American Meetings, Inc’s CEO, Andy McNeill, was honored as a local #LGBT business leader at the South Florida Business Journal LGBT Business Leaders Awards at the EPIC hotel in Miami.
We’d like to thank the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBTQ Chamber and Bob Swindell for all their support.
More than 150 people celebrated the business leaders lauded as Outstanding Voices at the Business Journal‘s inaugural Business of Pride Awards on June 28.
The event at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Miami spotlighted South Florida-based LGBTQ executives or straight allies of the LGBTQ community who excel in business and work to advance LGBTQ businesses and/or the LGBTQ community.
The honorees were also featured in a special Business of Pride section that ran online and in print on June 29. The special section debuted a new list of the region’s LGBTQ-owned businesses ranked by revenue.
AMI recently visited Indianapolis for the 2018 MPI WEC (World Education Congress). Over 2,200 meeting planners and suppliers were on hand at the 2018 MPI WEC to learn new ways to impress and amaze their clients, review the meetings industry best practices, experience the latest meeting technologies, and discover the best new destinations and venues from around the globe.
MPI more than delivered on the tagline of the event at the 2018 MPI WEC, by not just planning meetings, but designing experiences. From the 120 MPH test lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to having lunch (and kicking an extra-point) on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium – #MPI18 went BIG (and fast) and created unique experiences for guests won’t soon forget.
“Let’s be honest, planning an event for meeting planners is no easy task. We’re a pretty tough crowd to impress.” said Paul Steinmetz, Director of The American Meetings Network at AMI, Inc. “MPI WEC somehow found the perfect way to combine one-of-a-kind experiences, top-tier educational sessions and maintain the high-energy environment needed to keep more than 2,200 attendees revved up for the entire event!”.
The completely reimagined open floor-plan layout featured various experiential and educational “villages” located on around the perimeter. From the high-energy pep rallies to the thought-provoking programming (even providing a behind the scenes to the production and AV worlds—allowing access to planners who wanted to see and hear the A/V team in action) and as if that weren’t enough, attendees even had the opportunity to cuddle with puppies at the Paws for a Cause area, sponsored by Visit Norfolk.
When it came time to do business, MPI’s Hosted Buyer Program conducted just over 1,800 business appointments in two days! The logistics of such an undertaking are no small feat, and kudos to the MPI team for making the event run seamlessly. Cloud Touch’s impressive touchscreen display units were on hand to provided scheduling info and serve as the large format timers. It was easy to see how these highly innovative display boards can both optimize and monetize (sponsorships can be sold on the display) your next meeting or event.
Some of the other standout meeting technologies we discovered included:
Immersive a cutting-edge production company that creates dynamic environments for events. Incorporating projection mapping, custom content creation, state-of-the-art AV equipment and a highly skilled team, Immersive creates engaging spaces that transform general sessions and events into memorable experiences designed to ignite your senses.
TLC Creative Special Effects, Hypervsn 3D floating video displays were truly remarkable. Floating video images displayed on LED fan blades create impressive holographic video animations, with real-time functionality allowing it to be changed on the fly. Kevin Bilida, CEO, and inventor of this unique technology said he has recently seen an uptick in use for medical and pharmaceutical meetings, as this technology provides a highly effective way to display DNA chains and molecular level drug attachments.
MPI WEC 18 took home the checkered flag this year by allowing its host city, Indy to provide the perfect backdrop. From the welcome night concert in White River State Park, featuring Indianapolis’ own A Cappella group, Straight No Chaser, to hosting a block party in Monument Square – No opportunity was missed by the MPI team to showcase the best of Indianapolis. Those who attended MPI’s President’s Dinner at the famed Indiana Roof Ballroom were treated not only to one of the most historic and ornate rooms in the city, but also had the chance to watch his colleagues honor (i.e. roast) travel industry legend, and U.S. Travel President and CEO, Roger Dow. The event raised more than $250,000 to support MPI Academy programs. An additional $450,000 was raised through ticket sales to attend Rendezvous, at The Pan Am Pavilion, where Las Vegas’ own DJ Warren Peace kept the high-intensity party rocking late into the night.
For more information on The American Meetings Network and AMI’s Global Procurement Day, please contact Paul Steinmetz, Director, The American Meetings Network at (954) 440-1274 or email PSteinmetz@AmericanMeetings.com.
American Meetings, Inc. (AMI) CEO, Andy McNeill, is proud to have participated as the keynote speaker of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce Metropolitan Business Association (MBA) Supplier Diversity Summit held May 4th, 2018 at the Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando, FL.
About the Summit
The summit included lunch, a panel discussion, and Q&A with some of central Florida’s top Supplier Diversity advocates and breakout sessions to help grow your business. Discover the power of business certification, hear success stories from business owners and supplier diversity leaders, and learn strategies to advance your business to the next level.
Supplier Diversity
American Meetings, Inc. AMI was the proud recipient of the NGLCC’s 2018 Global Supplier of The Year award. Through our supplier diversity program, we aim to create partner relationships that reflect the cultural diversity of the communities we work in. Our commitment is rooted in the belief that relationships with new and diverse partners will establish our leadership role in the global marketplace and creates a world of benefits for our team members, partners, and clients.
Meeting Expectations: AMI Takes Corporate Meetings to the Next Level
Global business magazine Affinity Inc. has highlighted American Meetings, Inc. in their April 2018 monthly business profile. Affinity Inc is a quarterly print and digital publication focused exclusively on the LGBT business community, as well as America’s top organizations with a commitment to LGBT equality.
For over 16 years, American Meetings, Inc. has been taking the meeting business to the next level innovating the space with the latest technology, all over the world. AMI is a visionary-led global meeting services organization collaborating with clients to meet their business goals, amplifying their organization’s brand and allowing them to stand apart, by providing exceptional live and virtual meeting strategies worldwide.
The mission at AMI is to collaborate with the world’s top brands to have a positive, and oftentimes, life-changing impact on individuals through live and virtual meetings. “The marketing needs are always changing and we try to stay updated with our client needs. That’s a challenge but also one of our greatest opportunities,” Andy McNeill, CEO & Principal at AMI. “From virtual meetings to artificial intelligence and other technologies we benefit live meetings by creating connections that change lives,” McNeill said. “There is a lot of different ways to leverage technology to the benefit of our clients. It’s not only the tech in the general sense but how we sign up people online; what kind of data; using mobile media apps, etc.”
The profile goes on to state that “When AMI was launched McNeill was focused on pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare but there was a market shift in the industry when diversity and inclusion initiatives started taking off. Their list of clients has expanded to companies such as Salesforce, Mars, and Pfizer. That’s when diversity and inclusion initiatives really started taking off and we were able to differentiate ourselves and build our network as meeting planners and suppliers.” At present, most Fortune 500 businesses work through the procurement process. McNeill and his team reach out to diversity officers to find out the needs of the corporation needs. Andy goes on to explain that we work with supplier diversity professionals to identify opportunities but then we get chosen for our key differentiators, which include the latest meetings technology and a diverse workforce and suppliers focusing on LGBTQ, minorities, veteran and women-owned businesses.”
The goal at AMI is to deliver exceptional service that helps our clients excel while providing a meeting experience attendees will remember. “We’ll meet you where you are and scale up or down to satisfy your specific requirements,” McNeill said. “And because our team of experienced strategic and certified meeting planners (SMPs/CMPs) has seen just about everything, we know how to resolve issues on the spot to ensure a flawless execution.”
Affinity Inc is a print and digital publication focused exclusively on the LGBT business community, as well as America’s top organizations with a commitment to support and promote the business case for LGBT business equality in the workforce, supply chain, and marketplace of America’s leading corporations.
American Meetings, Inc. (AMI) is excited to be a corporate sponsor of the 14th Annual Pharma Forum being held March 25-28 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, PA. In addition, AMI will have a table in the exhibit hall where clients will visit and network with AMI leadership in order to learn more about our role at the Forum and how we plan to improve and expand our services moving forward.
As a global meeting services organization, AMI represents many clients in the pharmaceutical industry, planning hundreds of meetings and events including Advisory Boards, Congresses, HCP Meetings, Internal Meetings, Investigator Meetings, Product Launches, Speaker Trainings, and more. We constantly seek out opportunities to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, discover new resources, and develop relationships that will enhance our ability to create winning strategies and best serve the needs of our clients.
The Annual Pharma Forum provides an excellent opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, insights, and connections for the benefit of our pharmaceutical clients. What’s it all about and what do we hope to gain from sponsoring, exhibiting, and attending this event?
What is the Annual Pharma Forum?
The Annual Pharma Forum is “the world’s leading life sciences meeting management conference”, featuring industry-leading speakers; expert panels; topics exploring new technology, compliance challenges, and best practices; and of course, breakout sessions and opportunities for one-on-one networking with medical and pharmaceutical clients, suppliers, and third-party meeting and event organizers.
What are Some of the Highlights This Year?
This year’s Pharma Forum includes a variety of notable speakers and timely topics. Cat Greenleaf will host Talk Stoop Live with Rolf Benirschke, Laurie Cooke will discuss tips to reinvigorate a career path, and a panel of expert speakers from American Express Meetings & Events, Javits Center, Marriott International and FBI/NYPD will discuss safety, security, and risk management.
Additional topics include industry best practices, notable technologies, and collaborations between corporations and third-party planners. Opportunities for networking and tapping into the shared resources of the Pharma Forum community round out event activities.
How Will AMI Clients Benefit?
AMI is excited to learn about challenges and innovations affecting the pharmaceutical and adjacent industries, as well as the impact to collaborations with third-party service providers like meeting and event planners. While there, we look forward to learning, participating, networking and meeting with potential new clients to explore new insights and opportunities. Feel free to stop by our table in the exhibit hall to meet the AMI Team!
American Meetings, Inc. (AMI) is proud to be attending the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Summit & Salute being held March 20-22, 2018 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, TX. As a certified diverse supplier, we seek out opportunities to participate in and support diversity events like this conference, and we hope to network with other diverse suppliers across industries in order to perpetuate an environment of tolerance and collaboration that respects and celebrates the unique contributions of professionals from every walk of life.
AMI wholeheartedly agrees with the WBENC theme “Join forces, succeed together”, which embraces the notion of fostering relationships and expanding networks to create new job opportunities, explore new channels of revenue, and ultimately, fuel economic growth. We are also incredibly excited to attend an event that centers on diversity, focusing primarily on female business owners and staff, as well as corporate executives and representatives from government agencies and advocacy groups, among others.
What Does This Event Entail?
This conference provides opportunities to learn from corporate visionaries within the WBENC network during industry-focused workshop sessions, with plenty of industries and topics to choose from each day. These sessions are designed to inform, inspire, and celebrate the successes of WBEs. The conference also provides ample opportunity for networking and development during meetings, luncheons, and receptions, including 1:1 Matchmaker Meetings with corporate and government business partners, as well as business owners, procurement representatives, and suppliers.
What are AMI’s Goals in Attending?
At AMI, we are proud to participate in events that celebrate diversity, which is one of the many reasons we’re so pleased to attend the WBENC Summit & Salute. During the Summit, we hope to connect with a growing network of women entrepreneurs in a diverse array of industries, including leaders in banking, energy, finance, government, healthcare, logistics, retail, telecommunications, transportation, travel, and more.
With expert speakers, workshop sessions, and networking receptions, the WBENC Summit & Salute provides the opportunity to celebrate the successes of women in enterprise, learn from their expertise and insight, and build bridges that create a stronger future. This is only to the benefit of AMI and all of our clients.
We also plan to meet with our Billion Dollar Round Table member partners during the conference in preparation for their annual conference in the fall. We look forward to networking with our partners at the WBENC Summit & Salute in Dallas, TX.
