Advantage Performance Network
Savage, Minn.

Ambassadors, LLC
Newport Beach, Calif.

American Express Business Travel
New York

BCD Meetings & Incentives
Chicago

BI
Edina, Minn.

Bucom International Inc.
Chicago

Carlson Marketing Worldwide
Plymouth, Minn.

Creative Group Inc.
Appleton, Wis.

Enterprise Events Group
San Rafael, Calif.

Excellence In Motivation
Dayton, Ohio

Experient
Twinsburg, Ohio

Fox Premier Meetings and Incentives
Oshkosh, Wis.

Gavel International Inc.
Lincolnshire, Ill.

George P. Johnson
Auburn Hills, Mich.

Gray Consulting International Meetings & Incentives
Philadelphia

Maritz Travel Co.
Fenton, Mo.

McVeigh Associates, Ltd.
Amityville, N.Y.

Meeting Alliance
Robbinsville, N.J.

Meeting Expectations Inc.
Atlanta

Meridian Group Travel
Hazelwood, Mo.

MotivAction, LLC
Minneapolis

R/A Performance Group
San Francisco

SDI Travel and Incentives
Chicago

TBA Global, LLC
Los Angeles

USMotivation
Atlanta

Advantage Performance Network

Savage, Minn.
(952) 447-1333
www.advantageperformancenetwork.com

Founded: 1995

Leadership: Mary Sue Leathers, president & CEO; Christopher Lund, executive VP/partner

Corporate meetings in 2007:
78

Incentive travel programs in 2007:
48

Portion of meeting and incentive travel programs held outside the U.S.:
25%

Room nights booked for meetings and incentives: 50,000

Full-time employees:
115

At a glance: With a diversified list of service areas beyond meeting and incentive travel management — including corporate travel management, leisure travel, merchandise awards, and performance improvement solutions — 66 percent of company revenues come from sources other than meetings and incentives. CEO Mary Sue Leathers was voted “Woman Business Owner of the Year” in 2007 by the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. (See story, page 24.)

Ambassadors, LLC

Newport Beach, Calif.
(949) 759-5900
www.ambassadors.com

Founded: 1965

Leadership: Pirjo Niemi, executive VP; John Lee, executive VP

Corporate meetings in 2007:
105

Incentive travel programs in 2007:
82

Portion of meeting and incentive travel programs held outside the U.S.:
20%

Room nights booked for meetings and incentives:
535,000

Full-time employees:
137

At a glance: Ambassadors LLC is a division of publicly traded Ambassadors International, which also runs Windstar Cruises and a division focused on developing marinas. In addition to meeting and incentive management, the company offers full-service housing and registration, sourcing and contracting of meeting space, development of strategic meetings management systems, and design of incentive and recognition programs. The division brings in 75 percent of its revenues from meetings, 20 percent from incentives, and 5 percent from other sources. Top clients include real estate giant CB Richard Ellis and Hyundai.

American Express Business Travel

New York
(212) 640-2000
www.americanexpress.com/businesstravel

Founded: 1916

Leadership: Charles Petruccelli, president, Global Travel Services; Priyan Fernando, president, Customer Group, and COO, American Express Business Travel

Corporate meetings in 2007:
9,000 in North America, 15,570 globally

Portion of meeting and incentive travel programs held outside the U.S.:
43%

Room nights booked for meetings and incentives:
> 1 million

Full-time employees:
300 in N. A., 600 globally

At a glance: See story, page 23.

BCD Meetings & Incentives

Chicago
(312) 705.2200
www.bcdmi.com

Founded: 2006

Leadership: Scott Graf, president; Bruce Morgan, senior VP, marketing and business development

Corporate meetings in 2007:
3,202

Incentive travel programs in 2007:
339

Portion of meeting and incentive travel programs held outside the U.S.:
24%

Room nights booked for meetings and incentives:
378,408

Full-time employees:
185 in the Americas and 350 globally

At a glance: BCD Meetings & Incentives is an operating unit of BCD Travel, which formed in 2006 from a merger of World Travel Meetings & Incentives, TQ3 Travel Solutions, and Talking Point. It has annual sales of approximately $275 million and lists Bank of America, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi-aventis among its top clients. In addition to the Chicago headquarters, BCD M&I has offices in San Francisco, Mexico City, London, Brussels, and Singapore. Company executives serve on the executive board of the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives, as trustee of the International SITE Foundation, and on NBTA's Groups and Meetings Committee, among other positions.

BI

Edina, Minn.
(952) 835-4800
www.biworldwide.com

Founded: 1950

Leadership: Larry Schoenecker, president & COO; Guy Schoenecker, CEO & owner

Corporate meetings in 2007:
725

Incentive travel programs in 2007:
125

Portion of meeting and incentive travel programs held outside the U.S.: 20%

Room nights booked for meetings and incentives:
425,000

Full-time employees:
925

At a glance: Guy Schoenecker, CEO and owner, 81, was named to the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame in July 2008, a tribute to the growth of his privately held company from employee and customer incentives to a global full-service marketing company. BI has 28 offices around the world and boasts annual sales in excess of $470 million. In 2006, the company expanded into Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore, Shanghai, and Dubai with the acquisition of The Mint Organization.

Bucom International

Chicago
(312) 943-2600
www.bucom.com

Founded: 1987

Leadership: Darlene B. Krammer, president; Ludwig J. Krammer, director of operations

Corporate meetings in 2007:
55

Incentive travel programs in 2007:
8

Portion of meeting and incentive travel programs held outside the U.S.:
65%

Room nights booked for meetings and incentives:
25,000

Full-time employees:
16

At a glance: Bucom has built its success running both corporate meetings and incentive programs. A large portion — 65% — of its meetings takes place overseas. About 80 percent of the company's business comes from the pharmaceutical industry, and Darlene Krammer, president, consults on the regulations that govern those meetings. Automotive and financial are also part of the client mix.