Pet Peeves: Collier-Reid

Judith Collier-Reid, executive director, Southwest Veterinary Symposium, LLC, has been a PCMA member since 1998. She has a few ideas about what her cats and dog think about her.

"If my pets could talk they would probably have a lot of commentary on me. Some of which would include:

EARLY MORNING

The three cats (Ziggy, Spike, and Bud): We wish she would not get up so early and disturb us by turning on the lights and listening to the news. Doesn't she know we need our beauty sleep? Speedy, the dog, on the other hand appreciates the early morning breakfast and outdoor stroll. They say dogs are a person's best friend. Cats … well, that is another thing!

AFTER WORK

The three cats: Here she comes again; she probably is going to talk to us about her day at the office … oh, brother! Just sit still and ignore her. This is a sure way to make her approach us to pet us as she should. Good grief! She implements conventions for veterinarians, you would think she would know this kind of stuff. Speedy: I hear her pulling in the driveway! At last she is here to pet me. I will greet her at the door. This is a sure way to be first in line to receive affection even if I have to listen to her day at the office stories. I am smarter than the fur balls I have to share this house with.

WEEKENDS

The cats: It is finally Saturday so hopefully she can pet us more. She is probably going to be moving around the house a lot. Cleaning! Cleaning! Cleaning! Organizing! Organizing! Organizing! She is acting like a meeting planner again. Well, while she is cleaning, how about cleaning the dog out of our lives and adjusting the wood blinds so we get maximum sunshine for our naps.

The dog: Ah, Saturdays. It is time for long walks and a little time in nature with my beloved owner. I do so enjoy these walks. After all of this exercise I know I am guaranteed a yummy treat and maybe even a tummy rub. This is truly the pleasure of human ownership.

In conclusion, sure I get up early, talk about my work, and spend down time at home cleaning and organizing - after all, I am in the meetings industry. This is what we do: Get up early, converse, and organize!

P.S. It is also great to be a pet owner … or is it the other way around?

Have pets … they are simply good for you."

One Price at Palace Resorts

With 10 high-end properties located throughout Mexico, including a new luxury brand, Palace Resorts invites groups to experience the motivating power of a meeting held at one of the chain's magnificent all-inclusive conference resorts. Modern state-of-the-art meeting facilities and conference centers are sophisticated and flexible enough to accommodate groups that range in size from 20 to more than 3,000. Palace Resorts' family of properties offers a wide selection of options. And now, tax benefits are available through the "Preferred Nation Agreement" between the United States and Mexico that combine with the "Value Added Tax" (VAT) law.

Through the "Preferred Nation Agreement," groups have even more of an incentive when it comes to conducting meetings overseas. With Mexico's status with the United States, qualifying expenses are treated the same as if groups had a program in the continental United States. As a result, many of the expenses incurred through international travel to events such as meetings, conventions, seminars, and exhibits are now 100 percent tax deductible.

Furthermore, groups that stay in any of the Palace Resorts all-inclusive conference resorts have the opportunity to save even more. When a group books with Palace they are automatically entitled to fine cuisine at a host of dining establishments, top-shelf drinks at any of the full service bars located throughout the resorts, sensational entertainment, wireless Internet access, world-class spas and golf courses, and a host of other amenities all under one low rate. Items such as food and beverage and entertainment that are normally only partially deductible when paid through the group's registration fees are now completely deductible.

The savings continue, as the Mexican government has recently repealed the "Value Added Tax" (VAT) for meetings, expositions, and conventions. This means that the traditional 10 percent added to such things as venue rental, lodging, food and drinks inside the venues, airport/seaport/border transfers, and trips between hotels and meeting places is no longer valid and these items are now tax-free.

But the savings don't stop there. Starting in July 2006, international visitors arriving to Mexico by plane will also be able to make tax-free purchases thanks to the new "Tax-Free" law that was recently passed by the Tourism Ministry of Mexico. This law grants international visitors a full refund of the 10 percent sales tax that is added to purchases if the buyers:

• obtain an official receipt with the tax number of the establishment on it to present for reimbursement
• make a purchase of at least 1,200 Mexican pesos per store
• take the goods purchased with them when they leave the country.

Palace Resorts features luxurious accommodations, flexible meeting space, state-of-the-art facilities, the "Preferred Nation Agreement," the VAT tax exemption, and the new "Tax-Free" law. For more information, groups can contact Palace Resorts at (888) 987-7656 in the United States and Canada or visit www.palaceresorts.com/Groups.

• Through the "Hot Dates" program, groups receive added values for hosting their events on select dates in 2006 at either Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort or Aventura Spa Palace.
• All Palace Resorts provide an exceptional all-inclusive experience, featuring luxurious accommodations, fine dining, top-shelf drinks, entertainment, non-motorized water sports, and includes taxes and gratuities.
• When guests stay at any of the Palace Resorts, they are free to enjoy the amenities of select Palace Resorts at no additional charge.

Member Snapshot

The Changes a Week Can Make

Sherry Smith, PCMA member since 1989, learned how quickly one's life can change.

The entire leadership team of the association Sherry Smith worked for was on hand to recognize her for 10 years of service. Without warning, she was terminated less than a week later.

"I went from being recognized to terminated in the course of five days," said Smith, who served as president of the PCMA Chesapeake Chapter last year.

She was accustomed to days filled with meetings, conference calls, replying to RFPs, and phone calls - and in a flash that was all over.

She tried to convince herself that change is sometimes a good thing. Although she tried to stay positive, she did flounder a bit here and there. Worry would creep up about bills and mortgages, school supplies, and car payments. "When you are let go from a job, your sense of worth really goes down," she explained.
She turned to PCMA for help. "If I hadn't networked, if I hadn't forged professional and personal relationships from my years as a PCMA member, I might still be looking for that job that matched my talents and skills," she ex-plained. "Helpfulness, advice, and support is what I got. My e-mail box was inundated with job leads and good wishes from my colleagues and friends of the Chesapeake Chapter, where I was a member for 15 years."

At PCMA's headquarters in Chicago, Smith found Angela Camarena, manager of chapter relations, and Mary Lou Sarmiento, vice president of membership, to be invaluable sources of information and inspiration. "They came to my assistance and pointed me in other directions to help broaden my search. They even gave me tips on how to improve my cover letters and resume."

She didn't take a haphazard approach to finding a new job. She was at it every day from 9 to 5 from the end of September to the end of October. "I had to make it a point to get out of my slippers and pajamas and prepare mentally to tackle the day. I sent e-mails to every single person I knew. I let them know I was looking for a job," said Smith.

Today, she is the executive director of two national associations.

Her advice to all is to get out and get involved in your local PCMA chapter. "Don't wait another second to be contacted by another person. You make the contact. You cement your career and surround yourself with the competent, kind-hearted individuals making up your chapter. There is a world of resources at your fingertips."

What Unusual Items Would We Find in Your Carry-on?

Tammy Seldon, conference & meetings director, Giant Screen Cinema Association, PCMA member since 2005

I have a lot of common items in my carry-on, including a laptop, iPod, book (right now I'm reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire), snacks, and lots of pictures of my kids.

The more unusual item I keep is an EpiPen, as I'm deathly allergic to walnuts and pecans. I have a CD set of foreign languages that I am trying to learn; last year it was Japanese, this year I'm brushing up on my Spanish.

I also have cutout articles from magazines I want to read. I keep this 'to read' file so that I can concentrate on reading these more important articles when I have the opportunity. I try to maintain personal time while traveling for work. I use the time on planes to read. I find a lot of great tips and learn so much during this otherwise wasted time."

Meeting Bloopers

Daniel-Foss 'Runs' Into Two Problems With Annual Meeting

Rhonda Daniel-Foss, meetings and special events coordinator for the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) and a PCMA member since 1995, recently shared not one but two meeting bloopers that took place during the annual meeting she planned in New York City.

"Even though we had around 700 attendees registered for this conference, we had low attendance at our sessions. Scheduled during the event was a Leadership Luncheon. Our guest speaker was Governor George Pataki. Seeing that there was such a low attendance at sessions, my boss, our executive director, decided he didn't want the room to look empty, so he went directly to my catering contact and cut the numbers without telling me as the luncheon was being set. At the same time, I am gathering my Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) when my catering contact tells me the scoop on the changes. By the look on my face, she knew we had a problem. I quickly instructed her to have her staff ready to add table, chairs, and linens. We had to add back what my boss had cancelled."

As the general session of this same meeting was about to begin, the speaker was nowhere to be found. He was based in New York, but was not picking up his phone. So doing what any proficient planner would do, Daniel-Foss had the speaker that was to follow him take the stage.

"During the presentation, I see this man running down the aisle to the podium and attendees are laughing. This was my other speaker showing up late!"

A Smashing Product Intro

Phelps Hope, CMP, DMCP, vice president of meetings and expositions for association management company Kellen Company, and PCMA member since 1996, recently helped plan and execute a national dealer meeting. Kellen was managing the meeting and was creating and producing an introduction for a new forklift. Says Hope: "We were rolling it out to 150 dealers and had an ironic snag. The budget for this entire project was unusually low, so we had to get very creative with what we had. We proposed revealing the new forklift by having it smash over the rear screen in one of the corners of the room and come out into the audience. This would have led into the lunch break, and we could replace the screen for the afternoon sessions. The client did not like that idea, and we went very conservative with the reveal and had it come out from a curtain with the division president driving and a couple of dancing girls for color. During the rehearsal, however, the forklift operator got a little too aggressive, and actually ran over and smashed the rear screen! It was too late to change the script for this year, but now our client has a beautifully smashed rear screen to use for the next product rollout. The irony of it all!"

Contact Information: Ginny Davito Vice President, Group & Incentive Sales for Palace Resorts Phone: 1 (800) 539-3313 E-mail: gdavito@palaceresorts.com www.palaceresorts.com/groups