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2013 National Education Conference & Expo will be held at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando FL May 22-24, 2013

 The SGMP National Education Conference(NEC) — the biggest annual event in the government meetings industry — is where government professionals from across the country come together for one-stop and non-stop education, resources and networking. At the 2012 NEC, there were over 900 attendees and over 40% of the attendees were meeting planners.

Between the welcome reception and our Sam Gilmer awards banquet, the NEC features keynote speakers, education sessions, leadership training, live and silent auctions to raise money for scholarships, our new tech fair, and the largest exhibit hall in the government meetings industry. There are also pre-conference workshops and post-conference tours.

SGMP’s 1st annual education conference took place in Maryland in 1983, where 68 attendees met for four education seminars and 36 supplier tables. Today, nearly 1,000 professionals meet for ~30 education sessions and more than 250 exhibit booths.

All the details you will need for the 2013 NEC — planner registration, supplier exhibitor information, education session descriptions, day-to-day schedule — will be available on our conference website www.sgmp.org/conference.

 Snapshot of Attendee Costs

REGISTRATION

 Snapshot of the Schedule and the Education Sessions

Before the conference, there are several multi-day courses that run concurrently at an additional cost. During the 2013 conference, there will be 45 education and general sessions (worth a projected total of 8 contact hours) in our core competencies.

The general NEC schedule:

The 2013 SGMP NEC will be held in Orlando, FL, on May 22–24, 2013.
The 2014 SGMP NEC will be held in Portland, OR.

Questions about the 2013 SGMP NEC? Contact our conference manager at conference@sgmp.org.

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Just in case you missed it -- January's meeting was fantastic from start to finish thanks to our presenter Deborah Gardner and our hosts the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa. 

My best take-away from Deborah's presentation?  T - R - I!  Great negotiations begin with these important elements...

   T   -- TRUST  Be sure to begin negotiations by expressing  "I Trust YOU!"

   R  -- RESPECT  Not just a great song from the 60's - this is a negotiations requirement.

    I   -- INTEGRITY  One of the reasons I love this industry is that most embrace this as a standard.

Thank you Deborah for bringing your timely message to our members and guests.  Your presentation was informative, interactive and greatly appreciated by all.

“NAKED NEGTIATING”

Who Has The Power Within Today’s Hospitality Profession?

Meeting Recap

By Lindsey Dedina

‘Picture them naked!’ This sage advice has been handed down for what seems like eons when it comes to reducing nervousness during public speaking. Turns out, it is equally as effective during negotiations.

“It is; however, only the starting point,” said Deborah Gardner, CMP, a big league professional speaker and consultant for DG INTERNATIONAL, LLC, during Wednesday, January 16, 2013, a very interactive meeting at the beautiful Hilton Mesa. Deborah debunked several negotiation non-working tactics and offered powerful techniques to help us come out ahead in any negotiation.

Here are a few strategies/ techniques that are good examples when attached to the emotional strategy:

• Negotiation is an emotional process. Before you enter into a negotiation make sure you know exactly what your needs are and ask the needs of the other person and/or company.  Always start the negotiation by stating the value and experiences.  This validates the price. But, don’t bring up price first or you may lose complete control of the discussion.

• Learn to flinch, if you are surprised show it!  If you are happy show appreciation.  If you are unhappy show it with your body language or exclaim, “Wow- that’s a lot!” This helps move the negotiation forward to either confirmation or to further discuss what caused the flinch.

• Educate yourself on different cultures.  The hospitality profession is a people industry from all over the world. And, in this industry, professionals are always coming into contact with people of other cultures. 

• Show that you know your stuff.  Provide history, data and the budget. Demonstrate that you did your homework and willing to put everything out front immediately.

•    Reread contracts. Just because we live in a computer generated world doesn’t mean that contracts can be miscommunicated. And, before entering into the contract stage, make sure both parties are in agreement.    

Overall, both sides must feel the negotiation is beneficial with an opportunity to flaunt only a favorable balance.  A win-win situation is the key to a strong partnership and a success negotiation.

Deborah summed up her message by proving that stripping away the old techniques is a good thing.  So “Yes” attendees did get naked….How else are you supposed to try something new?

Many thanks to Deborah Gardner for sharing her NAKED NEGOTIATING expertise with us! Also, thank you to the fabulous Hilton Mesa and the Mesa Convention and Visitors Bureau for sponsoring our January meeting. Just like me, all the attendees truly appreciate your support.