Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Great Website and Podcast

Check out Grash Shack Events & Media! They have a great Meetings Podcast!
http://grassshackroad.com/

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

GPPCMA Holiday Party - December 3!

December 3, 2009 @ 5:00 pm
McGillin's Olde Ale House
1310 Drury Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Don't miss our final get together of 2009 as we ring in the holidays and celebrate the achievements and volunteers of GPPCMA for the year. Last year's event at McGillin's was so much fun that we are going back again!

Registration fee: $20.00 for members and guests, includes open bar from 5:00pm-8:00pm, and hot and cold buffet from 5:30pm-7:30pmParking:

$8.00 discounted parking passes for the Holiday Inn Express parking garage will be available at McGillin's.

Thank you to Gaylord Opryland, Gaylord Palms, Gaylord Texan and Gaylord National for sponsoring this event! We appreciate your support!

To sign up, please contact Erica Keagy at gppcma@comcast.net
Guest Chef Dinner:
December 5th, 2009 @ 5:30 pm
The Ronald McDonald House at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
We will prepare and serve dinner for up to 15 families staying at the house. We are looking for volunteers! This will be our last guest chef dinner with the Ronald McDonald House!

To sign up, please contact Vicente Elorza at velorza@palaceresorts.com.

The Ronald McDonald House at St. Christopher’s Hospital has a budget of $2.5 Million and they are responsible for raising 90% of that money. It costs them $75.00 a day for each family that stays at the home, and they charge the families only $15.00 a day to stay. If a family cannot afford it, the home will not turn them away, and will instead let them stay for free! Let’s all pitch in to help them raise money for their budget, so they can continue to help families with children in the hospital.

PCMA Annual Meeting Jan 10-13, 2009

The PCMA Annual Meeting brings together more than 3,000 industry leaders for four days of exceptional education and networking.
Each education session is chosen for its relevance, value, and ability to advance the professional development of each attendee. Each networking event is designed to help forge strong relationships.
For more information about the schedule, education, networking opportunities, and to register , check out the website at: http://www.pcma2010.org/

TWITTER!

Hello Everyone!

Time to get this blog back up-to-date! Stay tuned for a bunch of new updates!


Also, you can now follow the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of Professional Convention Management Association (GPPCMA) on Twitter!

Follow GPPCMA on Twitter

Friday, April 3, 2009

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities with GPPCMA!

Volunteer Opportunities

This year, as in the past, GPPCMA is doing all of our fundraising efforts in support of the Ronald McDonald House at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. Below are several opportunities to not only help out by volunteering, but also to get to know the other chapter members in a different light (always a great networking opportunity for those of you looking for jobs!).

The Ronald McDonald House at St. Christopher’s Hospital has a budget of $2.5 Million and they are responsible for raising 90% of that money. It costs them $75.00 a day for each family that stays at the home, and they charge the families only $15.00 a day to stay. If a family cannot afford it, the home will not turn them away, and will instead let them stay for free! Let’s all pitch in to help them raise money for their budget, so they can continue to help families with children in the hospital.
May 9th
Southwest Airlines Airplane Pull
7am to 10am
What: The Plane Pull is a giant tug-of-war between the GPPCMA team and a hefty Southwest Boeing 737. Bring the kids and enjoy fun outdoor activities, including a visit with Ronald McDonald.

Each team member is asked to raise a minimum of $125.

How: It’s easy! Visit http://www.firstgiving.com/GPPCMA Ask everyone you know to make a pledge towards your team’s pull. Anyone can donate!

Who: Teams of up to 20 of your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, teammates, etc.!

Where: Atlantic Aviation, located next to the Philadelphia International Airport
8375 Enterprise Avenue,
Philadelphia, PA, 19153.

May 16th
4 pm - 7 pm
GUEST CHEF PROGRAM AT THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
adjacent to St Christopher’s Hospital.

We will prepare and serve dinner for up to 15 families staying at the house. We are looking for a Team Leader and suggestions for the menu.


If you are interested in participating in any of these volunteer opportunities, please contact Vicente Elorza at velorza@palaceresorts.com or 609-443-9617.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Delaware Job Hunter's Education and Networking Event

The Delaware Job Hunter's Education and Networking event is designed to give you much needed skills to compete in today's competitive job market. Particpate in seminars on resume writing and interviewing, or meet with experts to discuss your most pressing job search concerns.

THIS IS A FREE EVENT.

The event is being held May 6th, 2009 at the Chase center on the Riverfront. You cannot miss this important event that will help you supercharge your job search or be prepared if you are laid off.

About the Event

Agenda
8:00-9:00 Welcome – Featured Speaker, Networking Opportunities and Continental Breakfast
9:00-10:30 Seminar – Supercharge your Interviewing Skills, Joyce Dungee Proctor, Presenter
10:30-11:00 Meet with Local Employers, Career Coaching Sessions, Q&A
11:00-12:30 Make an Impression in 30 Seconds– Writing a Winning Resume, Carolyn Osborn, Presenter
12:30-3:00 Meet with Local Employers, Career Coaching Sessions, Networking and Q&A

Date: May 6, 2009
Time: 8:00am-3:00pm
Place: Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington

For more information about this event, please see their website: http://www.integritycareertransitions.com/events/eventDetails.aspx?eventid=268

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Part Time position with Law School Admission Council

Position Title: Administrative Assistant

Primary Responsibilities:
Booking travel and processing airline tickets on SABRE; some airline accounting.
Provide a variety of administrative and general office services in preparation for a large number of tradeshows and meetings. The assistant will work closely with in-house meeting planners, and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: working with a conference registration database, organizing materials for tradeshows and meetings, maintaining filing systems, producing documents in a PC environment, and answering and screening incoming telephone calls.

Qualifications:
Previous experience in a travel agency and meeting planning industry preferred, knowledge of SABRE a must. High school diploma or equivalent required; some college level coursework preferred. Two years experience in an office environment to include Word and Excel experience. Good organizational skills with attention to detail and the ability to follow through and complete projects. Ability to accurately proofread, including grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Excellent interpersonal, written, and telephone skills.

If you are interested in this position, please contact Belinda Keota via email at gppcmastudents@gmail.com .

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

5 Great Blogs about Careers

These blogs were mentioned in an article by Career Builder that can be found HERE. Each of these blogs touches on different aspects of the Career Search.


1. Personal Branding
About the blog: Writer Dan Schawbel has written extensively about personal branding. "Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others," Schawbel explains.

Why you should read this blog: Though much of the information is geared towards the Generation Y audience, it's important information for job seekers of any age. Having great skills and a great résumé isn't enough -- job seekers need to know how to package and promote themselves and their abilities.

2. Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist
About the blog: Columnist and author Penelope Trunk shares career advice as well as professional observations and personal experiences.

Why you should read this blog: Trunk's advice isn't sugarcoated; she gives direct, practical advice to her readers. She also revisits and revises conventional wisdom about career choices. This blog is also peppered with personal content; Trunk often speaks about the balance between work and home.

3. Careerealism
About the blog: The Careerrealism blog was created by noted career strategist and consultant J.T. O'Donnell. As she explains in the site's mission statement, the site is for "any person who recognizes that in today's workplace, the old methods for job searching no longer apply."

Why you should read this blog: Careerealism takes a comprehensive approach to providing advice and guidance and gives the readers ideas about finding and keeping their jobs in a brave new career world.

4. On Careers: Outside Voices
About the blog: The Outside Voices blog is featured as part of the business coverage in U.S. News and World Report. It's a collaborative effort, with staffers from the magazine and several career experts all contributing content.

Why you should read this blog: It's a collection of diverse viewpoints from some of the leading experts in the field, collected and published in one blog. The subject matter addresses a wide range of ideas, from practical résumé fixes to the psychology behind our workplace behavior.

5. Punk Rock HR
About the blog: Human resources expert Laurie Ruettimann posts her thoughts about the corporate world and HR's role in it. Ruettimann's expertise comes from her tenure in HR at various Fortune 500 companies.

Why you should read this blog: To succeed in a job search, it's a good idea to be familiar with the workings of HR, often the initial point of contact for any job seeker at a company.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Scholarship Applications are Due March 13!!

The PCMA Education Foundation funds 17 scholarships throughout the year to student members. These scholarships help open doors to the industry and ease the financial burden that higher education can create.

See past recipients

Roy B. Evans Scholarship
Tuition-based scholarships of $5,000. Read more…

PCMA Student Planner of the Year Scholarship
Develop a PCMA Annual Meeting session and attend the meeting. Read more…

Multicultural Scholarship
$1,000 scholarships for tuition, books, other education costs. Read more…

For more information on these or other Student member programs, please contact:
PCMA Student Relations
PCMA 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1001
Chicago, IL 60616
students@pcma.org
ph: (toll free) 877.827.7262
ph: 312.423.7262

GPPCMA Chapter Event!

April 1, 2009 @ 5 PM

Emotional Resiliency at Work

Come join us for an experiential, interactive presentation to gain some practical tips to survive and thrive in the workplace! Find out some key ways to manage your stress rather than carry your stress.

Agenda:
5:00pm – Registration
5:30pm – Opening Remarks
5:45pm – Program
6:45pm - Reception

Location: Loews Philadelphia, 1200 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-627-1200

RSVP by March 27, 2009

To register, please CLICK HERE

Upcoming Webinars!

Webinars are a great way to gain information with out the expenses or hassles of traveling. You can even pack a class room or dorm room full of students to watch the webinar, while only paying the price of one attendee! Many webinars also count toward CEU credit to obtaining your CMP! See below for a list of upcoming webinars:


PCMA's "On The Go" Webinar Series presents:

March 18 @1 PM Eastern
Creating Your Personal Brand

To stand out from the crowd of qualified meeting professionals, you need to create your personal brand. Sheryl Sookman Schelter, CMP, will discuss how to take your skills and abilities and create an image that communicates what makes you unique and valuable to any company or organization.

To register CLICK HERE

April 22, 2009 @ 1 PM Eastern
Legal Issues in Today's Economy

Consultant, educator, and attorney, Tyra Hilliard hosts this must-attend Webinar on rates and attrition. Learn how to manage the legal issues that are arising with more frequency and greater impact due to the current economic situation and discuss the economy's effect on the meetings industry, both in a business sense and in a legal sense. Learn negotiation tactics for dealing with existing contracts already signed and executed. For contracts not yet signed and executed, we will discuss ways to negotiate better clauses to deal with attrition, cancellation and other issues.

To register CLICK HERE



Meetings Media presents:
You can view all past and future webinars by Meetings Media by CLICKING HERE. All events are archived.

March 25, 2009 @ 1 PM Eastern
A Hole in One: The Perfect Golf Meeting

Golf programs provide one of the best opportunities for networking and team building for meeting programs, but you need to do your homework before sending your group out on the links. In this webinar, you will learn how to select a course or resort, how to negotiate a great deal and the many program-structure options.

To register CLICK HERE.

Friday, January 30, 2009

University of Delaware Annual Career Fair

Looking for a job or internship? Come check out the University of Delaware's Annual Hospitality Career Fair!

When: March 8th
Time: 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Where: Trabant University Center, Newark, Delaware

Agenda:

Sunday March 8, 2009
11:30 a.m. Registration
12:00 p.m. Industry Forum
1:00 p.m. Career Fair

Presentation Schedule
3:30 p.m. Marriott Presentation
5:00 p.m. Disney Presentation
6:00 p.m. Hyatt Presentation

Monday, March 9, 2009
8:30 a.m. Interviews

Click Here for more information and a list of past participants

Thursday, January 29, 2009

May 16th Volunteer Program at the Ronald McDonald House

Network with chapter members and while honing your “Top Chef” Skills for Ronald McDonald House Guest Chef Programs!

But the # 1 reason to get active in community service is......

Put a smile on someone’s face !




Upcoming Greater Philadelphia Chapter of PCMA Events for the St. Christopher’s Hospital Ronald McDonald House
May 16th
4:00pm-7:30pm
Guest Chef Dinner Program

We will prepare and serve dinner for up to 15 families staying at the house. The dinner not only provides the families with a nutritious meal that might otherwise be skipped, but it also creates an opportunity for families to interact with one another, share their stories, and learn from people who are in similar situations.



Contact Vince Elorza at velorza@palaceresorts.com for more information or to volunteer.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

More Meeting Planning and Catering Blogs

If you would like more information on Conventions and Catering check out these blogs that are hosted by Patti Shock, a professor from UNLV:

Intro To Conventions

Catering

Meetings Industry News Forums and Publications

If you are interested in getting more information about the Meetings Industry, such as current trends, important topics, job listings, etc there is a great google group that will allow you to interact as much or as little as you would like with other meetings industry professionals.

If you are interested, take a look at the MiForum (Meetings Industry Forum).

You can also find other great information at the following at http://www.mimegasite.com/. If you scroll to the bottom of the home page, there are also two great publications (Successful Meetings and Meeting News)that you can read either electronically or sign up to receive a print copy.

Please also check out Meetings Collaborative for up-to-date industry info.

Hotel Sales Manager Needed

Sales Manager needed for a beautiful hotel in the Norfolk/Chesapeake area. This is a hotel that is doing well in its market share. The base salary is $42-$48,000 plus wonderful benefits and a good bonus plan.

Please send your resume today, to:

ecarr@snellinghospitality.com

http://www.snellinghospitality.com/

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Destination Management Internship with GEP Philly

About GEP Philly

At GEP Philly, we specialize in the design and management of group events. Our services include airport meet & greet, group tours, spouse programs, entertainment, themed receptions and dinners, team building programs and complete VIP services for corporations, associations, incentive travel and non-profit institutions. We operate out of our headquarters location in the heart of Center City Philadelphia, and maintain a satellite on-site office at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel.


Primary Objective of Position:
Support the GEP Philly team by providing assistance in the areas of sales, project development, operations and administration to gain a better understanding of what a Destination Management Company does.

Sales:

  • Assist sales department with marketing campaigns – addressing gifts to recipients, deliver gifts to hotels
  • Assist sales team for site visits. Order vehicle, script out timeline and venue information
  • Research companies/conventions for leads
  • Help package and prepare Fed Ex proposals
  • Help sales reps in hotels with projects
  • Updating databases and maintain lists for holiday cards
  • Re-stock give-away items
  • Assist with PDF’ing word files for clients
  • Enter clients in GEP Net
  • Send weekly updates of our sales leads to the partnership

Project Development:

  • Assist in securing space and services for client proposals
  • Research new products, venues, themes and ideas for proposals
  • Data entry into ACT! & WebDMC systems for current vendors and clients
  • Custom label CD’s for popular entertainment options we send to clients
  • Assist in the creation of GEP presentations, including Award Submissions and Special proposals for clients

Operations:

  • Organize the internal tabs and information for the part time staff binders
  • Assist Operations Managers with organizing part time staff uniforms, nametags, signage and binders prior to a program
  • Updating Part time Staff Contact Information in Database
  • Re-stock client gift items such as coffee mugs, gift cards, etc.
  • Assist with reserving Part Time Staff for specific dates and times
  • Running program related errands (picking up rental cell phones, uniforms at dry cleaners, printed materials, etc.)
  • Assist with packaging and shipping of Client Thank you gifts
  • Shadow Ops Manager on larger programs when necessary

Administration/General:

  • Ladies in the Biz—coordinate a meeting and location, negotiate specials, send out evite list, etc for one evening event
  • Administrative duties including ordering office supplies, filing, copying, faxing, data entry, mailing and running errands.
  • Organize part-time staff refresh meetings (organize, maintain RSVP list, get food, nametags)
  • Help track vendor referrals
  • Organize back closet; order shelves, hooks, etc to display
  • Assist administration manager with issues with telephones, cell phones, fax machine, Xerox machine, computer problems, printers, email

This is an unpaid internship and you are eligible to receive school credit. It runs from January 5th through May 8th or May 14th through August 14th.

If you would like to apply for this internship, please contact:

Contact: Tricia Kornutik
Finance & Administration Manager
GEP Philly
The Phoenix Building
1600 Arch Street ~ Suite 200
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Tel:267-514-2626
Fax:267-514-2728
Email: tkornutik@gepphilly.com
http://www.gepphilly.com/

Friday, January 23, 2009

Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale?

Upcoming GPPCMA Event - February 4, 2009 - 5PM


Who hijacked my fairy tale? How to hang on to humor when life doesn't go as planned. And, by the way, life never goes as planned. There's a part of the fairy tale they never told you about - the part where the charming prince grows a spare tire, the princess develops anger issues, and dreams of happily-ever-after turn into unpaid bills, dirty laundry, and dreams of killing him in his sleep. At some point, even the fairest of us all finds a page ripped out of our fairy tale. Join us as award-winning storyteller and humorist, Kelly Swanson, takes us on a hilarious and inspiring journey with her wacky cast of southern characters who will charm you, inspire you, and remind you how to stay on the funny side of life - even when things don't go the way you planned.

AGENDA

  • 5:00pm – Registration
  • 5:30pm – Opening Remarks
  • 5:45pm – Program
  • 6:45pm - Reception

WHEN: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

WHERE: Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia, 237 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

If paying registration by check, please bring a check payable to GPPCMA to the meeting, or mail it to PO Box 517, Wynnewood, PA 19096

Please contact Erica Keagy, Chapter Administrator, at 610-220-1232 or at gppcma@comcast.net if you would like to attend. Prepayment is required for guests and students.

Special thanks to our meeting sponsors: Tourism Vancouver and the Canadian Tourism Commission. Thank you to the Doubletree Philadelphia for hosting this event! Through our sponsors and hosts, our chapter can bring the highest quality of education to the local chapter level.