Past Region 12 Regional News
From the June-August 2011 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
From Endicott College
On May 21, Endicott College graduated 750 students (both undergraduate and graduate) at a fully packed stadium, with over 5,000 people attending. This year we moved the post-graduation reception from our dining hall to a 270x60 tent and the success was tremendous, as double the number of people attended the reception compared to last year.
Another exciting event is the North Shore Concours d’Elegance (www.endicott.edu/concours), which will take place on July 31st and will feature 100 classic concours level cars, as well as 90 collector cars. In the midst of our busy wedding season, the concours was created to attract a different crowd and to highlight our oceanfront estate to people who otherwise would not be aware of our event property. As this is entirely organized in-house by the conferencing department, we can guarantee that all proceeds go towards scholarships and financial aid for students, a win-win for the college!
As Endicott College keeps growing we just added an outdoor amphitheatre, which can be used by our groups for casual meetings, improv performances, or even lectures. A new 250 room residence hall is slated to open this August and the former president’s house will be housing an additional 25 students, who will literally be 10 feet away from the ocean, overlooking Salem and Marblehead. Talking about having a room with a view!
From Unity College
Unity College is trailblazing new standards for residence halls. During the 2010-2011 academic year, Unity College has been working closely with GO Logic of Belfast, ME, and landscape architect Ann Kearsley of Portland, ME, to design and build the first college residence hall built to the Passive House standards. This is the most energy efficient performance standards for building.
Taking part of its name as a nod to the Passivhaus approach developed in Germany, TerraHaus will be completed and ready for ten students to take up residence for the 2011-2012 academic year. It is one of three student residences planned for the coming years. With groundbreaking for the first, TerraHaus, at the current location of the student cottages, the area name will change to SonnenHaus Village (sonnen is the translation for solar).
While the new construction on campus wreaks havoc with program scheduling, Summer Programs is thrilled to add this building to the repertoire of sustainable features we offer summer program participants. Summer usage will begin in 2012 and will be used exclusively for small programs or adult camp staff.
For more details, visit the Unity College website. Click here to follow a twitter account with daily construction photos or here to follow a blog on the TerraHaus progression.
From The University of New Haven
The University of New Haven hosted the annual Asian Association of Police Studies (AAPS) conference June 13 - 15, 2011.
AAPS is an international law-enforcement group serving professionals from countries including Taiwan, China, Korea, and Japan. AAPS embraces “scholarly, scientific, practical and professional knowledge concerning policing and crime control.” This is the 12th AAPS conference and the third to be held in the United States.
Weysan Dun, special agent in charge at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Omaha Division, discussedFBI priorities and investigative strategies against global criminal enterprises on June 13.
World-renowned forensic scientist Henry C. Lee, founder of the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science at UNH, spoke at the close of the conference on June 15.
Fall Summit
Save the date for the the Region 12 Fall Summit to be held at Endicott College in Beverly, MA on November 9 - 10, 2011. Watch for further information coming soon!
From the April/May 2011 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
It was great to connect with new and familiar colleagues and friends in Orlando, FL for the ACCED-I Annual Conference. From our region, we had 41 attendees and 13 first-timers. In addition, we had 39 members and guests join us for our regional dinner at Planet Hollywood. Our region was WELL represented by drumming up close to $2,000 worth of goods and services for the annual Act of Caring fundraiser which was used raising funds in the raffle and silent auction. Thanks to everyone for making the conference such a wonderful experience!
Boston University:
We have just finished some remodeling at the Boston University Castle http://www.bu.edu/castle where special events and weddings are held. We upgraded the lighting, changed the décor, and did a complete renovation of our bride room. It truly is an elegant place to hold the most special of events.
University of New England (UNE):
UNE's own Kelly Alden and her husband Brady proudly announce the arrival of their first bundle of joy to their family. Eva was born on March 24, 2011 at 8:56 am, weighing in just shy of 8 pounds and 21 inches long and is reportedly the most beautiful little girl in the world. Congrats to the Alden family as they enjoy their much needed family time.
University of Vermont:
The University of Vermont was recently mentioned in the March 28th issue of USA Today which shared how universities are renting out residence halls as overnight accommodations for meetings. You can read the entire article here:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2011-03-27-rented-campus-space.htm
From January - March 2011 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
From Andrew Vigue, Boston University Events & Conferences:
On December 2, Boston University (BU) broke ground on its new Center for Student Services, a 100,000 square-foot facility that will house academic advising services, career services, and a thousand seat, two floor dining hall. The groundbreaking ceremony was produced by BU Events & Conferences and featured a short ceremony and official groundbreaking followed by a reception. Guests included BU administration and staff, including those that will be housed in the building, Trustees, students, and members of the surrounding neighborhood. The event was hosted by Boston University President Robert Brown and featured remarks by a BU Trustee and John Palmieri, director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, who was representing Mayor Tom Menino.
From November/December 2010 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Region 12 hosted our Fall Summit on Wednesday, November 3rd through Friday, November 5th in Newport, RI on the beautiful campus of Salve Regina University. Fifty-nine people attended, nearly half of whom were first-time attendees. It was an amazing meeting filled with exceptional sessions and quality time to connect with colleagues. Huge kudos goes out to Johanna Mancivalano and Mariann Maida, from Salve Regina University, who did a phenomenal job in hosting and coordinating this year’s Summit.
News from Smith College:
Smith College is pleased to announce the opening of the Smith College Conference Center. The Conference Center gives Smith, for the first time, the ability to host external clients that have been long inquiring about meeting space on campus. The newly renovated facility is perfect for conferences, weddings, and other events in a beautiful and accessible location. The Smith College Conference Center combines the versatility of all great event venues, with one-of-a-kind views overlooking Paradise Pond.
Along with the Conference Center, Smith welcomes Addison (Addie) MacDonald to campus. Addie will manage the sales, marketing and the day-to-day operations of the Conference Center. Previously, Addie managed the screenings and events for the Directors Guild of America in New York City. Addie has also worked with the event teams at the Tavern on the Green and the Copacabana and he is a Vermont native.
News from the University of New England:
New Hire: The University of New England is proud to announce the addition of a new conference coordinator to our team. Please join us and give a warm welcome to Samantha Stone as she joined our team in early October 2010. She will work primarily with our internal groups and conferences that we host on our campuses. She comes to our conference services team as a graduate of LaSalle College based in Newton, MA, located just outside of Boston with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Event Management and a minor in Communications. She has also past experience in coordinating events from the catering side of the business as a Catering Coordinator with Sodexo Food Services.
Promotion: Please join us and congratulate Kelly Alden as she has recently been promoted to conference manager and will work primarily with our external clients, assist with budget management and provide primary supervision of our student conference assistants. Kelly has been with UNE Conference Services for almost three years and started with our team as a summer intern while obtaining her bachelor’s degree in the field of Communication.
News: Norma J. Charette, director of conference services has been invited by Kinetic Solutions to be one of two keynote speakers at their User Forum in Manchester, England. The forum, scheduled for February 8-9, 2011 will be attended by conferencing and student housing professionals from across the UK and Ireland. Norma’s keynote address will discuss strategies for overcoming the challenges of communication with customers and internal departments.
News from Susan Adler, Yale University:
Effective November 30, Roberta Hudson will be retired. She worked for Yale for 23 years and in our office for 15. She is irreplaceable as a professional conference planner and there are many here at Yale, especially me, who will sorely miss her. Plans for her immediate future include travels to Arizona and Hawaii to visit family and friends.
From September - October 2010 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Region 12 Fall Summit:
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Region 12 Fall Summit! It will be held November 3 – 5, 2010 at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. If you have any quetions about the Summit, please email Johanna Mancivalano from Salve Regina University at Johanna.Mancivalano@salve.edu.
University of Kent Wins Award for Third Year in a Row
Each year the readers of ‘Group Travel Organiser’ magazine are asked to vote for who they think are the best suppliers to the group travel industry. The 20 award categories cover all aspects of putting together group trips from the pre-visit information and transport to get the group there to where groups stay and what they visit when they get there.
The results are announced at the Group Travel Awards, the annual celebration of the very best suppliers to the group travel industry, as part of a gala evening of entertainment held annually in London and regularly attended by over 400 key members of the travel trade. To retain an air of anticipation on the night, winners are not notified before the event and will not know they have won until the golden envelope is opened on the stage.
The University of Kent was awarded the Group Travel Award for 'Best University Accommodation for Groups' for the third year in succession, the first University to ever achieve this. The award was presented to members of the University Conference & Housekeeping teams by travel writer and broadcaster Simon Calder at the prestigious ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane. Kevin Stuckey, residences and conference manager said: 'To win it for the third time is an absolutely outstanding achievement and testament to the hard work that our staff put in to maintaining the high standards of our accommodation.'
Here is a funny story from Colby College!
Colby College is located in Waterville Maine. In July we had a gentleman attending a Gordon Research Conference show up here via bus who was supposed to go to Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire.
While we tried to figure out how to get him to New Hampshire, we got a phone call from Colby-Sawyer saying they had a gentleman there who was supposed to be at Colby College! To top it all off, we also received a call from Waterville Valley Resort, also in New Hampshire, with yet another person who instead of coming to Waterville, Maine went to Waterville Valley.
So the gentleman at Colby took a $150 cab ride to Colby-Sawyer, the man from Waterville Valley made his way in a cab to Colby Sawyer and the both of them split the $150 cab back to Colby College - in Waterville, Maine! All three were from another country and the language barrier definitely played a role in the confusion.
News from Plymouth State University:
Hello from Plymouth State University!
Potentially, good news, well, YES!
The University is currently looking at conference services as a potential gateway to events on campus. We are now gathering to discuss the possibilities of it being a profit center, supported, and streamlined.
After four years, of working within a decentralized and unsupported system, we are looking at moving forward. Whatever direction it takes us, well, we are all for it! Life is looking up.
News from University of New England (UNE):
The University of New England has embarked on a $26 million expansion of the Biddeford Campus with the construction of a new 300-bed residence hall and athletics field across Pool Street in Biddeford. This is great news for UNE students during the academic year and great news for our Conference Services team as we have added more overnight accommodations for our summer conference guests.
The UNE Nor’easters are known as Big Blue, and that will be reflected in the new athletics field’s blue synthetic turf, one of a kind in the NCAA Division III and one of only four blue turfs in the nation.
The residence hall and athletics field expansion will support UNE’s thriving student enrollment and the social and academic benefits of on-campus living for undergraduates.
The suite-style residence hall complex will include a small pond surrounded by a large green, bordered by a quarter-mile running/walking trail. The new artificial turf will extend the hours of playing time four-fold for the campus.
From the June - August 2010 issue of ACCED-I Connections
From Colby College:
Colby College is happy to report that we will be hosting the National Association of Gravestone Studies in June 2011. This six day conference brings together historians, scientists, and others who have an interest in studying grave markers both for the type of material grave stones might be made from (granite. slate, marble, etc.) and for the sometimes interesting inscriptions contained therein, not to mention the genealogical considerations along, with of course, the sometimes historical significance of the people buried there.
A Piece of Trivia: Did you know that in our not too distant past it was not uncommon when a family moved for them to dig up their long dead loved ones and move them too? Who knew? Yet another piece of fascinating trivia gleaned from our work as conference planners!
Also for the first time in 11 years, I have a summer staff comprised of entirely new people. I put myself in this position last summer because I hired far too many returning seniors and others who I knew would not be coming back in 2010. It certainly presents its own set of challenges with a lack of institutional memory but my colleague Teresa Van Deventer and I feel we've assembled a very strong staff who will catch on quickly. We've also revamped our training regimen which we expect will help significantly in bringing them up to speed.
One interesting note is that we've incorporated the use of our audience response system into our training to gauge the staff's retention of knowledge. I highly recommend that ACCED-I colleagues consider using this technology as part of their training programs.
Jacques
Jacques R. Moore
Colby College
Director, Office of Special Programs
4732 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901
office: (207)859-4732
cell: (207)441-6204
fax: (207)859-4734
Special Programs online: http://www.colby.edu/spec.prog
From Salve Regina University:
Salve Regina University kicked off their summer conference season early! They hosted the New England Association for College Admissions Counselors Annual Meeting. 700+ college admissions and high school guidance counselors were on campus May 25 - 28th. With this conference behind them, they will move right into their always busy summer conference season with the Gordon Research Conferences, youth sports camps and many educational based conferences coming to visit Newport, RI.
Don't forget to mark your calendars for Region 12's Fall Summit! It will be November 3 - 5th, 2010 at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. Detailed information will be provided soon.
Johanna
Johanna Mancivalano
Conferences & Events Manager
ACCED-I Region 12 Director-Elect
Salve Regina University
100 Ochre Point Avenue
Newport, RI 02840
office: (401)341-2460
fax: (401)341-2916
Johanna.Mancivalano@salve.edu
From University of Massachusetts Dartmouth:
Erin Boyle is no longer a member of the staff at U Mass Dartmouth Conference Office. She has been replaced by Robin Brow, a colleague from Housing Operations. Robin has been a great addition to the staff in the Conferencing and Events Planning Office. This summer, for the first time, our office will deal with all summer conference housing including hiring student housing staff, student conference liaisons, and running the operation of housing for our summer guests. Robin's past role in housing is adding incredible value to our operation and its growth.
Liz
Liz Martin
Assistant Director
Conference and Events Planning
Campus Services
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
office: (508)999-8143
fax: (508)910-6518
From University of New England (UNE):
Anna Hecker has joined the conference staff at the University of New England in the position of assistant conference coordinator for the summer months of June through August, 2010. She is a recent graduate of the University of New England and has previously worked with our department as a student staff over the past two years. Her primary focus is working with our anchor client, Gordon Research Conferences, as well as special projects for the summer.
Our celebration of many Firsts this Year!!!! The Office of Conference Services is proud to boast its first year in facilitating a lead role in the coordination of the 2010 UNE commencement ceremonies. This year the University of New England celebrated its 175th anniversary of the first graduation of students from Westbrook Seminary, which is part of UNE's rich heritage. UNE has its roots in Westbrook College (founded in 1831 as Westbrook Seminary), St. Francis College, and the New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. This is also UNE's first University-wide commencement ceremony, incorporating all five of the University's colleges. UNE awarded 1,172 associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at the ceremony.
Norma
Norma. J. Charette
Director, Conference Services
University of New England
11 Hills Beach Road
Biddeford, Maine 04005
office: (207)602-2151
fax: (207)221-4988
From The University of Vermont:
The University of Vermont was successful in coordinating and implementing its first single commencement ceremony in over 30 years instead of having 10 individual college ceremonies. Nearly 11,000 guests came to see the 2,500 students graduate outside on the historic University Green on a beautiful sunny day. It was no easy feat to get this many people from their vehicles, to bus, to golf cart, to seat, then off to college receptions before returning everyone back to their vehicles at the end of the day. Approximately 450 support staff pulled together under the leadership of Conference and Event Services to provide an exceptional experience for our guests!
Best of luck to everyone for a successful summer conference season and I hope to see everyone at the Region 12 Fall Summit in November.
Shane
Shane Cutler
Director
Conference & Event Services
The University of Vermont
Marsh Hall, Room 009
31 Spear Street
Burlington, VT 05405-0344
office: (802) 656-0562
fax: (802) 656-8034
Shane.Cutler@uvm.edu
Please visit our web site: www.uvm.edu/conferences
The University of Vermont...MEET, EAT, and SLEEP in a GREEN environment!
From the April/May 2010 issue of ACCED-I Connections
On March 22nd, Emily Peterson joined the Kinetic Software team as a training & implementation manager. Emily has worked as a conference coordinator for the past several years at the University of New England and will bring her extensive knowledge of the hospitality industry to her new position.
Emily will be responsible for managing new Kx projects as well as traveling across the US and Canada conducting trainings for new and current clients. Kinetic Software thanks the University of New England staff for their support with Emily's transition to the staff.
Region 12 Meeting is set so please mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 3 - Friday, November 5, 2010, in Newport, RI at Salve Regina University. Join us as Johanna Mancivalano and her staff are working diligently to get details underway for a wonderful regional meeting. More details about hotel, dinner, and speakers to follow shortly.
From the January - March 2010 issue of ACCED-I Connections
Region 12 Meeting News….from the Director
A huge thank you goes out to Region 12 members for attending our regional meeting that was held at the University of Burlington in Vermont in early November. Shane Cutler, director of conference & event services, and his talented conference staff did an incredible job showcasing their venue and putting together a full educational program.
I want to take this time to send out a huge thank you to all of you in our region for taking time to cast your ballots for the "next round of leadership" that will represent and advocate for our members both on a regional and international level. Both Johanna Mancivalano of Salve Regina and Michael Ellman of UMASS Amherst deserve kudos for sharing their insights and interest in serving in an ACCED-I leadership capacity as they submitted their names for selection as our next leader.
With this said, it is with great pleasure that Shane Cutler, director of conference & event services of the University of Vermont (incoming director) and I announce that Johanna Mancivalano, conferences & events manager of Salve Regina University in Rhode Island has been elected as our incoming ACCED-I director-elect for Region 12.
Johanna's dedication and passion to academic conference and events throughout her tenure at Salve Regina and her past experiences in the hospitality industry will bode well for our region during the next two years as a new leader in ACCED-I. In March 2010, Johanna will serve alongside Shane Cutler as director-elect for one full year and then in March 2011 she will step into the director position for another full year.
News from Thomas College, Waterville, ME:
A huge congrats to Mikaela F. Zioro on her promotion to director of campus events at Thomas College in Waterville, ME in September. 2009
News from the University of New England (UNE):
Did H1N1 “Visit” Your Campus? With the ongoing battle with H1N1 and keeping our university community safe, UNE took a proactive stance and became one of few closed POD (Point of Dispensing) sites in Maine for all our students, staff, faculty, and family members. This initiative was spearheaded by President Danielle Ripich, a select team from the UNE Pandemic Planning Committee as well as Norma Charette, UNE campaign manager and Michael Radke, representative of the Maine CDC.
Because UNE was organized and “on top of our game”, we were able to receive 2,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine during the months of September- December and to date have immunized 1,500 constituents, thus keeping our community healthy and safe.
The University of New England and The Office of Conference Services is pleased to roll out a university wide “new look and feel” of our website(s). We are proud to announce the addition of new marketing efforts we are employing; FaceBook and Twitter to keep in touch with friends, colleagues, and clients. Check out our website at www.une.edu/conferences and become a friend on FACEBOOK and/or follow us on Twitter.
From the November/December 2009 issue of ACCED-I Connections
News from Salve Regina University
The Conferences and Events Department at Salve Regina University ended a very successful summer conference season and moved right into a busy start to the academic school year. The University celebrated the Inauguration of Jane Gerety, RSM as the Seventh President on Friday, September 18th. For the second year in a row, the Boston Celtics held their Training Camp on campus September 28th through October 3rd. They arrived on campus for a catered dinner held in Ochre Court, our flagship building, and finished up the week playing an intra-squad scrimmage that was attended by Salve Regina students, staff, and faculty.
News from The University of New England (UNE)
The University of New England would like to announce that one of it's own conference coordinators, Kelly E. Clough, was recently married to Brady Alden on Sunday, October 11, 2009 in UNE"s own Ludke Auditorium. Kelly and Brady spent their fabulous honeymoon in Las Vegas.
Corporate Planner Versus the Academic Planner? Which one are You?
The University of New England Conference Services staff recently attended one of Boston's premier "Best Events" Trade Shows that was held at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Boston and the target audience was primarily for the Boston based corporate event planners. It was an opportunity for both personal and professional development for our staff as we mingled and met many new regional corporate planners and vendors for some of the products we purchase and rent each and every day. The trade show workshops showcased some of the latest tips, practices, trends, and issues we are facing in our industry and this served as a true realization that we are from two worlds at times, but are also alike in many ways as we gained a great deal of ideas that we could intertwine into our conferences and events as academic planners. It was interesting to realize from an academic standpoint, that even though we (academic planners) have been around doing business for many, many years, the corporate side of the planning industry still has not realized the full scope of our services or the fact that we do indeed exist.
In a room filled with corporate planners, it was refreshing to see and meet academic planners and staff from Bentley University, Suffolk University, Northeastern University, UMASS Boston, and Endicott College at the trade show. I think we made an impression in the corporate planning industry that "we too are a force to be reckoned with and indeed a unique venue to look at when hosting their future corporate events". Academic planners are being recognized locally and nationally as a new choice for new budgets in such tight economic times and this statement was further validated when I read an article in the Agenda Best Events New York Magazine (Summer 2009 Issue) " Rethink The Venue ; Choosing a non-traditional space can help keep costs in line" covering pages 66-71. There was a tremendous amount of information speaking about choosing other cost saving venues and universities and colleges were specifically highlighted so don't be surprised when "Corporate Planner X" gives you a ring for new meeting space!!!
From the September-October 2009 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Submitted by Kate Grenier, alumni admissions and event coordinator, Unity College in Unity, ME
This summer, Unity College hosted a successful weekend event called "Hooked on Unity." The weekend was designed for incoming and returning students and their families to get together, make new friends, and catch a huge prize! The weekend included movies, ice cream socials, geo-caching races, a band, and cookouts. The weekend concluded with a environmentally low-impact catch and release fishing derby where native fish from Lake Winnecook (aka Unity Pond) are tagged two weeks before the event with corresponding scholarships and prizes to each tag. > Click here to read the entire article
Submitted by Norma J. Charette, director of conference services, University of New England in Biddeford, ME
The Office of Conference Services at the University of New England has undergone a recent restructure within the university organization and now resides under the auspices of Harley Knowles, vice president for institutional advancement. This new restructure will allow the department to operate its conference division "business as usual" and will help to further strengthen the partnerships they have made within their respective communities as they can tap into additional resources for hosting events and conferences.
With some sadness, our last official summer conference group left campus on Saturday, August 15th and we turned over our residence halls to get ready for the arrival of the athletes, resident assistants and in early September to welcome another stellar year of eager students to our campuses. We have had a great summer conference season and could not have done it without the help of our student staff and "summer team".
This past summer, UNE has undergone many successful construction projects which has added some much needed academic classrooms, research sites and meeting spaces for its students and guests alike. UNE recently opened the Pickus Center for Biomedical Research,The Peter and Cécile Morgane Laboratory Wing, and the newly opened College of Pharmacy. In the next few weeks, UNE will break ground for another 300 bed housing project that will open for occupancy in September 2010.
Thanks to Unique Venues and their consultant Paul Horngren of Purdue University as they conducted a follow up consulting visit on site at UNE in July. This consulting report was the result of a three year study to track the success of strides UNE made during their 2006 initial visit. Thanks Unique Venues for keeping us honest and for keeping us to our "game plan".
From the June-August 2009 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Mark Your Calendars!
Region 12's ACCED-I fall meeting is slated for Thursday/Friday, November 5-6, 2009 at the University of Vermont in Burlington. Information about discounted hotels and a sampling of the agenda to be announced soon. Please check the regional website for important news, updates, and volunteer opportunities.
University of Vermont
From the April/May 2009 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Submitted by Norma J. Charette:
Region 12 would like to extend a warm welcome to some of it’s newest members:
Anthony Attride, operations assistant, Facilities Management, Harvard University, MA
Christina De Silva, assistant director, Providence College, RI
Ann Manchester-Molak, assistant vice president, Providence College, RI
Deirdre Driscoll, executive director, College & Event Services, Providence College, RI
Maureen LaSalle, director of Alfond Center and Special Events, St. Joseph’s College, ME
Marie Stivers, director of Academic & Administrative Services, College of the Atlantic, ME
Jean Sylvia, Asst, director, Summer Programs, College of the Atlantic, ME
Carolyn Berzinis, special events coordinator, College of the Atlantic, ME
Rae Beth Anderson, event & conference services associate, Endicott College, MA
Donna Holmes, conference coordinator, Hospitality Administrator, Endicott College, MA
Patrick Cornelissen, director of operations, Endicott College, MA
Claudine Mitchell, conference coordinator, Endicott College, MA
Nancy Cribari, conference coordinator, Endicott College, MA
Denise Morin, director, Conference Services, Southern New Hampshire University, NH
Kristen Bates, Southern New Hampshire University, NH
Bonnie Lorento, event planner, Southern New Hampshire University, NH
Nicolle Paeglow, associate director, Conference Services, Boston University, MA
Andrew Vigue, assistant director, Conference Services, Boston University, MA
News from University of Vermont, Burlington-submitted by Shane Cutler, director
- Michael Howard was hired on January 5, 2009 as our office support assistant providing service as our point of service for the department.
- Denise Zang was promoted on February 2, 2009 within our department and is now our conference services and marketing manager, which oversees all our income-expense activity including professional conference planning, non-University events, summer conferences, and departmental marketing.
- Maureen Cartier was promoted on February 2, 2009 within our department and is now our senior conference coordinator, which oversees all our conference coordinators whom provide professional conference planning and management of all non-University events.
- Steve Sweet was hired on February 17, 2009 as our summer conference coordinator and now oversees all our overnight summer campus and conferences.
News from University of New England, Portland/Biddeford – submitted by Norma J. Charette, director
- After returning from the March 2009 Boston ACCED-I Conference, we have taken the next step in some new and creative marketing ideas
posed in the first ever “Marketing Institute” and we are now live online with our own UNE Conference Services Face Book Page; check it out!! - We have added another online dimension to our portfolio of offerings and services for our clients and have partnered with Acteva, to provide our clients with full online registration service capabilities.
- UNE is proud to announce the opening of the Peter and Cecile Morgane Hall on our Biddeford Campus. This building dedication will be home to the College of Arts & Sciences with a specific focused approach to research.
- UNE Conference Services has undergone a re-organization within the university and now resides under the auspices of Harley Knowles, vp of institutional advancement.
- Special mention to Kelly Clough, Conference Coordinator, on her recent engagement to Brady Alden. An October 2009 wedding is planned, please wish her well.
- Special mention to Emily Peterson, Conference Coordinator, on her recent engagement to Rob Griffin, please wish her well.
From ACCED-I Connections, January - March 2009
Region 12 had a very productive regional meeting October 22-24, graciously hosted by Norma Charette, Emily Peterson and Kelly Clough of University of New England. Attended by approximately 50 members, the focus of the meeting was ‘green initiatives’. Members also enjoyed Portland, Maine - a charming and interesting city!
Michele Tourangeau, director of special events and bookstore operations at Hampshire College, was featured as a new member in the August issue of NACAS College Services publication. NACAS is the National Association for Collegiate Auxiliary Services.
College of the Atlantic's website features an article about their new "green" student housing complex - the Kathryn W. Davis Village. Jean Sylvia, assistant director of summer programs, has forwarded the link to the article, http://www.coa.edu/html/pressreleasesarchive_pg2_496.htm.
Imad Zubi and his staff of Mount Holyoke are excited about their new LEED-certified 175 bed air conditioned residence hall that they will be using this coming summer. Built in 2008, this is the first newly built residence hall on campus in roughly 40 years. With lakeside views and suite style living, this residence hall offers a unique living experience for MHC students. The new residence hall will be considered two separate halls, although they form one large building. Each of the two halls share a common living room space, game room, computer lab, Golden Pear kitchen, and continental breakfast facilities. Residents of the new residence hall are housed in doubles, singles, and suite style rooms. Suites have many different variations including double roomed suites and single roomed suites. All suites have a common space that is only accessible to the residents living in the suite.
After a very successful "Going Green" ACCED-I Region 12 Conference, University of New England is proud to announce that their Conference Services Operation is going paperless! They will send out electronic client contracts, invoices and client evaluations as they work with their newly implemented Kinetics Software. This Going Green initiative is also spilling over into the university overall as they are working with the Sustainability Coordinator to catapult an internal "Going Green" Workshop for all university employees.
UNE Conference Services has also been successful in the design, creation, and full execution of a new look on their website.
Best wishes to all for a good 2009!
From ACCED-I Connections, November - December 2008
Submitted by Roberta Hudson:
As this issue goes to print, Region 12 members will be attending their Fall regional meeting. We will provide a detailed report in the next issue!
Other news around the region…
From Michael Ellman, director, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Conference Services:
For the first time since the Campus Center Hotel at the University of Massachusetts Amherst opened its doors in 1970, the facility is undergoing a complete renovation of its guest rooms, lobby, and adjoining areas. With a tentative completion date of April, 2009, the remodeling is a total makeover to create a three-star hotel. Instead of one or two-bedroom junior suites, the refurbished hotel will offer a mix of room types with new king, queen, or double beds. Each room will be outfitted with new desks with ergonomic chairs, dressers, coffee makers, hair dryers, plasma televisions and high-speed internet connections. The $7.2 million hotel renovation is being financed through the University of Massachusetts Building Authority.
PMSI-Professional Marketing Services, Inc., well known to ACCED-I members, has just launched a new 32 page "Green Meetings" catalog and website with over 100 new recycled and organic promotional items. PMSI President Marty Bear announced that the "Green" division of PMSI has grown over 40% in the last two quarters of 2008 based on Colleges and Schools new Green initiatives. For more information, please contact Marty Bear or visit http://www.callpms.com.
During the past few weeks the University of New England has been busy as they held dedication ceremonies for new buildings such as the Pickus Center for Biomedical Research, the Morgane Hall as well as the George & Barbara Bush Cultural Center all which are located on UNE's main campus located in Biddeford. Norma Charette, director of conference services, says these new buildings will create new research facilities for faculty, provide additional classrooms and labs for its students as well as create another venue for social functions and meeting places for faculty, students, and guests.
Yale University Conference Services has now officially added "Events" to their repertoire, reports Suzanne Shaw, events manager. Although the department has been doing some events for sometime now, event management is now an official service offered by the department. Last year alone, over a dozen external events were planned and executed ranging from small meetings to a gala for 3000. Yale Conference and Event Services hopes to continue the expansion of events in conjunction with conferences by offering support to students, staff, faculty, and external clients. Tara Schule, originally an intern while attending Southern Connecticut State University, has continued after graduation to assist with conference and event planning.
As Thanksgiving approaches we wish everyone best wishes at the beginning of the holiday season!
From ACCED-I Connections, September - October 2008
Submitted by Roberta Hudson:
Our regional meeting should be exceptionally exciting this year. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 23-Friday, October 24 at the University of New England, Westbrook College campus located in Portland, Maine. Norma Charette, Region 12 director-elect, is putting together a program that will include professional development opportunities as well as proven creative revenue generating ideas. In addition, part of the program will be devoted to on-going plans for hosting the 2009 ACCED-I Annual Conference in Boston next March. The final conference agenda as well as details regarding online registration will be forwarded soon. Hotel rooms are blocked at two area hotels, the Portland Regency (800)727-3436, 207-774-4200, $109 until September 10); or the Eastland Park Hotel (888)671-8008, (207)775-5411, $129 until September 22). Members are encouraged to make hotel reservations early as it is still 'leaf-peeping' season at this time!
We look forward to seeing you all there!
From ACCED-I Connections, June - August 2008
Submitted by Roberta Hudson:
As everyone is now concentrating on commencement and summer plans, there are a couple of notes of interest within our region:
Congratulations to Elizabeth Morin, CCEP and Sherry Phillips, CCEP who both received CCEP Certification in March.
Boston University Conference Center at Tyngsboro will be sold to a group planning to complete a sale purchase in July. As of June 30, Conference Operations will end. BU has occupied the site since 1987. Please feel free to contact Kathy Sullivan at ksulliva@bu.edu if she can be of further assistance.
Mark your calendars for the Region 12 regional meeting to be held October 23 - 24, 2008 at University of New England in Portland, ME. More information will be available early fall. Best wishes for a good summer!
From ACCED-I Connections, April/May 2008
Region 12 received a great deal of interest and enthusiasm for the 2009 Boston Annual Conference at our preview table in
Norma Charette has been working on plans for our fall regional conference, and will be sending information to members soon. She has also begun an ambitious-and commendable-project to expand membership in our region.
Congratulations to Leslie Ingraham, CMP, director of continuing medical dducation at the University of New England for earning her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation this past February.
Dan McHugh was recently hired as the director of conference and event services at Bridgewater State College. Brianne Boitano and Alexis Conley also recently joined the staff as event coordinators.
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Happy spring to all!
From ACCED-I Connections, January - March 2008
Submitted by Michele Tourangeau:
I hope that you all are enjoying the holiday season. Here in New England, it seems that it went from cool, fall weather to freezing winter! Since the last ACCED-I Connections, our regional meeting took place in Boston, MA in preparation for the 2009 Annual Conference. Thursday, we met at the Boston Park Plaza, and Friday at Tufts University Boston Campus. In addition to the informative round table discussions, former student panel presentation, and the session titled Expanding a Conference Operation presented by Shane Cutler, director of Conference and Event Services at the University of Vermont, the group was led on a site tour by two sales managers at the Boston Park Plaza. We viewed guest rooms and the facility space that will be used for the 2009 Annual Conference.
On Wednesday before the regional meeting, the 2009 Hospitality Committee met in Boston and traveled the city collecting photos, video, and data for the preview video that will be shown at the preview luncheon in Las Vegas.
Also at the regional meeting, Roberta Hudson from Yale University was appointed director-elect to take over for Danny Camacho who is no longer employed by the Conference Center at Bentley. Roberta will complete the term as regional director-elect at the Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV, as I step down and she takes on the role of regional director. Norma Charette, director of Conference Services at the University of New England, was elected as incoming director-elect and will begin her year long term also in Las Vegas, NV. Norma's autobiography is provided below. I have thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to lead Region 12 and am happy to be placing the operation of the region into such capable hands.
I hope that I will have the chance to see many of you in Vegas. Please watch for more information on our regional dinner to be held during the Annual Conference and also on the fall 2008 regional meeting.
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Norma J. Charette, director of the Office of Conference Services at the University of New England which is located on two distinct campuses, the historical downtown Portland based campus and the beautiful ocean side campus located in Biddeford, ME. She has been working in this position at UNE since November 2005 shortly after receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications with a concentration in Sales and Marketing from the University of Southern Maine.
She has 19 years of experience working in a university setting with both the academic and non-credit side of the business. She arrived at the University of New England with a substantial background in the successful development and creation of credit and non-credit programs such as academic camps, sports camps, summer/winter session, and international travel based programs and faculty workshops. The experiences she gained while working on the credit side of the business at USM made it a smoother transition to UNE's Conference Services as she helped bridge the gap between the University of New England's faculty, staff, upper administration as well as changed the way the academic side of UNE previously viewed the role and face of the Department of Conferences.
The experiences she gained while in the role of the director of Summer/Winter Session and International Programs at the University of Southern Maine served as the catalyst to the collaborative efforts she has created since her tenure at UNE as she both understood and empathized with the challenges the academics were facing. The collaboration efforts she has made at UNE between faculty and staff has worked in her favor as that empathy and understanding helped to increase both the internal and eternal event planning services that UNE now provides to their constituents. This has been instrumental in giving a new fresh outlook on their department as it relates to the mission of the University.
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Other Regional Business:
Submitted by Rob Webb, CMP:
I would like to proudly announce that John Morisson is now the new operations manager at The Conference Center at Bentley. He ran operations for 17 years at the Verizon Conference Center in Marlboro, MA as well as past experience working on a college campus. I hope a lot of you get the chance to meet and welcome John at future ACCED-I events.
I would also like to take this opportunity to please ask all of you for just a few minutes of your time to complete the Economic Impact Study. The ACCED-I office can send these to you again and offer assistance if you have questions filling them out. Fill out the surveys so we can get to work for you letting CFOs and the rest of the world know the true value of collegiate conferencing!
Submitted by Norma Charette:
I would like to announce the arrival of a new employee, Emily Peterson, conference coordinator to the University of New England.
Regional News from August/September 2007 e-Communique
Submitted by Michele Tourangeau
Summer Programs at Hampshire College concluded August 12 so we are on the home stretch! All went well, and fortunately, I do not have any horror stories to share. I did notice that overall group counts were down. I have heard from a few of you that you found this as well. Industry trend? Sounds like it.
Danny Camacho, Region 12 director-elect, and I have begun planning the 2007 regional meeting. The date and location have been set; Thursday and Friday, November 15 and 16 at the Boston Park Plaza. The location was an easy choice as the Park Plaza will be the site for the 2009 ACCED-I Annual Conference and much work needs to be done on behalf of Region 12. Additional details will follow; however, please mark your calendars.
Other Region 12 “hot topics”
Bridgewater State College has had a few changes. After six years at Bridgewater, Laura Aikey resigned from her position as director of conference and event services, and is now working as an instructor for Kinetic Solutions Event Software. Dan McHugh accepted the position of director of conference and events and started on August 20th.
After 30 years in the Special Programs office at Colby College, Joan Sanzenbacher will retire this fall. Jacques Moore, who completes his ninth summer at Colby in August, will succeed Joan as director of special programs. Before coming to Colby, Jacques worked at the University of Maine, Presque Isle and the University of Maine at Farmington in their conference offices. Jacques has been active in ACCED-I for a number of years and was co-chair for the Day of Caring in both San Diego and St. Louis.
Karen Ledger continues as scheduling manager (commencement chair, EMS guru, and wedding planner extraordinaire). Karen is co-chairing the local arrangements for the ACCED-I Annual Conference in Boston in 2009 along with Roberta Hudson of Yale and Nicole Vanderpole of Simmons. They ask all our Region 12 members to stay tuned for further news of opportunities to participate in the planning process.
Yale had its first summer experience with coordinating the filming of a major motion picture on campus at the same time several faculty conferences were in progress and the high school and international programs were starting up. This was not Yale's first experience as a film location, but this one was a significant presence on campus, as opposed to previous, more localized film shoots that have not impacted the wider Yale community significantly. They were caught between the excitement of the film, the revenue generated for Yale and the City of New Haven, and the influx of visitors to New Haven during filming - and not to mention the challenge of stretched campus resources, restrictions to movement around the campus, and trying to manage activities around a constantly changing film schedule.
Filming lasted a week, but it was a long week. Susan Adler, director of Yale conference services, was charged with managing one of the location sites to protect Yale's interests. This involved working with the film location directors, approving film shoot dates and times, communicating with campus staff that would be affected by the film schedule and checking facilities for damage. She also followed up and made sure that any changes made to the facilities for the film were undone after filming ended. In certain situations she was required to be on site during filming. If you ask her if she would like to do this again, she would say, once is enough, for her, at least!
Elizabeth A.Morin, director of conference services at the University of Southern Maine has successfully completed all the requirements for ACCED-I's CCEP certification. It was challenging and she is so pleased to be certified!
Regional News from June/July 2007 e-Communique
Submitted by Michele Tourangeau
Hello to all. As we gear up for another busy summer program season, the writing for the e-Communiqué must go on. Not much on my end here at Hampshire College, just wishing everyone a very prosperous and successful summer! Big congratulations to Laura Aikey who will be leaving Bridgewater State College on June 1 and joining the team at Kinetic Software as a trainer/implementation specialist. Luckily, she will still continue working with ACCED-I as she is able to transition her Board of Directors position into the corporate representative spot. Good luck Laura!
Region 12 “hot topics”
Norma. J. Charette, director of conference services at University of New England, emailed regarding some of the concerns expressed by conference director and coordinators are that their administration is cutting budgets thus leaving conference areas short on staffing and funds for their growing summer staffing.
What she did was contact the academic department at her university and developed a summer internship with both the Communication and the Business Administration Departments. Two new senior level staffing positions were created in her area that they do not have to fund. These two areas are of particular interest as both majors have the skill sets in marketing analysis and communication and are a perfect fit for her area of expertise.
With this said, the University of New England Office of Conference services is proud to announce they have two new senior level staffing additions to mention; James Norris, marketing intern through the University of New England and Kelly Clough, communication intern through the University of Southern Maine.
At Smith College in Northampton, MA, The Offices of Summer Programs, External Event Coordinator and Scheduling Systems Administrator (R25) have joined the Events Management Office of Smith College. Merging these areas into one team (Peg Pitzer, Steve Campbell, Diane Jacobs, Kathy San Antonio, Mary Pat Schmalz and Ken Molnar) under one umbrella brings us one step closer to a one-stop shop event department.
Boston University Conference Center at Tyngsboro has a new website. Please check it out at www.BostonUniversityConferenceCenter.com.
Regional News from April/May 2007 e-Communique
Submitted by Michele Tourangeau
Hello to all. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces in Baltimore this past month and to meet the abundance of new people; especially from our region. I think it’s a very good sign of magnificent things to come! I hope that you enjoyed the regional dinner at Ciao Bella in Little Italy, and were able to spend some quality time with your colleagues.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my friend and colleague, Ryan Earley from the Conference Center at Bentley, who has just completed a second term as Region 12 Director. The leadership and support that Ryan has provided to our region and the ACCED-I organization as a whole bring the term “going the extra mile” to a whole new level. Ryan leaves very large shoes to fill, and as the incoming Region 12 Director I only hope that I can measure up. Please feel free to contact me any time with questions, concerns, comments, or just to say “hello.”
We have had a very busy couple of months at Hampshire College. On April 6, we hosted an Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast for 550 people with keynote speaker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. The logistics involved in pulling off an event like this were complex to say the least, but the morning went almost flawlessly, and all, including the Governor and his staff, were thrilled.
Other regional “hot topics:”
Yale Conference Services is very excited to announce that Suzanne Shaw, Facilities Events Manager for Quinnipiac University is joining Yale Conference Services on April 23 as summer housing and events manager. Suzanne has six years of experience planning events at Quinnipiac and for the last several years managed a small summer housing operation. While at Quinnipiac she also earned an MBA in Management and Marketing. Suzanne previously attended several ACCED-I Region 12 meetings, presented at the 2005 regional conference and is excited to become more involved both regionally and nationally in the future.
The University of New England's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center released four seals March 20, 2007 that had been stranded in Maine and rehabilitated at their onsite center. The seals released at Granite Point in Biddeford were two hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) and two harp seals (Phoca groenlandica). Both hooded seals were released with satellite tags in order to track the seals and gain valuable data regarding natural seal behavior. Visit the WhaleNet website for information on its satellite tagging program and visit WhaleNet's information page to track the two hooded seals released by MARC.
UNE's Animal Marine Rehabilitation Center is taking full advantage of its natural and human resources as they have recently built, operate and maintain the Marine Science Education and Research Center.
This center is the only facility of its kind anywhere, giving researchers a unique opportunity to create important new knowledge in marine science, the environment and human health. This state-of-the-art facility truly provides a window to the sea. UNE boasts programs and development in the areas of marine mammal rehabilitation, aqua-culture and aqua marine science as well as environmental education.
The Boston University Corporate Education Center has recently changed its name to Boston University Conference Center at Tyngsboro. The Conference Center has 17 meeting rooms, three full-service dining rooms, an outdoor dining area, three computer labs, two tiered amphitheaters and a 280+ seat auditorium. Located just 30 minutes outside the city on picturesque campus grounds, the Boston University Conference Center is the perfect combination of a professional atmosphere with comfortable surroundings. Visit online at http://www.BostonUniversityConferenceCenter.com.
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The University if New England would like to announce the selection of its newest Conference Coordinator, Mark Purvis. Mark joins UNE with many years of experience in special event planning and has a proven track record of excellent customer service that is locally and regionally recognized. He will be the primary contact for the University Campus located in Biddeford, Maine. -submitted by Norma Charette
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The University of New England is expanding and, as a result, is proud to announce the opening of a brand new air-conditioned, combination classroom facility and suite-style residence hall in September, 2007. The Sandra Featherman Hall, named in honor of UNE's most recent past president, is set to open in September, 2007 and is located on the Biddeford Campus of UNE. This facility will accommodate a total capacity of an additional 150 conference participants on the Biddeford campus which will compliment our existing 975 suite-style and traditional housing accommodations. -submitted by Norma Charette