ESPA Annual Conference
Full Throttle!
January 11-13, 2019
Westin Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
We will have great sessions for maximum interactivity and discussion among members! Look for ample breakout opportunities to find the right session for your interests. New for 2019: A leadership track with sessions custom planned for the interests and needs of attendees at Associate Director level and higher.
ESPA offers valuable continuing education credits! As a CMP Preferred Provider, our aim is to make the earning of credits seamless for you! Sessions are pending approval from the Events Industry Council and will be noted on the schedule once approved.
Again this year we will have opportunities for people in similar disciplines to network together – Small, medium, large CVB, Center and Hotels – as well as great common spaces for one-on-one networking and meeting new services friends. Mobile workshops will take you out of the classroom for interactive learning.
Check back soon to learn what our community support initiative will be in 2019!
Featured Speakers
Opening Keynote
David Rendall
Presents: The Freak Factor
Closing Keynote
Mike Rayburn
Presents: What if…?
Sunday Opener
Rachel Sheerin
Presents: F this S…
Please note to receive Continuing Education (CE) Credits for attending sessions, you must pre-select all sessions during the registration process. Only sessions listed on the agenda with a CMP Credit noted will be eligible for CMP Credit. You may add/delete sessions prior to the conference. You will only receive CE Credits for those sessions you selected. Additionally, following the conference, your sessions will be listed in the My ESPA Portal under the “My ESPA” drop down on the “My Continuing Education” page and on the new Event Industry Council portal.
Registration Rates
The following are the ESPA Conference Individual registration fees: (Note: Members whose companies are Organizational members of ESPA, and who are registering 3+ people see below for group registration fees.)
Participation in the optional Leadership Track: $75 fee
| Advanced Rate (valid through November 10) | General | |
|---|---|---|
| Active ESPA Member | $675 | $785 |
| Non-Member | $735 | $835 |
| One Day Member (Either Saturday OR Sunday) (You may only register at this rate for one day) | $299 | $325 |
| One Day Non-Member (Either Saturday OR Sunday) (You may only register at this rate for one day) | $325 | $350 |
| Student Rate (must provide proof of student status upon request) | $250 | $250 |
ESPA Organization Member registration fees:
Organization and Corporate Member group registrations fees are listed below. In order to register at the group registration fees, your company must be an Organization or Corporate Member of ESPA. Download the group registration form here.
| # of People attending from your company | Advanced Total Rate (valid through November 10) | General Total Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3 people | $1,989 | $2,319 |
| 4 people | $2,620 | $3,060 |
| 5 people | $3,225 | $3,775 |
Conference registration cancellations received in writing by December 3, 2018 are eligible for a 50% refund on the ESPA Registration fee only. There are no refunds for cancellations received after this date; this includes cancellations that occur due to weather or other day-of air travel delays / cancellations as it is understood that ESPA has already included you in counts for F&B and other arrangements and is therefore is responsible for all costs related to attendance.
THE EVENT SERVICE PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION
NEED HELP GAINING MANAGEMENT APPROVAL TO ATTEND?
This brochure describes the value of professional development and education for services managers. Print this out and provide it to your manager – it contains quotes from meeting planners about the value they place on their CSMs, including when making re-booking decisions.
ESPA Optional Tours
ESPA is offering four great options to experience the Queen City.
Three are on Friday – two tours are Friday afternoon and we have one option for post-Welcome Reception.
And Sunday night we will have a fun off-site dinner at Strike City.
Please note there are no refunds for tours once registered.
Optional Tour – Fee $59 (sign up through the ESPA registration process)
Charlotte may look brand new yet, we are celebrating our 250th birthday this year. We invite you to celebrate with us on this tour and experience Charlotte’s rich history, heritage and most recent accomplishments. Your group will learn how the nation’s 17th largest city started out as a small village in the now bustling “Uptown” area, with unique skyscraping architecture and quaint historic homes. You will pass by places where vibrant lights, light up the night and the city rallies around all our favorite sports teams! Charlotte is now a “foodie” and “craft beer” paradise!
Check out why some people consider Uptown urban living to be some of the finest. On the tour, we will stop at the Seventh Street Station, which is an interactive architectural masterpiece filled with local, fresh goods and the Historic Duke Mansion with its newly renovated 4.5-acre garden. The last stop on the tour will be at the Levine Museum of the New South. All participants will be admitted to the museum where you will learn about the transformation of Charlotte from cotton fields to skyscrapers!
Optional Tour – Fee $50 (sign up through the ESPA registration process)
Enjoy this tour that provides a fascinating look at architecture new and old. This tour will take you back in time to experience life the way it was from the 1880s to the 1930s. Whatever you fancy, you are sure to find Charlotte’s historic homes to be both beautiful and interesting. From their wonderfully designed construction, to their historic backgrounds, you are sure to find a favorite. We will visit the Historic Hezekiah Alexander Home, the oldest still existing home in Charlotte. Historic Rosedale– The home of Archibald Frew, an early Charlotte tax collector. The gardens have recently been restored to their original patterns. Lastly, VanLandingham Estates, built in 1913. The California style bungalow still holds original furnishings. The gardens are one of the oldest in Charlotte and are maintained year-round.
Optional Tour – Fee $75
Registration Link – sign up for this tour directly through Charlotte Brewery Tours.
This tour provides a unique experience in Charlotte, NC, as the city becomes a Craft Brewery town. After the Welcome Reception wraps up Friday evening, join other ESPA friends for an evening out and experience the craft brewery scene and have some good eats too. We will visit three breweries, and you will learn about the craft beer making process, along with the history behind each individual brewery from one of our certified tour guides! Our guides are also standup comedians so there will be plenty of laughs along the way!
Optional Dinner – Fee $69 (Sign up through the ESPA registration process)
Let’s wrap up our visit to the Queen City with a fun group outing of dinner, cocktails, and some friendly competition with bowling, corn hole and more. This is a modern bowling venue with lots of TVs, games, bars and a fun vibe. Join us! (Dinner and non-alcoholic beverages are included; cash bar)
Hotel & Travel
ESPA Host Hotel – The Westin Charlotte
ESPA Group Rate: $169
Cut-off Date: December 15
The Westin Charlotte offers a relaxed hotel retreat in the heart of the city’s bustling uptown district. To stay healthy during your stay, the hotel features the WestinWorkout Fitness Studio, an indoor pool, RunWESTIN, and Gear Lending with New Balance. As part of their commitment to wellness, The Westin Charlotte also currently houses 50,000 bees on the hotel’s third-floor rooftop to produce local Charlotte honey.
Ideally situated in the city’s cultural and entertainment district, the Westin provides convenient access to a wide range of fun things to do. The Westin is within walking distance to an abundance of restaurants including Charlotte’s premier entertainment complex, EpiCentre, a lively venue with activities ideal for all ages – including dining, shopping, live music, unique night life venues, and movies.
Travel Information
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is just 7 miles – about a 15 minute drive – from the hotel. There are various options to get to the hotel from the airport – the hybrid Sprinter Bus runs from the airport to the City Center and is just $2.50 each way. Taxis, Uber and Lyft are also readily available.
Meet Charlotte
The 16th largest city in the nation, Charlotte is home to 850,000 people and counting. Yet even after claiming a top spot on Forbes magazine’s list of “America’s fastest-growing cities” in 2016, it’s the Queen City’s unmeasurable amenities—our friendly and welcoming attitude, our longstanding tradition of hometown pride—that attract newcomers to our neighborhoods.
A hard-working banking town that enjoys letting loose, Charlotte’s community comes together over good food and cold brews, at gallery crawls and home games. (We have six professional teams, including NFL, NBA, baseball and hockey.) Whether you experience Charlotte through its arts, eats, venues or people, you’ll feel the undeniable energy of a city on the rise.
Plus, with walkable Uptown streets and the LYNX Blue Line light rail connecting Center City to trendy neighborhoods nearby, you’ll have easy access to any of the locales below.
Can’t-Miss Crown Jewels:
Dining – Although Uptown boasts 200-plus dining options spanning regional, national and international flavors, there are tributes to Southern fare on every block. Restaurants like The King’s Kitchen, The Asbury, Stoke Charlotte and Mert’s Heart & Soul serve mouthwatering biscuits, fried chicken and North Carolina catfish, and sides galore.
Nightlife – Charlotte’s nightlife is as diverse as its neighborhoods. When the sun goes down, head out to EpiCentre or AvidXchange Music Factory for themed nightclubs and see-and-be-seen dance floors.
Rooftop Bars – To enjoy striking views (and social-worthy shots) of the twinkling skyline, sip sky-high cocktails at Fahrenheit-Charlotte, City Lights Rooftop Bar, the new Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel, or the new dual-branded AC Hotel and Residence Inn at the EpiCentre.
Craft Breweries – Dozens of craft breweries call the Queen City home. Enjoy the spacious biergarten at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Charlotte’s first craft beer producer, or head over to Triple C, which is flanked by other popular breweries.
Sports – Root for one of Charlotte’s home teams. The NBA Charlotte Hornets, NFL Carolina Panthers and Triple-A affiliate Charlotte Knights play at Spectrum Center, Bank of America Stadium and BB&T Ballpark respectively. Bojangles’ Coliseum, where the AHL Charlotte Checkers skate, is also minutes away.
NASCAR Hall of Fame – Experience the thrill of NASCAR racing from start to finish. Walk through a hauler, practice a pit stop, test your skills in a racing simulator, or pay your respects to racing legends.
… and So Much More! Visit https://www.charlottesgotalot.com/ for all the amazing details.
RECOGNITION PROGRAMS
EXECUTIVE EXCELLENCE AWARD – NOMINATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 16
Is your manager committed to excellence in Convention Services?
Each year at the Annual Conference, ESPA recognizes an executive for his or her commitment and dedication to the profession of event service and to giving key support and leadership to members of their services team. As a member of ESPA, if you feel your organization has an executive who is a mentor, an ESPA supporter and convention services advocate, if he/she encourages your team’s professional development, submit your nomination!
Please fill out our online Nomination Form – winners will be selected at the end of November and the winner is invited to attend and receive the award in person.
Criteria and Guidelines
- Nominee supports staff participation in ESPA
- Nominee must be an executive of an organization which has an ESPA member. Executive is defined as a VP or higher at a CVB; a member of the executive committee or GM at a hotel; or a VP, GM or Executive Director at a Convention Center.
- Nominee personally and consistently supports quality assurance in the organization’s convention services operations.
- Nominee supports staff development, growth and continuing education
2018 Recipient: Doris Sims, Louisville CVB
MEETING PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD – NOMINATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 16
This award was designed to recognize the hard-working meeting professional who exhibits personal and professional characteristics that create an environment that focuses on team work, as well as shows support for the event services profession.
This is your chance to recognize a planner that represents the best of the best! Event Service Professionals know better than anyone when a planner is prepared, shows professionalism and is a great leader when producing an event or meeting. Why not recognize them for their dedication and hard work?
To submit a planner for consideration, please fill out our online Nomination Form
– winners will be selected at the end of November and the winner is invited to attend and receive the award in person.
Criteria and Guidelines
- You must have worked with meeting planner during the past year
- Shows superior leadership and management qualities before, during and after the meeting
- Recognizes the importance and supports the role of the CSM in the meeting planning process
2018 Recipient: Linda Finnerty, Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
ANNUAL WILLIAM H. JUST, CAE, CMP MEMORIAL AWARD
Recent CMP recipients – Apply to attend the ESPA Annual Conference on a Scholarship!
Have you earned your CMP Designation within the last five years?
The Annual William H. Just CAE, CMP Memorial Award recognizes an ESPA member who has earned their CMP certification within the last five years and remains in good standing with the association. The award was established in honor of the late William H. Just, CAE, CMP who founded ACOM (now ESPA) in 1988. Just also played a key role in the establishment of the CMP program. Bill Just embodied valuable attributes including being a visionary, incorporating creativity, professionalism and leadership into his endeavors. This award recognizes these qualities in its recipients.
ESPA members can submit an application which includes an essay on how the CMP designation has been beneficial to them, why they decided to receive this certification and details on their industry and community involvement. The winner will receive a complimentary registration to the next ESPA Annual Conference which helps to support their CMP continuing education status.
Download the application – Due November 16
MEET THE COMMITTEE
Conference Chair:
Jamie Huckleberry
David L. Lawrence Convention CenterConference Chair
Vice Chairs:
Paola Bowman, CMP, CMM
Grapevine Convention & Visitors BureauVice Chair, General Sessions
Tiffany Eck, CMP
Visit DenverVice Chair, Leadership Track
Denise Reid
Immediate Past PresidentVice Chair, Breakouts
Jerrine Lee
Richmond Region TourismVice Chair, Breakouts
Beth Butler
Visit CharlotteVice Chair, Social
Event CSM:
April Montez
Visit Anaheim
Arlington CVB
Visit Houston
Bloomington CVB
VFW
Visit Knoxville
Visit Denver
Meet Minneapolis
Visit Anaheim
Fort Worth CVB
Sheraton Fort Worth
Visit San Jose
Raleigh Convention Center
Grand Rapids - Devos Place
Discover the Palm Beaches
NYC & Company
Visit Saint Paul
Meet NKY
Visit Knoxville
Oregon Convention center
Experience Columbus
Amarillo Convention & Visitor Council
Visit Anaheim
Discover Philadelphia
Providence Warwick CVB
Visit KC
Hyatt Regency Orange County
Pennsylvania Convention Center
