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Peach BeatPeach Beat
Inside this issue:
President’s Post 2
Treasury Corner 3
SGMP National Information 3
Membership Update 4
Member Spotlight 4
Charleston Hosts... 5
Chapter Meeting Recap 6
Supplier Hotel’s Flexibility Gains It More Government Business
6
Set Yourself Apart: Become a Certified Government Meeting Professional
7
The Grapevine 7
Upcoming Events 8
September 2014 ● October 2014 ● November 2014
The Southeast Regional Education Conference
(SREC) was held August 10 – 13, 2014 in
Peachtree City, Georgia at the Wyndham
Peachtree Conference Center. The conference
was planned by the five chapters in Region II;
Georgia Peach, Tennessee, Rocket City
Alabama, Florida Capital, and Central Florida.
The conference was designed to provide
attendees with Xtreme motivation and
empowerment as well as new ideas and
approaches to help them succeed in their work
through educational and networking sessions.
The conference theme was “Xtreme Planning”
and offered sessions such as Xtreme
Leadership, Xtreme Ethics, and Protocol
Matters.
More than 80 meeting professionals and
suppliers were in attendance. Col. Marshall S.
Irvin, Jr., commander of the 94th Mission
Support Group at Dobbins Air Reserve Base
(GA) opened the conference with his session
on Xtreme Leadership. His energetic and
interactive session provided attendees with
lessons in tactical leadership by using scenes
from the movie, King Arthur. His presentation
set the tone for the conference.
In addition to educational sessions, the
conference featured a trade show where
exhibitors were able to meet and network with
planners. Fun elements, such as a scavenger
hunt and a tour of
Cast House were
integrated into the
conference as well.
Participants were able
to receive a total of 10
educational contact hours for attending the
conference.
A CGMP Class,
taught by Garland
Preddy, CGMP was
offered three days
before the conference
began. CGMP
graduates were honored at a pinning ceremony on the
first day of the conference.
The conference was
a great
accomplishment for
all five chapters. We
look forward to
collaborating on
another fun and
educational
conference again
in the future!
www.sgmpgapeach.org www.sgmp.org
Stay Connected:
SREC 2014: Xtreme Fun By: Sajata Outin-Blenman
@SGMPGAPEACH SGMP GA Peach Chapter
Newsletter Chair: Twanda Broughton
Editor: Sajata Outin-Blenman
Peach Beat Page 2
The President’s Post
As we head into a season of giving thanks and gratefulness, I wanted to take this time to thank our
members for their continued support and to show my gratitude to each of you. The board and I have
been working hard with our committee chairs to bring you the type of benefits you seek; such as good
programming with contact hours.
We know you want better programs on advanced topics and we have lined up programs you can truly
use in your day-to-day operations. You want to know the future of government business and we will
keep you inform about how you can still gain business from the federal government – even now. In addi-
tion, of course you want to know how to get your return on investment for your membership dues. Look out for an upcoming mes-
sage that will explain how you can still benefit from federal business right now with the Ebola issue.
Headquarters has revamped its website and updated the information you asked to be visible on the site. In addition, we are working
to update our chapter’s site and add in resources that you can use to plan better meetings and tradeshows.
Our chapter was fortunate enough to be the host chapter for the recent Southeast Regional Education Conference in Peachtree City
at the Wyndham Hotel and Conference Center this past August. We were successful in that each chapter made a profit of a little
over $2,500. In September, the chapter met in Charleston, South Carolina for our September meeting. It was wonderful to see our
current and many of our past members who traveled with us. We learned the benefits of using our convention and visitor bureaus
(CVBs) as well as social media when you want to get the word out about your event. There was a lot of knowledge gained on how to
target your demographics so that your meeting will have the participation you desire. Then in October, we celebrated our chapter’s
suppliers. We allowed each of them to provide an overview of their properties. If you missed these events, we appreciate you and
hope we get to meet up with you as we make our rounds to our suppliers’ hotels in the coming weeks.
November is the month we set aside to show particular thanks giving to those around us. This is a time to be thankful for our family
and friends. This is a time to be grateful for our jobs and health. As well as a time to say thanks for those big and little things that
have touched our lives.
So as you wake each day, give thanks for those things you take for granted as I give thanks for all of you. Our members are a vital
part of our chapter, we hope you will continue to participate in the monthly activities and we hope you will join one of the commit-
tees.
Please do not forget about our holiday extravaganza in December at the Doubletree Hotel in Buckhead on December 13, 2014. If
you have not registered already to attend, please register now! We want to see you there. We are asking each member to bring a
guest(s) for this fun-filled event.
As I close out my message, I would like to wish you all a wonderful holiday season. I would like to wish you continued blessings and
hope they are abundant and your joys be plentiful. Have a safe and wonderful holiday.
LaTonya Blount, CGMP
President
Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 1
Treasury Corner Balance as of April 30, 2014: Checking: $30,419.54 Savings: $11,667.45
Income/Expenses - First Quarter 2014 Income: -$4,231.23 Expenses: $2,261.20 Difference: -$6,492.43
*Balances reflected are inclusive of the financials until September 30, 2014 and do not includes income and expenses for the regional conference. The balances will adjust
once all the expenses clear.
If you have any questions regarding the treasury report please feel free to contact Andrea Scott Murphy, ([email protected]) or
LaTonya Blount, President ([email protected]).
SGMP has launched a redesigned and enhanced database and website as a key component of our enhanced communications and marketing efforts. MEMBERS: Go to "Member Login" on this page. Your new username is the primary email address we have on file and your new and temporary password is Password1. Once you login, create a
new password.
2015 National Education Conference (NEC) & Expo in Minneapolis, MN The 2015 SGMP NEC & Expo will be held April 28–30, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN. This will be the 33rd Annual NEC — the biggest annual event in the government meetings industry — where government professionals from across the country come together for one-stop and non-stop education, resources, and networking. Additional information can be
found here: http://sgmp.org/conference/minneapolis.cfm.
SGMP Announces San Diego as the host of the 2016 National Education Conference & Expo. The 2016 NEC & Expo will be held in San Diego, California, on May 17-19, 2016, at the Town and Country Resort & Convention
Center.
SGMP National Information
President LaTonya Blount, CGMP She Plan Events Email: [email protected]
1st Vice President-Planner Andrea Scott Murphy, CMP, CGMP Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Email: [email protected]
2nd Vice President Tifanie Haun Georgia International Convention Center Email: [email protected]
Director - Planner Sharon Dickerson, MPA, CGMP Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Email: [email protected]
Director - Planner Sajata Outin-Blenman, CMP, CGMP Carter Consulting, Inc. Email: [email protected]
Director - Supplier Clarence Boone DeKalb CVB Email: [email protected]
Secretary Leza Young ICF Macro Email: [email protected]
SGMP GA Peach Board Members
Do Not Miss
!!
The January 2015 Chapter Meetin
g
will be dedicated to
chapter
transparency. B
e in th
e know.
Peach Beat Page 4
Member Spotlight! Member: Tracy Stewart
Employer: Chickasaw Advisory Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Job Title: General Manager
SGMP Join Date: Joined SGMP on September 1, 2009
Favorite Meeting Location: The Global Communications Center at CDC
Favorite Vacation Spot: Japan and St. Lucia
Hobbies: Singing, Reading and taking Sunday drives with my family.
Who is your mentor? My mother is the ultimate mentor in my life. She is God’s gift to me. She continuously inspires me to be the best me
I can be. She has always instilled in me that if I put God first and do my best, everything else will fall into place. She is the best mom
created just for me! When I grow up I want to be just like her.
Most interesting meeting/event experience. My first SGMP Southeast Regional Conference, which was held in Myrtle Beach. I met so
many people in the industry and that was great for me since I was new
to SGMP and the CDC. The educational classes were extremely
beneficial as a new government planner. We had the best time!
Most notable life experience. The day I met President Obama! It was
one of the best days in my life and career. He actually took the time to
stop, shake my hand and ask me about my day. I was as giddy as a
kid on Christmas morning!
Where would you like to be 10 years from now? I would love to
have a Bed and Breakfast.
Suppliers36%
Planners53%
Other11%
GA Peach Chapter Membership
Welcome New Members
Erett Falkie Emory Conference Center Hotel
Terry Maddlone Veeam Software
Carolyn Davis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Carolyn Headley Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Membership Update
Page 5 Volume 1, Issue 1
Charleston Hosts GA Peach SGMP
By Ruth E. Harris, CMP, CTAS, CGMP
The Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted the September meeting of the Georgia Peach Chapter September 19th – 21st. Bobby Pilch, Charleston CVB, worked with the Special Events Committee to put on a special weekend for the chapter. Chapter members who traveled to Charleston were lodged at the Holiday Inn Charleston Airport. The bus trip was filled with good conversation, refreshments and prizes. Prizes were awarded every hour during the trip. The weekend started with a welcome reception Friday evening hosted by the Holiday Inn. The hotel also sponsored a hearty breakfast meeting on Saturday morning with great educational sessions. Speakers at the education session included Dan Blumenstock, Director of Operations at Low Country Hotel, who spoke on the Benefits of Working with your Local CVB. Jamie Boatwright, Convention Sales Manager of the Augusta CVB, gave some insights on how the Augusta CVB works with planners. Bobby Pilch gave a very informative presentation on “How to Create an RFP for Solicitation”. He even shared a copy of what he considers to be the best RFP he has ever received. Last, but not least, Melanie Mathos, Vice President of Lou Hammond & Associates, taught us how to use ”Social Media for your Organization and Meetings”. We learned a lot about the type of venues that are available for meetings in Charleston, the number of hotel rooms and the new hotels that will be built in the Charleston area. After the educational session, the chapter took a bus tour of Charleston with a tour guide who was born in Charleston. When the tour ended, there was still time for shopping at the Market in downtown Charleston. Many members used this time to sample some of the low country cuisine as well as purchase sweet grass baskets made by the locals. Even the afternoon
showers didn’t stop folks from getting to the outlet mall across the street from the hotel. After a short breather, Saturday evening found our members and guests at a dinner cruise on “The Spirit of Charleston”. Everyone enjoyed the dinner and spectacular sunset as they cruised around the Charleston harbor. A musician played music while we dined and many of the guests “cut a rug” or sang to the music. A great time was had by all. Stay tuned for our next destination meeting which may be in Augusta in 2015.
Peach Beat Page 6
October & November Chapter Meetings Recap
GA PEACH SUPPLIER HOTEL’S FLEXIBILITY GAINS IT MORE GOVERNMENT BUSINESS:
Kudos to Courtyard by Marriott Decatur
By Ruth E. Harris, CMP, CTAS, CGMP
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is smack, dab in the middle of working with the Ebola crises. This crisis has caused an increase in the number of meetings being held by CDC. Many of the CDC meetings that were scheduled to be convened at the CDC campus now have to be moved off-site. Whenever CDC has to respond to crises such as this, meetings are often bumped from the main conference center. The Courtyard by Marriott, Downtown Decatur, has been able to offer some meeting space to those CDC meeting professionals who with very little notice and time had to find an offsite location for their meetings. Since the hotel opening in 2012, they have hosted numerous CDC Programs and affiliates such as the CDC Tuberculosis Consortium, Council of State & Territorial Epidemiologists, CDC TBETN/PEN, Task Force for Global Health and the CDC Tuberculosis Program Manager’s Course. Thomas Harrison, Director of Sales, and Sayida Beal, Sales Manager, have worked tirelessly to get their management to be flexible in accommodating these meetings on such short notice. They have been flexible in discounting meeting room rental, discounted audio visual, and offering planners creative ways to meet per diem requirements for lunch, such as offering pre-selected lunch options in the hotel’s restaurant so that attendees will not have to leave the hotel. The hotel has even allowed caterers who had already been con-tracted to provide food service at the CDC conference center for a meeting to bring this food to the meeting attendees at the Court-yard. An added benefit for food and beverage is the fact that downtown Decatur offers over 50 restaurants within a 3 mile radius of the ho-tel; varying from fast food to fine dining. Downtown Decatur also offers a variety of unique boutique shops to satisfy the trendiest shopper. This is an excellent example of the Georgia Peach Chapter of the Society of Government Professionals (SGMP) supplier members and CDC meeting professionals working together to make a Win-Win out of what could be a disaster. We applaud the Courtyard by Marriott, Decatur, for rising to the challenge and assisting the CDC meeting professionals during this time. This cooperation is cer-tainly what Sam Gilmer must have envisioned when he as a federal government employee started the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) over 30 years ago.
Preston Marshall presents a token of appreciation to the November Presenter, Ruth Harris.
Ruth Harris presenting at November Chapter Meeting.
October’s Chapter Meeting honored the Suppliers for their participation in SGMP.
Page 7 Volume 1, Issue 1
Set Yourself Apart: Become a Certified Government Meeting Professional
By: Twanda Broughton, CGMP The Certified Government Meeting Professionals Course and Test were administered by SGMP’s Education & Training Director, Garland Preddy, prior to the SREC Meeting in August 2014. The class provided invaluable information on the history of government meeting planning, current government regulations and industry standards. The hands-on, interactive environment made this course a fun and information-packed weekend. The small class size allowed for invaluable networking with attendees from other chapters. If you are not a Certified Government Meeting Professional, consider setting yourself apart by obtaining the highest designation available for government meeting professionals. Stay up to date with industry information by investing in the 2014 edition of the CGMP Training Manual; now available for purchase by all SGMP members. Since taking the class I have kept my manual on hand to refer back to pertinent government rules and regulations. The manual is $95 and can be purchased at www.sgmp.org. Congratulations to my fellow SGMP Georgia Peach Chapter CGMP Course Attendee, Marguaree Durden Pyoas, on obtaining your CGMP certification. We did it!!
Well Wishes to our Dancing Queen, Jan Hansen. Jan is home recovering from a hip injury sustained on vacation.
Good News...Sherry Smith is doing well after her short stay at St. Joseph.
Congratulations to Carolyn Davis, Honor Award for Excellence as Group Leader. New Position: Neil Hibbert, CGMP currently serves as Associate Director of Group Sales for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Birmingham, AL.
The Grapevine...
Advertise with SGMP - GA Peach (Newsletter & Website)
We publish our newsletter four times a year. This newsletter is sent to Georgia Peach Chapter members and prospective member planners and suppliers. It is also
available on our chapter website.
Best Buy: $200.00 per year ½ Page Ad in Newsletter each
quarter
Company logo and link to Company website on chapter
homepage.
Specifications for Ads
File Format: GIF, JPG or PNG
Member Rates per Quarter (both website advertisement & link on website)
Quarter Page: $ 50.00 Half Page: $100.00 Full Page: $200.00
Non-Member Rates per Quarter
(both website advertisement & link on website)
Quarter Page: $100.00 Half Page: $150.00 Full Page: $300.00
If you are interested in advertising with SGMP GA Chapter, please contact Sajata Outin-Blenman at [email protected].
S G M P G A P e a c h C h a p t e r U p c o m i n g E v e n t s
December 2014
Chapter Holiday Party December 13, 2014 6:00 - 11:00 PM Doubletree by Hilton Atlanta Buckhead 3342 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30326
January 2015 Chapter Transparency - January Chapter Meeting Wednesday, January 21, 2015 5:30 - 7:00 PM
Holiday Inn and Suites Atlanta North Hotel
February 2015 Budgeting - February Chapter Meeting Wednesday, February 18, 2015 5:30 - 7:00 PM
Location: TBD
