The Business of Meetings

Today, we are delighted to be speaking to a true professional! We have Gus Vonderheide, the Vice President of Global Sales for Hyatt, joining us. Gus has a unique perspective of our industry. He is a long-time volunteer in various associations and is always focused on sales and delivering value.   In this episode, Gus talks to us about group and business travel, what is changing in the industry, a...

Today, we are delighted to speak to a great leader in our industry! Janet Dell, the President and COO of Freeman, joins us today to talk about people, culture, technology, and what the data Freeman collected tells them about the future of the meetings and events industry.  We hope you enjoy listening to our insightful discussion with Janet today! Janet Dell's bio Janet Dell's impressive track reco...

Today we are delighted to be speaking to an amazing and inspiring leader in our industry, Dr. Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen! Dr. Debbie was chosen as the 2020 Most Inspirational Woman in Entertainment Middle East and the Female CEO of the Year.    In this episode, Dr. Debbie has a lot to share about mentorship, managing people, and the importance of building trust.  We hope you enjoy listening to to...

Today we have the great pleasure of talking to Amy Calvert, the CEO of the Events Industry Council! Over time, Amy has gained a unique perspective on where the meetings and events industry is coming from and where it is going. In this episode, Amy shares her insights and talks about the valuable resources available on the EIC website. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation with Amy today!...

We have the great pleasure of speaking to an amazing leader in our industry today! Jason Dunn is the Vice President of Diversity Sales and Inclusion for the Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is also the former Chairman of the Board of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals and the current Co-chair of the Equity Task Force of the Global Events Industry Council. In this ep...

Welcome to another episode of The Business of Meetings Podcast! We are delighted to have Ami Kassar joining us today! Ami is a knowledgeable finance expert. He is the Founder and CEO of MultiFunding, and he has also written a book called The Growth Dilemma: Determining Your Entrepreneurial Type to Find Your Financing Comfort Zone .  In this episode, Ami shares his insights on the various aspects o...

We are delighted to be speaking to another amazing entrepreneur today! Cesar Quintero coaches and advises people with the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). He is joining us on the show today to share his knowledge and expertise.  In this episode, Cesar talks about the EOS operating system. He also discusses the different stages of entrepreneurship and explains the importance of vulnerability...

Today, you are in for a treat! We are excited and honored to be speaking to Richard Kane, the CEO of VeriJet. Richard is also the CEO of the Inc. 500 company, Coastal Technologies Group.  Richard is an amazing individual who is changing the way people travel! In this episode, he shares his fascinating story, talks about what he is doing to revolutionize air travel, and shares his goals for the fut...

We are honored and happy to be speaking to an incredible businessperson today! Mike Massari is the Chief Sales Officer of Caesars Entertainment and the new Co-chair of Meetings Mean Business. Mike has had a massive impact on the Meetings and Events industry. In today's episode, he talks about his career and discusses how he operates his business. He also explains the value of Meetings Mean Busines...

Today, we have the great pleasure of speaking to Melissa Smith! Melissa is a pioneer in the world of virtual assistants. She is the Founder and CEO of the Association of Virtual Assistants and the PVA (The Personal Virtual Assistant). She is also the bestselling author of Hire the Right Virtual Assistant and Become a Successful Virtual Assistant . Melissa is with us today to explain what defines t...

We are happy to be speaking to another inspiring leader in our industry today! Vince LaRuffa is the Senior Vice-President of Resort Marketing at the Universal Orlando Resort. He is joining us today to share his experience and offer some great advice.  In this episode, Vince talks about what he did during the pandemic, how he leads his team, work-life balance, and how he used to be an amazing drumm...

We are happy to be speaking to a highly respected icon in our industry today! Brad Mayne is the President and CEO of IAVM (International Association of Venue Managers). He has had a phenomenal career and is joining us today to talk about his experiences.  In this episode, Brad shares his most cherished memories of the MetLife Stadium, explains what it was like to work with Mark Cuban, and talks ab...

We are excited to be speaking to a rockstar in the ticketing industry today! Maureen Andersen, the CEO of INTIX (International Ticketing Association), is joining us! Maureen has done everything imaginable within the ticketing industry and is very well-known and respected for her insight and perspective. In this episode, Maureen shares her story and explains what it takes to ensure that the show go...

We have the great honor of speaking to an icon in our industry today! Corbin Ball, aka Mr. Technology, is an influential leader who has been sharing his knowledge, insights, and technological discoveries for many years! He was inducted into the Events Industry Council's Hall of Leaders in 2018 and was named the most influential person in the Top 25, five times! In this episode, Corbin talks to us...

We have the great pleasure of speaking to the one and only Nicholas Kusmich today! Nicholas is an entrepreneur who has had tons of experience with Facebook ads and online advertising campaigns. He is joining us to talk about what you, as a business owner, should be doing about your advertising and marketing. He will also explain what is happening currently in the worlds of Facebook and Apple.  We...

Today, we have the pleasure of speaking to another amazing person! We are delighted to have Kevin Kirby, the Executive Director of the MPI Foundation, joining us as our guest!  Kevin started his career with companies like Universal and Disney and went on to work for Hard Rock International. He has a lot of knowledge and some great points to share today that will benefit everyone in our industry! ...

We're delighted to speak with an icon of sales today! Jack Daly is a fascinating individual with an amazing track record! He is all about numbers. Jack has spoken all over the world and trained thousands of people. He has built six companies to become national firms, two of which were sold to Wall Street companies. Jack has fifteen "Iron Man" titles. He has played golf at over ninety-five of the t...

We are happy to be speaking to Panos Tzivanidis, the Director of Corporate Events and Services for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), today.  Panos has a lot to share about the power of networking, time, talent, technology, the Tokyo Olympic Games, and what is going on in the events industry. We hope you will enjoy our conversation!  Panos Tzivanidis's bio: Panos Tzivanidis is the Director...

We feel honored and privileged to be speaking to a fascinating leader today! Captain L. David Marquet is the founder and owner of a company called Intent-Based Leadership International. He is a former nuclear submarine Commander, a Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the books Turn the Ship Around , and Leadership is Language . He is also a global keynote speaker. In this episode, he shares...

We are delighted to be speaking to an icon in our industry today! David DuBois, the current President and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE,) is joining us!  David DuBois has tailor-made the industry to fit his experience and style of leadership. In this episode, he will talk to us about what the IAEE does, the Exhibition Day on Capitol Hill, and the Women's Lead...

We are both honored and delighted to be speaking to Randy Pennington today! Randy is very well-known in our industry. Not only is he a great thinker, but he is also someone who can look into implementing strategies that positively impact your organization, your business, or yourself. He is a leading voice in our industry who has been involved with many major industry associations and he has also w...

We have the great pleasure of speaking to the one, and only, Julius Solaris today! In this episode, Julius tells us his story. He talks about his career, virtual versus in-person, the future of meetings, and how to use the different social media platforms. We are sure you will enjoy listening to our inspiring conversation with Julius Solaris! Julius Solaris bio Julius Solaris is the head of engage...

We are honored to be speaking to Olamide "Ola" Awofeso today! Ola started her career in Public Relations, and she later created her own consulting company. Ola also does marketing and works with non-profits through multicultural events. Before that, she used to be with an agency where she worked on accounts like Walmart, J&J, Loreal, and Procter and Gamble. Ola is also a rockstar on Clubhouse! She...

We are delighted to be speaking to Ron Lovett today! Ron is a fascinating entrepreneur! He built a unique security company in Canada and then sold it. He has also written some books, and he has been on various boards and involved in different projects. We are sure you are going to enjoy hearing our intriguing conversation and Ron's inspiring stories today! Ron Lovett's bio: Ron Lovett is an Atlant...

You are in for a treat today! We are delighted to be speaking to Ashanti Bentil-Dhue. Ashanti is the CEO of EventMind, which provides training and consultancy for businesses looking to engage virtually with their audience. She comes from the corporate world where she was Regulatory Compliance AVP for Santander Bank, Barclaycard, and the Financial Ombudsman Service. Ashanti co-created the UK's firs...