Swanky Swans and Prize Planners: The 2014 CMI 25 Reception

CMI 25 host Melissa Fromento, general manager of MeetingsNet (right) welcomes Aimia’s Kurt Paben, senior vice president, head of Channel and Employee Loyalty, and Bonnie Boisner, vice president, events management. Boisner chaired this year’s SITE Nite North America, the mega networking event that followed the CMI 25 Reception.

With one of Swan Court’s signature fowl nearby, Kevin Hinton, CEO, Society for Incentive Travel Excellence/Site Foundation (left); Betsy Bair, content director, MeetingsNet; and David Peckinpaugh, president and CEO of Maritz Travel Co., take in the CMI 25 Reception.

On the eve of the fourth annual IMEX America exhibition, IMEX Group’s Marketing Director Oliver Hone took time to welcome attendees to the CMI 25 Reception.

MeetingsNet hangs with the TBA Global team (from left): Margaret Roache, senior director, meeting services, TBA; Sue Hatch, editor, MeetingsNet; Tina Wassman, senior director of event management, TBA; Alison Hall, editor, MeetingsNet; and Cynthia Bell, senior vice president, meeting services, TBA.

BCD M&I colleagues Kristen Dierickx, CMP, vice president, client solutions (left), and Dave Sonricker senior vice president, industry relations, have a smile with BI WORLDWIDE’s Patty Karsten, division vice president, event solutions design & purchasing.

At the CMI 25 Reception, executives from North America’s busiest corporate meeting and incentive planning companies get a chance to unwind together (from left): Janet Traphagen, executive vice president/sales & marketing, Creative Group Inc.; Beau Ballin, vice president, marketing & client strategy, MotivAction; Kari Vrba, senior vice president, business development, MotivAction; Frank McVeigh president and CEO, McVeigh Associates Ltd.; and Joe Keller, president & COO, MotivAction.

Some Thai Warmth in Vegas: Frank McVeigh, president and CEO of McVeigh Associates Ltd., a proud CMI 25 recipient, celebrates with (left to right) Supanich Thiansing, Vichaya Soonthornsaratoon, and Danielle Middleton of the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau.

Mark Kowal, from CMI 25 sponsor Palace Resorts (right), joins two managing partners from repeat CMI 25 company Meeting Alliance: Michael Franks (left) and David D'Eletto.

Meghan Daiuto, manager, business development & client relations, Ashfield Meetings & Events (left), with her colleague Katie Koziol, CMP, account director

MeetingsNet Content Director Betsy Bair (right) visits with Yma Sherry, vice president, North America, American Express Meetings & Events, during the CMI 25 Reception. During IMEX, Sherry led two sessions on her company’s 2015 Global Meetings Forecast.

Brian Meyer, president, and Allison Dixon, senior director, marketing & creative, from Atlanta-based Meeting Expectations Inc.

Team MeetingsNet: Monique Agaliotis, national sales director; Melissa Fromento, general manager; Betsy Bair, content director, and David Wright, Southeast sales manager

Agnès Canonica, CMP, CMM, general manager, Americas, for MD Events (center), chats with the team from Meetings & Incentives Worldwide: David Guse vice president, IT services & information, and Kris McKinney, vice president, operations.

Omega Meetings & Incentives, on the CMI 25 list for the first time in 2014, had Timothy Shaugnessy, regional sales director, and Diane Bozicevich, vice president, operations, in attendance at the reception.

From left: Susy Lunenfeld, director of sales, Midwest, Palace Resorts, meets with Kristi Martin, vice president of meeting operations, and Mary Sue Leathers, president, at ALTOUR Meetings & Incentives.

Jennifer Walter, senior account manager (left), and Sonal Sullivan, travel director (right), from SDI Meetings and Incentives, with Terra Cook, chief procurement officer, Bishop-McCann

From left: Wen Jie Chio, area director, eastern and southern U.S., Singapore Tourism Board; Tara Barnes, meetings, incentives, conventions & exhibitions manager, Americas, STB; Hob Reichenbach, managing director, Gavel International; Michael Richardson, executive vice president, Gavel International; and Sue Hatch, editor, MeetingsNet

USMotivation President Tina Weede relaxes with her associate Barbara Nindos, vice president of travel operations.

Ron Officer, chairman and CEO, Creative Group, is flanked by his sales executives, Janet Traphagen, executive vice president/sales & marketing (left), and Shireen Moore, senior vice president, marketing.

MeetingsNet Editor Alison Hall (center) enjoys a moment with representatives from CWT Meetings & Events: Rina Walton, CMP, business development director (left), and Pauline Houston, global director, supplier management.

Team Maritz: Steve O'Malley, division president, Maritz Travel Meetings and Incentives, and David Peckinpaugh, president and CEO, Maritz Travel Co.

ITA Group’s Liz Mikkelsen (left) and Mandy Espey, both purchasing supervisors, savor the hospitality at the Swan Court, an intimate event space at Mandalay Bay’s Aureole restaurant.

MeetingsNet General Manager Melissa Fromento shares a laugh with IMEX Group’s Marketing Director Oliver Hone.

McVeigh Associates, which recently partnered with Prime Strategies to form MVP, brought the whole team to the CMI 25 Reception: (from left) Douglas Hunt, senior vice president, business development, McVeigh; Bill Callahan, director–North American sales, MVP; Mark Jarrell, vice president–North American sales, MVP; Frank McVeigh, president and CEO, McVeigh; Peggy O'Connell, vice president, McVeigh; Carmelina Manzella Deignan, vice president, meeting planning, McVeigh; and Jonathan Buchwald, president & CEO, Prime Strategies.