ON THE MOVE
Planners
Schanhaut takes on role at TSEA
Harris Schanhaut, CME, has been appointed chairman of the Chicago-based Trade Show Exhibitors Association membership committee. With more than 20 years of experience planning meetings and events, Schanhaut takes up this extracurricular post in addition to his day job as events marketing manager at New York City-based American Express Global Corporate Services; in addition, he is co-chair of Meeting Professionals International’s Greater New York Chapter and serves on the board of directors of the Event & Exhibition Industry Audit Commission.
Moreno joins Reed Exhibitions
Mike Moreno has been appointed vice president, general manager of contemporary forums for Norwalk, Conn.-based Reed Exhibitions. In his new position, Moreno primarily will be responsible for the planning of approximately 35 medical-education meetings and events. Moreno most recently served in the position of vice president, Western regional sales, at Stone Mountain, Ga.-based exhibit-management company Nth Degree.
Suppliers
Fernando A. Harb is the new director of sales at the Greater Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Convention & Visitors Bureau.
David Jacobs has been named general manager of Chicago’s 1,100-room Hyatt Regency O’Hare, which will complete a $60 million renovation this month.
Susan Leiper has been appointed national sales manager, East Coast, at the Albuquerque (N.M.) Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Brad Lewis has been named vice president, convention and trade show services, at SmithBucklin, the Chicago-based event-management company.
Bob Sweeney has joined the 500-room Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in Phoenix as national sales manager.
Ann Williams, CMP, has been promoted to director, catering and convention services, at the Walt Disney World Resort in Buena Vista, Fla.
“MPI’s event in January sent out a
great message that the city is back and ready.”
Bonnie Boyd, CMP, is
president of Bonnie Boyd & Co. (www.bbcdmc.com), a New Orleans-based
destination management company affiliated with Global Events
Partners, a group of 70 independently owned DMCs across the globe.
Boyd has more than 20 years of DMC experience. She is a New Orleans
native.
How is business in New Orleans
today? There has been a pickup, mostly from corporate
business that has put its money where its mouth is. Where we do
face a challenge is in encouraging citywide programs. We are
getting more, but many have been scared off by the media that seems
to report only on the city’s problems, not its successes. Meeting
Professionals International’s Professional Education Conference
event in January sent out a great message that the city is back and
ready.
How have groups helped the
city’s rebirth? Give-back programs for charities such as
Habitat for Humanity are very popular. They have helped rebuild
medical facilities, churches and even Musicians Village, where
displaced musicians are being rehoused and can resume playing and
teaching.
What has been your most
memorable experience since Katrina? We worked with the
Aquarium of the Americas to bring back two sea otters and 19
penguins that were temporarily housed in Monterey, Calif. These
animals have an iconic status here, and when FedEx graciously
offered to fly them all home, we helped arranged a procession from
the airport back to the reopened zoo.