People 12-1-2000

Meetings & Conventions: People December 2000

EDITED BY JENNIFER PHILBURN

An industry veteran, Janine Lauff has held the position of corporate meeting and event planner for 25 years at Bayer Corp.'s headquarters in Pittsburgh. She worked her way up from a secretarial position and now plans primarily for the polyurethane division of the company, which produces a wide array of products ranging from aspirin to polymers. Organizing events for a firm as large as Bayer, with 23,400 employees worldwide, Lauff says she rarely has time for herself and is thankful she has a supportive team with whom she can share experiences and advice.

What surprises people most about your job?
Everyone thinks it's glamorous with all of the travel we get to do, but it can be such a sacrifice of your personal time. People don't realize that we might be working on multiple events at once. We don't have 9-to-5 jobs. We bring our work home and even do it on weekends. You need to have the right lifestyle for it.

How do you relax outside the office?
I walk my golden retriever, Trevor. I've had him for 11 years, and I like to walk with him through the neighborhood or take him to the park. It's always a challenge figuring out what I'm going to do with him while I'm traveling.

Do you have a hobby?
I like cooking and reading. I don't have time to do much else. Right now I'm reading a book called A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks, who also wrote Message in a Bottle, but I haven't picked it up in a week. I like reading novels with romance and some suspense.

How do you deal with stress?
I laugh a lot. I'm pretty good at finding humor in situations. It helps me when there is too much going on, the stress level is too high and I realize I've got to take the work home or work later hours to get it done. My philosophy is to think of positive things in life.

How do you measure your success?
It gives me personal satisfaction when I receive thank-yous after I've been able to save money or find reduced rates for my company's travel. I hate public recognition. I'd rather be thanked privately, because it's more sincere.• LINDSAY MORRIS

PLANNERS

TRITSCH JOINS ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT GROUP
Laurie Tritsch, CMP, has been named professional meeting planner at the McLean, Va.-based Association Management Group. In her new post, she will direct meetings for the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies. Tritsch has 17 years of planning experience at organizations including Conferon, the American Geophysical Union and the Environmental Industries Association.

WERTHEIMER MOVES UP AT STAR TRAX
Randy Wertheimer has been promoted to partner at Star Trax Corporate Events. He was previously director of the Southfield, Mich.-based meeting and event management firm, where he has been employed since 1993. In addition to overseeing new business development, Wertheimer will continue to plan meetings and events for Home Depot, Sun Microsystems and other clients.