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ConventionPlanit.com gets inside the brains of meeting professionals. How? Before we launched the site, we asked meeting professionals what they need in a Web portal. What they told us is what you see on ConventionPlanit.com!
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Elizabeth Carter
Senior Enterpise Event Planner
Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
Fairfield, IA
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Elizabeth Carter joined Cambridge in 2022 and has more
than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry.
In her current role, Carter helps enterprises at Cambridge
plan conferences and meetings. She also assists Cambridge s
Event Planning Team to coordinate other industry-related
events for financial professionals. Carter earned a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Public Relations from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Carter has been planning financial conferences and events for 16 years, many of which were spent in Washington D.C. as the Senior Meeting Planner at Investment Company Institute (ICI). |
Ray Ezelle
Executive Director
Discover Dunwoody
Dunwoody, GA
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Ray is a senior hospitality sales, marketing, event and business development executive, with more than 25 years of Industry experience. Ezelle has served as Vice President of Sales, Sports and Services with Visit Virginia s Blue Ridge, Roanoke, Virginia; Executive Vice President of Business Development, Connections Housing, Suwanee, Georgia; Vice President, Connect Meetings, Norcross, Georgia; and Area Director of Sales and Marketing, PCH Hotels Resort Collection on Alabama RTJ Golf Trail. Ray founded Total Hospitality Industry Solutions (THIS) in Suwanee with Gary Schirmacher, another industry veteran.
Discover Dunwoody is the official destination marketing organization for Dunwoody, which is located in the Atlanta Perimeter area. |
Cecilia Ferrara
Associate Director, Seminars, Colleges and Webinars
American Association for Justice
Washington, DC
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Cecilia has over a decade of non-profit administration experience, with a focus on meeting and event management. After assisting her previous association with their conferences and board meetings, she oversaw the launch of their Educational Institute s own Global Trade Educational Conference (G.TEC) in 2015, doubling attendance within the first 5 years and successfully migrating it to a virtual event in 2020. Managing the conference from conception to completion, Cecilia found ConventionPlanit to be an invaluable tool in the site selection process. They are an incredible resource, from RFP Valet to making hotel and location recommendations, she says. I cannot thank or recommend them enough. She is now the Associate Director of Seminars, Colleges, and Webinars at the American Association for Justice, where she oversees the organization s educational programs, including several in-person and virtual events per year.
Cecilia earned a Professional Event Management Certificate from GW School of Business in 2020 and is actively working towards her CMP designation, which she hopes to receive by the end of the year. |
Karin Soyster Fitzgerald, MNM, CMP, CAE
Retired Association Executive
AMC Institute Meetings Consultant
Fairfax, VA
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Karin Fitzgerald is an experienced association executive who lives and breathes non-profits. She retired from full-time association work in March 2025, but continues to serve the industry as an association and meetings consultant. Her most recent positions include COO of the AMC Institute, which represents association management companies, COO of the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, and COO and deputy executive director of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Fitzgerald began her association career at the American Subcontractors Association in the mid-80s and has worked for several industries serving in various departments, including meetings, education, membership services, human resources and government affairs. Karin has extensive leadership experience as a volunteer of several professional societies and associations, including the American Society of Association Executives; the Professional Convention Management Association, where she served as president of the Capital Chapter; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute Program, where she served as chairman of the Northeast Board of Trustees; and the Association of Meeting Professionals, where she served as chairman of the board. Fitzgerald holds a B.S. from Radford University, and a Masters of Nonprofit Management from Liberty University. She is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management, with the IOM designation. Fitzgerald is also a Qualified Administrator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®. When she is not working or traveling with her husband, you'll find her out with one of her 12 nieces or nephews or fundraising for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. |
Aggie Kobrin
Founder and Director
CEC Global Events
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Aggie Kobrin is the founder and director of CEC Global Events, a dynamic event planning company based in Irvine, California. With extensive experience in the industry, she has successfully organized events ranging from intimate gatherings of 50 participants to large-scale conferences hosting thousands.
A passionate space advocate, Aggie has been instrumental in managing key events for the National Space Society (NSS). Since 2018, her company has overseen the International Space Development Conference (ISDC). Aggie also serves as the Managing Editor of "Ad Astra," the society's award-winning quarterly magazine. Aggie's expertise extends beyond space-related events. She has been a creative force in the entertainment industry, contributing to several independent transformational films and television shows. Her work often involves planning launches, coordinating red carpet events, talent acquisition, and film distribution. |
Darlene Lyons
Executive Vice President
T3 Events
Las Vegas, Nevada
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Darlene Lyons is the founder and President of EzEvents, Inc. She is an active Author, trainer and speaker on the subject of professional event management. She has over 25 years of experience and has been responsible for the planning and execution of over 5,000 events on the North American continent.
She has worked with many of the worlds leading speakers and entertainers, and thrives on the excitement of the event industry. Darlene is responsible for the day-to-day operations of EzEvents. Her role includes leadership of the event teams, strategic development and execution of new event strategies, new business development, and event execution.
Prior to creating EzEvents in 2000, Darlene was the Director of Events for a global home portal, Homes.com. In that role she and her team managed over 30 events a month, resulting in record sales and rapid growth. Darlene currently serves as Past President a Director at the Orangevale Chamber of Commerce. In 2012 she cofounded The Orangevale Food Bank. She has a passion for street ministry and enjoys being involved in the community.
I enjoy using the many features offered by Convention Planit.com. I often depend on the site to get my job done with ease regardless if the event task is big or small, she says.
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Kasey R. McNeil, CEM
Director of Meetings & Exhibits
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Washington, DC
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Kasey McNeil has been a meeting planner for more than 17 years. She has led management of exhibits for annual conferences and other events for numerous associations. McNeil has worked with the International & American Association for Dental Research, AAPA, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), where she managed exhibits for the annual citywide convention as well as the association s smaller conferences.
McNeil has also served as the Exhibit Operations and Events Manager at the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)/Digestive Disease Week (DDW), where she managed exhibits for the annual citywide convention, including security, expo floor and vendors, general contractors, and 250-450 ancillary meetings and industry supported seminars during each conference. Prior to working in conference planning, McNeil worked in hotel management for eight years as a banquet manager and catering sales manager at hotels such as the Hilton, Embassy Suites and Doubletree.
Her favorite feature of ConventionPlanit.com is RFP OrganizationSM. She particularly enjoys the platform's ability to organize quotes for service providers without having to re-key any information. "I would highly recommend this free service to both meeting planners and tradeshow managers," she says.
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Mary Power, FASAE, CAE, CMP
Executive Coach
MPowering Leaders Executive Counciling
Arlington, Virginia
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Well-known industry player Mary Power planned on entering the profession ever since her days at Michigan State University, where she majored in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management.
In her new role as the Presidnet & CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, she will undertake the unique challenge of understanding the
complexities of CBBB's mission and how all of the pieces fit together. She will also focus on helping people understand what CBBB and its chapters do.
Most recently, she was a Principal at Celtic Partners, a Virginia consulting firm. Power's leadership skills distinguish her in the industry. As a past President & CEO of
the Convention Industry Council (CIC), she fostered consensus on the industry's biggest issues among the 32
meetings-related associations that belong to the CIC.
She also served as the Executive Director of the Human Resource Certification Institute, where she worked to strengthen the Institute's international presence. She made HRCI's certification designations a worldwide standard for the HR profession. She has a broad perspective on the industry, having worked for Sheraton and InterContinental Hotels for 20 years.
Always looking for new ideas herself, Power is a big fan of the "Stellar Tips" section of ConventionPlanit.com, where she finds some of the best new ideas from meeting professional colleagues.
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Valerie Sumner
Principal
VRS Meetings & Events Inc.
McLean, Virginia
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Valerie Sumner is a visionary leader and industry expert with a proven track record in event management, strategic planning, and business development. As the Principal and Owner of VRS Meetings & Events, Inc., which she founded in 2005 with her sister, Valerie has consistently driven growth by expanding services globally, developing creative solutions, and fostering client relationships built on trust and results. Her career spans three decades, including leadership roles at The TCI Companies, where she managed corporate strategy, operations, and financial planning for a national destination management company. Throughout her career, Valerie has worked with diverse clients, from non-profit organizations to Fortune 500 corporations, providing innovative sponsorship activations, dynamic learning environments, and meaningful event experiences. A recognized thought leader, she actively contributes to the industry through advisory roles, conference presentations, and board memberships, including her role as the 2020 Chair of the PCMA Foundation Board of Trustees. Known for her strategic insight and hands-on leadership, Valerie's passion for connecting people and crafting impactful events continues to set her apart in the business events landscape. |
Annette M. Suriani, CMP, CFMP, DES
Principal and Meeting Strategist
AMS Meetings Solutions
Fairfax, Virginia
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Annette M. Suriani, CMP, CFMP, DES is chief business events strategist for AMS Meetings Solutions, an association and meetings management firm she founded in 2012. She has been an event planner for 20+ years working with professional societies, trade associations, Boards of Certification, faith-based groups, Foundations and social groups. She has a proven track record managing trade shows and annual meetings. Annette is a well-respected leader in the meetings industry not only through her business but through her volunteer commitments with PCMA Capital Chapter, PCMA Headquarters and Kids Give Back. She also hones her event planning skills by serving as the Chairman of the Social Committee for the 200 unit condominium complex she lives in by planning monthly events that include wine and cheese tastings, Zumba classes and happy hours.
She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Association of Meeting Professionals and works with approximately half a dozen clients on their annual meetings and events. |
Carrine V. M. Todman-Lewis, DBA, MTA, CMP, CVEP
Meeting Industry Consultant/Event Strategist
Washington, DC Metro
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Carrine Todman-Lewis is an accomplished meeting industry professional with 10 years of progressively responsible experience planning and managing conferences, meetings, and special events for government and association clients for audiences ranging from 25 to more than 2,500. Carrine has extensive meeting industry knowledge and a proven track record of success in customer service excellence. She is a personable and influential communicator with exceptional organization, financial management, and contract negotiation skills. Carrine was the conference lead on the team that won the 2009 Assistant Secretary s Outstanding Contractor award from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. She was the 2005 recipient of the Maralyn Eisenstodt Scholarship, which recognizes a professional dedicated to a career in meetings and hospitality. She is a Certified Meeting Professional and a Certified Government Meeting Professional. She recently added Certified Virtual Event Producer to her repertoire. She is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association, where she serves on the Emerging Professionals Committee and is a student mentor. She is also a member of the Society of Government Meeting Professionals.
Carrine earned a Master s degree in Event and Meeting Management and a Professional Event Management Certificate from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. She also earned undergraduate degrees in Business Administration Marketing and Business Management Technology from the University of the Virgin Islands, in St. Thomas, VI. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration degree with a Leadership specialization at Walden University. Her area of research interest is service quality in the hotel industry.
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Pamela Wimmer, CMP
Events/Marketing Manager
Eversheds Sutherland
Washington, District of Columbia
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Pamela Wimmer is an experienced meeting/event professional with a comprehensive knowledge of contract negotiation, budget management, program development, as well as pre-event and post-event analysis.
Pamela has vast experience overseeing meetings and planning events such as receptions, board meetings, board dinners, annual business meetings and other events. She has produced all facets of event management including: timeline and task list development, site selections, vendor selection, contract negotiations, catering, decor/theme, entertainment, invitations, seating assignment, staff scheduling and travel, registration logistics, onsite event management, and closing out the event.
She is a graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Arts, Advertising/Pubic Relations degree.
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David Williams, CMP
President
Administrative Management Services, Inc.
Cleveland, Ohio
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David L. Williams has a broad range of experience from several perspectives and over 30+ years within the association/conference management industry. Prior to founding Williams Management Services and subsequently Administrative Management Services (AMS), Williams worked as Director of Meetings and Events for the National Association for Business Economists. In 1991, he developed a full-service association and conference management firm named Administrative Management Services. Since its inception, AMS has managed 100's of conferences and several associations with a membership base from 50 to 5000. With offices in Ohio and New York, AMS and Williams are noted in the association management & hospitality industry for their integrity and attention to detail. Williams, through AMS, handles real estate property management services as well.
Throughout his career, Williams has been involved in a number of different industries including: energy, communications, economics and information technology. A recognized professional in the field, Williams speaks and writes regularly on issues within the industry. He is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). He is Past Chair of the International Relations Task Force and Committee of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), past member of the Board of Directors of PCMA and a past Trustee member of PCMA's Education Foundation. |
Trish Williams
Senior Executive Assistant
PRIDE Philanthropy
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Trish Williams is a seasoned professional with over 38 years of experience in administrative, computer, and customer support. Beyond her thriving career, Trish is a dedicated martial artist, currently holding a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Her journey in martial arts is a testament to years of commitment and discipline. When she's not immersed in the intricacies of technology, Trish is an avid reader, exploring new worlds through the pages of captivating books. At home, she shares her space with two feline companions, Greyin and Mauve, who infuse her daily life with playful joy.
Her leadership shines through her five-year tenure as the Director of Corporate Operations with PRIDE Philanthropy s predecessor, Lyons Associates, in Aspen, Colorado. In this role, she managed computer systems, software, the company website, corporate mailings, and orchestrated meetings and seminars.
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