HCEA includes community outreach activities and charity golf tourney at annual meeting

In the spirit of giving back to its Annual Meeting host city, the Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association (HCEA) will feature a community volunteer activity and charity donation programs, as well as introduce a charity element into its traditional golf tournament at the 2011 HCEA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, to be held June 25-28 at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel.

On June 25, HCEA’s community service project volunteers will provide support to military families through Operation Homefront, an organization that assists families of U.S. service members. Participants will organize into teams to assemble a picnic table, a garden planter and a swing set for Operation Homefront.

In addition, bins will be set up at the Annual Meeting for the collection of unopened shampoos, conditioners and soaps, as well as school supplies for children in preschool through 12th grade. These items will be collected and donated to the Shade Tree Shelter, a Las Vegas shelter for homeless and abused women, children and pets.

Furthermore, the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel will send used hotel toiletries to Clean the World, an organization that distributes recycled soap products and educational materials to impoverished countries and domestic homeless shelters.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to Chip for Charity in the 2011 HCEA Annual Golf Outing, to be held at the Tournament Players Club (TPC) Las Vegas course, also on June 25. All proceeds from the putting contest will be donated to Operation Homefront. First-timers and non-golfers are invited to join the outing as part of the new First-Timers Golf Clinic, which will include lessons on golf basics with a dedicated pro.

Furthermore, HCEA will donate extra conference food to a Las Vegas food bank, and is encouraging exhibitors to incorporate charity give-back programs into their booth marketing activities.

In 2010, the HCEA formed a new Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, a subcommittee of HCEA’s Annual Meeting Committee, to formalize community outreach activities for the organization.