Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2008 by
Penni Allen
I enjoy being a Supplier member of The Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) and associating with meeting planners from federal, state, and local government as well as other providers of meeting services and facilities.
Through the Annual Education Conference and Tradeshow, monthly Chapter Meetings, and Special Events, planners and suppliers come together to review the latest trends in meetings management. It is very rewarding to help meeting planners improve the quality and cost effectiveness of their meetings.
On February 5, I participated in “Achieving Gold” the goal for this year’s National Capital (NATCAP) Chapter‘s 11th Annual Winter Meeting & Tradeshow. The event included a selection of sessions designed to keep planners and suppliers on top of current issues.
Sessions included “What is Sarbanes Oxley?” an explanation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX ) and how meeting professionals must comply with this law from an ethical standpoint. For instance, disclosing information that might provide one potential contractor an edge that others do not have; or bundling meeting services such as morning and afternoon breaks, internet fees, gratuities or perhaps even registration fees. The bottom line is accountability. Are we as meeting planners and service providers putting ourselves and our partners at risk of an ethical violation of SOX? Read more.
A very hot and chic session topic was the “Greening” of Government Meetings. This session demonstrated how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is leading the way by making environmental responsibility a common business practice. Did I mention the government has an acronym for anything and everything? EPA is changing their contract acquisition rules to give preference to meeting services and facilities that consume less and manage resources in environmentally positive ways. These topics were a perfect segue into the Trade Show. I enthusiastically talked with attendees about the immediate benefits of using Certain Registration to “Go Green”. Read more.
Mission accomplished. I Achieved Gold!
David Dzergoski and Jeff Wilson from Certain talk with an attendee about "Going Green."
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Maybe it was just the weather or the the promise of an after-party hosted by Bauer Limosines at trendy restaurant Roe down the street, but everyone seemed ready for a day of networking. No tradeshow veteran, however, would hit the floor without the right pair of shoes. I asked a few attendees about their favorite tradeshow pairs...
