General Sessions

Opening General Session:

It’s a Multigenerational World! Are You Ready?
By Sonia Aranza, Aranza Communications

This engaging learning experience is considered the next generation approach to diversity and inclusion. It explores the science, research and impact of unconscious bias on personal and organizational excellence. Ms. Aranza utilizes engaging activities and media to help participants deepen their understanding of diversity and the human condition of bias. Participants become aware of the impact of bias on decision-making and learn ways to mitigate bias in order to have more inclusive results.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Deepen understanding of diversity and inclusion.
Understand the human condition of bias and its impact on decision-making.
Acquire skills and practices to evolve as an individual and as a leader.

Lunch with Keynote:

Eating at a Meeting: How to Create Safe and Inclusive F&B Environments
By Tracy Stuckrath, Thrive! Meetings and Events | Sponsored by: MGM National Harbor

Attending an event for some is a requirement, for others a source of inspiration, others a crucial business opportunity and others an indulgent affair. For those with food allergies and other dietary restrictions, attending events like this — or any other type — is a game of chance, a tale of survival. Meeting planners spend an incredible amount of time and money on food and beverage when planning an event. Event participants with dietary restrictions do the same. But for them, it’s a game of risk. As event professionals, we are committed to providing environments where everyone is treated with the same respect, dignity and courtesy. But in today’s society, that is not necessarily true. In this session, we’ll explore ways to create unforgettable food and beverage experiences that are personal, distinctive, inclusive and devoured by your attendees.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Understand different dietary needs and successfully feed attendees with them.
Determine processes to work with vendors and participants on meeting needs.
Address challenges and obstacles that are presented circumstantially.

Closing General Session:

Out with the Old (Media): Business and Marketing in the Snapchat Era
By Joanna Coles, former chief content officer, Hearst Magazines

With her signature sharp wit and humor, Joanna Coles shares anecdotes and expertise from a career spanning traditional media to the cutting-edge world of Snapchat.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

The future of digital communications: Where content trends are heading for marketing, public relations, advertising and branding
The importance of authentic communication: How to use social marketing initiatives to form personal relationships with customers and stakeholders
The media landscape's rapid transformation: Why the intersection of new and old media channels is more important than ever

Breakout Options

Crisis Communications: Anticipate and Communicate

Alex Plaxen, president and founder of Little Bird Told Media, is an award-winning speaker and social media strategist.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Discover the results of a poorly developed, poorly executed or nonexistent plan.
Understand the basic principles of creating a crisis communications plan and effective emergency management.
Learn best practices for internal and external communications during a crisis.

Beyond Expectations: Creating Social Media Goals for Our Events and Achieving Them

Alex Plaxen, president and founder of Little Bird Told Media, is an award-winning speaker and social media strategist.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Discover what a strong social media strategy for your events looks like.
Develop social media goals that you can achieve beyond vanity metrics.
Learn how to prove social media ROI to the stakeholders in your organization.

GDPR, Privacy and Events – Lessons Learned and Looking to the Future

K.C. Hopson, M.S., CMP, president, CEO and founder of EventRebels, has been doing business with meeting planners, associations and others in need of registration, trade show, mobile and conference software solutions for over a decade.

Adam Lewis has over a decade of events experience, planning meetings for multiple clients annually with 300 to 10,000+ attendees. Adam came to MMS after 10 years at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. where he oversaw membership programs, fundraising galas, awards events, and the organization’s annual academic conference.

Razvan Miutescu is a business, technology and information governance attorney. His practice focuses on privacy and data security, information technology transactions and licensing, intellectual property, and data management, including data broker transactions, cloud services, distributed ledgers + blockchain, and related regulatory and compliance matters.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

An understanding of the fundamental concepts of GDPR
Overview of steps needed to be GDPR-compliant
Long-term understanding of the need to create a privacy-first environment for their organization and events

“Could You Just Do One More Thing?”

Lynne Wellish, CMP, CHSE, CHO, is an award-winning speaker, consultant, trainer and hospitality educator with LynneWellish.com.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Identify the term “scope creep” and learn three ways to use it to your advantage.
Add five new resources to assist you while your “to do” list keeps expanding.
Triage a request and determine the best plan of action based on the eternal dilemma of quick, cheap or right.
Learn preventive measures to reduce scope creep’s occupancy in your planning cycle.

Effective Feedback

As a full-time speaker, Tyler Enslin of Tyler Enslin International has had the privilege to present at over 700 live events in the past five years. From the age of 17, when he started his first successful business, he realized that his favorite part of any day at work was helping people.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Become skilled at limiting technical triggers that stop helpful dialogue.
Discuss and employ eight techniques that, when applied to any difficult conversation, will make it the most beneficial to both giver and receiver — before, during and after dialogue.
Learn how giving and receiving feedback effectively will create positive results and develop strong internal relationships.

Advancing Women in Leadership

Michelle Allgauer, CAE, CMM, CMP, is the vice president of meetings, marketing & education for Financial Services Institute. She spent the first few years of her career on the hotel side before switching over to associations.

Tammy (Moore) Kockaya, CMP, CMM, is director, events & meetings at KPMG. Tammy is a corporate meeting professional with expertise in team leadership, strategic decision-making, stakeholder relationship development, and project and event management.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Tap into a powerful network of highly successful females.
Incorporate best practices to enhance your management skills.
Lead with lasting impact.

Write Striking Statements

Keasha Lee Ince began her career as the public relations manager for the world’s largest credit union. After some time in various roles, she decided to grow as an entrepreneur and launch her own company, Striking Statements.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Attendees will walk away with tips and tricks for writing marketing copy that converts.
Attendees will learn how tonality impacts written copy.

Safety Has No Quitting Time: The Road to Excellence in Safety

Randy Powell is a high-energy motivational speaker and coach, providing exceptional platform and conference breakout sessions.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Creating, collaborating and identifying key players is the most "essential element of success."
Location and logistics have the greatest impact on "safety and security."
Human performance and leadership will create and support an "exceptional risk management outcome."

Maximize Your Presentation Impact

Nadia Bilchik is an internationally renowned television personality, communication and professional development training expert, author and keynote speaker.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Pre-presentation preparation
Top techniques to communicate information
Effective nonverbal communication tools

Hottest Trends in Audiovisual Production

As a multiple-award winning audiovisual rental, staging, and production company, BAV offers the complete package of conference, meeting, and special event services.

Attendee Key Take-Aways:

Hot trends in AV technology
Ways to implement cutting-edge technology in their meetings
Things to ask for of venue and vendors to implement hot trends in meetings