Sometimes, I wonder how those of us who remember doing it all by phone, fax, and mail got it all done before the internet. Communicating electronically with destination management companies, chambers, visitors’ bureaus, hoteliers, attendees and their guests, plus every contracted vendor, is beneficial beyond measure. However, there is no substitute for a one-on-one conversation to investigate possibilities, identify the needs, secure the plan, and start building trust. I will never commit to a site or hotelier without a site inspection. For me, meeting face-to-face with the people I will ultimately be working with and seeing the products and services is a must. Third is the greening of the industry. The meeting planning in- dustry should be commended for its efforts to become greener. I appreciate knowing upfront who scores highest in this regard. ATG continues to offer meeting materials and mailings electronically, and electronic communication with vendors, attendees, and their guests is paramount to successful management because we often need an immediate reply so we can go forward with the details. MM: What do you value most about planning meetings in the
Midwest? SM: I appreciate the opportunity to conduct and keep business in our own backyard, especially the Windy City. Chicago is very competitive with other major metropolitan cities for convention and meeting business. Midwesterners are warm, friendly, and usu- ally display a great work ethic. MM: What do you personally do to contribute to the better- ment of the industry, and how do you stay current on industry is- sues?
SM: I try to attend Destination Showcase in Chicago and the annual IT&ME meeting each year. I also subscribe to several [in- dustry] magazines. Reading and hearing true accounts and war sto- ries from fellow meeting and event planners is very helpful. MM: What do you see in the future of the industry? SM: Meeting planners must be able to adapt. Stay in touch with the latest in communications and document-sharing technol- ogy, but know when an actual phone call or an in-person meet- ing is best. Building relationships with vendor contacts, leaders of peer organizations, and other community members is also critical. Knowing who to call when time is tight serves one well. MM: What is the best compliment you’ve ever received from a meeting attendee, and why does it stand out? SM: “Susan, you always go above and beyond.” Especially today, people so appreciate quality customer service. To know that, out of all the things you have been asked to do and have on your plate, you went “above and beyond” to pay special attention to a personal need or you followed up on an idea to make a situation better, with- out asking a peer, because you knew it was the right thing to do for
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I appreciate the opportunity to conduct and keep business in our own backyard, especially the Windy City.
the right reason, and you scored big-time - [that] is rewarding and memorable. To see the smile, to hear the heartfelt “thank you,” that goes miles with me. MM: Describe a meeting-related disaster and how you over-
came it. SM: In my 21 years, I have been in the bowels of a hotel three times because of weather-related issues [including] tornadoes in Wisconsin and Missouri. Once, in St. Louis, we had a board dinner in a hotel wine room, on the lowest level next to the kitchen, so when the alarm sounded, we didn’t have to leave. In fact, we had the best spot in the hotel - access to all of their finest wines and food enough to feed armies! MM: Who are your meeting planning idols and why? SM: I have great admiration for JoAnne Hibbs of the Illinois State Bar Association and Susan Van Kollenburg of NCA Higher Learning Commission. Each knows what it means to multi-task, how to quickly assess needs, and draw upon their experience and knowledge to quickly resolve problems. I appreciate their willing- ness to guide and to share their experiences with me. MM: What brings you the greatest daily joy? SM: Well, personally, it is the love of my husband and my fam- ily of three daughters, sons-in-law, and five grandchildren. Profes- sionally, it is the wonderful folks I work with each day at ATG. After 21 years, we are like family, too, plus the extended work fam- ily of my board members and their spouses/guests and those in the meeting industry with whom I have had the privilege of working for two decades. I come to work each day with a grateful heart. There are many weeks when I work beyond the standard 40-hour workweek. I try to strike a balance between family and work and live by the Ethel Percy Andrus quote: “What I spent is gone; what I kept, I lost; but what I gave away will be mine forever.”
MIDWEST MEETINGS WINTER 2011
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