Thursday, January 10, 2008

Student Meet and Greet in Seattle!


Please Join Us!
The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of PCMA would like to invite all of our students to our Student Meet and Greet!

When: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Monday, January 14, 2008
Where: Washington State Convention Center - 2nd Floor Seating Area [located behind room 201]
What: Pizza, Soda, and Networking

This will be a great opportunity for all of our students at the annual convention to meet each other, as well as, some of the members of the Student Development Committee. Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have about the convention or the industry.

This will be a casual event.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Meetings Coordinator Position available at ASTM!

ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world-a trusted source for technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services. Known for their high technical quality and market relevancy, ASTM International standards have an important role in the information infrastructure that guides design, manufacturing and trade in the global economy.

SUMMARY OF POSITION:
The Meetings Coordinator reports to the Director, assists all Meetings Managers and provides back up support to the Administrative Assistant.

The Meetings Coordinator provides support facilitating arrangements for in-house meetings and events, Technical and Professional Training (TPT’s), independent meetings, committee weeks and departmental projects and activities. This position interacts with most departments within ASTM, committee meeting attendees and will conduct business arrangements with meetings related vendors.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Lead administrator for the Meetings Application: set up independent meeting notices in HTML and pre-registration data for ASTM website, run reports, and manage the registration for all meetings. This will require troubleshooting with our web administrator, I/T project manager and manage and track a list of enhancements. Meetings Coordinator must communicate all changes and updates to meetings staff, Technical Committee Operations (TCO) administrative assistants (AA’s), and other users.

Administrator for Meetings Equipment: Maintenance of equipment (LCD’s, teleconference phones, computers, printers, badge printers, credit card machines receipt printers etc.), replacing and upgrading inventory, distribution and resolution of conflicts pertaining to the inventory for in-house meetings, independent and committee week. The Meetings Coordinator will order/rent additional equipment as needed with outside vendors. This position will be responsible for testing equipment prior to committee week meetings and checking the condition when returned.

Responsibility for creating and maintaining Request for Proposals (RFP’s) for all independent and committee week meetings. This involves determining realistic room blocks, meeting space requirements, and special activities for each meeting. Committee meeting profiles to be managed and conflicts resolved with staff managers. The Meetings Coordinator will compile all pertinent information that hotels require to submit a legitimate proposal to host ASTM meetings.

Coordination of Independent Meetings to Include:
· Review RFP’s to see if critical information has been included and resolve items not addressed
· Prepare meeting contracts for manager’s signature
· Reviewing meeting schedules against space contracted and resolving conflicts with the hotel.
· Contract with hotel or vendor to order meetings related equipment and/or services, and make appropriate revisions to the original contract
· Review hotel BEO’s (Banquet Event Orders) and sign off on arrangements or bring to manager’s attention if there are financial issues that need resolution, or unusual committee requests.
· Follow up on all meetings – hotel bill, final pick up, final data entry into meetings application, and distribute statistics to meetings and staff managers with recommendations for any appropriate revisions to committee meeting profile or committee meeting RFP.

Coordination of Committee Week Meetings to Include:
· Review all submitted schedules against the committee meeting profile and bring any conflicts to meetings and staff manager’s attention.
· Review and proofread with meeting managers the charts, schedules, BEO’s, LCD schedule, A/V requirements, signage, welcome letters, receipts, meeting notices and all miscellaneous handouts and email blasts.
· Manage VIP reservations to make sure Board and Officers are housed in the main meeting hotel by reserving a special block of rooms for this purpose. Review lists of reservations from overflow hotels to determine if managers need to handle special requests.
· Work with hotel convention services to obtain room names, discuss changes and room pick ups and other meeting issues.
· Manage the shipment of meeting materials to hotel. This includes coordinating shipping deadline dates with staff, packing, working with shipping company, coordinating delivery with hotel, and responsibility for inventory of supplies. The Meetings Coordinator will also be responsible for coordinating the return shipment and restocking supplies.
· Occasional on-site meetings support and/or as an emergency back up to manager or traveling AA.

Coordination of In-House Meetings to Include:
· Posting the in-house schedule on lobby monitor
· Preparing the in-house schedule of meetings
· Prepare and post door signs
· Back-up the meetings manager on all in-house activities including assigning meeting space, working with building and grounds for special set-ups, order food functions and monitor the in-house meeting activities, arrange transportation, provide up to date general meeting handouts, handle all meeting room requests and maintain the appearance of the registration area.
· Work and network with local hotels and restaurants.

Assist Director in special projects

Back up the department’s administrative assistant.

Handle basic office duties such as typing, answering phone inquiries, tracking bills and payments, distribution of mail, send email blasts, web site updates, etc.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Good organizational skills, team spirit, cooperative attitude and flexibility are essential

Effective communication and rapport with staff, hotel and meeting vendors, and also committee members and meeting attendees

Acute awareness and follow-through of details and deadline dates

Accurate typing (40wpm) with knowledge of a word processing package and working knowledge to use a relational database is helpful

Skills to type in HTML, or the willingness to learn

This position requires a high school diploma and a couple of years of meetings related or general office experience is helpful.

If you are interested in more information and applying for this position, please send your resume and cover letter to:

Betty Schultz
Director of Meetings ASTM International
Phone: 610-832-9701
Fax: 610-832-9669
Email:
bschultz@astm.org file://www.astm.org/

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Are you looking for an opportunity to connect with meetings industry leaders and gain experience that will prepare you for a career in the meetings industry? Join over 3,000 meetings industry professionals and suppliers at the 2008 PCMA Annual Meeting and get the tools you need to advance your career.


PCMA Student Union

On Sunday, January 13, connect with your peers for an afternoon of programming created just for you! Begin the PCMA Student Union with a lunch at noon where you can make new contacts and kick-off your annual meeting experience. Following lunch attend two sessions that will help launch your career in the meetings industry:

Student Career Options Explored
The Art of Networking

PCMA Student Career Fair
Monday, January 14
Student Career Tips from the Pros - Each step of the interview process is as important as the next: obtain tips on writing a winning resume, how to present yourself in an interview, and the art of follow up. Walk away with the means and confidence to get the job of your dreams!

Student Career Networking Reception
Don’t miss this informal networking opportunity to meet with employers in the industry who have open entry level positions and internships.

Tuesday, January 15
Student Career Fair
Students are exclusively invited to attend this career fair featuring a limited number of PCMA members, including Hilton Hotels Corporation, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Gaylord Hotels, GES Exposition Services, Experient who have internships and entry level positions available. Bring copies of your résumé!

Wednesday, January 16
Student Career Fair Interviews
Some organizations will be conducting follow-up on-site interviews with students. Interviews will be scheduled by those participating organizations directly.

Register now!

Click here for information on student housing and restrictions.

Click here for complete travel information including airline discounts.

PCMA Student Union Sponsored by:





Questions:

Please contact PCMA Student Relations if you have any questions at 312.423.7262 or students@pcma.org .

We look forward to seeing you in Seattle!

Friday, December 7, 2007

Here are some useful links on companies in the meetings industry. The websites contain lists of many of the companies that provide various services to the industry, and their contact information.

I use these websites very frequently when I am trying to find new vendors for services my association provides.


These lists would also make great reference tools for job and internship hunting. Here ya go:

http://www.conventions.net/

http://www.ultimateexhibitionandeventguide.com/

Job Hunting Articles on MiGurus!

If you haven't already checked out MiGurus on the Meetings Industry Mega Site (www. mimegasite.com), you should start now!

I found a few great articles written by Dawn Penefold on Job Hunting. Below are the links to the articles.

Holiday Job Hunting

How to Reply to Job

Tax Breaks for Job Hunters

Joan Eisenstodt also writes very frequently, and her latest few articles are on the Meetings Industry in 2008, and what we should expect:

Predictions for 2008

Demographicx in Flux

The Risk Factor

Whats in a Name?

Widener University PCMA Update




This year, the Widener University Student Chapter of PCMA has participated in many activities. We participated in a fundraiser and educational opportunity when Outback came to our school and served their own food alongside PCMA members. It was a huge success and we were able to donate $500 to the Salvation Army due to that fundraiser. Students also had a great learning experience from Outback and their staff. Students of our chapter also went to the Ronald McDonald House to volunteer their time and make desserts for them.

Our chapter also took a trip to the Atlantic City Convention Center for a tour of the facility and as an educational experience to learn about conferences and trade shows.

This semester, we had a guest speaker come and talk to students about his area of the industry. Mark Kingsdorf owns The Queen of Hearts, a wedding consultant company based out of Philadelphia. Mark spoke with students regarding his work and experience in the industry. The Widener University Student Chapter of PCMA has had a very successful year so far, and we are anticipating a great rest of the year.
Nicole Wasielewski
Widener University

Temple University Update


The Temple University Chapter has been very busy this semester. From increasing our membership, to fundraising for Seattle and preparing to send off our wonderful advisor, we have had a very successful semester. We started off the semester with five active members, three of which were our officers. We have now grown to an active group of 18! Of those 18, eight will be traveling to Seattle in January.


As far as fundraising for the Annual Meeting, we have held three events this semester. The first event was a garage sale for our advisor as he is getting ready to move across the pond to Scotland in December. In November, a few of our members held a Seattle themed event at Maui Wowi, a smoothie/coffee shop on campus. The event included raffles, games and prizes as well as a donation from Maui Wowi that was dependent upon the sales that the event brought in. The third event was a Holiday Book Sale and Signing with our advisor and professor, Dr. Joe Goldblatt, where the focus was on the 5th edition of his book entitled, “Special Events: The Roots and Wings of Celebration.” This event acted as a farewell event for Dr. Goldblatt and also included a bake sale and silent auction. All three events were very successful.


In Seattle, both our advisor, Dr. Goldblatt and one of our co-presidents, Astrid Schrier, will be receiving awards. Dr. Goldblatt is being honored as the Educator of the Year and Astrid as the Student Planner of the Year.


Three of our members participated in GPPCMA’s Service in Sync day at the Anna M. Sample House in Camden. Our members helped with the assembling and painting of furniture for the new room and with the decorating of the newly renovated space.


We are currently waiting for our Dean to appoint a new advisor for our group for the spring semester, but we are already working on ideas for professional events for the upcoming semester. We hope to team up with other professional organizations in our school such as Temple’s Chapter of the National Society for Minorities in Hospitality and the Sports and Recreation Professional Association.


Astrid Schrier

Co-President

Temple University Chapter