Award Nominee Profiles - ACCED-i

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Award Nominee Profiles Outstanding New Conference and Events Professional Award Nominee: Melissa Flood, Cornell University Melissa was introduced to Collegiate Conference and Events in 1999 when she accepted the position as a receptionist for Conference and Event Services at Cornell University. Over time, Melissa determined that she would like to pursue a career in the field of planning conferences and events after working as the first point of contact for the office that involved gathering information, processing conference inquires, and directing clients to the conference planners. After discussing her succession plan, Melissa acknowledged she would have to leave the unit in order to grow professionally and expand her knowledge in the area of planning. She transferred to Cornell United Religious Work where she became responsible for booking meeting rooms, working with brides, booking the chapel and scheduling meetings with an array of campus chaplains. After spending three years in the department she resigned to accept a position as a Corporate Events Coordinator with CBORD, a technology company that sells computer software to Colleges and Universities. After gaining corporate experience, Melissa returned to Cornell in July of 2010 as a Conference Planner. Melissa started in the midst of the conference season and was quickly introduced to Collegiate Conference and Events. She learned the nuances of working in a decentralized environment and the complexities involved with campus politics and university policies. She oversaw the recruitment of student staff and worked closely with student managers on the hiring and training of student staff. This past summer she managed a $2.4 million dollar portfolio which consisted of 25 programs, generating 33,800 bed nights. Through her leadership and motivation she has demonstrated exemplary service to her clients. Melissa performs above and beyond in many ways. Her invaluable experience on a recent showcase, featuring Cornell Catering and Conferences Services was highlighted from the preparation to closing processes. Specifically, she worked with colleagues on establishing the program and identifying speakers. She introduced and implemented an online presence by using the Guidebook smartphone application, and was on point on leading and implementing an effective and professional evaluation process, impacting not only the showcase event, but all conferences throughout the year. Melissa has also earned creditability from her peers, administrators, faculty and staff. She has excellent organizational skills and prides herself on being accessible to clients, service providers and student staff any time day or night. She has received numerous compliments from clients and through her excellent work continues to increase new business throughout the year, not just summer programs. For example, one client wrote, “Her attention to detail and her reliability made it absolutely superfluous for me to double check on anything - everything was always great and just the way we had asked! Nevertheless, she checked in every other day to make sure things were going well and if we had any need for help she took care of it immediately. She makes you feel like ours was the only conference she was working with, when really she was most likely juggling at least a handful of groups at the same time. But she always makes her job and the time and devotion she spends on your conference look effortless, which to me is the absolutely greatest sign of professionalism and service minded.” Melissa had the pleasure of attending Regional Summits in 2010 and 2012 and the 2012 ACCED-I Annual Conference in Denver where she met colleagues and has started to develop friendships among the members. She also has participated on the Self Promotions Committee 2010-2011, contributed numerous hours toward the table setting for the Toronto Preview, and presented at the Regional Summit, “Diversity within Conferences.” Melissa has demonstrated her desire to become more involved with the Association and I believe we will continue to see her emerge into an active member. Given the above accolades and information, I would like to nominate Melissa Flood for the, “New Conference and Events Professional” award.
Nominee: Mandy Volpe, Georgia Institute of Technology Nomination #1: Mandy Volpe is a friend to many and a stranger to none. Despite being new to the industry and Association, she has already established a place as a well-respected young professional. She is filled with an energy and excitement about what she does and her positive outlook is contagious. She is a sharer and you can’t help but be optimistic about making changes and trying something new when you talk to her. Many people have talent and are excellent at what they do, but not everyone is as willing to share that talent and expertise, as is Mandy. Mandy was named one of the Top 40 Industry Influencers on Social Media under 40 years old by Rejuvenate Magazine. As impressive an achievement, it’s just the tip of the iceberg for Mandy Volpe. After working as an intern for GA Tech Conference Services, a position was created specifically for her in an effort to not lose her talent on their campus. She was hired July 21, 2011 as the Marketing Manager for the Department of Housing and actively markets several areas across their campus. Mandy dove headfirst into several associations, including ACCED-I, and is a frequent presenter at both the Fall Regional Summits and Annual Conferences. Mandy’s expertise on social media separates her from the crowd of self proclaimed “experts, guru’s and ninja’s” that litter the current social media landscape. She finds herself responsible for educating a huge crowd on what is the new direction of marketing and takes that challenge head on. Her presentations create dialog long after the sessions are over. Mandy embodies all the qualities that a successful new professional should, without feeling like she's the new kid on the block. Mandy's dedication to her career, her industry and her association make it very easy to write this nomination. She truly is an outstanding new conference professional. Nomination #2: Mandy Volpe is the Marketing Manager for the Department of Housing at Georgia Institute of Technology. Mandy joined Georgia Tech Conference Services as an intern to the coordination staff during the summer of 2007. After spending some summers interning with Georgia Tech Conference Services, Mandy joined the professional staff on July 21, 2011 as the Marketing Manager. She focuses on the marketing efforts of Conference Services and the Department of Housing specifically related to social media sites as well as managing the lead process for new clients. Mandy frequently conducts seminars, presentations, and focus groups on social media trends and implementations for marketing at collegiate conference venues. Mandy has been featured online as well as at the ACCED-I Annual Conferences and NACAS South Conference. Prior to her current position at Georgia Tech, she spent her time as a work study student in Gainesville, Georgia for Brenau University in the Special Events Department. Mandy also worked with the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, The Arts Council, and Interactive Neighborhood for Kids. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a Masters of Business Administration in Project Management from Brenau University. With a background in marketing and a desire to utilize technology for an interactive customer experience, Mandy has taken companies to the next level with social media. Mandy has played a crucial role in creating platforms for implementing social media strategies for non-profits, collegiate conference services, auxiliary services, and community events. These social media strategies and campaigns center around the main question of how to “market to customers using 140 characters or less”. Mandy was also recently recognized by Rejuvenate Meetings as a top 40 under 40 meeting professional. Mandy Volpe has a passion for her job and would be a terrific Outstanding New Conference and Events Professional award recipient. Nomination #3: I am supporting the nominations submitted for Mandy Volpe to be considered for the ACCED- I Outstanding New Conference and Events Professional Award. I am aware that other nominations have been submitted that will outline outstanding contributions this person has made to the conference and events profession, and to ACCED-I. I hope to provide time line context for the selection committee to consider. Mandy Sheppard-Volpe started at Georgia Tech Conference Services (GTCS) as an Intern Conference Coordinator the summer of 2007. After several consecutive summers of Interning as an undergrad and then
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