’re-not-in-Kansas-anymore” stories are bound to ensue:   

Hydrophobes

During an advance site visit, we were questioned at length by one of the Sub-Saharan delegation secretaries regarding arrangements on the ships.  His inquiries ended with the root of his concerns: “I am not convinced that we will take accommodation on the ships.  You understand, my people are afraid of the water.”

Her Majesty’s Own

The Queen of England also did not stay on a ship.  She and her entourage were accommodated in a small boutique hotel that had been renovated specifically for her stay.  Makes a simple VIP suite upgrade request seem like the quaintest thing in the world, doesn’t it?

Bank of Louis Vuitton

At CHOGM, the statement “we accept all types of payment” was stretched to the limits of our imagination.  One Delegation Secretary carried a large Louis Vuitton purse.  When asked how she wished to pay the several thousand dollars for her group’s rooms, she opened the bag and said “Cash…would you prefer US dollars, TTs (Trinidad & Tobago dollars) or Euros?”

Bricks

The Kenyan delegation was not to be outdone and took cash payment to a new level.  They arrived in Trinidad without reservations for their 45-person group.  Fortunately, Kinsley was able to secure ship reservations for them on-site. They paid in cash, with “bricks” of newly minted 100-dollar bills pulled from a duffle bag.

That Hotel Is Not Yet Built

One major advantage of having exclusive use of a ship for housing is that you do not have to work around other guests or groups.  Every room and suite is at your disposal.  However, for the delegations that chose to arrive early, there’s a clear disadvantage.  If the ship has not yet arrived, the hotel is not open for business.  Unless the ship is at the dock, it is as though the hotel had not yet been built – an interesting concept to have to explain to guests.  More than one delegation found this out the hard way.

Thanksgiving

One last anecdote from this meeting.  Six of our staff arrived in Port of Spain in mid-November and stayed for two weeks…straight through the Thanksgiving holiday.  As you can image, Turkey Day is not acknowledged by the Commonwealth.  So a small group of Americans gathered onboard the Caribbean Princess ship to quietly celebrate on the fourth Thursday of the month.  

We laughed a little to think what the CHOGM delegates would’ve thought had they witnessed our attempt at a traditional Thanksgiving scene of family, food and football (we were all aware of how far we were from family and football – the food was great, though).  We finally agreed that we were making our own American contribution to the cultural distinctions that made the CHOGM experience so complex and intriguing.

For more information on CHOGM, visit the 2009 event website at www.chogm2009.org.

P.S.  I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge our friends on the team at Landry & Kling (www.landrykling.com).   L&K worked with the Trinidad government on the arrangements for the ships, and recommended us for the housing role of this unique project.  I don’t think any of us will ever forget the stories and friendships that came out of this collaboration.

To offer a balance of hotel and planner perspectives, the webcast is co-presented by Michael Dominguez, the Vice President of Global Sales at Loews Hotels & Resorts, and Allison Kinsley, Chief Meeting Architect at Kinsley. 

Click here to watch the 30-minute webinar in its entirety online.

Here are a few key takeways:

1.  Partnership and dialog are the real keys to achieving savings

• Understand the success metrics for both the hotel and your meeting
• Learn to speak the same language (RevPAR, ADR, space:rooms ratio)
• Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge (“this is what I have to spend”)

2.  If your meeting budget requires savings

• Understand hotel cost structure (guest rooms, banquets, outlets, retail, spa / golf)
• Understand hotel forecast models (why is the 90-day window so critical?)
• Communicate early (cannot stress enough)
• Re-imagine the use of space
• Approach negotiations in a spirit of partnership
• Determine where you can assist the hotel in cost savings

3.  You may be able to help the hotel shave labor costs with these options

• Avoid separate locations for receptions / dinners
• Outdoor spaces typically require more labor
• Avoid turning rooms if possible
• Provide good information about arrival / departure patterns
• Skip turndown service

Click here to watch the 30-minute webinar in its entirety online. 

David has more than 32 years of executive management experience in the hospitality and meetings industries.

He joined the Fort Worth CVB in January 2007 as president and chief executive officer.  Previously, he served as executive vice president for Meeting Professionals International Foundation and was president and CEO of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).

A graduate of The School of Hotel Administration at Michigan State University, David worked in sales and marketing at various Sheraton and Ritz-Carlton hotels between 1978 and 1990 before becoming senior vice president for PCMA in 1991. Throughout his career, he has been responsible for managing staff, multi-million dollar budgets and marketing initiatives.

His professional involvement includes serving on the Destination Marketing Association International board of directors, the Meeting Professionals International Foundation board of trustees and the Texas Society of Association Executives board of directors.  He holds membership in Society of Government Meeting Professionals, American Society of Association Executives, Professional Convention Management Association, American Society of Association Management, Meeting Professionals International and USA Hockey. David also has worked with the Convention Industry Council and is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Association Executive (CAE), and Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA).

1. How is your organization leveraging social media?

We just recently kicked off our social media efforts in conjunction with launching our redesigned website, www.FortWorth.com.  In a matter of a few months, we have already achieved tremendous results.  We have nearly 15,000 Facebook fans and 200 Twitter followers.  Facebook also is one of the top referral sites to FortWorth.com.

Part of the success is due to implementing creative marketing initiatives to support the website. For example, my marketing team wanted to create an engaging and entertaining way to shine the spotlight on all of the distinctive amenities and attributes Fort Worth offers meeting professionals and convention attendees.  The result is a webisode series entitled “Where in Fort Worth is David DuBois?” This webisode series follows me as I work at various attractions and events around town.  I reluctantly agreed to participate in this…but I was convinced to “take one for the team” because this campaign promised to be magnetic, funny and draw more attention to our great city. Hey…my mother was even entertained when I showed it to her.

In the first webisode, I’m working as a “Drover” for the Fort Worth Herd, the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive.  In celebration of our new site and the new webisode series, from now until December 31, we are offering a sweepstakes where meeting professionals can submit a Request For Proposal with a chance to win a special appearance by the Fort Worth Herd at their next meeting in Fort Worth.

2. What are the biggest opportunities that you see for the meetings industry in the year ahead?

There are some obvious issues in our industry today:  budget cutbacks, organizations beginning to explore more virtual event technologies, challenges with delegates booking outside the room block.

But what we are experiencing more frequently is that more organizations — particularly corporations — are organizing more strategic meetings at the last moment, of a smaller scale than before. We continue to get bookings for a significant number of small, CEO or senior management level strategic planning meetings. These folks want to bring their team together to discuss innovation, future trends and key strategies for exploring growth opportunities.

In Fort Worth, we have responded to this trend with a successful special promotion to attract new, shorter-term business called the “Fort Worth Meal Deal”. Fort Worth shares the cost of a meal function and passes the savings back to qualifying groups.  Meeting professionals can also save up to 60 percent on zone fares to Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport through a special partnership with American Airlines Group & Meeting Travel Department. It is my personal belief that developing a partnership with our customers helps to differentiate ourselves from other destinations that might also have nice hotels, restaurants and facilities.

3. What initially attracted you to a career in the hospitality industry?

Several of my high school friends went to Michigan State University and enrolled in the Hotel and Restaurant Management School.  I followed them to MSU because I wanted to get a degree in business but quickly became interested in Hotel Management.  As a result, I’ve enjoyed a 32-year career in the meetings, convention and hospitality industry.

4. Can you offer a few suggestions on how meeting professionals can best work with CVBs?

CVBs make planning and implementing a meeting less time-consuming and more streamlined. They give meeting professionals access to a range of services and packages. Communication between the meeting professional and the CVB is the key to a successful meeting or convention.  By working closely together and beginning to plan early, meeting professionals and CVBs can be on the same page about the direction and planning for the upcoming event.

As a 32-year veteran in the meetings and hospitality industry, I continue to encourage meeting professionals to take advantage of all the bureau has to offer.  Our organization consists of several different departments — including community relations, marketing communications, international and domestic tourism, sales and convention services — and incorporating as many as possible will make a positive impact on the meeting.

5. What would people be surprised to know about you?

Two things….my mother had to tie a cow bell around my ankle when I was younger because I use to sleep walk and I have been an ice hockey official for more than 25 years….and still have all of my teeth.

My father learned to make soft chile rellenos from scratch about sixty years ago.  He and my grandparents used to frequent a Mexican restaurant in Southern California (sadly, its name is long forgotten).  One evening, the owner took my father (16 years old) back in the kitchen for a tour and a lesson in preparing this signature dish.

By the time he enrolled at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Dad was already an accomplished cook.  His first chile relleno recipe was a tomato based sauce which he used for a couple of decades.  Sometime in the 1970’s, he figured it was time for a new variation with chicken in the sauce. Enjoy!

Chile Rellenos con Pollo

Ingredients (serves 6):

8 whole green chiles (Anaheim or Poblano, canned & drained or freshly roasted)
½ lb Monterey Jack cheese (personally, I’m partial to Pepper Jack)
½ green bell pepper – quartered and chopped coarsely
½ yellow bell pepper – quartered and chopped coarsely
½ red or orange bell pepper – quartered and chopped coarsely
1 medium onion – quartered and chopped coarsely
4 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon basil (dry)
2 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin (ground)
2 tablespoons flour (enough to soak up all the oil after sautéing the vegetables)
2 half chicken breasts (dusted with 1 tablespoon of chili powder, then grilled or broiled)
1 ½ cups chicken stock
4 eggs separated (see directions below)

Directions:

Sauté the bell peppers and onions in the 4 tablespoons of oil.  As this softens, add the garlic.  When the garlic is softened, add the basil, 1 tablespoon of the chili powder, cumin and enough flour to absorb the oil.  Stir well, then add the chicken stock and simmer while you grill the 2 chicken breasts that have been dusted in 1 tablespoon of chili powder.  When the chicken breasts are nearly cooked through, pull them off the grill and cool for 5 minutes.  Chop the chicken coarsely and add to the simmering sauce.  The sauce should be slightly thick. Continue to simmer on very low.  If it seems too thick, you can add a little chicken stock.

Cut the cheese into 2-3” long ‘fries’ that will fit inside the chiles.  Stuff the chiles with the cheese, trying to keep the chile walls intact.

Now it’s time to create the egg batter.  Beat the egg whites until stiff with ½ teaspoon of baking powder.  Beat the egg yolks with enough flour (about 1 tablespoon) to create a lemon yellow color.  Carefully fold the yolks into the whites. While creating the egg batter, heat about ½” of your favorite vegetable oil (I use canola) in a frying pan to medium high.  When the batter is ready, check the heat by dropping a small bit of batter in the oil.  If it sizzles, you’re ready.

Carefully take one of the stuffed chiles and dip into the batter, making sure that is completely covered.  Then slowly drop the batter-covered chile into the hot oil.  Spread the batter over the top where your fingers let go of the chile.  I usually do two chiles at a time.  Spoon a little hot oil over each chile so that it begins to cook on top.  Slide a flat metal spatula underneath each chile and turn it over.  Each relleno will cook for about 3 minutes total.  Lift the relleno out, drain off the excess oil and place on paper towels to continue draining. 

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Once you’ve cooked all 8 rellenos (and they are now drained of excess oil), it’s time to bake.  You will likely need two pyrex dishes for all 8 rellenos…unless you have one large one.  Place the rellenos carefully in the dish(es) and spoon the sauce over the rellenos evenly.  Place in the oven for 20 minutes until they bubble and regain some “puff”.  Serve on warm plates with a little extra cheese grated on top.  Accompany with black or pinto beans and maybe some Spanish rice.

Okay, I’m sitting at home on a Wednesday evening.  The family will be back in 30 minutes and I need a plan for dinner.  Procrastination?  Nonsense.  Suddenly, this show, Primal Grill with Steven Raichlin, comes on the tube.  He is “the man” when it comes to grilling.  This episode is all about lamb and I’m intrigued.  The lamb burger recipe was prepared at the end of the show.  Voila, dinner is officially planned for the evening. 

We have all the ingredients in the house except the ground lamb.   Problem?  Nonsense.  I run off to the store…and there’s no ground lamb in the meat case.  Quick, find the butcher and she comes up with the goods from the back of the house.  Whew.  Hurry back home.  Allison and our daughter have already picked the fresh ingredients from our herb garden.  Fire up the grill.

These burgers are tremendous if you are a lamb fan.  Easy to prepare and a big wow on the taste buds.  Good thing that the yogurt sauce can be paired with other dishes (as the given recipe provides more than plenty).

Oh yeah, we had to make the lamb burgers again just three nights later because our son was so upset that he missed them the first time.  They are that good.  Enjoy!

Lamb Burgers Stuffed with Goat Cheese served with Yogurt Cucumber Sauce

Ingredients:

For the burgers:

1-1/2 pounds ground lamb
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, or 2 teaspoons dried mint (fresh from the garden is best!)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Greek)
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea) or more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound goat cheese

For serving:

4 pita breads
4 rinsed romaine lettuce leaves
4 paper-thin slices red onion (optional)
1 medium-size cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium-size ripe tomato, thinly sliced
Yogurt Cucumber Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:

Place the ground lamb, chopped onion, garlic, mint, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to mix (I use my hands and it goes faster). Wet your hands with cold water and divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Working quickly and with a light touch, pat each portion into a thick patty with a 2-ounce round of goat cheese in the center. (Make sure cheese is completely covered with meat.) Place the patties on a plate lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered, until ready to grill.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high (I use a gas grill, charcoal is fine as well).  Be sure to clean and oil your grill grates after pre-heating so the burgers do not stick.

Grill the lamb burgers until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes per side (about 170 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer). Remove the burgers and cover to keep warm.  Place the pita breads on the grill, and lowering the temperature and working in batches, if necessary, grill until toasted, about 1 minute per side.  Cut a slit in each pita. Place a lettuce leaf inside, followed by a burger, an onion slice, if using, some cucumber and tomato slices, and a generous dollop of yogurt sauce. Serve at once.

Yogurt Cucumber Sauce 

Ingredients:

1 medium-size cucumber
1 clove garlic, minced (I always add more garlic, in this case 2 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or more to taste
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (you skinny people can us low-fat)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, or 1 teaspoon dried mint
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Coarsely chop or grate the cucumber.  Place the garlic and salt in a mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Stir in the cucumber, yogurt, olive oil, and mint. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, if necessary, and pepper to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

The source of this fabulous recipe is Raichlens Indoor Grilling by Steven Raichlen (Workman, 2004)

Barb has an impressive background of sales, marketing and operations experience from her more than twenty-five years of direct exposure within the hospitality industry.  She is the founder of Taylored Alliances, a collection of top industry thought-leaders, facilitators, trainers and consultants.  These alliances include being a Managing Director of Global Marketing Services - the industry leader in the formation and facilitation of advisory boards and focus groups – and serving as the first Managing Director of HSMAI University.

Barb continues to be involved in numerous professional organizations, including a long-standing association with Meeting Professionals International where she served on the regional and international MPI Board of Directors. 

For Barb’s complete bio, visit the Taylored Alliance website at www.tayloredalliances.com.

  
1. How will meetings change in the next 10+ years?

Content will finally be in the driver’s seat.  Organizations are beginning to understand that meetings management includes having rich content that is meaningful beyond the scope of the meeting.  This includes developing content objectives that meet and/or match to organization goals for the event.  ROI will no longer be a dirty word and a rich SMMP (strategic meeting management plan) will be the hallmark of both the organization and their meeting professionals. 

2. What are the biggest challenges that you see for the year ahead?

Trying to figure out just where we are going with the global economy.  We are all in this together and blame and finger-pointing will only prolong the pain.   

3. Can you share the best advice you’ve ever been given? 

It really does “…take a village…” which is applicable in both my professional and personal life.  And, as Maya Angelou said, “The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.” 

4. Where is your favorite vacation spot?

Wow!  There are too many to name.  We’ve not been to Europe in a while, so that is on our radar screen.  And our yearly trip diving in Cozumel is always a welcome diversion.  But we are always grateful to be living in Colorado, where we easily can feed our habits of snow skiing, water sports and biking in truly spectacular surroundings!

5. What would people be surprised to know about you? 

I was painfully shy as a child and still quake a bit when getting up in front of an audience of my peers.  Just have to remember to *breathe*.

“Kinsley really impressed us with their team’s dedication to the success of our event,” says Donnell Rehagen, Chief Operating Officer of NBB.  “We initially hired Kinsley because of their solid reputation and extensive knowledge, but it was the trusting relationship we forged that led us to pursue a long-term agreement with them.”

The 2011 Biodiesel Conference & Expo will take place February 6-9, 2011 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona.  Now in its eighth year, the event has hosted as many as 3,800 participants.  Kinsley will handle all meeting responsibilities including site selection, exhibit and sponsorship sales, registration, onsite logistics, marketing services and financial management.

About Kinsley

We Know Meetings.  Kinsley is a full service meetings and events management firm. With nearly two decades of experience, Kinsley brings a wealth of knowledge, successful partnerships and strategic solutions. Services include financial management of meetings, site selection, attendee management and event logistics.  You can learn more about them at www.kinsleymeetings.com.

About the National Biodiesel Board

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is the national trade association of the biodiesel industry and is the coordinating body for biodiesel research and development in the U.S. NBB’s membership is comprised of state, national, and international feedstock and feedstock processor organizations, biodiesel producers, fuel marketers and distributors, and technology providers. Additional information about biodiesel is available online at www.biodiesel.org.

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Written by Allison P. Kinsley, CMM, CMP

With over 10’ of river water in the lobby, the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center became part of the path of the Cumberland River on Sunday, May 2.

1,200 miles away, the Kinsley staff watched the news with dismay.  Our initial thoughts were for the friends we’d made at the hotel while on a site visit just two weeks prior.  Our next thought was for the meeting we were planning there this August.

As meeting professionals, the entire country is our workplace. We routinely have an eye on national and world events and are vigilant about potential effects on the events we manage.  The Nashville Flood changed the plans of our entire company for the next few months.  As we learned the extent of the impact on Nashville – and more specifically on the Opryland community – we knew that the planning we had put in place was temporarily irrelevant.  The question was, for how long?

As hard as it was to watch the news, we were impressed by what we were seeing from our partners at Gaylord.  They had an emergency plan in place and acted on it, quickly moving 1,500 hotel guests to safety.  In media interviews, their guests praised hotel staff for their care and efficiency.  “As a guest at the Opryland Hotel during the great evacuation, I want to commend the hotel management for the way they handled the situation. They made timely decisions and we were able to be evacuated by bus instead of by boat. They did everything they could to make the best of a horrible situation,” wrote one guest.

We were further struck by the hotel’s transparency in giving insight into the effects the flood had on their facilities. 
A video narrated by Pete Weien, Opryland’s General Manager, quickly went viral on YouTube, amassing over half a million views.  Calm and genuine, Pete showed the world the reality of the hotel’s situation and instilled confidence that, as soon as the water receded, the Gaylord team was ready to roll-up sleeves and put their hotel back to rights.

By mid-May, the hotel had assessed damage and projected a re-opening date in November 2010.  

Of course, our August meeting was officially postponed to 2011.  Anticipating this, we recalibrated timelines and prepared updates to the conference website.  And once the news was official, the planning team began contacting key stakeholders – including sponsors, exhibitors and vendors – and published updates.  The understanding from all parties involved in this event showed us the genuine concern of organizations nationwide for those in the Nashville area, and reassured us that the event would have support in its new timeframe.

We are back on track for a successful event in 2011 and have a few lessons to share with the Kinsley community:

1. Contingency planning matters

While a 100-year flood is uncommon, it is essential to know what to do when faced with a catastrophic event which potentially impacts the safety and well-being of guests.  The time for creating emergency plans is not during an emergency.

2. Direct, proactive, transparent communication can change perception 

By practicing real-time communications and disseminating information through conventional (e.g., email, phone, website) and non-conventional means (e.g., Facebook, YouTube), you can proactively define your media reality.  Recognize situations where you’re better off not waiting for someone else to tell your story…and tell it yourself.

3. The value of true partnerships

As the owner of a small business, the Nashville Flood, in combination with the past 18 months of economic uncertainty, has demonstrated the need to stay nimble and to remain diversified.  It’s also been an opportunity to demonstrate your company’s integrity by standing with your partners.  Short-term partnerships of convenience rarely stand the tests of time or stress.  Conversely, the value of true partnerships always pays off in the long run through earned reputation, repeat business and reciprocity.  You never know when your business will be underwater…and when you’ll be the one needing a helping hand.

“Allison has a passion for meetings (which) simply seems to be an outlet for her overall passion for people”, said Ken Williams, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Denver Merchandise Mart and 2010 MIC Chair. “She has been part of many progressions in the meetings industry, seemingly dragging it forward at times.”

Allison has been involved in the meetings industry for 27 years.  She is a past president and Meeting Planner of the Year for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Meeting Professionals International and currently serves as Vice Chair of the MPI Foundation Board of Trustees.  Allison, and her company, Kinsley, have also been honored as one of Colorado’s Top 100 Woman-Owned Businesses by Colorado Biz Magazine.

The MIC Leadership Award is given each year to the meeting professional who has distinguished themselves through active involvement in industry associations, general leadership within the meetings industry and by serving as a role model to others.  Other nominees for the 2010 award included: Dr Francine Butler, PhD, CAE, CMP, AMC Institute; Bill Light, CMP, Associated Luxury Hotels International; Kathy Reak, Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Freddie Templeton, CFE, Rocky Mountain Event Consultants.

About Kinsley

We Know Meetings.  Kinsley is a full service meetings and events management firm. With nearly two decades of experience, Kinsley brings a wealth of knowledge, successful partnerships and strategic solutions. Services include financial management of meetings, site selection, attendee management and event logistics.  You can learn more about them at www.kinsleymeetings.com.

About MIC

The Meetings Industry Council (MIC) of Colorado, incorporated in 2000, is a partnership between 12 national and local member organizations either founded in Colorado or with chapters in Colorado. The MIC Conference is a unique opportunity for industry peers to reconnect with one another and capitalize on content from the best in the meeting and events industry. Featuring national caliber speakers and educational sessions, it has become an important regional show that allows Convention & Visitors Bureaus, hotels and suppliers to reach a growing number of meeting professionals based in Denver and the Rocky Mountain region. For more information, visit www.mic-colorado.org.

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“Megan is a natural fit for our team,” said Allison Kinsley, Chief Meeting Architect.  “She brings a wealth of planning knowledge, great interpersonal skills and an infectious level of enthusiasm…all of which are key traits that our clients demand.  We’ve worked with Megan on the local board of Meeting Professionals International for years and are delighted to have her join us.”

Meyers has nearly ten years of meetings industry experience in both corporate and association environments.  She received a B.S. in Business Administration from The University of Colorado at Boulder and earned a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) distinction.  She is a past President of the MPI Rocky Mountain Chapter and actively volunteers with the Denver Rescue Mission, Foothills Bible Church and Habitat for Humanity.

About Kinsley

We Know Meetings.  Kinsley is a full service meetings and events management firm. With nearly two decades of experience, Kinsley brings a wealth of knowledge, successful partnerships and strategic solutions. Services include financial management of meetings, site selection, attendee management and event logistics.  You can learn more about them at www.kinsleymeetings.com.

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