Did You Know?
April showers bring May flowers… and with flowers, come bees!
Did you know that May 20 is World Bee Day? The endangerment of bees has become quite the “buzz” these days as increased human activity continues to threaten their habitats. That's why World Bee Day was created to help educate people about bees and their critical role to the environment.
As pollinators, bees contribute to every third spoonful of the world's food. They are also the only insects that produce food consumed by humans – honey! Even crazier, in order for a bee to make one pound of honey, it has to fly about 90,000 miles (that’s three times around the globe).
All this to say, while many still run and squirm in fear of being stung, there is a lot more to a bee than just their stinger! Don't BEE-lieve us? Learn more about World Bee Day and the importance of bees here.
5 Things to Know in April
- There are lots of FICP year-round sponsorship opportunities available! View the 2021 FICP Partner Opportunities for details.
- Eligible meetings professionals can become trial FICP members between May 1 and July 31, 2021. Do you have friends or colleagues who may be interested in or benefit from FICP membership? Let them know about our trial membership offer!
- Your colleagues are sharing virtual wine tasting ideas over on TheNetwork. Join them!
- Get the latest state-by-state protocols for in-person gatherings with Meetings Means Business’ reopening tracker resource. Check it out.
- Last month Smart Meetings announced their 2021 Smart Women in Meetings Award Winners. Congratulations to the following FICP members! View full issue.
Dana Fier, CIS, CITP
Ann Luketic, CMP, CMM, FICP Influence Committee Member
Jen Squeglia, CMP, FICP Board Member
Katie Vanderheyd, CMP, DES
Don't Miss Tomorrow's Webinar — Your New Normal: High Tech, Low Cost, and DIY
Join speaker, James Spellos, tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. CDT as he shares why the need for moving forward with the technology that supports your events and constituents remains integral and how your skill set in this new normal demands an even better understanding of the tech tools that can get the work done. From easily creating apps for your events and management to automating workflows, from voice interfaces to developing mixed reality, this session shows that the tools to create exceptional tech functionality reside in your hands, and within your budget.
After participating in this session, the attendee will be able to:
- Identify and use over 5 high tech tools that can be created and implemented at little to no cost
- Create an organization or conference app at no expense
- Understand the meaning and implications of the low-code/no-code tech movement for most businesses
- Identify 5 online meeting tips to enhance your organization’s virtual communications and security
Log in to TheNetwork to register here.
May Webinar — FICP: A Culture of Community
All community members are invited to join us on May 19 at 12:00 p.m. CDT to learn more about FICP offerings and plans for the remainder of 2021. You’ll discover benefits you may not be taking full advantage of, and hear perspectives from a panel of current members about what makes our community special. 2021 Chair Erin Longo will lead the webinar and panel discussion. Panelists will include Stacy Anthony, CMM, SVP, Meetings & Events, NFP, Elyse Dawson, CMP, DES, Manager, Corporate Events and Conference Center, Invesco, and Heather Nutter, CMM, Supervisor, Conferences and Events, Commonwealth Financial Network. Log in to TheNetwork to register here.
Register for Education Week 2.0
Join us online, June 21-24 for Education Week 2.0. This immersive virtual experience will include thoughtful insights from industry leaders, an exciting Speaker Showcase, and unique opportunities to connect with peers while test-driving virtual networking platforms. Learn more and register to attend today!
Hospitality partners: All current, fees-paying FICP hospitality partners may register as a Patron Entry online, to participate in Education Week 2.0. Patron Entry provides event participation only, no sponsorship opportunities. However, additional sponsorship opportunities with recognition and multiple event registrations are available. All sponsorship inquires may be directed to sponsorship@ficpnet.com.
2021 Annual Conference Sales Opened Today
Sponsorship sales for the 2021 FICP Annual Conference opened today, Thursday, April 29, at 11:00 a.m. CDT. The Annual Conference will take place November 14-17 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, AZ. View the sponsorship opportunities for this year's event by exploring page 5 of the 2021 FICP Sponsorship Prospectus. Learn more and how to apply here.
Meetings professional registration for the Annual Conference will open this summer.
Meet April's FICP Member of the Month
This month's Member of the Month is Jen Buck, Sales Operations Manager – Events at Athene. Jen joined our community last year as a trial member and became a full FICP member in the fall. Read more about her first year with FICP and the benefits of trial membership over in TheNetwork.
Congratulations to these New CMPs
FICP would like to recognize the following members for recently earning the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation from the Events Industry Council (EIC). The CMP program was launched in 1985 to enhance the knowledge and performance of meeting professionals, promote the status and credibility of the meeting profession and advance uniform standards of practice. These individuals join nearly one-third of FICP members who have achieved this designation. Congratulations!
- Rachelle Eide, CMP, Allianz Life Insurance Company
- Jenny Hung, CMP, AIG
Learn more about the CMP and FICP’s Preferred Provider status.
Strategic Partner Profile
Dawn Barbeau, Global Vice President of Sales
"I can’t imagine my career without FICP! The people and the educational opportunities are top notch. GDP has had the privilege of being a Strategic Partner for several years, which we value tremendously. The ability to be able to showcase and be a reference for the FICP planners and being able to connect them with our worldwide partnership of DMC services with reliable, creative and vetted DMC’s is invaluable."
FICP Welcomes New Members and Partners
Meetings Professionals:
Goro Abe, PGIM Private Capital
Olivia Albrecht, Northwestern Mutual
Jenniger Andreasen, Northwestern Mutual
Deanna Basso, Manulife
Katie Cagney, AIG Retirement Services
Debby Catton, Sun Life
Caroline Chapman, Alfa Insurance
Angel Cheong, Raymond James
David Dobias, Northwestern Mutual
Sandra Eaton, Northwestern Mutual
Diane Elliott, Wells Fargo
Lindsay Goodson, Wells Fargo
Diep Graham, Northwestern Mutual
Charles Hanover, AIG
Chrystie Kallis, Capital One
Carolyn Kilimnik, Sun Life
Gergana Kosturkova, Raymond James
Joe Mahoney, Wells Fargo
Tim Mulkeen, Ameriprise Financial
Clare O'Sullivan Dean, Wells Fargo
Kimberly Pedrotty, MBA, Columbia Threadneedle Investments
Telea Perry, Alfa Insurance
Mary Beth Robinson, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Kanae Sano, MetLife
Jay Santos, Wells Fargo
Amy Scholz, Northwestern Mutual
Sheryl Scott, Northwestern Mutual
Brittney Shaw, CMM, CMP, DES, Raymond James
Jamie Siefert, Nationwide Insurance
Jessica Stachowski, Northwestern Mutual
Laura Sullivan, Ameriprise Financial
Theresa Tropin, PGIM Real Estate
Emily Turner, AIG
Jim Vance, State Farm Insurance
Sandy Weaver, Cigna
John Yatso, Northwestern Mutual
Hospitality Partners:
Michele Ackerman, Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa
Bouchra Assody, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Meg Baird, CMP, DMCP, NOLA DMC
James Bartiromo, Denihan Hospitality Group
Cheryl Beitler, The Zanadu Group
Elizabeth Bieler, Marriott International Luxury Brands
Ami Calhoun, Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Karen Clair, AJS Hotels
Mary Cushen, Hilton Worldwide
Alessandra Delmonte, Arena Destination Marketing
Meredith Donaghey, Destination Toronto
Kathy Fino, CHSP, JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa
Diana George, Grand Hotel Gold Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection
Josh Gershweir, Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale
Vanessa Giancola, Pendry Manhattan West
Lacy Hawley, Tourism Vancouver
Ray Kearney, Gather DMC
Kory Lake, Visit Tampa Bay
Kaitlyn Lamm, Kennedy DMC Austin
Diane Lyons, CMP, DMCP, ACCENT New Orleans
Valerie Mock, Sublime Events
Anthony Moreschi, Encore Boston Harbor
Ryan Morris, Groups360
Julia O'Brien, Visit Anaheim
Jessica Schroeder, The Newbury Boston
Kristin Starmer, Bishop's Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection
James Tattersall, Lake Nona Wave Hotel
Alex Vizcaino, Four Seasons Resort Termarindo
2021 FICP Strategic Partners
Double Diamond
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Diamond
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All Other Partners
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| 360 Destination Group |
ACCESS Destination Services |
AZA Events, Inc. |
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| The Broadmoor |
DMC Network |
Fiesta Americana Hotels |
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| Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority |
Global DMC Partners |
Island Partners Hawai'i |
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| JPDL Destination Management Canada |
Visit Newport Beach |
Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings |
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