ICPA's own Jim Jones, president, James E. Jones & Associates, was one of six industry pioneers who were inducted into the Convention Industry Council's Hall of Leaders on July 26 in Denver. Jones, who was nominated by ICPA and is the first ICPA member to receive the honor, was the star of a gala dinner and awards ceremony, held in conjunction with Meeting Professionals International's World Education Congress.
After serving as association director for ICPA in the 1960s, Jones helped found Meeting Planners International (which later became Meeting Professionals International) and the Society of Corporate Meeting Professionals. He gave an interesting perspective as to how the industry associations were launched, admitting that corporate meeting planners perhaps did not really understand what it meant to run an association. His book, Meeting Management: A Professional Approach, published in 1984, is a popular industry read.
Each Hall of Leaders honoree was featured in a three-minute video highlighting his/her accomplishments. According to CIC, “Only those who have substantially contributed to the industry and whose efforts continue to shape it qualify for nomination for the CIC Hall of Leaders.