HSMAI's Affordable Meetings Mid-America Kicks Off 2011 Show Series

HSMAI's Affordable Meetings® 2011 exhibition and conference series, kicking off at Chicago's Navy Pier April 13-14, 2011, emphasizes the essence of the meetings business: the power of the face-to-face interaction in building and keeping strong business relationships. More than 200 exhibitors will be showcased at HSMAI's Affordable Meetings Mid-America, representing the best venues, products, services and technologies in the meeting and event industry, along with an industry-leading educational program.

A few of the exhibitors that will be on-hand include: Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, Hilton Chicago Indian Lakes Resort, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, Sheraton Fairplex & Conference Center, The Dana on Mission Bay, EventForce, and Freeman.

More than 1,000 attendees, including experienced meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, with a majority representing corporate, association and independent sectors, and industry professionals, are expected to be on hand at HSMAI's Affordable Meetings® Mid-America. Planners attending Affordable Meetings account for almost 40,000 meetings annually, representing groups from 10 to 10,000.

"HSMAI is thrilled to open the 2011 Affordable Meetings series with the Mid-America show in Chicago," said Fran Brasseux, executive vice president of HSMAI. "We have applied feedback from both attendees and exhibitors of last year's shows and are confident that we are providing the most comprehensive meetings show possible, delivering a measurable return on investment for attendees and exhibitors."

Among the highlights:

• Continuation of the One-to-One Meeting Concierge – HSMAI's program introduced last year to personally arrange pre-scheduled, face-to-face meetings between planners and exhibitors
• Exhibitor Concierge Program – Personal assistance for exhibitors with everything about the shows, including registration, housing, booth logistics, etc., including assistance with appointment setting with planners they are most interested in meeting with.
• Free Networking Lunch for Exhibitors and Attendees - Served right on the exhibit floor in Food & Beverage Pavilions allowing both communities to maximize their opportunities to network and connect with people in the industry.
• Pre-Show Marketing Tool, Exhibitor Invites - This complimentary campaign allows exhibitors to send up to three show invitation emails to their customers and prospects. And, for each prospect or customer they invite who registers and attends, they will receive credit towards the cost of future participation in the show.

As part of the Affordable Meetings conference program, planners and exhibitors can participate in 17 timely and targeted educational programs designed to ensure continued success and also learn about cost-saving measures for producing meetings and events that will yield a solid return on investment. Concurrent educational seminar tracks will cover all aspects of meeting and event planning and production. Tracks include:

• Technology: These sessions address cutting-edge issues taught by the technology experts and are perfect for all experience levels.
• Advanced: A track designed for senior leaders who are often managing teams and departments, who are interested in executive level topics and seminar formats.
• Intermediate: A track for mid-career individuals who are interested in new concepts and approaches, industry best practices, cutting edge trends, and personal career development.

In addition to the educational seminars, a two-day Meeting and Event Planner Boot Camp will be offered April 13-14. Designed as an affordable way to access high-quality, high-impact knowledge; the course will offer numerous resources for teaching tactics of better meeting planning. The cost to register for the camp is $299 (includes lunch both days). There will also be a SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network) Think Tank on April 14, with the $35 registration fee including lunch and the Affordable Meetings Expo.

Booth space is still available at the Mid-America show and can be obtained by contacting Craig Baker, account manager, J. Spargo & Associates, Inc. (703) 679-3942, e-mail: [email protected].

For additional information and a complete program schedule, visit www.affordablemeetings.com. Registration is now open for qualified planners at the pre-show rate of $25.

About HSMAI's Affordable Meetings^® Mid-America | HSMAI's Affordable Meetings^® Mid-America will once again offer attendees the opportunity to meet and do business with more than 200 exhibiting companies during a unique exposition that will showcase venues, products and services to help produce various types of meetings and events. Year-after-year, the highly-acclaimed trade exposition is a main attraction for attendees looking to meet and network with knowledgeable suppliers who are determined to help produce valuable meetings and assist with purchasing decisions. Exhibitors represent hotels and resorts, university conference centers, unique meeting sites, convention and visitor bureaus, transportation companies, trade publications, software and audio/visual businesses, and other meeting and convention suppliers. HSMAI's Affordable Meetings^® is owned and presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Americas region and managed by J. Spargo & Associates. Visit www.affordablemeetings.com for more information. Join our networking communities on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.