Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Open Mic Article: Corporate Social Responsibility

In the current winter issue of Illinois Meetings and Events magazine, One Smooth Stone Associate Producer Bethany Johnson shared her take on Corporate Social Responsibility. In the article, she provides tips on successfully incorporating philanthropic elements into your next event...everything from how to select the right charitable organization to preparing your attendees for the experience. The article is available online and also graced the cover of the print edition of this season's magazine. Check it out here!


Thursday, December 17, 2009

Christmas Gift Giving

It's a One Smooth Stone tradition each Christmas to "adopt" several families through a local charity and purchase gifts for them. This year, we continued the tradition and worked with Evangelical Child and Family Agency to identify 3 families in need. One Smooth Stone staff members made donations, which were matched by the company. The staff then ventured in teams to the local Walmart and returned with a variety of gifts from the wish lists of each family member. Pizza and gift wrapping concluded our evening of giving!

Emily and Lisa perfect their gift wrapping skills.

Kimberly and Barb team up at Walmart.

Mark shows off a stylish scarf before it is wrapped.

Steve, Ken and Bethany, hard at work!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Webinar - Understand Union Labor

Thanks to everyone who listened and participated in our second installment of the Producer...You! webinar series entitled "Understanding Union Labor", a webinar co-hosted by One Smooth Stone and hinton+grusich on December 10th. The webinar provided an overview of the complexities of Union Labor, addressing frequently asked questions and reviewing key terms.

If you missed the session, complete audio/video has been posted here for viewing! Just click the video below to watch.



A glossary of terms and note from the webinar can be downloaded here:
http://tinyurl.com/UnionLaborNotes-Glossary

Feel free to send a link to this blog post to anyone who might benefit from the content.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Tips for Producing a Successful Virtual Event

As with live events, producing a successful virtual event involves extensive planning, careful content development and precise execution. Through our experience producing virtual events, we have found the following tips to be helpful in ensuring success...

1) Never underestimate the amount of pre-event planning time required for a virtual event. Build it into your schedule. You'll always wish you had more!

2) If your event is for an internal audience, engage your IT department early to ensure attendees have sufficient bandwidth and any challenges with access are resolved beforehand.

3) Like a physical event, keep the content and delivery engaging. Vary your presentation formats to keep attendees interested.

4) Consider using the virtual event platform for pre-event communication. This will test out its usability with your audience, help attendees get familiar and comfortable with its use, and get the word out!

5) If live interaction is a part of your event, don't forget to build sufficient rehearsal time into the schedule.

To learn more about One Smooth Stone's virtual event offering, watch our demo or shoot an email to Steve.

One Smooth Stone named 2010 Special Event Gala Award Finalist

The results are in...and One Smooth Stone has been named a finalist in the 2010 Special Event Gala Awards for its exquisite and elegant gala design at BMC Software's 2009 Chairman's Circle arrival lunch at the Four Seasons Lanai, Hawaii.

Released yesterday, the finalists in the competition have been posted online. Final award selections will be announced in January at The Special Event in New Orleans.


Arrival lunch at the Four Seasons golf course, overlooking the ocean


Floral and table design

Seating under an elegant canopy

Monday, November 9, 2009

All Dressed Up

October 31st was a costume-filled holiday for the One Smooth Stone kids! Take a look at some of the outfits donned by stonies’ children, nieces and nephews…

Ken Haller's boys, Tieg and Kade, were dressed as reptiles for Halloween!

Lisa Hultmark and her family teamed up to create the cast of Wizard of Oz.

Megan's Manske's daughter, Skylar, was a princess who clearly likes to get her way!

Steve Koppel's two children, Adam and Genevieve, dressed up as a pirate and a chicken

Bethany Johnson's niece and nephew, Kylie and Tyler, walked their neighborhood as a witch and Nintendo's Luigi

Brad Zulke's nephew, Jonathan, enjoyed playing the part of Scarecrow at his school festival

Stephanie Selig's daughter, Cassidy, donned a "cheerful" pink butterfly costume to celebrate

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Production...You! Webinar

Thanks to everyone who listened and participated in "Production...You!", a webinar co-hosted by One Smooth Stone and hinton+grusich on October 22nd. The session provided best practices and tips for “producing” the business meeting.

If you missed the session, complete audio/video has been posted at the link below for viewing. Feel free to pass this link along to anyone who might benefit from the content.

www.onesmoothstone.com/Webinars/Producer-You

Slides from the webinar, as well as a producer checklist, can be downloaded here:

http://tinyurl.com/Producer-You

Friday, October 16, 2009

Producer YOU! Webinar - October 22nd

Date: Thursday, Oct 22
Time: 11am (Pacific), noon (MT), 1pm (CST), 2pm (EST)
Audience: Any meeting planner who finds themselves in the role of producer

With budgets being reduced, you may find yourself using in-house A/V a bit more and needing to fill the role of “producer” for your business meeting. If so, our October 22nd webinar is just for you! Presented by One Smooth Stone President and Principal Kevin Olsen and Associate Producer Bethany Johnson, "Producer YOU!" will provide best practices for “producing” the business meeting…. everything from tips for managing graphics and providing simple recommendations to improve a presenter’s delivery to what questions to ask the lighting designer. At the end of the webinar, a check-list will also be provided to make you a pro in no time.

Interested in registering? Just click here!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

One Smooth Stone featured in Successful Meetings Magazine...

How do you impress 900 top achievers and their guests? This was the headline for a recent article in Successful Meetings Magazine featuring One Smooth Stone's work on the 2008 Field Leadership Club incentive program for BMC Software. Our answer to the headlining question? Put a stage in the water!

On the Big Island of Hawaii in May of 2008, we constructed a fully-functional 60' x 32' stage entirely in the ocean at Anaehoomalu Bay. It was the first stage in the ocean in all of Hawaii and provided a performance venue for local and major name entertainment. The result? Guests were amazed and "wowed" with a memorable and truly spectacular experience.

Take a look at the full article to learn more about what went into this ground-breaking effort.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Celebrating a Stonie!

August was a big month for One Smooth Stone Project Coordinator Emily (Green) Miller and we had a lot to celebrate!
First, Emily was named a recipient of MPI Chicago Area Chapter's "Chapter Leader of the Month" award. Her hard work as part of the chapter's Leadership Development Committee and her efforts in putting together monthly conference calls and webinars for other leaders helped her stand out among the 13 members that were nominated for the award. Great work, Emily!

But the congratulations don't stop there... Amidst her MPI chapter work, Emily was also diligently planning a wedding. Emily and Jason Miller tied the knot on August 29th in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Geneva, IL. The whole One Smooth Stone team was there to celebrate with her!



Emily and Jason Miller pose at their reception


A flower petal send-off

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Passionate about giving back...

One thing that One Smooth Stone is passionate about is giving back. Whether its helping clients incorporate philanthropy into their events, participating in charitable activities as a company, or making financial contributions through our affiliate foundation...One Smooth Stone enjoys using its resources to impact a world in need.

Recently, Associate Producer Bethany Johnson shared her thoughts on Corporate Social Responsibility and incorporating philanthropic elements into events with Prevue, a publication for meeting and incentive planners. Take a look at the article here!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

One Smooth Stone employee serves in Zambia

After his experience producing the Opportunity International Leadership Conference in Uganda this past March, One Smooth Stone Executive VP Gary Vlk decided he needed to venture back to Africa. During his experience in Uganda, he was touched by the need he saw and felt compelled to return with his family to make an impact. The Vlk family traveled to Zambia in July for 10 days with the non-profit Spark Ventures, an organization started by former One Smooth Stone employee Rich Johnson. The Vlks spent time playing with orphan children, helping kids with English reading, participating in a building project, and learning more about the impact Spark Ventures' is making in Zambia.

The Vlk's trip was recently featured in the newspaper in their hometown of Naperville, IL. Take a look! http://tinyurl.com/OSSZambia

The Vlk Family in Zambia


Gary with his reading buddy, John

Monday, August 31, 2009

CAbi Event Goes HD

Last month, One Smooth Stone partnered with long time client CAbi to produce its biannual “Scoop” event at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The event gathered 2,400 women’s clothing sales consultants in a new, condensed format to minimize attendee expense and time away from home, while maximizing their time at the event. The new fall clothing line was launched in a general session featuring a 170’ runway flanked by stadium seating, creating an intimate feel for such a large audience.

The big change for CAbi at the July 2009 event was the decision to integrate a fully high-definition video projection and record system. The advantages to taking the “HD plunge” were many…
  • Consultants saw the latest fashion on screen in GREAT DETAIL

  • Footage from the fashion show was ready to be POSTED TO THE WEB immediately after the event…no converting, re-shooting or editing necessary
  • Fashion show footage posted to the CAbi website allows customers to also see the latest trends in CRYSTAL CLEAR RESOLUTION
  • Consultants who were unable to attend the event can view the fashion show and feel as if they are ACTUALLY THERE

Wanna see the footage? Check out http://cabionline.com/Fall2009/on_the_runway.html and judge the quality for yourself!

Fashion show runway with two high definition screens.

A model struts the runway, with her image in HD behind her.

Two HD screens were flown above the audience on each side of the runway. Attendees were seated in tiered bleachers to give the show a more intimate feel.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Incorporating Peer-to-Peer Learning into Your Events…

An interview with One Smooth Stone Founding Principal and President, Kevin Olsen, recently appeared in the on-site edition of One+ Magazine at MPI’s WEC conference in Salt Lake City. The article, highlighting the importance and relevance of Peer-to-Peer Learning, appeared the day before Kevin taught an interactive knowledge session on the topic. Kevin’s session defined Peer-to-Peer Learning, highlighted its benefits, and provided hands-on experience of how it is executed successfully.




Take a look at the article and learn more about Peer-to-Peer! Click here and navigate to page 8 to read the entire article.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Virtual Events!

Progressive technology and challenging economic times have led the events industry to develop new event models and innovative solutions. The result? Virtual events. Hosting a virtual component to your event, or creating a stand-alone virtual meeting, can be a great way to…
  • Generate new sponsorship revenue
  • Extend the life of your event
  • Make attendance possible for those who cannot travel to a live meeting
  • Provide ongoing educational content and updates to your attendees
  • Execute a large event with extensive content for a fraction of the cost of a live meeting

One Smooth Stone has an exciting, dynamic and reliable virtual event platform to bring to the table. Take a look at this overview to learn more about our virtual event offering:

http://www.balancedesign.com/clients/OSS/VirtualEvents/071109/player.html

Interested in hosting a virtual event? Give Gary a call at 630.427.4222.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The One Smooth Stone family is growing!

On June 9, 2009, Steve Koppel (Vice President) and his wife, Allison, met their new daughter for the first time. They had flown to Korea just days before and were thrilled to leave the country with Genevieve Yoonjung Koppel, the newest addition to their family! Genevieve was born on August 21, 2008, and joins a brother, Adam, who the Koppels adopted from Korea in 2005.

Steve and Allison say that their favorite things about Genevieve are her adorable smile, happy disposition, and ability to sleep through the night. Congratulations to the Koppel family!

Steve takes Genevieve for a walk...

Brother-sister bonding time!

Allison, Adam and Genevieve

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

One+ Article about One Smooth Stone

One+, Meeting Professionals International's US-based magazine, published an article about One Smooth Stone's March event in Uganda for Opportunity International in their June 2009 issue. The article was highlighted in their "Connections" section, which appears in each issue and tells the story of a successful connection or partnership. Take a look at the images below or visit http://viewer.zmags.com/showmag.php?mid=wfpgdq&spid=-2#/page42/ to read the full article.


Friday, May 15, 2009

May 15th-Economics of Production Webinar

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our webinar last Friday on the "Economics of Production".  A pdf of the PowerPoint slides from our webinar can be downloaded here.

You can view video and audio from the webinar below.



If you have any difficulty accessing these files or need more information, please contact Bethany Johnson at bjohnson@onesmoothstone.com.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Stonie Serves Up a Life-Changing Lunch

Chefs for Charity

Each month, a One Smooth Stone team member hosts a “Chefs for Charity” lunch. The host cooks lunch and then everyone donates the money they would typically spend going out for lunch to the charity of the chef’s choosing. The impact of these special lunches is made even greater by the Foundation of One Smooth Stone (www.onesmoothstone.com/foundation/) matching the donations dollar for dollar!

This month Kimberly Medaglia (Vice President) chose “The H Foundation” (www.goombaybash.com/) as the recipient of all proceeds. Her grade school friend, John Rot, started this charitable organization with other business owners from the LaGrange, IL area after two of his co-workers passed away from cancer. All monies raised by The H Foundation go directly to Basic Science Cancer Research which allows scientists to pursue novel ideas for earlier detection of cancer. In 8 years, they have raised nearly $2.5 million, including over $500,000 in 2008 alone.

Strategic partners, clients and members of the H Foundation joined our luncheon to raise money and awareness. Kimberly’s homecooked meal for 30 people filled the tables and countertops of our kitchen with tapenade, white bean spread, chicken salad, pasta salad, salmon salad, cheese plates with fruit… and to top it all off - decadent coconut and chocolate cupcakes. Over $600 dollars will be donated as a result!!

Gathering friends and family close to us, reaching out to help those in need, and eating good food. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Consider hosting a Chefs for Charity at your office!!

Digging in to the delicious lunch!*

Kimberly with The H Foundation co-founders David Rizner, Dan Chopp, & John Rot and H Foundation volunteer event planner, Julie Jandris


*photographs courtesy of Anne Vlk (http://annevlkphotography.com/)

Wedding in the Family...

One of our Stonies got hitched on April 18th!


Bethany Veerman is now Bethany Johnson.


Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Johnson: JUST MARRIED!

And lovin' it!
Who knew Brian would later regale us with an air guitar concert while spinning on his back?
Kimberly & Brian Medaglia, Jessica Cuthbert

After eating a spinach salad, this was the best smile Brad could offer...
Kevin Olsen, Lisa & Brad Zulke

Aren't weddings romantic?
Kevin & Stephanie Selig


Clint, haven't you worked quite a few One Smooth Stone "events"?
Anne Vlk, Clint (the DJ) & Gary Vlk





























Wednesday, April 8, 2009

One Smooth Stone in Uganda…

We recently returned from producing an event in Uganda for Opportunity International. Opportunity International provides microloans to impoverished people, enabling them to start their own businesses and discover a stable income source. The CEOs of Opportunity’s banks from around the world gathered to share their vision and align strategy for reaching the poor.

One Smooth Stone’s role was to manage the production and content of the general session, ensuring that the production ran smoothly and messages were aligned. I sat down with producers Gary Vlk (Executive Vice President) and Mark Ledogar (Vice President) to discuss the unique experiences in producing and event in Africa.

BETHANY: What preparations did you make before you left for Uganda?

MARK: We bought a lot of bug spray and made sure we were fully vaccinated! We also carefully planned what production gear to travel with to make sure we were fully prepared for every possible scenario (while not exceeding the airline luggage weight limit).

BETHANY:
How did you help Opportunity International attain its goals for this 4-day conference?

GARY: We enabled them to really focus on what was important and strategic. While we took responsibility for what was happening in the ballroom, our key client and the writer were able to spend time outside our ballroom with CEOs and leaders, fostering relationships.

BETHANY: What was one of the challenges you faced?

MARK: Rationing the resources we often take for granted…things like paper, ink cartridges, and electrical converters. These are usually easy to get when we’re in the States, but we had a limited supply in Africa. There was no Office Depot down the street!

BETHANY: What was your biggest surprise while you were there?

MARK: I was surprised by how real the poverty and difficult the living conditions are in central Africa. It’s one thing to see it on TV, but it’s something completely different to see and experience it face-to-face.

BETHANY: What was a personal highlight?

GARY: One day, we got off-property and met a tour guide who took us on a boat ride on the Nile. We experienced the culture and talked to locals to find out what day-to-day life was like. We saw first-hand the impact Opportunity International was making in people’s lives….our guide was actually a recipient of Opportunity International micro-loans and runs his own viable business!

BETHANY: What is the lasting impact this experience has made?

GARY: Since my return, I’ve been inspired to begin planning a trip back to Africa. This time, I hope to take my family to reach impoverished children in Zambia.

MARK: Events are a lot more than lights, sound and hotel ballrooms. Meetings have the power to change lives.

BETHANY:
Thanks to both of you for sharing your experiences with our blog readers!


Photo Highlights from Uganda

An African choir performs at the general session

Mark and Gary with a local Opportunity International staff member who served as general session MC

Some of the local wildlife!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Congratulations 2020 Exhibits on winning an Addy Award!

The ADDY Awards is the world's largest advertising competition with over 50,000 entries annually. The ADDYs recognize creative excellence in all forms of advertising from media of all types and creative by agencies of all sizes. 2020 Exhibits won a Silver Award in the Collateral Category for their creative work on the BMC Software “Rockin’ in Paradise” event marketing/branding campaign, and a Certificate of Merit for the BMC Software “Elevation 2008” event communication/branding materials. One Smooth Stone designed the theme and the mark which were the foundation for their creative!!

2009 "Rockin' In Paradise" Logo

2008 "Elevation" Logo

Friday, March 6, 2009

State of the Industry Resources

Our industry is under attack! How do we respond to these challenges?

Our March 6th webinar addressed the current state of the meetings and event industry, as well as what you can do to respond. To learn more about this urgent topic, click below to access crucial materials and resources.


Video



Note: The audio portion of the webinar begins at approx. 0:42.

Complete audio and video from the March 6th webinar, taught by Kevin Hinton - Principal, hinton+grusich; Alexandra Wagner – Group Vice President and Director of Corporate Event Marketing, SunTrust Banks; and Kevin Olsen - Principal, One Smooth Stone

Links

For the latest state of the industry information and how you can be part of the solution:
- http://www.meetingindustrycrisiscenter.org/
- http://www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com/

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Webinar: Our Industry is Under Attack!

Join us for a webinar!

When: March 6th, 1pm - 2pm CST
Where: Click here to register

Our industry is under attack! How do we respond to these challenges?

The federal government has begun to establish travel and meeting industry standards for companies who are in receipt of federal bail-out funding (TARP).

We propose that the resulting industry policies and guidelines could be a GREAT thing for the entire meetings and events industry. It’s just what is needed to push everyone to connect meetings and events to strategic business goals, thus legitimizing our industry as a crucial component in a dynamic business strategy.

This webinar will provide the most relevant data regarding the current state of meeting and events and establish a foundation for you to lead conversations with the executive suite about the implications. At the conclusion of the webinar, you will have access to all current reports, guidelines and industry documentation to share with your leadership.

Content will be presented by: Kevin Hinton - Principal, hinton+grusich; Alexandra Wagner – Group Vice President and Director of Corporate Event Marketing, SunTrust Banks; Kevin Olsen - Principal, One Smooth Stone. Space is limited. Register today!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Going the Extra Mile for Clients in a Tough Economy

hinton+grusich partners+ collection is a Hit with Busy Meeting Pro’s

Chicago, IL – February 2009 Press Release

hinton+grusich is a leading national sales organization best known for representing upscale independent hotels and destinations. Recognizing that its client base of meeting professionals were increasingly tasked with doing more with fewer resources, the firm introduced its partners+ collection in early 2008. The newly expanded service offering includes hospitality service providers who play a prominent role in many meetings’ success.

This “hand-picked” group of industry partners in the collection is widely recognized as experts in their respective fields, and share similar business tenets as hinton+grusich: commitment to service, integrity and unique value. The partners+ collection roster includes: Continental Airlines, worldwide air travel; Hertz Co., nationwide car rental; Lettuce Planet, a division of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises; USA Hosts, nationwide destination management services; Buy-The-Sea, a cruise broker; One Smooth Stone, a worldwide event production company.

In its inaugural year, the partners+ collection has supported a plethora of meetings and conferences, witnessing an increased popularity with professionals who plan meetings as one of their many job responsibilities. Kevin Hinton, principal, stated, “Adding a select collection of services in support of our client base was a natural progression of our offering. We have learned by experience that offering extra value to our service helps everyone involved.”

Hinton attests much of the program’s success to its national sales team, as well as the Director of Industry Partner Sales, Karen Gravlin. A former meeting planner, Karen has been responsible for building the Partner relationships, while introducing the new services to the meeting professional community. Karen stated, “One of my primary responsibilities is to assist clients beyond their need for sleeping rooms and meeting space. As a former planner myself, I can truly appreciate the added value that our supplier partners offer in the planning process.”

Sonal Sullivan, CMP, Manager of Meeting Services for HIMSS is a hinton+grusich client who has seen the value of the new services first-hand. Sonal stated, “A few months ago I decided to investigate a cost saving and streamlining measure for the car rental process within our organization. Karen Gravlin and the partners+ program understood what we were trying to accomplish and worked closely with Hertz to meet our goals year round. We appreciated the level of professionalism and support that saved us time and resources.”

For more information about the hinton+grusich partner+ collection, contact Karen Gravlin at kgravlin@hintonandgrusich.com or 312-346-5679.

About hinton+grusich
Founded in 1986, hinton+grusich is a national sales organization that represents upscale hotels, destinations and hospitality suppliers that serve the meetings industry. Offering a cost-free approach to finding the right hotel, the firm creates efficiency and buying power for professionals who plan meetings through one point-of-contact. Its team of experts provides timely pricing and availability information, first-hand destination feedback, and relevant insight for meeting professionals nationwide.

hinton+grusich represents over 130 upscale, primarily independent hotels, six convention bureaus, and seven industry partners within their “partners+” collection. Headquartered in Chicago, the firm offers four regional offices and nine national sales managers furnishing regional and market-specific support to meeting professionals.

As longtime supporters of hospitality, philanthropic and civic organizations, members of the hinton+grusich management team currently serve in volunteer leadership positions with MPI, ASAE and SITE. For more information, visit www.hintonandgrusich.com or call 800-783-7350.

Contact:
Gretchen Kihm-Stegall
for hinton+grusich
847-681-0506

To see the original Press Release post, click here.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Important Message from MPI

The president of MPI, Bruce MacMillan, distributed an email yesterday outlining the current economic challenges facing our industry. He does a great job of addressing recent regulations that the government has put into place related to the Troubled Asset Relief Program and how we should respond. During this challenging time when the importance of meetings and events is being questioned by media and government voices, MPI is serving an important advocate for our industry. Take a look as Bruce's words and a press release from the U.S. Travel Association below...


Dear MPI Community:

Yesterday the US Treasury Department announced new regulations for recipients of funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). In addition to executive compensation limits, the department will require the Boards of Directors of those recipient corporations to adopt a company-wide policy on expenditures related to, among other things, conferences and events. While the language stated that the regulations are not intended to cover reasonable expenditures for “…sales conferences, staff development, reasonable performance incentives and other measures tied to a company’s normal business operations”, it will require certification by the company’s chief executive that expenditures that could be viewed as “excessive or luxury items” are in compliance with Board policy.
Obviously this has inflamed an already high level of industry business anxiety. MPI, along with other meeting and event industry organizations including the US Travel Association, have come together to dialogue directly with the government to ensure the best interests of our members, their businesses and their communities are not compromised at a time of economic crisis.

We also need to tell our story: our industry is a significant economic contributor and supports millions of jobs across America, and beyond. We also know from our
EventView study that events provide the highest level of business return on investment. It’s clear: getting the economy re-energized depends on an unencumbered meeting and event industry. Meetings and events are not the problem, they are part of the solution. Accordingly, we are taking collaborative action.

The first step is the release of a joint industry statement to set the record straight. Its full text is included below.


During the next few days we will collaboratively release industry best practice standards that will be familiar to most of you as they are at the essence of what our community has embraced for years. We’ll also devote a segment of our
MeetDifferent opening general session – One+ Real Time – to this issue with participation from Roger Dow, President and CEO of the US Travel Association. It will be webcast live and also archived on MPIWEB.

As previously announced, the industry will collaborate on the creation of a US economic impact study, leveraging the experience of the MPI Foundation Canada’s acclaimed 2008 Canadian Economic Impact Study, to define how our industry supports economies in communities. And working with organizations and corporations in our industry, we will get our story and the opportunity our industry provides into legislative chambers and board rooms everywhere.

Like you, we are concerned by the current challenging economic and political circumstances. But rest-assured we are acting aggressively with the support of other meeting and event industry organizations as well as the US Travel Association to represent your interests. Together we will use the power of meetings and events to get our economies and our businesses moving.

Thank-you for your ongoing support.

Bruce M. MacMillan
President & CEO
Meeting Professionals International

-----

For Immediate Release February 5, 2009
Contact: Kristy Chandler, 202.408.2172, kchandler@ustravel.org

American Workers, Local Communities Unintended Victims of Cuts in Meetings, Events and Incentive Travel Programs...
Travel Community to Issue ‘Best Practice Standards’ to Corporate America

Washington, D.C. – Leaders from key organizations representing the travel, meetings and events industries today issued the following statement regarding federal government efforts to curtail meetings, events and incentive travel programs among companies that have received emergency government lending:

“Americans expect Congress and the Obama Administration to responsibly and effectively oversee the use of taxpayer dollars to companies receiving emergency government lending. Americans also expect the business community and elected leaders to protect jobs and help the country rebound as quickly as possible from the current economic crisis.”

“We are extremely concerned about the unintended consequences of unnecessarily restricting corporate meetings, events and incentive travel programs. Business-related travel generates 2.4 million American jobs, $244 billion in spending and $39 billion in tax revenue at the federal, state and local level. State and local governments rely on this revenue to fund basic government programs such as education, health care and unemployment insurance."

“At a time when the Department of Labor reports a loss of nearly 200,000 travel related jobs in 2008 and U.S. Commerce Department data predicts a loss of an additional 247,000 travel related jobs in 2009, elected officials and corporate America must take a thoughtful approach to managing the use of taxpayer dollars. Prudent organizations already have in-place travel and meeting management policies that ensure an effective return on investment for stakeholders. In the coming days, the travel, meetings and events industries will provide the business community with additional standards for meetings, events and incentives that demand transparency and accountability.”

"“Travelers are an important solution to the economic problems that ail our country. The travel community looks forward to working with America’s elected leaders and businesses to ensure that we keep America moving.”

American Hotel and Lodging Association
Destination Marketing Association International
Meeting Professionals International
National Business Travel Association
Professional Convention Management Association
Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE)
U.S. Travel Association

# # #

The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $740 billion travel industry. U.S. Travel’s mission is to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States. For more information, visit
www.ustravel.org.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Don't Cancel That Meeting

Is the economy hitting your business hard? Are your budgets shrinking? How are your meetings being affected by cost-cutting?

Many organizations are not only scaling back their events in 2009 - they are canceling them altogether. However, according to the following article, canceled events may be hurting our organizations more than if we were to spend the money and keep them.

Take a look...

http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/baldoni/2009/01/dont_cancel_that_meeting.html

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

One Smooth Stone Webinar – Ready to Watch!

Did you miss our latest webinar about integrating Corporate Social Responsibility into your events? It’s not too late to listen in! Click the following link to watch and listen to the entire webinar on streaming video:

http://www.onesmoothstone.com/webinar/webinar011209.html.

Interested in future webinars? Email bveerman@onesmoothstone.com to submit topic ideas or request to be added to the mailing list.