people and development

Event Expert Insights: Thuy Diep, Senior Experience Designer, Haute

As an 18-year-old professional cheerleader, Thuy Diep was so joyfully immersed in the tasks of organizing dinners, hotel arrangements, welcome events and competitions for her cheerleaders association, that she just may have been belting out her own personal cheer: “5, 6, 7, 8! Who do we appreciate? Event planners!”  

During college, her curiosity for event planning became more intense, along with her enthusiasm for it.

People News: Greater Miami CVB, Spiro, Hubilo and More Appoint New Leaders, Announce Staff Promotions

The second quarter of the year is moving full steam ahead as organizations covering all facets of the corporate events industry continue their robust hiring and promoting activities to fill key positions and reward hard-working staff with elevated titles. Take a look! 

Women at the Helm: Teri Orton, General Manager, Hawai‘i Convention Center 

Born and raised in the Hawaiian islands, Teri Orton’s passion for the hospitality industry started early. In fact, it’s part of her family legacy. Both her parents worked in hospitality, so she was born into and exposed to the industry as a small child, yet never felt the need to rebel against or stray from the family business as a young adult. 

People News: CORT, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, ASM Global and More Make Promotions, Bolster Teams

Event industry suppliers, CVBs and hospitality groups throughout the U.S. and across the pond are fine-tuning their teams and elevating staff via robust hiring and promoting moves. Take a look!

CORT 

Leading furniture rental and transition services provider CORT recently announced the retirement of Executive Vice President Mark Koepsell after more than 34 years of dedicated service to the company. 

Taste Trends: Purvill Chaney, Executive Chef, Duke Energy Convention Center

Some people are fortunate enough to be born into their life’s calling. Chef Purvill Chaney is such a lucky individual. A consummate culinary professional who discovered his passion for cooking while working as a chef in his parents’ restaurants in his hometown of Flint, Mich., the budding chef wasted no time in embarking upon a professional career path in hospitality after college, cutting his teeth as a sous chef at a local Hyatt Regency.

Straight Talk: Sherrif Karamat, President and CEO, PCMA

Sherrif Karamat is a life-long learner with an impressive list of credentials—an MBA and post-graduate certificates in business, management, strategic negotiations, data intelligence and big data, to name a few. But some of his greatest lessons—personally and professionally—have come over the past two years of the pandemic. 

Capitalizing on those lessons is one of his top priorities as he guides the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and its members in successfully moving forward in the evolving events environment. 

Event Expert Insights: Liz King Caruso, CEO and Chief Event Strategist, Liz King Events

Liz King Caruso never thought she could make a living planning events—she thought it was  just something fun to do. That was until she took a job as an administrator at her university.

“I realized I was the admin for the event team and that I had just wasted a lot of money on a psychology degree,” she said. “I learned a lot at my first job and started the twitter account @lizkingevents just to learn more about the industry.”

Partner Voices
Just when it seems like Las Vegas can’t get any bigger, brighter or more exciting for groups, MGM Resorts raises the bar again. The company continues to invest and innovate across its portfolio of Las Vegas resorts, with new attractions and upgraded experiences for attendees of all interests.  Remodeled Guest Rooms MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the world with over 5,000 guest rooms and an 850,000-square-foot conference center. It is home to the newly remodeled MGM Grand Studio Tower—700 reimagined guest rooms with a fun mid-century vibe. Nearby, the iconic New York-New York Las more