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2024 Spring Education Day Session Details

 

Morning Keynote 

 

Everything You Need to Know About Artificial Intelligence…But Didn’t Know to Ask

- Jim Spellos

It’s been over a year that ChatGPT and the desktop AI revolution became an every day reality. Generative Artificial Intelligence’s impact has been enormous to all industries, including hospitality. While many are still fearful that AI will replace the need for some workers, perhaps even some meeting planners, most organizations are beginning to see that is not the case.  Attend this session to learn how to most effectively use AI and to keep up the various updates and changes that will impact your career now and moving forward.

After participating in this session, the learner will be able to:
  •  Identify 30+ AI tools that can support your work
  •  Review and discuss with your peers the impact of AI and other technologies on the future of the profession
  •  Understand the latest AI trends and tools available to our industry

Jim Spellos

James Spellos is the President of Meeting U. whose mission is to help people become more productive and comfortable with technology.    
In 2022, Meeting Professionals International included Jim on their 50 most influential persons list in the hospitality industry in honor of their 50th anniversary celebration. In 2021, Glisser named Jim one of the most influential people in virtual events.  A few years prior, Jim was named one of the Meeting Industry’s trendsetters by Meetings Today magazine.  He was a faculty member at New York University for 25 years receiving both their Award for Teaching Excellence and their Outstanding Service Award.

Jim is on the Board of Directors for Rock and Wrap It Up, an anti-poverty, anti-hunger organization which recovers excess food from events.  Jim co-created their Whole Earth Calculator app. He also speaks about food recovery and sustainability at events.  In 2018 & 2019, BizBash named Jim one of their top 500 people in events for his work in sustainability. 

He also has a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutritional Studies, is a certified Food for Life instructor through the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and is on the staff of Plant Powered Metro New York, helping to educate people about a healthy diet and lifestyle, which helped to save his own life.

Jim is an accomplished musician and songwriter who released his first solo album, Stroke of Genius in 2020.  


 

AM Breakout Sessions - 10:00 - 11:15

Supplier Focus:  Leadership Today:  Are You Playing Checkers or Chess

- Michael Dominguez

 

We all understand that the world is quite complex today and the responsibility of leading a team has never been more challenging. In a world of multi-generations, multiple communication platforms and numerous distractions, Team Dynamics has become complicated.

This session on team dynamics will help identify the necessary understandings if you are going to be successful in building deep and sustainable teams to ensure that you and your organization not only remain relevant…but even remain! Join us as Associated Luxury Hotels International, President & CEOO Past Chair of MPI’s International Board of Directors walks us through important Team Structure:  The Importance of Culture, Understanding the importance of humility and starting with building the right team members.

Learning Objectives:
  •  Learn what teams look like today.
  •  Learn the primary difference between Management and Leadership
  •  Review a case study of a sustainable, successful culture.
  •  Learn why you must start with the right talent and fit if you are to have a successful team.
  •  Understand the importance of Strength Management and its importance to the team.
  •  Learn to focus on the behaviors of the team versus the demographic.
  •  Understand the importance of perseverance in team dynamics.


Planner Focus:  Ease the Burn! Unpacking Common Stressors of Event Planning and Get Tips to Ease the Burn

-  Naomi Tucker, CMP

Planning events is one of the most stressful jobs in the world. Event professionals have a heavy responsibility of repeatedly executing flawless, unique, events for their organizations and clients. However, in many cases, event professionals can get in over their heads, struggling to maintain a sense of balance in their lives. In turn, this can create a never-ending spiral of distress, overwhelm, and burnout. 

If this is you, you’ll enjoy this session. We will unpack the common stressors that we face while planning event by being consistently “busy”, and provide some tangible tips that you can implement immediately so that you can ease the burn. 

Learning outcomes:
1. Discover common stressors that can occur as an event professional.
2. Learn how to realign your priorities that support your overall business goals and objectives.
3. Create a tangible action plan to eliminate the things in your life that drain your energy.
4. Learn effective strategies to set boundaries in your business and career.

 

 

PM Breakout Sessions  -  12:45 - 2:00

Supplier Focus:  Working with Non-Profits and Associations 

- Geoffrey Sandler

 

All business owners receive multiple phone calls every week asking if we can provide our services for free for a Non-Profit event. We want to help our local communities and charities that need help, but we also have hard costs and opportunity costs associated with doing an event for “exposure dollars.” Geoffrey will share his success story and reveal the blueprint of how he started replying to the those asks and how those responses have created a division of his company that now generates over $250,000. 

This road map will work for every type of business in the event industry and will be the educational seminar that will pay for your annual MPI investment!

During this session, attendees will learn to:
• Know what to say when answering a call from a Non-Profit
• Provide value to Non-profit events
• Start charging full price for fundraising events

 


Planner Focus:  Your Essential Digital Toolbox: Making the Most of Tech Tools to Enhance Your Productivity  

-  Jim Spellos

Apps, web resources, digital shortcuts…there are thousands of tools and services out there for you to use.  But which ones are the ones that can really save the day?  How can you build that essential digital toolbox which always can provide the right tool for each job…one where most of the tools are completely free?  Whether you’re trying to build an app (yes, you can do that for free) or ensure that your organization can optimize their social presence, or whether you just want to be able to do something quicker and easier, this session is essential to enhance your productivity.

    Closing Keynote

    Disruption and Transformation: What Else Should We Expect

    - Michael Dominguez, President & CEO, Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI)

     

    From disruption of technological forces that are changing the way we work and play to changes in Washington which will take time to understand its full impact, it is important to understand the context of what is taking place.  The speed of change is a force that we will all wrestle with over the next decade.

    As the economic environment and hotel structure continue to change at a rapid pace, it is important to understand the current outlook, economic concerns and forecasts that will dictate behavior in all business environments.  The impacts of global political and economic instability still exist although the global economy is growing together for the first time in modern history

    In this dynamic session, industry veteran and award winner Michael Dominguez shares perspective on the latest trends and the impact in the hotel industry and meeting dynamics. 

    Gain a better understanding of the economic environment, how structural changes will have an impact in 2024 and beyond, identify ways to optimize your ability to maneuver through this quickly changing environment.  

    Learner Objectives:
    •  Understand the need to get past Confirmation Bias and Narratives
    •  Look at the impact of global political and economic forecasts.
    •  Review industry forecast for the US and Global sectors
    •  Understand changes in wealth shifts in our consumer.
    •  Understand behavior changes and needs around new businesses created.


     

    Michael Dominguez serves as the President & CEO for Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI).   ALHI is the largest independent Global Sales Organization with a team of nearly 80 professionals located among 26 offices across North America and Europe. Prior to joining ALHI, Michael served in executive sales leadership roles with MGM Resorts International as Chief Sales Officer and many brand and independent branded companies.
    Michael is an-award winning hospitality industry veteran. He has received multiple honors for his leadership and influence and has been recognized as a change agent by his peers. He’s also been a speaker with Fortune 100 Companies on topics ranging from disruption to the economy and a passion around Leadership and was an invited speaker at SXSW in 2018.




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