Schedule

Keynote Speaker

This year’s keynote speaker is Bruce C. Bommarito, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating officer with the US Travel Association. Mr. Bommarito joined US Travel Association in 2006 with over 25 years of executive level management experience in the Hospitality/ Travel industry. Throughout his career he managed numerous high quality hotels and airport operations throughout the country.

Bommarito has a BA degree in Hospitality Management from Michigan State University where he has since served on the board of the Hospitality Programs Alumni Association.

His list of industry activities and accomplishments, include Chairman of the Nevada Hotel and Lodging Association, adjunct professor at University of South Carolina’s School of Hospitality Management, Board Member of South Carolina’s Tourism Commission, Board positions on numerous CVB, co-chair of the US Japan Tourism Expansion Committee and the Western States Tourism Policy counsel. Bruce Bommarito obtained the first licensed marketing office for the US in China.

General Session Speaker

Cindy Goodaker is executive editor of Crain's Detroit Business. Goodaker has been with Crain's since 1985 and in her current position since 1994.

Previously, Goodaker was a reporter with The Oakland Press in Pontiac. While there, she won a national award for education writing and the Detroit Press Club’s bronze medallion for public service. In 2004, she was given a distinguished service award by the Michigan Business and Professional Association.

Goodaker currently is a member of the board of directors of the Alliance of Area Business Publications, an international trade association of business-to-business newspapers and magazines. She is a past chair of Inforum.

'Buy Michigan Now' Session

Lisa Diggs is owner of The Catalyst Company, an 8-year old performance consulting business that specializes in helping organizations become more productive and profitable. She studied communications at Michigan State University and earned a Master’s Degree in adult learning and performance technology from the University of Michigan. In fall of 2007, Lisa founded the Buy Michigan Now campaign to ignite the revitalization of Michigan’s economy. The focus of this advocacy program is to create awareness of the importance of supporting Michigan-based businesses and speaking positively about what our home state has to offer. For her efforts, the Greater Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners honored her with their 2008 Innovator Award and Crain’s Detroit Business recently named her one of their Women to Watch for 2009. This year, Lisa also received the President’s Call to Service Award for volunteering more than 4,000 hours of service to the betterment of her community.

Meeting Technology Session

Shawn Denton is the Director of VIKTORtech at VIKTOR Incentives & Meetings, providing technology and comunciations services to the association and corporate markets.  He spends his days customizing electronic systems for conferences, meetings and events, incentive travel, and online reward programs. With over 15 years experience in marketing and technology consulting Shawn has been the owner of web development companies, and was the director of marketing for a software company that worked with Compaq, Microsoft, and AMD. He has a Bachelors degree in Social Science and Masters in Commercial Recreation from Michigan State University. Shawn teaches Aikido at Northwestern Michigan College and is really big on coffee.

Exhibitors

Operation: Kid Equip

The Michigan Meetings Expo is proud to support Operation: Kid Equip. Operation: Kid Equip’s long term vision is a community where every child’s basic needs are met. To accomplish this in the short term they provide free school supplies, books, hygiene and food items for children who are at-risk. To effect long term community improvement, they work to increase awareness of the issues facing school-aged children to help them succeed in school and in life.
Help support Operation: Kid Equip by bringing some of the following items to the Michigan Meetings Expo:

• #2 Pencils
• 24 Packs of Crayola Crayons
• Glue Sticks (no glue bottles)
• Rulers
• Scissors
• Blue, Black, Red Ink Pens
• Markers
• Erasers – Pink or Pencil
• Two Pocket Folders
• Backpacks
• Any other miscellaneous office supplies