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December 2015
A Message from Your Chapter Chair, Lisa Goecke Malikow
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Dear IAEE Midwestern Chapter Members:
Every time I look at the calendar, I cannot believe we are already at year’s end. I want to thank all of you for the opportunity to be Chairperson of this GREAT Chapter! It was truly an honor and I look forward to seeing how this organization grows and changes over the years to come.
Having a chance to meet and interact with many of you during Expo! Expo! in Baltimore, I was reminded how large and strong the Midwestern Chapter really is and what we can provide for the industry when working together.
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The Midwestern Chapter is the second largest chapter in the country and we want to be representative of the entire region. No matter where you are physically located, I encourage you and your colleagues to become active in Chapter activities. This could mean volunteering to organize a local meet-up, joining a committee or simply following us on social media . If you are interested in hearing more about participation opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact us!
As my last official duty as Chair, I am pleased to announce the approval of our slate of 2016 Board of Directors. Jennifer Kimball, your 2016 Chair, will be leading a fabulous group of people. We are excited to welcome new Board members Jean Heis, CMP (IFT) and Paul Pajor (Valley Expo). Also, I’d like sincerely thank outgoing Board members Dan Traver, CEM (Freeman) and Keith Ogulnick (NMMA) for all of their great work with the chapter and for their continued friendship.
Happy holidays and cheers to a great year!
--Lisa
This Quarter’s Highlights
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Chapter Charity Sled Hockey Game
Several IAEE chapter members came out to Seven Bridges Ice Arena on Sunday, October 18th to take on the Hornets Sled Hockey team. As hard as we tried, the Hornets managed to beat IAEE with a final score of 6-3. IAEE treated the kids to pizza after the game and enjoyed sharing fun stories about sharing the ice with them.
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Midwest is Best - Educational Program and Holiday Party
We kicked off the holiday season on November 18 with a fun, Midwest sports themed gathering. We had a wonderful time and hope that you did, too. You can see photos from the party right here.
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Midwestern Chapter Reception at EXPO! EXPO!
The room was full and fun conversations were flowing. Thank you to all that turned out to our chapter reception in Baltimore. It was nice to see new friends as well as old friends that we don’t typically see at our chapter meetings. We hope to see you all again next December in Anaheim.
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Important Reminders
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Call for Volunteers
We’re always looking for individuals who want to get involved in our Chapter’s committees. If you’ve always wanted to help coordinate some of the Chapter’ educational sessions or work on one of our social events, now’s your time to step forward. Contact Gail Brooks if you'd like to join a committee.
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Upcoming Events - Save the Date
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Thursday, January 28, 2016
3rd Annual Kick Ball Tournament
McCormick Place, Hall F1
~NEW ROUND ROBIN FORMAT~
Join us for Networking, Food, Drinks, and Fun!
Pick your team soon! The deadline to register is January 26, 2016. For more information and to sign up click here! Let the games begin!
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Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Education Program at the Donald E. Stephen's Convention Center
“The Natural Relationship between Attendee Acquisition and Exhibit Sales”
More…
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Please put the following dates on your calendar for 2016. We hope to see you!
June 8, 2016 – Education Program (Topic and location TBD)
September 12, 2016 – 27th Annual Golf Outing, Seven Bridges Golf Club, Woodridge, IL
September 21, 2016 – Annual Meeting and Educational Program (location TBD)
November 30, 2016 - Education Program and Holiday Party (Topic and location TBD)
December 6, 2016 – Chapter Reception at EXPO! EXPO!, Anaheim, CA
Member Recognition
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Welcome Jean and Paul!
We have a talented and ambitious Board of Directors for 2016. Our two newest Board members are Jean Heis, CMP, Director, Meetings and Exhibits for the Institute of Food Technologists and Paul Pajor, Director of Sales for Valley Expo and Displays. Welcome Jean and Paul. We’re so glad you decided to get involved in our chapter.
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IAEE Young Professional of the Year
Congratulations, Cassie Thompson, Events Manager, SmithBucklin Corporation!
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IAEE Merit Award
Congratulations, Dan Traver, CEM, Business Development Vice President, The Freeman Company!
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Young Professionals Spotlight
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Sarah Madonia, IAEE Expo! Expo! MWC 2016 YP Scholarship Recipient EXPO! EXPO! Recap
As the Young Professional Scholarship winner, this was my first time attending Expo! Expo! I left Baltimore feeling educated, confident in the future of my career, and much more networked within the industry.
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I found the educational sessions to be very informative. My favorite session was called Maximizing Attendance: Behaviors Comprising the Decision to Attend. In this session, I was happy to hear that research has shown that the future of face-to-face meetings is very strong.There is a common fear within our industry if technology will make face-to-face meetings obsolete, so to hear that younger generations still value that interpersonal communication provides a great outlook for our industry’s future. The session went on to explain the top three attendance drivers:
1.) Education/Keeping up with the industry
2.) Destination/Location
3.) Networking
Almost all meeting planners ask themselves, “What can I do to get more people here?” By focusing on these three reasons why attendees go to conferences, we can prioritize where we want to spend our time and money to drive attendance. I particularly enjoyed the conversation about the destination of the conference. There is a reason why we take conferences to different cities, so why not play up the city and incorporate different regional aspects into the conference?! This can be small things such as incorporating local food and beverage, or something larger like planning an outing or welcome reception at a local attraction. Attendees get excited about the location, and because they will spend a majority of their time inside the hotel or convention center, we should incorporate the location into the conference as much as possible.
Educational sessions are extremely important and beneficial at a conference, but in my opinion, it is the networking that is truly invaluable. As a young professional, it can be intimidating to reach out to well established individuals within the industry. Expo! Expo! provides a setting where young professionals and experts are all in the same place, which ultimately cultivates idea sharing and networking. I had the opportunity to have conversations with a diverse group of people including colleagues, vendors, peers and industry leaders. Having the opportunity to meet different people face-to-face really helped me build my network and strengthen many relationships.
I cannot thank the Midwestern Chapter enough for this incredible opportunity. IAEE Expo! Expo! is a great conference filled with valuable educational sessions, and countless opportunities for networking with other individuals within the industry. I highly recommend this event to all people in the meeting and events industry!
“Like” IAEE MWC Young Professionals on Facebook to see more Young Professionals Spotlights! Do you want to be the next Young Professionals Spotlight? Fill out the Spotlight Survey!
Industry Related Tips and Tools
Trying to find research to support new initiatives? Well don’t forget about a free member resources provided by CIER. http://www.ceir.org/
7 ways to use Instagram to your advantage at a tradeshow
http://www.exhibitcitynews.com/7-ways-use-instagram-advantage-tradeshow/
Optimize Your Trade Show Experience with an Event Checklist
http://www.tsnn.com/news-blogs/optimize-your-trade-show-experience-event-checklist
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Thank You to our 2015 Sponsors
Platinum
Choose Chicago
Freeman
Global Experience Specialists
Trade
Convention Data Services
Oscar & Associates
Gold
Fern Exposition & Event Services
Valley Expo & Displays
Silver
Expocad
Map Your Show
Meet Chicago Northwest
SmartSource
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