The Convention Industry Council (CIC) has announced the selection of a new leadership council to direct CIC’s APEX initiative. As part of this planned transition the previous governing body, known as the APEX Commission, was dissolved to mark the completion of its work developing the vision and funding of the initial APEX best practices.
Launched in 2001, APEX promoted the development and adoption of best practices to create and enhance efficiencies, effectiveness and professionalism throughout the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry.
“CIC staff and several current and former commission members met late last year for a strategic planning session,” said Karen Kotowski, CAE, CMP, CEO of the CIC. “Lead by, then-Commission Chair Terri Breining and current Chair Teri Tonioli, the group decided a new leadership structure and strategic focus was needed to lead APEX into the next stage of its life cycle.”
This new focus required a re-defining of the purpose and makeup of the APEX body which could address the priorities of APEX in the areas of adoption, communication outreach and product development. Now called the APEX Leadership Council (ALC), the new council held its first meeting in June.
“The ALC’s first meeting mapped the priorities for APEX going forward,” said Kotowski. “The Council determined them to be completing and launching of the APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards; enhancing the usability and accessibility of the existing best practices; updating the existing best practices to support the Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards; advocating for greater adoption of the Event Specification Guide by hotels and major customers, and providing greater support to the education community.”
The members of the APEX Leadership Council are: Victoria Ascione, CMP, CMM, Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Deborah Breitner, Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida; Dave Dvorak, Starwood Hotels; Maura Gast, Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau; Scott Gillespie, Author, Gillespie’s Guide to Travel+Procurement, Joyce Inderbitzin, CMP, Hilton Hotels Corporation; Kimberly Meyer, Meeting Analytics; Doug McPhee, CMP, Experient; Bob Moore, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center; Kelly Peacy, CMP, Professional Convention Management Association; Janet Sperstad, CMP, Madison Area Technical College, and Teri Tonioli, CMP, Experient.
