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News for the Hospitality Executive |
 MCLEAN,
VA (May 17, 2011) – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing
Association
International (HSMAI) presents Affordable Meetings® West on
June 15-16, welcoming attendees to the Long Beach Convention Center in
Long
Beach, Calif. Show attendees will have the opportunity to meet with
more than
150 exhibitors, learn from 17 different educational sessions and hear
from
industry leaders, experts and educators sharing their insights and
expertise.“As with each of our shows, this year’s Affordable Meetings West promises to provide meaningful opportunities for meeting planners and exhibitors to meet face-to-face and exchange valuable industry insights and build business relationships on the exhibit show floor and in the educational sessions,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. Affordable Meetings® is a key component of HSMAI's mission to provide hotel professionals & their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue. More than 800 attendees representing meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, including those from corporate, association and independent sectors are expected to visit HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West 2011 show. Attendees can earn up to nine continuing education contact hours toward Certified Meeting Professional qualifications or recertification, and take part in the One-to-One Meeting Concierge Program to pre-arrange appointments with exhibitors. Commenting on the success of the One-to-One program at last year’s West show, Joan Palmtag, regional director of accounts for the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, said, “We were able to see 50 people each day, which equals three weeks worth of sales calls. Affordable Meetings West makes it very efficient for us to develop relationships with key meeting planners.” Throughout the show, concurrent educational session tracks, including Intermediate, Advanced and Technology, will be offered, and these cutting-edge sessions are presented by educators who understand the rewards and challenges of the meetings and events industry. Highlighted sessions at Affordable Meetings® West include: Intermediate Track:
The educational program at HSMAI's Affordable Meetings® is second to none in the meetings industry and is always highly rated by attendees. “The education sessions are phenomenal. The speakers all encourage engagement, with open and honest discussion, and a lot of interaction,” said Cristina Santoro, Meetings and Events Manager, W.W. Granger, Inc., who attended the recent Mid-America program in Chicago. Attendees at the West show will be among the first to learn about exciting changes being introduced at the National show in Washington, DC, from September 7-8. General attendee information for HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West is available by calling 800-564-4220. For additional information and a complete program schedule, visit www.affordablemeetings.com. Booth space is still available at the West show and can be obtained by contacting Craig Baker, account manager, J. Spargo & Associates, (703) 631-6200 or [email protected] About HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings West will once again offer attendees the opportunity to meet and do business with more than 150 exhibiting companies during a unique exposition that will showcase venues, products and services to help produce various types of meetings and events. Year-after-year, the highly-acclaimed trade exposition is a main attraction for attendees looking to meet and network with knowledgeable suppliers who are determined to help produce valuable meetings and assist with purchasing decisions. Exhibitors represent hotels and resorts, university conference centers, unique meeting sites, convention and visitor bureaus, transportation companies, trade publications, software and audio/visual businesses, and other meeting and convention suppliers. Planners attending Affordable Meetings account for almost 40,000 meetings annually, representing groups from 10 to 10,000. HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings is owned and presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Americas region and managed by J. Spargo & Associates, Inc. Visit www.affordablemeetings.com for more information. About HSMAI The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners, and is the industry’s leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals & their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings, Adrian Awards, and Revenue Optimization Conference. HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at www.hsmai.org, www.facebook.com/hsmai, www.twitter.com/hsmai and www.youtube.com/hsmai1. |
| Contact: Lindsay Stout Edelman 214-443-7586 [email protected] Jenna DiMaria Edelman 407-377-6850 [email protected] |