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Business events professionals to be celebrated at April 23 event
Ben Goedegebuure, vice president and global general manager at Maritz Global Events; Bill Grusich, CMP, FASAE, senior vice president at Associated Luxury Hotels International and Lisa Delpy Neirotti, director MS in Sport Management program at George Washington University will be honored as Lifetime Achievement award recipients at PCMA Visionary Awards 2020, an annual event celebrating the best in the business events industry.
The April 23 event at the Hilton Washington, D.C. will also recognize 18 Professional Excellence finalists. Lifetime Achievement honorees for business events strategist, educator and supplier along with Professional Excellence finalists are selected by industry peers for their extraordinary contributions to their organizations and their impact on the professional development of others.
“Every year the Visionary Awards spotlights the exemplary achievements of business events professionals and how they are transforming their organizations and the industry,” said Meredith Rollins, PCMA’s Chief Community Officer and executive director of the PCMA Foundation. “These 21 individuals personify the best of our industry in terms of passion, dedication and impact.”
The annual Visionary Awards provides a red-carpet experience, awards show and after party to more than 1,100 business events professionals. The event is presented in partnership with Visit Austin and Austin Convention Center.
Information about the Visionary Awards 2020 is available at foundation.pcma.org/visionaryawards.
2020 Business Events Strategist Honoree: Ben Goedegebuure
Goedegebuure has been a passionate industry leader for more than 30 years at associations, PCOs, venues and agencies. He has devoted his career to building strategic bridges among key players, expanding people’s thinking and creating strong collaborations between organizations such as Eventia, AC Forum, ICCA and PCMA. Goedegebuure is respected for his ability to connect likeminded thinkers and collaborators and supporting peers as they navigate career choices. His unique industry outlook has played an instrumental role in developing PCMA’s footprint, both in Europe and globally.
2020 Supplier Honoree: Bill Grusich, CMP, FASAE
Grusich is best known in the industry for his counsel and dedication to helping others, for which he has received numerous accolades, including ASAE Fellow, MPI Chicago chapter’s Hall of Fame and Richard A. Daignault Award (given by PCMA’s Greater Midwest Chapter). Grusich has served as an industry trailblazer with a career that showcases his collaborative and ethical sales approach, paving the way for how buyers and suppliers in business events should do business.
2020 Educator Honoree: Lisa Delpy Neirotti, Ph.D.
Delpy Neirotti is considered a pioneer in the field of sports tourism. She’s been an associate professor of Sport Management at the George Washington University School of Business in Washington, D.C. and director of the MS in Sport Management program. Delpy Neirotti helped develop the school’s Sport Philanthropy certificate. She’s a passionate advocate for sport tourism as an economic development tool and founded the annual Travel, Events and Management in Sports (TEAMS) conference.
Professional Excellence Award finalists in six categories will also be recognized at the PCMA Visionary Awards 2020. The recipient in each category will be announced live at the April 23 event.
They are:
Business Events Strategist of the Year
Bob Bejan, Corporate Vice President, Global Events, Production Studios and Marketing Community, Microsoft Corp.
Karen Watson, senior director of strategic events, Maritz Global Events
Camille White-Stern, Chief of Staff, Splash
Supplier of the Year
Weemin Ong, CMP, CEM, vice president of conventions and exhibitions, Marina Bay Sands
Rose Horcher, vice president, client services, Choose Chicago
Lora Stanley, senior director, convention sales, Visit Anaheim
Digital Experience Strategist of the Year
Carly Silberstein, CEO, Redstone Agency Inc.
Victoria Fanning, CMP, DES, senior manager of online events, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
Ben Elliott, managing director and founder, Live Productions Australia
Event Designer of the Year
Amy Ledoux, senior vice president, meetings, expositions and special events, ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
John Woo, senior vice president of design and executive creative director, GES Events
Megan Finnell, CMP, director, meetings and conferences, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
Community Advocate of the Year
José Quan, founder and owner, Eventia
Toni Zoblotsky, director, B2B marketing and sales valet, Hilton Corp.
Michelle Guelbart, MSW, a recognized voice in the movement to eradicate human trafficking and child exploitation
Outstanding Service to a Chapter
Allen Anderson, sales consultant, Anderson Hospitality Services, Greater Philadelphia Chapter
Andrew Horsfield, senior sales manager, Lord Elgin Hotel, PCMA Canada East Chapter
Kim Allison, senior director of sales, Georgia World Congress Center Authority, Capital Chapter
Photos from the 2019 PCMA Visionary Awards are available at foundation.pcma.org/press-photos.
For media queries from the Americas, APAC, EMEA, and requests for interviews with Sherrif Karamat, please contact: Meghan Risch, PCMA Chief of Staff, Vice President, Corporate Communications PCMA, PCMA Foundation and CEMA educate, inspire, and listen, creating meaningful experiences where passion, purpose and commerce come together. We are the world’s largest community for Business Events Strategists, providing senior-level education, networking, and market intelligence for the global business events industry. Our mission is to drive social and economic progress through business events. Headquartered in Chicago, IL PCMA has 17 North American Chapters, regional communities in APAC, EMEA and LATAM, and members in 59 countries. The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), a PCMA subsidiary, advances strategic event marketing and marketing communications for senior-level event marketers and industry professionals. Visit us at pcma.org. The role of the Foundation of PCMA is to support the mission of PCMA through fundraising and grant-giving focused on scholarships, education and research that will advance the business events industry. Annually the Foundation funds over $700K in impact, and since 1985 has funded over 2,500 scholarships, 100 research studies and education programs, and $2.7M in charitable giving. The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) is the eminent community for senior event executives, association peers and industry partners and is an integral component of the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) brand collective. CEMA promotes professional networking opportunities, facilitates peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and drives industry standards. Through strong relationships with strategic partners, CEMA fosters both finding innovative solutions to business issues and continuous focus on members’ career growth. For more information, please visit http://www.cemaonline.com.About PCMA
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