Meeting Pros Radio

Doc Waldrop / Full Circle Lighting & Productions Doc Waldrop brings more than 30 years of experience in theatrical lighting and overall technical production to the meetings, special events, convention, motion picture, and association industries. His lighting designs and installations have gathered praise and awards from international and Fortune 500 companies and have been featured in many industry and related magazines. He has held an executive board position, including Chapter President in 2004-2005, with the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the International Special Events Society and was recently honored with the 2008 Bob Blaesing Lifetime Achievement Award from ISES/NACE Atlanta. Doc is a founding member of Full Circle Lighting and Productions. In his spare time (what little there is of it), Doc enjoys ripping up mountain roads on his Triumph Speed Triple motorcycle, chasing his son around, NASCAR racing, or playing a competitive game of pool, darts, croquet, or golf (OK, so the golf game could hardly be called competitive). Mr. Waldrop currently resides in Marietta, GA, but can often be found wherever his clients take him. Ginnie Temple / Peachtree Tents & Events   Ginnie Temple is a coastal girl at heart who grew up in Brunswick, Georgia before moving to Atlanta to earn a BBA in hospitality from Georgia State University. It was during her college years that she realized her future lay in the events business when she recognized herself as the social outing ringleader. She stayed true to her path and worked for catering and event planning companies before making the perfect career move to Peachtree Tents & Events. Although Ginnie enjoys running, spin class and outdoor activities, her favorite hobby is networking and meeting new people. She has obviously found the right profession! Roy Arriaga / Unique Event Elements     Lori Harbin / TEP Catering   I have a passion for good food, helping projects succeed and spending quality time with my loved ones. So it should surprise no one that these passions led me directly into the special events industry. After graduating from Trinity University, I started my career at the UPS Corporate Headquarters where one of my responsibilities was planning departmental meetings and events. My love for this piece of my job led me to seek out a position with a full service special event company and soon she I coordinating corporate picnics and family days for groups up to 20,000 at The Fun Company. However, my passion for sales and marketing, along with a passion for fabulous food, ultimately led to my current position as the Director of Taste Experiences at TEP Catering. I currently serve as the President-Elect for ISES Greater Atlanta and am an active member of MPI, ICA, and WIPA.    

Annie Mullins / Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta  Eileen Roehl / Murfee Meetings Group  Eileen Roehl, CMP and her team at the Murfee Group work with organizations ranging in size, budget and industry. As a single source for full-range event management services, the Murfee Group works closely with a trusted network of professionals to produce events. Eileen serves on the Board of the Georgia Chapter of Meeting Professionals International as Vice President Strategic Events and was named the 2013-14 “Planner of the Year”. She also teaches at Kennesaw State University’s Meeting & Event Management Certification Program and she speaks at industry events. Allyson Wagner / Omnience, Inc.  Allyson Wagner works for Omnience as a project specialist assisting corporate and association clients with meeting planning, on site logistics, and sustainability initiatives. Omnience provides a full range of meeting planning services to its clients, along with developing proprietary technology to She also serves as Executive Director of Meeting Professionals Network, a membership organization for independent meeting planners and not-for-profit division of Omnience. Allyson is a member of MPI Georgia and serves on the board for the Atlanta Chapter of the Green Meetings Industry Council as immediate past president. She recently completed the Sustainable Event Planning Certificate (SEPC) course through GMIC Global and is serving on a GMIC Global task force to re-design the SEPC for 2015, as well as a task force for the GMIC Ask For It Campaign. Kathi Cambre Kelly / KSL Resorts  Kathi Kelly has Hospitality business for 34 years and in the Atlanta area since 1990 in the capacity of a hotel sales representative for Westin Hotels & Resorts, Starwood, Hilton, and for the past 15 years with KSL Resorts. Kathi has been an active member in the Georgia Chapter of Meeting Professionals International. She has served on the Board of Directors and numerous committees through the years. Two things people most identify Kathi with are (1) Her ability to find viable solutions and (2) Her skills on the golf course and passion for chairing golf tournaments. Kathi has won numerous awards with MPI and also serves on the board for SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Executives) and was “Member of the Year” in 2013.    

Lori Harbin / TEP Catering   I have a passion for good food, helping projects succeed and spending quality time with my loved ones. So it should surprise no one that these passions led me directly into the special events industry. After graduating from Trinity University, I started my career at the UPS Corporate Headquarters where one of my responsibilities was planning departmental meetings and events. My love for this piece of my job led me to seek out a position with a full service special event company and soon she I coordinating corporate picnics and family days for groups up to 20,000 at The Fun Company. However, my passion for sales and marketing, along with a passion for fabulous food, ultimately led to my current position as the Director of Taste Experiences at TEP Catering. I currently serve as the President-Elect for ISES Greater Atlanta and am an active member of MPI, ICA, and WIPA. Doc Waltrop / Full Circle Lighting & Productions Doc Waldrop brings more than 30 years of experience in theatrical lighting and overall technical production to the meetings, special events, convention, motion picture, and association industries. His lighting designs and installations have gathered praise and awards from international and Fortune 500 companies and have been featured in many industry and related magazines. He has held an executive board position, including Chapter President in 2004-2005, with the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the International Special Events Society and was recently honored with the 2008 Bob Blaesing Lifetime Achievement Award from ISES/NACE Atlanta. Doc is a founding member of Full Circle Lighting and Productions. In his spare time (what little there is of it), Doc enjoys ripping up mountain roads on his Triumph Speed Triple motorcycle, chasing his son around, NASCAR racing, or playing a competitive game of pool, darts, croquet, or golf (OK, so the golf game could hardly be called competitive). Mr. Waldrop currently resides in Marietta, GA, but can often be found wherever his clients take him. Lee Stepancik / Proof of the Pudding   Holland Muscio / Balloonacy Holland’s love affair with flowers started in elementary school thanks to her Mom, the Crown Grant Garden Club, her Nannie and Aunt Nancy. On her way to becoming a floral designer, balloon artist & eventpreneur she made a detour through the arts and ticketing industries. It was while working at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra that she started creating floral designs for her events and worked with the former owners of Balloonacy as one of her vendors. After Sean’s adventures in the Navy he met Holland in Atlanta. After jobs in the IT and construction industries he was searching for a way to be self-employed. One night after a few libations, the Muscio’s were approached by the former owners with buying Balloonacy. Sean & Holland saw it as an amazing opportunity to collectively use their talents and work for themselves. In 2005 they opened Balloonacy and added floral design to their stable of event décor options. Since then they have decorated thousands events around the Metro Atlanta region. Holland handles much of the design and Sean is the production & installation designer.    

Liz King / Liz King Events    Liz is an event planning superhero by day, and closeted tech geek and introvert by night. Distraught by the thought of everyday civilians being conquered by spreadsheets, she resolved to re-channel her organizational and tech savvy superpowers and launched Liz King Events while still running events full time for Columbia University. Liz voraciously shared content on event best practices via social media and quickly became a thought leader/influencer amongst her peers. Her hopes of being an incognito event superhero went down the drain as her cover was blown once she started making cameos on lits like ‘Successful Meetings list of 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry” and ‘Connect Magazine’s list of 40 Under 40 Up-and-Coming Event Planners in 2011″. Liz now comfortably wears her cape and employs her superpowers to helps entrepreneurs/brands like Claudia Chan and Ramit Sethi plan smart, tech-savvy events to better engage their attendees. Outside of client events, Liz uses her prowess to educate and challenge her industry peers on how to better integrate technology into live events to create a more winsome audience experience, through auxiliary outlets techsytalk.com and PlannerTech [Founder]. When not saving gotham from the event planning woes, Liz can be found unwinding by learning how to code, brushing up on her Korean, or indulging in Korean cuisine … all in civilian geek attire, of course.

Dirk Ebener / Global CIF, LLC   Dirk Ebener is the CEO of Global CIF, LLC, an international business consulting company, focusing on startup businesses and international trade shows. Global CIF also represents companies from China, Thailand, India, UAE, and Germany here in the USA. One of the events organized by Global CIF is Kids Business Expo next year in February at the Cobb Galleria Centre. The event will focus on providing a platform for young entrepreneurs in the age group 12-18. Attendees can participate in seminars, workshops, and a listen to key note speaker and panel discussion. Information about the event is available at www.kidsbusinessexpo.com. We can be reached at 404-735- 5646.

Chandra Farley / Southface Energy Institute    For 17 years, Chandra Farley has directed special event and program operations for companies and nonprofits including Varsity Spirit Corporation, Spark Networks, TEDx, Architecture for Humanity and her family’s restaurant and catering business. In 2009, Chandra joined Southface Energy Institute to develop the facility rental and tours program as well as manage trainings, meetings and events at the award-winning Southface Eco Office. Over 150 corporations, nonprofits and government entities have hosted green meetings and events at the Eco Office including Coca-Cola, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and Xerox. Currently, as Special Projects Manager, Chandra directs program development and management for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Energy and Water Efficiency pilot program as well as the Grants to Green Initiative that funds metro Atlanta nonprofits to develop best practices in sustainability and implement cost-effective energy-, water- and resource-efficient upgrades. In addition, Chandra manages sustainable event metrics for Southface special events including the annual Greenprints conference and Visionary Dinner fundraiser. As a volunteer, Chandra is currently President-Elect of the Green Meeting Industry Council-Atlanta chapter, Communications Director with Architecture for Humanity Atlanta and Facilities Coordinator for TEDxYouth@TheBeltline. Felicia Phillips / Pink Power: A Mastermind Conference for Women   Melvin Brewer / 108B Events – Catering LLC Melvin Brewer is the owner of one of Atlanta’s fastest growing Event Planning and Catering Companies. He has been in business for over 12 years and the growth has been extremely exciting! At 108B Events- Catering you’re sure to have a refreshing dining experience tailored to fit your affair. They are truly a force to be reckoned with! They live by the motto “Whatever It Takes, Whatever the Party calls for!’ Service in the Spirit of Excellence!” Kimberly Miller / Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Development    

David Schenberg / BusyEvent Mobile    After 20 years of designing and managing tradeshows and live events of every type, David Schenberg has utilized numerous technologies focused on the same goal: creating a return for the time and money spent on marketing initiatives. So while people argue over ROI and ROO, ROA (Return on Action) focuses on tracking what people actually do, while measuring and reporting on it, and driving the sales process. David is a board member of the St. Louis MPI Chapter, and a very active industry netweaver. He is the co-founder of BusyEvent, a highly customizable multi-event mobile app that delivers ROA. David’s hobby job is as a spinning instructor blending his love for cycling and music together into getting paid to work out and relieve stress. Eric Olson / Zerista    Lisa Keilty / PMC2  Lisa Keilty, President of the Compliance Consulting firm PMC2 has spent over 26 years in the hospitality and meeting management industry. Lisa has led life sciences organizations of all sizes through numerous international projects, process improvements and SOP designs delivering business continuity and lowering risk. As a former Team Leader within Pfizer Incorporated, Lisa built a highly functioning meeting organization focused solely on healthcare meetings and interactions globally. Through knowledge of the industry, experience in healthcare compliance and procurement, Lisa has saved Life Sciences organizations over 30 million dollars, without sacrificing meeting quality or corporate integrity.    

Lori Harbin / TEP Catering   I have a passion for good food, helping projects succeed and spending quality time with my loved ones. So it should surprise no one that these passions led me directly into the special events industry. After graduating from Trinity University, I started my career at the UPS Corporate Headquarters where one of my responsibilities was planning departmental meetings and events. My love for this piece of her job led me to seek out a position with a full service special event company and soon she I coordinating corporate picnics and family days for groups up to 20,000 at The Fun Company. However, my passion for sales and marketing, along with a passion for fabulous food, ultimately led to my current position as the Director of Taste Experiences at TEP Catering. I currently serve as the President-Elect for ISES Greater Atlanta and am an active member of MPI, ICA, and WIPA. Erica Prewett / A Big To Do Event     Erica Prewett is the President and Lead Planner with A Big To Do Event. Erica serves as VP of Programs & Education with ISES.    

Shawna McKinley / MeetGreen    Shawna McKinley is a sustainability specialist who believes in the power of events to make the world a better place. In her work as Director of Sustainability at MeetGreen®, she helps event professionals take practical, smart steps to improve their events through zero waste and carbon conscious choices that generate social good, business value, and happy event participants. You can catch more about her adventures in event sustainability on her blog, Eventcellany. Jemilah Senter / Association Forum of Chicagoland     Originally from Waukegan, IL, Senter earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing communications from Columbia College Chicago. She has been a marketing and communications professional from more than 15 year. Prior to joining Association Forum of Chicagoland in February, 2013, Senter spent the previous 8 years in various roles of increasing responsibility at the supplemental educational publisher, ETA hand2mind, where she received the Rookie of the Year Award in 2005 and the Marge Goldman ‘Attitude is Everything’ Award in 2010. Senter is a member of the Business Marketing Association Chicago where she currently serves on the membership committee and is also a member of ASAE, IAEE and AM&P. Nancy Zavada / MeetGreen and GMIC     

Candice Crossfield / Kellen Company Candice Crossfield proudly serves as the Manager, Meetings & Expositions at the Kellen Company. Candice was previously with Electric Cities of Georgia (ECG) and has been instrumental in event coordination and member services while at ECG. Prior to ECG, Candice worked in hospitality sales for the Ritz-Carlton, Monte Carlo Productions and Disney Regional Entertainment. Candice holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Georgia State University. She is the past president of GaMPI. A native of Georgia, Candice interests include traveling, music and reading. She has a wonderful little boy, Brantley. Larry Greene / Greene Worldwide Transportation  Greene Worldwide Transportation has been in business for 25 years. We are a 24/7 transportation company with someone in our office 24 hours a day to help you with your every need. Whether you need leisure, corporate or group transportation, we have a large, late model fleet of sedans,5 passenger suvs, vans, 6,10,14 passenger stretch limousines, 31 passenger minibuses and 56 passenger motor coaches to fit all of your needs.    

James Montague / Plannernet    James Montague has been Plannernet’s CEO since 2003. Prior to becoming CEO, James served as the Company’s COO, after holding a position on Plannernet’s Strategic Advisory Board. Under James’s leadership, Plannernet has expanded its lines of business, as well as moved into international markets. Prior to joining Plannernet, James was a Vice President with Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T) with various duties, including business development, during his ten year tenure with BB&T. James was a founding member of the International Medical Meeting Planners Association (IMMPA), as well as is a member of Meeting Professional International (MPI). James played a key role in the initial development of the Certified Medical Meeting Manager (CMMM) program – currently the Healthcare (HC) designation in the Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) program. Active in community affairs, James is a past Treasurer of the Durham Urban Ministries Homeless Shelter, a past President of a local children’s athletic association, and was selected to participate in the Durham Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Program. James graduated from Elon University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration while participating in the Honors Program.          

Tess Vismale / Atlanta Technical College   Tess Vismale serves as the Conference Center Manager at Atlanta Technical College and Senior Event Lead at the prestigious Atlanta Botanical Garden. She is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Digital Event Strategist (DES). Tess is active with Meeting Professionals International Georgia Chapter (GaMPI), Association of Conference Collegiate Event Directors International, PCMA, and GMICAtlanta. Her entrepreneurial acumen and techno savvy talents were commissioned for the coveted TEDxPeachtree conference and she was heralded as a ‘Who’s Who in Black Atlanta’ honoree. Vismale was featured in the “How To…” edition of Connect Meeting Intelligence Magazine’s article, entitled “How I Work: Tess Vismale on Executing Events.” Vismale was named named “Meetings Trendsetter 2014” by Meetings Focus Magazine, awarded the Shining Star Award from GaMPI and Phenomenal Speaker Award from American Business Women’s Association. She was also co-presenter at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and PCMA’s Convening Leaders Conferences, both on the subject of Tech Tools for professionals. Vismale is contributing editor for The Eco Review Magazine and Event Tech Consultant of The Meeting Pool. A native Chicagoan by way of Atlanta, she holds a certificate in Conference Meeting Management from the University of Georgia and a BA degree from Spelman College. In her spare time, Vismale enjoys social media, creative visionary thinking, playing tennis and watching mixed martial arts (MMA). @tessvis Stephanie Hudson / Providence Events  Stephanie Hudson has over 20 years experience in the event management industry and has used her passion to plan various types of conferences, meetings, special events for corporations, associations and non-profit organizations. Ms. Hudson’s experience has included working at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in both the public relations and catering sales departments. During her tenure at the Omni, she was able to be a part of the 1996 Olympics hotel’s planning team. She’s also worked at a hallmark company specializing in corporate events furthering her vast knowledge and experience before starting her own business. Ms. Hudson has been an independent meeting planner for over 10 years and this role has allowed her to plan meetings and events in major cities throughout the United States as well as internationally. She focuses on handling all the details from conception to completion for clients. She has a degree in Journalism, Bachelors of Arts from Southern University. She is an active member of the Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and was nominated as “Volunteer of the Year” in 2011.    

Tara Morrison / Association Management Executives       

Christian Monckeberg / MTechProMedia    Christian Monckeberg first became interested in the entertainment industry in 2009, after becoming a YouTube video blogger. He quickly saw a future in media creation. With a degree in business management, he learned how to lead teams and finish projects, which prepared him for the fast-paced environment of filmmaking and online video production. After college he launched himself into the freelance world and his rapidly growing client base prompted him to open his own production company, “MTechProMedia.” To date, Christian has directed short films, commercials, and promotional media. Some of his clientele include Cumulus Radio, KBX fitness, Eye Click Media, Legends Football League, and RealView TV. Cory Miller / SuperKamiGuru9000   Cory Miller Took a firm interest in Video Journalism in 2010. After two years of College and working in various fields of work, he began SuperKamiGuru9000 as a way of expressing his love for anime and pop culture. This YouTube page would soon gain a large following and would blossom into one of the premier anime and pop culture blogs on YouTube. After 4 years Experiencing video blogging and traveling to conventions for coverage, much of Cory’s Time is spent maintaining his website, releasing daily content, and reaching out to fans through various media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. Cory is truly the voice of the fans and his dedication and his passion is second to none. Casey Cote / Omnience   Casey Cote is the Chief Executive Officer for Omnience. Joining the company in 1995, Casey established its strategic direction as the industry leader in marketing event management and a technology innovator. He launched initiatives that made the company a pioneer in applying technology to the challenges of managing a large portfolio of events. Casey is also actively involved in managing customer relationships and directing the company’s expansion into new markets. Prior, Casey managed forecasting and budgets at Sprint. This financial background has aided the company in many areas, such as the acquisition of Corelan. Noelle Jackson / Elle PR & Events    Noelle Jackson founded Elle PR & Events to give each unique brand the full attention they and their products and services deserve, and to help them deliver that extra little zing that separates them from the competition. Her professional evolution began at an early age in the performing arts world, and the transition into marketing and events came naturally. Elle PR & Events specializes in presenting your business in the best possible light and reaching its target audience. We do this through creative marketing, relationship building and special event management. Our diverse industry experience, work ethic and passion for continually finding new and better ways to do what we do has led to many client successes. Areas of service include: public relations and creative marketing strategy, corporate events and social media management.    

Mitchell Beer / Smarter Shift    Mitchell Beer is President of Smarter Shift, an Ottawa-based company that specializes in:  Content generation, management, and marketing  Social media strategy design and delivery  Climate and energy communications  Low-carbon meeting design  Conference content capture. Beer is curator of The Energy Mix, a twice-weekly newsmagazine on energy, climate change, and the transition to a low-carbon future. He traces his work as a renewable energy/energy efficiency communicator to October 1977, and began working in climate change communications, research, and advocacy in 1997. John Walls / CTIA       John Walls joined CTIA-The Wireless Association® in 2004, assuming the position of Vice President, Public Affairs. Walls’ primary responsibilities are supervising external and internal communications, which include the association’s web site, www.ctia.org, as well as the efforts of its research and creative staff. He also serves as Treasurer of the Wireless Foundation. Prior to his joining CTIA, Walls was a television news and sports anchor for nearly 25 years, most recently anchoring the evening newscasts for NBC-affiliate KJRH-TV in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 2000 to 2004. Walls was a member of the original anchor team for Fox Sports Net and was based in Los Angeles from 1996 to 2000. He has also served as Sports Director for three television stations, including from 1984 to 1996 for KTUL-TV and KOTV in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He began his broadcasting career in 1978 at WWVU-TV, a PBS affiliate, in Morgantown, West Virginia before serving as host of the syndicated television program, “PM Magazine” in Texas. Walls has received numerous awards for his work in broadcasting, notably Regional News Emmys for his reporting on methamphetamine in Oklahoma and his on-location anchoring of the Timothy McVeigh execution. Walls graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism.

    Lori Harbin/TEP Catering  I have a passion for good food, helping projects succeed and spending quality time with my loved ones. So it should surprise no one that these passions led me directly into the special events industry. After graduating from Trinity University, I started my career at the UPS Corporate Headquarters where one of my responsibilities was planning departmental meetings and events. My love for this piece of her job led me to seek out a position with a full service special event company and soon she I coordinating corporate picnics and family days for groups up to 20,000 at The Fun Company. However, my passion for sales and marketing, along with a passion for fabulous food, ultimately led to my current position as the Director of Taste Experiences at TEP Catering. I currently serve as the President-Elect for ISES Greater Atlanta and am an active member of MPI, ICA, and WIPA.   Jan Harlin Levie/A Handy Little Company Jan provides event entertainment, fusing her sense of the off-beat with knowledge, skills, and talents gained working in the performing arts, entertainment, education, corporations, diverse countries, cultures, and different age groups to create beautiful and profound events celebrating great moments in her clients’ lives. On top of that, we just have fun, and so do our clients. We create events that people will talk about for many years to come. Specialties: Naja Elieva of A Handy Little Company entertains as a fortune teller and psychic, fabulously costumed, for events large and small, corporate and private, and for all ages. Perfect for conventions, trade shows, pre- and post-event cocktail hour, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, client and employee appreciation events, birthday parties, family reunions, dinner parties, wedding and baby showers. Naja Elieva will amaze and delight your guests with her brilliant costuming, wit, humor, and kindness. We have also introduced Handwriting analysis and LipsReadings™ as on- and off-site forms of event entertainment. We have begun partnering with educational institutions to develop multi-sensory, interactive conference programs. These learning environments provide participants with experiential training or continuing education units which enhance job performance and productivity, but most importantly, personal engagement.   Tasha Jackson/9eighteen Events & Company    Tasha Jackson is the Principal Planner and Owner of 9eighteen Events & Company. 9eighteen Events derived from the day that changed our Principal Planners life, 9/18/2004- her wedding day. Through her vision, we’ve become a team of planners who find the greatest satisfaction in producing life-changing events. Offering planning and styling services, 9eighteen Events is a boutique event company serving Atlanta and beyond. From concept to coordination, we provide our clients with a unique perspective that only passion and experience can deliver. With a savvy eye for detail, our boutique prides itself in executing custom-tailored affairs that boast quality and Elegance with an Edge. coordination, proposals, personal affairs, vendor management, design and style consulting and much more. Become a part of the 9eighteen family; the family who believes in specifics, is driven by details and boast exceptional organization skills. Allow us to relieve your stress of planning and take your event to places unimaginable, by infusing your personal vision with our uncommon flare.        

Dahlia El Gazzar/The Meeting Pool    The Meeting Pool is the go-to source for event professionals to gain intel on everything event tech related, social media, and apps. The heart of Meeting Pool is the event tech decision engine where event professionals can do their research, make smarter choices, compare tech solutions side-by- side, and view peer reviews and ratings.                  

Kelley Whetsell / Meeting Demands, LLC    Interested parties can register for the upcoming September 2014 event at www.contentmarketingworld.com. Use the code BusinessRadioX (case sensitive) to receive $100 off registration fees to attend the event.  

  Chari Leitch, Lorri McQueary and Jessica Park   Lorri McQueary/Destination South Meetings and Events  Lorri McQueary has been applying her creative approach to meetings and special events since 2002. In this time she has produced attention-getting events ranging from intimate gatherings to parties for 12,000. Her background in advertising as well as visual and performing arts allows her to deliver concepts for guest experiences that are dynamic, message driven and right on target with the client’s identity and goals. She has worked closely with both entrepreneurs and international corporations to create successful brand and event identity through collateral design strategies, custom event concepts, award winning product launches, theatrical meeting openers and a wide variety of entertainment and breakout sessions. Lorri has been an active member in the International Special Event Society, Atlanta Chapter, since 2004. In this time she has served in both committee and director roles. In 2010, she was named to the executive board as Vice President of Communications and was honored with the President’s Award in 2011. In 2005, Lorri was honored with an ADME Rising Star Award. She was also profiled in the 2010 summer issue of Atlanta Occasions Magazine as one of ten “Most Influential Planners in Atlanta.” At her events, Lorri is most likely to be found hoping to ditch a headset and join the back-up dancers. Chari Leitch/CSL Entertainment  CSL Entertainment helps meeting planners, corporate event professionals and non-profits find the perfect speakers and entertainers to insure their next event will truly shine. If you are looking for a keynote speaker to inform, educate or inspire your attendees, we have you covered. If you are looking for a musician for an intimate experience or to rock your house, we can do that too! As an entertainment agent, and Southern Region Director of Bruce Merrin’s Celebrity Speakers & Entertainment Bureau, we’re here to help you create the perfect package for your next event. No matter what your budget or event size, call CSL Entertainment for all your speaker and entertainment needs.    

  Kristi Casey Sanders and Sophia Chin of Plan Your Meetings along with BRX Host Jessica Park   Kristi Casey Sanders and Sophia Chin/Plan Your Meetings     As VP of Creative/Chief Storyteller for Atlanta MetropolitanPublishing, Kristi Casey Sanders oversees content, community andexperiences for its Plan Your Meetings, Encore Atlanta andPoshDealz.com brands. She is an award-winning writer and creativedirector who’s covered the arts, business and travel industries since2003. Prior to joining the AMP team, she entertained audiences andtrained corporate groups with Boom Chicago Comedy Theater from itshome base in Amsterdam and throughout Northern Europe. She educatesgroups frequently on the topics of sustainability, proving ROI, hybridevent platforms and other business-related technology. She is a GoogleExplorer and broadcasts educational webinars and talk show-stylehangouts fromYoutube.com/PlanYourMeetings andYoutube.com/EncoreAtlantaVids.  Sophia Chin is a social media manager with Plan Your Meetings, and anoccasional contributor to Encore Atlanta and Plan Your Meetings.