Brigitte Connors • Joyce Steele • Eric Horn
Kelli Greene • Heidi Longton • Laure-Jeanne Davignon
After 25 successful years in National and International conference management, including Fortune 100 companies, Federal and State Government Agencies and National Associations, as well as a successful career in "Hospitality Management," Brigitte wanted to utilize her proven capabilities and mentor in the meetings and hospitality industries.
In April 2008, she left Site Solutions Worldwide (Founder), and using her proven capabilities, has created a "virtual meetings and hospitality arena" with some of the best professionals she has worked with over the years. These professionals are uniting in a unique way, to share their meeting and hospitality experience within the industry.
Click here to view Brigitte's résumé.
» Back to Top
Joyce Steele has been in the hotel, resort and meeting planning professions for over 25 years. She began her career at The Sagamore Resort, on Lake George, NY, where she won numerous awards as outstanding Sales Manager for the hotel and for all of Omni Hotels. She was also a member of the President's Circle.
Joyce was promoted to Associate Director of Sales; after 9 years, she resigned and moved to Orlando, Florida in 1993, opened her own company, Joyce Steele & Associates, as an Independent Meeting Planner.
Joyce has traveled throughout the United States, Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada, Mexico and Europe. She has planned, managed and executed meetings for as many as 1,400 attendees.
Presently her primary focus is on sourcing hotels for clients and hotel contract negotiations. Additionally, she assists her clients with all details of their events. Her expertise combines her personal experience in resort sales and now from the "meeting planner's" side.
She is a member of MPI and the Global Planner Forum. Joyce's experience is global, including working with hotel and resort sales and catering professionals, all over the world.
» Back to Top
CMP
Eric currently is responsible for all facets of the Cosmoprof North America trade show and convention (TradeShow Week) as well as Exhibit Sales for the International Salon & Spa Exposition. He handles exhibit, sponsorship and advertising sales, decorator requirements and vendor contracts for the event, booth layout and floor layouts. In addition, he handles all relations and materials with overseas partners in Italy. Eric also serves as staff liaison between the North American Beauty Events, LLC Board of Directors and the Professional Beauty Association staff.
Prior to joining BBSI, now the Professional Beauty Association, in May of 1995, Eric was employed by Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. He held positions in Catering and Convention Services in Hilton Head, SC, Washington, DC, San Diego, CA and Burlingame, CA (San Francisco Bay Area). In May of 1995 Eric started with the Beauty and Barber Supply Institute, now called the Professional Beauty Association, out of Fairfield, NJ. Since moving to the offices to Scottsdale in August of 1995 and has resided in Phoenix, AZ.
Eric earned his CMP Designation, (Certified Meeting Professional) in 1991 from the Convention Liaison Council (CLC) while in Washington, DC. Eric earned his Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1989. He grew up in Southeastern Massachusetts and spent most of his childhood on Cape Cod.
» Back to Top
Throughout Kelli's 20+ years of program managment, recruiting and event management experience, Kelli has managed program and events for both high tech and bio pharmaceutical industries. She brings solid program management experience from her work with Google and Yahoo! and strong negotiation skills from her role launching event planning services for Clinimetrics Research Associates, Inc. Kelli's experience in managing global facilities and administrative services has given her a unique perspective for site selection and customer service assessment with potential venues and ancillary services. Most recently, Kelli's charter has been the development and implementation of unique recruitment marketing & branding initiatives for leading internet companies. Currently, Kelli manages the year-round intern program and brand /creative programs for talent acquisition at Yahoo!. Her tenacity and ability to lead teams to success are what motivate Kelli to execute with excellence.
Kelli is a member of NCHRA (Northern California Human Resource Association) and MPINCC (Meeting Professionals International - Northern California Chapter). Kelli has been a community volunteer for several organizations and enjoys mentoring students to help guide them to achieve their personal, educational and professional goals.
» Back to Top
CMP, CMM
Heidi's sixteen years of planning experience spans the private and not-for-profit sectors. As training director for a health care consulting firm for four years, she was responsible for 36 events annually, designed to deliver continuing education across New York State to hospital and long-term care professionals.
With the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association, Heidi had 12 years of growing responsibility for a myriad of association events ranging in attendance from 12 to 150 attendees at venues spanning the northeastern United States and Canada. In addition, Heidi produced the association's annual convention and exposition held in Boston, MA. This three-day event, with a $1.2 million budget, represented 7,000 attendees, 250 exhibiting companies, and 4,000 citywide room nights.
Heidi joined the faculty at SUNY Delhi in January 2009. She teaches in an adjunct capacity in the BBA degree program in Hospitality Management with concentrations in Hotel & Resort Management and Travel & Tourism Management. Her current instructional responsibility is for Destination Marketing. Heidi is also a senior instructor in the Department of Hospitality and Travel Management for Mildred Elley with instructional responsibility for Intro to Hospitality & Travel Management, Customer Service for the Hospitality Industry, and Meetings/Events/Expositions/Conventions. Since 2005 she has taught the Financial & Contract Management module of MPI-NENY's CMP (Meeting Planners International-North Eastern New York) study group series. She has presented for ESSAE (Empire State Society of Association Executives), NYSH&TA, New York State Hospitality & Travel Association) and MPI-NENY audiences. Heidi is an active MPI-NENY member, currently serving as the CMP Chair.
» Back to Top
Laure-Jeanne has over ten years of experience in education and non profit management, first in higher education, and most recently as Director of Education for the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association (NRLA,) where she was responsible for the strategic direction and execution of education programs for more than 400 member companies throughout New York and New England.
Previously, Laure-Jeanne worked in alumni relations for SUNY Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, NY and for the Research Foundation of SUNY in Albany, NY, where she oversaw statewide educational programs for advancement staff and volunteers, as well as establishment of "all SUNY" alumni events in cities throughout the United States.
At the NRLA, she implemented distance learning programs for the Association, including webinars and deployment of an online learning management system. Laure-Jeanne also oversaw the NRLA's affiliated foundation, including charitable activities, an industry-specific certification program, and board recruitment and development. She also managed the education platform for the association's annual exposition and convention, which draws over 4,000 attendees.
» Back to Top
