I was unreasonably excited when I got the news this morning that I made the shortlist for the Ovation Global DMC's Huggability Award! And it appears that, while only one person wins, everyone on the shortlist is inducted into the company's Cub Club (backstory on the whole thing is here), so we all are winners. I'm in great company, too—others on the list include the fabulous Jeff Hurt of Velvet Chainsaw Consulting fame, and The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America's Sharon Chapman, CMP, CMM, both of whom I've interviewed for various articles over the years, so I know just how huggable—well, at any rate how smart and engaging—both of these folks are. Sharon also is one of our 2012 CMI Changemakers, which is Corporate Meetings & Incentives' way of recognizing those who are moving the meetings business forward. Whew, tough competition indeed!
And the rest of the list is just as impressive: Bobbi Landreth, Manager, Sales Planning, FedEx Corporation; Eduardo Chaillo, Executive Director of Meetings, Mexico Tourism Board; Faye Bennett, Sales Manager, IMEX Group; Kathy Roche, Manager, Meeting & Convention Planning, Western & Southern Life, USA; Riccardo Pizzuti, Event Manager, ega professional conference organisers, Italy; Rick Lambert, President, Destinations Inc, USA; and Thayer Phillips, Director of Transportation, Capitol Services, Inc., a DMC Network Company.
I hope I don't get disqualified for not being able to be present to collect my hugs at IMEX America, but no matter what, this just made my day—thanks and virtual hugs to Padraicino and the rest of the good people at Ovation Global.
(Pictured is the Ovation mascot, the Ovation Bear. How cute is that?)