Convention Sales Professionals International (CSPI), formerly the Association for Convention Sales and Marketing Executives (ACME), will hold its first Annual Conference under its new name from February 26-27, 2012, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Like past ACME conferences, it continues to be the only meetings industry event that focuses on the partnerships between Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) and Convention Centers.
Themed “Best Practices – Bringing It to Life,” the conference will kick off with a dinner and networking reception at 901 Restaurant on the evening prior to the Conference. The Annual Conference agenda offers several interactive sessions, such as “Best Practices in Action,” where the authors of an influential industry whitepaper will discuss the execution of the best practices study in their destinations. New this year, CSPI sponsors will present brief, fast-paced IGNITE sessions throughout the day—a format to deliver valuable messages in which 20 slides will advance every 15 seconds for five minutes. Throughout the Conference, CSPI will honor its mission to enhance the collaboration and partnership between DMOs and convention centers.
This year’s keynote speaker is Simon T. Bailey, who was recently voted best keynote speaker by the readers of Meetings and Conventions magazine, will deliver a keynote speech designed to encourage attendees to create their own destiny. Bailey has worked with over 300 of the Fortune 1000 companies and written six books.
“The association is truly re-energized with the launch of our new name and brand,” said Yulita Osuba, CSPI President. “Our goal is to create a conference that reflects that momentum while also providing the valuable take-aways that members have come to expect from our events.”
