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Table of contents for Atlanta Expo 2007

  1. PYM Southeast Expo 2007

PYM Southeast Expo 2007

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Welcome to Plan Your Meetings 2007 Southeast Expo in Atlanta — the fun side of the business! These pages are your first look at an event that we hope will reshape the way you look at yourself, your business and the meeting planning industry.

Budgets, ROI, more and better for less… We could go on and on, but we know you’ve heard it all. Instead, we’re going to show you the reason you got into meeting planning in the first place. The theme of the day is “Take Your Meetings from Ordinary… to Extraordinary” and that’s what we’re planning to do for you. Our seminar speakers and roundtable discussions will all focus on how you can stay creative and deliver great events that meet budget realities.

This is not a dry, boring, all-work and no-play conference. Yes, we’ll get down to business: You’re going to enjoy high-level advice, education, peer interaction and networking. But we’re also going to treat and entertain you: Meet up at our cyber-café; put your mark on our Best Places to Meet Map; challenge our advisory board and industry panel; enjoy our business fashion show; meet our innovative chef; win great prizes… and lots more.

Start here. We’ve created these pages to help you plan your Expo day and connect with other planners, exhibitors and our staff. Share other conference experiences, set meetings with exhibitors and attendees, suggest topics and questions for the panel discussion, etc. Get involved.

If you need a note for your boss, let me know. I’ll convince her or him that you’ll be working hard all day (wink) but it will pay off in spades (that’s the truth)!

I can’t wait to see you there,

Christine Born

Christine Born
Editor and Publisher
Plan Your Meetings Magazine

Keynote Speakers

YOU the Brand

karen mccollough

Presented by Karen McCullough
9 am, General Session Ballroom

A few years back, the only people who thought about personal branding were rock stars, politicians and Oprah. Today, everyone should consider personal branding as a critical skill-building tool for his or her own business and career. Personal branding is the place that you occupy in your decision maker’s mind — your supervisor, CEO or your attendees — literally anyone who influences your success and happiness. Branding is a promise about your performance that creates an expectation in someone’s mind about you. Find out how you can brand for success.

About the Speaker:
Karen McCullough is an award-winning speaker and highly successful entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people achieve the success they desire. She honed her business acumen while working for two of the most powerful branding gurus, Leslie Wexner, CEO and founder of The Limited Stores, and Ralph Lauren. Her Houston clothing store grew into a multi-million dollar, four-store chain, which she sold after 10 years and became a consultant. Her current clients include The World Bank, Merrill Lynch, State Farm, Shell Oil, Sun Microsystems and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her message — focusing on building an authentic personal brand, and nurturing strong business and work relationships — is just as important for today’s meeting and event planners.

Re-Negotiation Negotiation

kent emerson

Presented by Kent Emeson
12 pm, General Session Ballroom

Learn how to successfully negotiate any service or product, including trade shows, hotels, restaurants and special facilities, airlines, transportation, catering, etc.

About the Speaker:
Kent Emeson is the president of Earson Marketing Inc., which helps clients reach their key business objectives through branding and marketing initiatives, trade shows and events. As an accomplished meeting and event planner, former trade show manager, channel and distribution marketing manager, he is recognized as a world-class event marketer and "brand-a-holic." He knows how to achieve measurable results at meetings, events, conferences, product launches, sports hospitality, partner sponsorship programs, press and analyst relations efforts, executive functions and sales events. His clients and work experience have included such companies as Harcourt Achieve, IBM, Tektronix, Network Associates, Inc., McAfee, myCIO.com, Dell Computer Corporation and more.

You create a strong, professional, productive and fun ‘conference’ environment. Thank you for the opportunity to network with such elite group of meeting planners including your outfit! I truly enjoyed myself yesterday and will share the knowledge gained and positive energy with my colleagues! Hey, my boss will be happy! — Barbara Keys-Bridges,
GA Military College

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