Brielle, New Jersey, November 2009� EMCVenues, the global meetings resource company specializing in meeting sourcing, education events and supplier tradeshows, and online registration support, announces �MEET USA West Coast 2009.�   The 2-day accredited and green educational conference will be held at the Dolce Hayes Mansion in San Jose, California, December 3rd and 4th.   Meeting professionals, including more than 75 planners as well as suppliers, are expected to attend.

MEET USA West Coast 2009 is a premier interactive educational conference for meeting and event planners of all experience levels.  The conference features comprehensive and accredited educational sessions lead by some of the most influential and knowledgeable speakers in the meeting and events industries, a large supplier showcase trade show, and extensive networking opportunities.  MEET USA West Coast is provided complimentary to meeting & event planners and the media. The conference will connect attendees with colleagues, industry suppliers, and prominent sponsors.  Conferees will also receive valuable credit toward industry-recognized certifications.

Those who attend the MEET West Coast conference will benefit if they have planning and management responsibilities that relate to the meeting industry, including:

• Meeting Planning, Operations, Services, Coordination, Development, Management
• Procurement, Purchasing, Strategic Sourcing
• Event, Trade Show and Conference Management
• Executive Coordinator/Administration 
• Travel Management
• Human Resources, Training 
• Independent Meeting Planning Company

The conference is a Green Meeting.  As such, MEET USA West Coast will offer all agendas, all workshop hand-outs, all measurement and response tools electronically.  Food and beverage selections will include organically-grown ingredients sourced locally and no disposable containers or utensils will be utilized.  Event signage will be entirely recycled, bags will be made from recycled materials, and all name badge holders will be collected and recycled following MEET. 

At the previous event, even the luncheon menu was recycled.  The menu was embedded with seeds and fully plantable.  Conferees were encouraged to take the menus home and plant them in their gardens.   Additional MEET USA West Coast green initiatives are available at http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Custom.aspx?cid=36&e=472c7f25-6a52-4a1b-bed3-4dc9c2857d69, including green programs at Dolce Hayes Mansion. 

MEET USA-West Coast 2009 Program Highlights

Participants in the MEET USA-West Coast conference have the opportunity to sign up for a two-day or a full-day program, including the general sessions, 12 educational sessions, a tradeshow event, and networking receptions.  More then 75 exhibitors, including prominent venues, destinations and suppliers, will be on hand representing some of the most prominent venues and suppliers from around the nation sharing best practices and current knowledge.

MEET USA-West Coast�s curriculum is presented in multi-tiered individual tracks.   Conference goers have the opportunity to attend MEET�s Supplier Showcase, featuring national, regional and local hotels, resorts, conference centers, CVB's, and meeting service providers.

Conference sponsors, who have enabled complimentary registration for meeting & event planners and the press, include Master Connections, Turning Technologies, Cvent, Rick Bloom Audio Visual, Gilman Performance Systems, Larry Lipman - Fun Teambuilding, Dolce Hayes Mansion, and the host, EMCVenues. 

Opening & Closing General Sessions

Thursday:  Contracting for the Next Decade:  Are your Contracts Measuring Up?

Joshua L. Grimes, Esq. will address this important issue for all planners, providing current thinking on:

• Contracting for the Next Decade
• Federal Stimulus Law - TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) - Will they become "Best Practices" for All Companies and Associations?
• Interactive Table Discussions - Today�s Meeting Trends Observed and Best Practice Sharing, Q & A

Friday:  Meet Sam Glenn, The Authority on Attitude�

Sam Glenn has shared his �Kick In Your Attitude� message with more than 2 million people and audiences as large as 75,000 in nearly every industry.  He delivers over 100 speeches per year to respected corporations, organizations, and educational groups and has published over 17 books.

According to Mr. Glenn, �I used the 'Power of Attitude' to overcome failure, depression and negativity to create a ton of success in business, relationships and life!  The fact that we may fail doesn�t decrease our value, but it presents the opportunity to learn, grow and become more.� 

Five Comprehensive Educational Tracks

• Meeting Planning 101 and 201:  A Beginners and Intermediate Guide to Planning
• Day of Discovery:   The most current trends in networking and communication
• Food and Beverage Planning in a Difficult Economy
• Top Concessions you should include in your RFP and Hotel Negotiations
• De-Mystifying Audio-Visual and Technology

During the two-day MEET conference, attendees have the opportunity to move between 12 educational sessions within the Five Tracks, including:  Meeting Planning 101 - A Beginner Workshop; Strategies on Diversifying Your Business in Challenging Economic Times; Wine Fundamentals Class; Ten Networking Events that Won't Break the Budget; Planning Healthy Menus for Today's Diets: Keeping Your Audience Engaged and Energized; Effective RFP Writing & Top Concessions, and many more.

Success at the Speed of Networking

The innovative Three-minute Speed Networking program, created exclusively by EMCVenues for the MEET conferences. 
Participants in MEET USA-West Coast 2009 will experience first hand Speed Networking, refining their communication skills during the session and learning how to creatively apply these to the work environment -- generating an energized atmosphere of productivity in the process.

Networking Reception

A special networking reception will top off the conference day.  Guests will enjoy a very special social event offering opportunities to network with industry colleagues, peers, sponsors and suppliers.

Meeting Supplier Showcase 

The tradeshow will represent some of the Most Prominent Venues and Suppliers locally, regionally and nationally.

Prize Drawing

Featuring 25 fabulous prizes from Gift Baskets, Gift Cards to incredible Weekend Vacation Packages, which also serve to highlight the unique features of several suppliers.

Dolce Hayes Mansion 

Dolce Hayes Mansion is located at 200 Edenvale Avenue in San Jose, California.  The historic, century-old mansion and estate, now a hotel and conference center, provides participants of MEET USA West Coast with exemplary meeting facilities and preferred guestroom rates, specifically for planners and meeting suppliers.  For more information, please call 408-226-3200 or visit www.dolce-hayes-mansion-hotel.com.

Participants Receive Valuable Credit toward Industry-recognized Certifications

• Certified Meeting Professional - 1.25 contact hours/points per session attended
• Certified Account Executive - 6 Continuing Education Units (CEU) for attending all sessions

For an Agenda Overview of MEET USA-West Coast, please visit: http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Agenda.aspx?e=472c7f25-6a52-4a1b-bed3-4dc9c2857d69

To Register for MEET USA-West Coast, visit:
http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/info/summary.aspx?e=472c7f25-6a52-4a1b-bed3-4dc9c2857d69 

About EMCVenues:
EMCVenues is a one-stop marketplace for meeting & event planners and venues globally.  It exists to actively bring the two groups together, managing the process and the relationship for a productive outcome for each.  Through its extensive international portfolio of meeting and event facilities; its attendee and meeting management solutions products; its vendor relationships providing meeting support services; its vast planner, customer and provider databases; and its marketing and promotions expertise; the company has the capacity and the bandwidth to engage in every aspect of the meeting and event planning and execution process.  The goal is a successful meeting or event -- from concept to completion -- for both the venue and the planner organization.  For more information on EMCVenues, visit www.emcvenues.com.