From Our President
From Our President, Mary A. German, CMP
Building ACOM, Building Alliances, Building Leaders
If you attended the Annual Conference in Indianapolis, you probably returned home motivated and inspired to achieve greatness! If you weren’t able to attend the Annual Conference, you missed exceptional sessions, superb speakers, and the opportunity to network and brainstorm with your peers.
The value of attending face-to-face meetings cannot be underestimated. The educational training provided by ACOM for convention service professionals is unmatched by any other organization. By fostering relationships with your ACOM peers at conferences, you build a network and resource base that can be accessed for information and idea sharing throughout the year.
The convention was successful largely due to the efforts of the Annual Planning Committee, Indianapolis Host Committee, and the many member volunteers who worked tireless hours to ensure the success of the annual conference. Conference highlights are included in this ACOMmodate and more will appear on the website and in ACOMmodate throughout the year..
ACOM is strong today because of the volunteer leaders who serve on the board of directors, committees and chapters. Our volunteer leaders are the building blocks that have made ACOM the solid foundation that it is today. We will continue to build on our foundation as we work together to “Build ACOM, Build Alliances, and Build Leaders.”
The foundation for building ACOM started with the Strategic Plan – which was unveiled in January 2003. In less than a year, the Marketing, Membership and Continuing Education Committees under the direction of extremely talented ACOM leaders have accomplished many milestones including the new Marketing Brochure that was unveiled at the Annual Conference, Member Get a Member Campaign that resulted in 23 new members and ACOM’s first Webinar.
The ACOM Board of Directors recently approved new chapter formation guidelines
that will make it easier for members to develop chapters in their communities.
Members can now develop a chapter with a small group of members and hold
meetings during the lunch hour. Additionally, new chapters are eligible
to request funding from ACOM (50/50 match between ACOM and local sponsors)
to offset the cost of their meeting.
Building alliances with industry organizations to position ACOM as an industry
leader for the convention services profession is integral to our future
existence. We will continue to work closely and strengthen our partnership
with the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). Last year,
our partnership with PCMA allowed two ACOM board members to represent ACOM
on the PCMA Annual Planning Committee. ACOM members were an important part
of the 2004 annual planning process and were instrumental in developing
the Monday Session at PCMA, “Partnering with CVBs: Latest Trends in
Attendance Building and Tracking.” Continuing the partnership between
ACOM and PCMA, two new board members have been appointed to the 2005 PCMA
Annual Planning Committee. PCMA has also appointed a PCMA member to serve
on the ACOM Annual Planning Committee. Additionally, we will forge partnerships
with other industry organizations in 2004.
The future of our industry lies with today’s youth - undergraduate and graduate students. Building alliances with colleges and universities that have hospitality management programs are important to the future of our organization. We currently have nine faculty and student members. Our goal is to not only increase student membership, but determine the viability of future student scholarship and internship programs, build relationships with university faculty and increase our pool of potential speakers, and develop future educational programs for our members.
ACOM is committed to providing educational and networking opportunities to members throughout the year. In March, ACOM will host its second webinar for facilities managers. The Summer Conference will be held June 11, 2004 in Miami Florida. The 2005 Annual Conference will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, January 7-9, 2005. Additional information is available on our website at www.acomonline.org. ACOM has created a List Serve for member interaction. Members can access the list serve through the members only website.
ACOM’s board of directors and Annual Planning Committee are working diligently to develop programs that provide professional and personal growth for our members. By volunteering to serve ACOM, your leadership skills can be developed or enhanced, and transfers into your professional and personal life. As we build leaders, we build ACOM and ensure the future existence of our organization. I urge you to get involved with ACOM by joining a committee or chapter. The ACOM Board of Directors is available to answer any questions that you have about ACOM programs and volunteer and leadership opportunities, call us!