On October 24th, planners and suppliers traveled from Oklahoma City, Northwest Arkansas, and Tulsa to Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills for the 3rd Tulsa Lunch and Learn! After time to network, attendees enjoyed a lunch and panel discuss by some of Oklahoma top meeting professionals. Our moderator, Brian Ferrell, CMP, DMCP, CTA, Factor 110, facilitated a
Over the weekend of November 2nd, students from the Kansas State hospitality program spent time in St. Louis exploring the city and touring several hospitality venues.Thanks to our Emerging Leaders Chair, Teresa Hellman, the students set up several tours and meetings with hospitality industry leaders. Their first stop was to Top Golf St. Louis where
When did you become involved in the PCMA Heartland Chapter and what made you want to join? I joined in 2011, after Belinda “B” Waldo finally convinced me to come to a couple of meetings. What was your favorite part/moment from being president? It gave me the opportunity to understand the workings at HQ and
By: Eric Jacobson, Vice President, Media Development, Ascend Integrated Media LLC Last November, the Heartland Chapter hosted its annual State of the Industry event at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, and this year’s panel discussion focused on the topic of disruption. Moderating the panel and sharing his expertise was Michael Dominguez, Chief Sales Officer, MGM
By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC Meet Heartland Chapter member Blayr Bitler, Event Coordinator at Garney Construction, Kansas City, MO, and Chair our Chapter’s Scholarships/Awards Committee My favorite food is: My all-time favorite food is stuffed crust pizza. It can have almost any topping, but it must have stuffed crust! My next dream trip
By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC Meet Heartland Chapter member Melissa Abuel, Manager of Conferences and Special Projects, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, Overland Park, and Co-Chair our Chapter’s Sponsorship Committee My favorite food is: French macarons. My next dream trip is to: I would love to see Charleston and visit the coast
SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE: For more information on sponsorship for the Heartland Chapter, please contact David Kinney at dkinney@gotolouisville.com or Melissa Abuel at mabuel@stfmorg.org. COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE: Contact: Danielle Wright at Danielle.wright@tmsh.net If you are interested in joining the communications committee, please contact Danielle Wright. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for Chapter Updates and Events Facebook Twitter
Compiled by: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills Your program and lunch and learn committees have been busy putting together events that are educational, social, and fun. You don’t want to miss any of these upcoming events: March 7th – Social Impact Panel Luncheon –11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at Training Umbrella in Overland Park,
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Technically I have been in the hospitality industry since college. I started out wanting to plan fundraising events, did 2 internships in college (one at a non-profit doing a fundraising event and one at my universities’ career center planning career fairs) and then after college worked at JDRF
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills 2019 is the Heartland Chapter’s 25th Anniversary! We will be celebrating this milestone at our Annual Officer Installation Dinner. Our 2019 25th Anniversary Celebration & Annual Officer Installation Dinner will take place at the Hotel InterContinental Kansas City on the Country Club Plaza on February 7, 2019.
Meet new Heartland Chapter Administrator Katherine Hughey. Katherine Hughey has worked in non-profit development and association management for 11 years. Most recently, she has served as the Executive Officer for the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals. In addition to consulting with health-related associations, Katherine opened a fitness studio in February 2017. Phone: (816) 255-8779
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills In July 2018 we hosted the 2nd E3 Conference: Educate, Engage, Experience in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This three day conference was full of interactive educational sessions, networking events, and fun Tulsa tours. On Thursday, July 19th, Hyatt Regency Tulsa kicked off our conference with a welcome reception and
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills We are now looking for sponsors for 2019 which is also our 25th Anniversary as a chapter! PCMA is the premier educational and networking forum for fostering client relationships. The PCMA Heartland Chapters’ educational programs, events, and publications provide unique opportunities to demonstrate and publicize current and
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills As previously mentioned, our 2018 President, Kerry Kerr, has chosen to focus this year on membership. Not only do we want to exceed 300 chapter members, we want to find ways to keep our members engaged and to provide the best networking and educational opportunities for them.
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills Each year the Heartland Chapter puts together a scholarship fund to help our members attend PCMA and Heartland Chapter events. Scholarships are available for Educon, E3 Conference, Convening Leaders, and Membership. Say congratulations to our winners listed below! PCMA Education Conference: Lester Cornelius, Siemens PLM Software Sue Heley,CMP,
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills Your program committee has been busy putting together experiences that are educational, social, and just plain fun. You don’t want to miss any of these upcoming events December 18, 2018- St. Louis Lunch & Learn –11:30am-1:30pm at Ritz Carlton St. Louis –Make sure to leave room for
SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE: 2019 Sponsorship Opportunities are now available! For more information on packages and benefits, please contact David Kinney at dkinney@gotolouisville.com and Melissa Abuel at mabuel@stfm.org. COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE: Contact: Danielle Wright at Danielle.wright@tmsh.net If you have story ideas for next quarter chapter newsletter, or would like to write an article for the newsletter, please contact
By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC Meet Heartland Chapter member Zebo Yuldasheva, Meetings and Events Planner, NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners), Kansas City, MO. My favorite food is: My mom’s homemade food. My next dream trip is to: Venice. Recently read book I recommend reading is: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. Nickname growing
By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC Meet Heartland Chapter member Kris M. Jebson, Director, Global Sales, MGM Resorts International, Chicago, IL My favorite food is: Pizza. My next dream trip is to: Greece or Paris. Recently read books I recommend reading are: The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah (intense read), and When Life Hands You Lululemons,
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills 2019 will be the Heartland Chapter’s 25th Anniversary! We will be celebrating this milestone at our Annual Officer Installation Gala. Our 2019 Gala will take place at the Hotel InterContinental Kansas City on the Country Club Plaza. Mark your calendars for February 7, 2019 from 5:30pm to
By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC Meet Heartland Chapter member Vicki Baker, Senior Account Executive, Marriott International, Lenexa, KS My favorite food is: Mexican. My next dream trip is to: Anywhere a beach is located. Recently read book I recommend reading is: I really enjoy reading and trying out recipes in cookbooks. I recently
By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC This year’s PCMA Education Conference (EduCon), June 10-13 in Cleveland, featured a new, five “learning studios” approach that created a robust and immersive learning environment. One that drove increased interaction, engagement, collaboration, connection and community among the attendees. The five studios were titled: · Challenge · Engagement ·
By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC Meet Heartland Chapter member Taylor Abbate, Meetings Coordinator for the American Public Works Association, Kansas City, Missouri. My favorite food is: Anything Italian! I always love a good cannoli. My next dream trip is to: I have always been a fan of road trips. One of my dream
By: Cheri Jones, CMP, The RoArk Group The PCMA Heartland Chapter hosted the Second Annual Helping Hands Day of Community Service on June 21. Anytime you ask people from the hospitality industry to help their community, it will be a success. I spoke with Sarah Morrissey. She and Lynn Gross organized this day of outreach.
By: Teresa Hellman, CMP Please welcome The University of Arkansas as an official PCMA Student Chapter. This is the second school year for the chapter, and they already have over 30 student members. Hospitality Instructor Dede Hamm, MS, CHE, CMP, said that the students who attended the Hospitality Career Exploration event in November 2017 had their
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills Our 2018 President, Kerry Kerr, has chosen to focus this year on membership. Not only do we want to exceed 300 chapter members, we want to find ways to keep our members engaged and to provide the best networking and educational opportunities for them. To achieve this
Compiled by: Brad Plumb, CMP, Visit Overland Park Your program committee has been busy putting together experiences that are educational, social, and just plain fun. You don’t want to miss any of these upcoming events: May 17th- Disaster Experience: A Crisis Management Workshop, Embassy Suites, Olathe, Kansas June 14th- St. Louis Lunch and Learn July
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills Each year the PCMA Heartland Chapter raises money for a nonprofit organization through the silent auction held during the Installation Banquet. This year the Heartland Chapter board selected The Veterans Community Project to support. The Veterans Community Project (VCP) is dedicated to supporting every man and woman
Compiled by: Cheri D. Jones, CMP, The Roark Group SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE For more information on sponsorship for the Heartland Chapter, please contact Priscilla Noland at pnoland@stfm.org and Katie Conoyer at ktconoyer@gmail.com. COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE Contact: Danielle Wright at Danielle.wright@tmsh.net. If you have story ideas for next quarter chapter newsletter, or would like to write an article for
By: Cheri D. Jones, CMP, The Roark Group NWA hosted our first PCMA Lunch and Learn on April 4 and had over 63 in attendance. Michael Farr traveled from Tulsa to give the great a warm PCMA welcome and talked about the May 17 Best in Class meeting as well as the July 19 –
By: Brad Plumb, CMP, Senior Sales Manager, Visit Overland Park Heartland Chapter’s 2018 Officer Installation, Awards Dinner and On-line and Live Auction! On February 8th chapter members and guests donned their finest and gathered at the Westin Crown Center for a memorable awards gala and auction. The Westin Hotel never looked better as participants mingled at
By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC “Convening Leaders is my happy place! I go every year – without question,” says Missy Johnson, Heartland Chapter member, CMP and Meetings Consultant. “I just put it in my budget because I know that I’ll have major FOMO if I don’t! The education is awesome, the opportunity to
By: Eric Jacobson, Ascend Integrated Media LLC Meet Heartland Chapter member Lisa Boon, CMP, Event Planning Manager at Retail Confectioners International in Springfield, MO. My favorite food is: American Comfort Food. My next dream trip is to: Asia! It’s the last continent on my list to visit. (I’m skipping Antarctica. Bbbrrrr…). Recently read book I
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills Tell us a little bit about yourself. I have been in the industry since I started my own business as a marketing and sponsorship consultant in 1995 in Phoenix. Working from home was a pretty new concept back then, so I was worried about my dogs barking
By: Danielle Wright, Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills When did you become involved in the PCMA Heartland Chapter and what made you want to join? I joined PCMA Heartland Chapter, I suppose you could say out of necessity. I had the wonderful opportunity to move to Kansas City in 2010, working remotely for Visit Indy!
https://operationbreakthrough.org Founded in 1971, Operation Breakthrough is open 55 hours a week with a 2-prong mission in Kansas City’s urban core: To help 400+ children in poverty succeed in school and empower their parents to provide them a stable home environment. About 20% of the children are homeless. More than 70 % come from families surviving on
Compiled by: Cheri D. Jones, CMP, The Roark Group SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE: SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE: Contact: Sandy Wachter at sandy@aaspa.org The Sponsorship Committee worked hard finding sponsors for our events this year. A special thanks to Kerry Kerr for all of her help! We are in the process of updating the 2017 Heartland Chapter Sponsorship brochure. Our sponsorships will
By: Cheri D. Jones, CMP, The Roark Group If you have events happening in your city, please email them to Cheri Jones, CMP at cheri.jones@roarkgroup.com. We would love to highlight exciting things happening in your town. The information below is gathered from Chapter members, CVB websites, Meetings Today and Meeting Focus. Arkansas – The Natural
By: Brad Plumb, CMP, Senior Sales Manager, Visit Overland Park The experts gathered along with over 90 Chapter members and guests for Heartland’s annual “State of the Hospitality Industry” program this past November at the Sheraton Overland Park. The meeting was insightful, informative and maybe even a little frightening. After all, who could have predicted
By: Brad Plumb, CMP, Senior Sales Manager, Visit Overland Park For over 50 years St. Louis’ the Gateway Arch has been known throughout the world as a symbol, not only of westward expansion, but as a gateway of hospitality beginning at the Mississippi river. The structure is as spectacular today as it was on opening
The PCMA Heartland Chapter is pleased to recognize those outstanding individuals or organizations that generously contributed their time and efforts to the PCMA Heartland Chapter during 2017. Nomination deadline is January 5, 2018. Awards will be presented at the Chapter’s February 8, 2018 Annual Officer Installation and Awards Banquet. Please provide no more than one
Meet Heartland Chapter Member Jodie English, Director of Sales – Crescent Hotel & Spa – Eureka Springs, Arkansas My favorite food is: Oh, so hard to pick only one! I love to cook and food and beverage is such a big part of my life because of my job, that it is hard to pick
By: Heidi Smith, CINHC, CCWS, CMP at the Integrative Wellness Studio As we move into a new year, let’s look at ways that we can celebrate the best in the workplace by creating a more positive work environment which, in turn, creates a more powerful and positive workforce. In turn, when employees are happy, your customers,
The Heartland Chapter has selected Veterans Community Project/Tiny Homes as the charity the Chapter will support during 2018. Veterans Community Project (VCP) is dedicated to supporting every man and woman who took the oath for our country. They provide a variety of services that make a difference in the lives of homeless Veterans; a task
On Thursday, January 4, 2018, the PCMA Heartland Chapter Past Presidents will host the “Ring In” Reception. As a way to say happy New Year, the past presidents created this annual networking event several years ago to gather the members together in Kansas City before heading to Convening Leaders. Without a program at the January
Here are the Heartland Chapter’s Officers, Board of Directors and Committee Chairs for 2018. Thank you for your volunteering and we’re looking forward to a great year under your guidance and leadership! Officers President – Kerry Kerr – HelmsBriscoe President Elect – Caitlin Arnold – Kellen Company Immediate Past President – Liz Huston – Visit
A big “Thank You” to the following individuals who either became a new Heartland Chapter member or renewed their membership during the second half (June through December) of 2017. Our apologies if we inadvertently missed anyone from this list below. Members who joined or renewed prior to June 2017 were listed in the Heartland Chapter’s
By: Teresa Hellman, Senior National Account Manager, Experient The PCMA Heartland Chapter’s second Hospitality Career Exploration Day took place Saturday, November 4th at the Marriott Overland Park, Kan., and by all accounts it was a huge success! The nearly 40 students in attendance were enrolled in hospitality-related programs from even more college programs in our six-state
By Heidi Smith, Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, CMP, Author Are you addicted to sugar? Do you find yourself craving sweet foods or sugary drinks during the day? According to Dr. Mark Hyman, there are five clues to look out for that may signal you are addicted to sugar: You consume
The PCMA Heartland Chapter reception will take place from 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 7, 2018 in the Omni Nashville Hotel, Cumberland 2 (Level 3). Each sponsor will have a table where they will conduct a prize drawing during the event. Two drink tickets per guest and a cash bar thereafter. Light hors d’oeuvres to