On the Road Again

I’m on vacation this week, but was trying to sort out my fall schedule now that Southwest has opened up their schedule trough January 4, 2013. I really thought it wasn’t going to be that busy – HA HA joke is on me. I have two work trips in August and nothing until the under of September, but the rest of the year…let’s just say I could rent out my apartment and it would be ok.

You know the glamorous life of a corporate event planner:  planes, hotels and convention centers – and I wouldn’t change it! I’m spending a lot of time out on the west coast so I’m going to be racking up the southwest points and I’m booked at Marriott’s across the board. I feel a big vacation coming up in 2013 and I already know the perfect location.

Here we go!

Sept 26 – Oct 3

·         San Diego, CA: International Association of Chiefs of Polices Conference

Oct 4 – 7

·         Toronto, Canada: Vacation

Oct 8 – 13

·         Los Angeles, CA: ANCC Magnet Conference

Oct 26 – Nov 1

·         San Francisco, CA: American Public Health Association Conference

Nov 2 – Nov 4

·         Ocean City, MD: Think It...Ink It 2012 

Nov 5 – Nov 11

·         Atlanta, GA: National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference

Nov 21 – Nov 26

·         Westford, MA: Thanksgiving with the Family

Nov 26 – Nov 29

·         TBD: Work Team Meeting ( Chicago or Portland, OR)

Nov 30 – Dec 1

·         New York City: Annie on Broadway & the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular

Dec 22 – Dec 28

·         Westford, MA:  Christmas with the Family

Dec 30 – Jan 1

·         Nashville, TN:  The best place to ring in the New Year!

Atlanta, SHRM and Millennia

I plan events - cool hotels, great hotel, amazing food and travel lots of travel. It is as glamorous as it sounds…Right now its 730pm and I am in my hotel room wondering how early is too early to call it a night. Honestly the perks are great and I do like my job. The cool part though is what it enables me to do and I am able to use my job to do a little bit of good .

My company as a mission of social change and I am allowed a lot of leeway in how incorporate that into our events and exhibits. Last February I had the pleasure of meeting Millennia a therapy robot that works with autistic children. I knew one way or another I was going to get Millennia into one of my booths. SHRM was that show. I have spent the last two days working with Millennia and his operate and I am amazed at what technology can accomplish. As part of our exhibit we donated $10 for every picture take to a local Autism school. Here is a little info on the therapy work the Millennia does.

Millennia is also very famous – he was in Rocky 4 (he has had a face lift or two since then), he was made into a cartoon for Family guy and had a two year run on Days of our lives.

Rocky:

Family Guy:

A few other cool Millennia facts: Has a passport, American express card, is a member of SAG and prefers to fly first class.

Yup, it is true I might have a little crush on Millennia. Here is one last photo that was take with a booth next to ours when they invited us over to have a picture taken with the Heisman trophy.

Off to recharge my batteries! ;)

Nashville and NSA

I was in Nashville as an exhibitor for the National Sherriff Association conference this week. It was the first time that my company or I attended this event. I also got to bring one of my fellow planners out to her first tradeshow. The show itself was great and I learned a lot about this audience and what they are looking for when attending conferences.


Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE Nashville, it is my favorite city to visit. The people are nice, the city has a lot to offer and the artistic awareness is huge. And, I’m not just talking about Music, painters, sculptors, wood workers, writers and a few musicians - it is a city full of creativity. Two of my co-workers had never been and I have the fun of showing them all of my favorite places. Overall it had been a great time.

There may have been a little excitement on Tuesday night when the Opryland Hotel had a gas leak caused an explosion I was very thankful as a planner that most of my staff had already left and we had cleared out of the Opryland a whole 4 hours prior. The good news is that no one was hurt – which was amazing considering that the hotel was sold out and they evacuated over 5000 people. The bad news Gaylord is looking at 750k in damages. Thinking it is a good thing that Marriott just put in a bid to purchase all their properties.

Today I flew to Atlanta. I’m very excited about this event did I mention I’m going to have a Robot?