Stellar General Session, 15 Educational Programs, Return Of 5 Popular Workshops Highlight HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West

11th Annual Program Set for June 19-20, 2007 in San Jose, CA MCLEAN, VA -- For meeting and event planners seeking to hone their skills as well as enhance their professional career, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will present an unparalleled educational component of five workshops and 15 dynamic seminars during its 11th annual Affordable Meetings® West show, taking place at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, June 19-20, 2007. This year’s program will also feature a new Tuesday-Wednesday date pattern as it returns to Northern California following last year’s event in Long Beach, CA.

During HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West, planning professionals at all levels of experience can choose from a variety of valuable workshops and seminars where they will discover the “secrets of success” from industry insiders. This FREE comprehensive educational series will provide attendees with expert insight, fresh ideas and inspirational advice, helping them to produce more successful, cost-effective meetings.

In addition to the seminars and workshops, HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West will feature a high-energy, interactive general session on "The Future of the Meetings Industry: Impact and Actions." During this presentation, Joan Eisenstodt, Chief Strategist, Eisenstodt Associates, and Marsha L. Rhea, CAE, Senior Futurist, Institute for Alternative Futures, will conduct a lively session that paints a clear picture of what the meetings industry will be like in years ahead and what core competencies planners will need in the future to be considered a successful meeting professional. All attendees and suppliers are encouraged to attend this informative seminar.

A highly-anticipated feature of the program includes the return of five, three-hour workshops designed to offer attendees in-depth coverage of important industry topics. Workshops on tap for the 2007 West show include:

Working With Hotels: How to Create Win-Win Partnerships
Gary Hernbroth, President, Training for Winners, Danville, CA

Successful Negotiations: How to Negotiate Like a Pro
Alan Ovson, President, Ovson Communications, San Francisco, CA

Forms That Work: Tools for Organizing, Tracking, Reporting, and Communicating
Terry Thiessen, CMP, President, Professional Resources and Events, New Holstein, WI

On-Site Management: The Final Stretch to Meeting Success
Marilyn Hauck, CMP, President, The Complete Conference, Inc., Sacramento, CA 95815

Igniting the Creative Spark Within You
Keith Powell, The Business Revivalist, Albuquerque, NM

In addition to the three-hour workshops, attendees may choose from a variety of programs depending on their career stage and interest. The 15 dynamic seminars featured range from the basics of meeting planning to career management, including:

Meeting Planning Boot Camp – The Basics Part I

Meeting Planning Boot Camp – The Basics Part II
Mary E. Young, CMP, Meeting Strategist, M.Y. Events, Inc., Tempe, AZ

“Deal or No Deal:” Effectively Negotiating Meeting Contracts
Lisa Sommer Devlin, Esq., Attorney, Devlin Law Firm P.C., Phoenix, AZ

Champagne on a Beer Budget: Food & Beverage Cost Cutting Techniques
Vicky A. Betzig, CMP, President, Meetings Industry Consulting, Brookfield, WI

180 Ways to Transform Your Meeting
Sue Tinnish, Prinicpal, SEAL Inc., Arlington Heights, IL

Communicate with Strength: 19 Words that Undermine Your Effectiveness
Karen Purves, President, Innovative Impact, Hoffman Estates, IL

Computer Magic: Finish Everything Six Times Faster
Peggy Duncan, Personal Productivity Expert, PSC Press, Atlanta, GA

The ABCs of Site Selection
Reggie Sears, CMP, Owner/Meeting Planner, Sears Enterprises, Sacramento, CA

The FUNdamentals of Creating Your Meeting Budget
Bonnie Wallsh, CMP, CMM, Chief Solutions Officer, Charlotte, NC

How to Make the Most of the Resources of Convention and Visitors Bureaus
Donovan Shia, President, CVBHotRates.com, Corpus Christi, TX

Lessons in Leadership: The Seven Major Keys to Leading in a Crisis
Terry Christopherson, President, TLC Seminars, Seattle, WA

Technology Applications and Devices that Add to Your Meeting Attendee's Experiences
Rick Hulme, General Manager, Enterprise Conference Solutions, iBAHN, South Jordan, UT

Ethics: A Guide to Do’s and Don’ts in the Meetings Industry
Joan L. Eisenstodt, President, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC, Washington, DC

Mastering Memory: An “Essential” for Meeting Planners
Scott Hagwood, First American Grand Master of Memory, Fayetteville, NC

The following seminars have been designed especially for independent meeting planners and exhibitors, respectively, though all delegates are welcome to attend each session:

Creating a Targeted Marketing Strategy to Help Grow Your Independent Meeting Business
(independent meeting planners)
Sheryl Sookman, CMP, President, The MeetingConnection, Novato, CA

The Importance of Follow-Up (exhibitors)
Theresa Syer, President, Hospitality Solutions, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

As an added benefit, attendees will receive a complimentary spiral-bound book containing handouts from all of the seminars so they will have access to the ideas and insights shared during each of the sessions and workshops.

HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® Mid-America will once again offer attendees the opportunity to meet and do business with more than 250 exhibiting companies during a unique exposition that will showcase venues, products and services to help produce various types of meetings and events.

More than 700 attendees, representing meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, with a majority representing corporate, association and independent sectors and the balance from government, non-profit, education, religious and medical/health care organizations, trade show management and the military, are expected to visit HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West 2007 show.

Attendance at HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West is free-of-charge for qualified meeting planners, defined as those who work full-time, part-time, or as decision-making volunteers for corporations, associations, independent planning businesses, or other active organizations.

HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings Mid-America, the first show of the 2007 series, took place in Chicago in April and welcomed more than 1,000 attendees. The final show on the 2007 program is HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® National, taking place Sept. 5-6, 2007 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

For exhibitor information, contact Beth Petersen, show manager, GLM, 804-261-3929, Fax 804-918-1547; e-mail: beth_petersen@glmshows.com. Attendee information is available by calling 1-800-272-SHOW. Additional information and a complete program schedule can be obtained by visiting the show’s web site at www.affordablemeetings.com.