FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 15, 2004

CONTACT: Mary E. Power, President & CEO
Convention Industry Council
(703) 610-9030

CONVENTION INDUSTRY COUNCIL RESTRUCTURES GOVERNANCE

McLean, VA – October 15, 2004 – The Convention Industry Council’s recent decision to restructure its governance was approved on September 30, 2004.

Previously, CIC’s governing body was comprised of a council in which each member organization was represented by one delegate. Additionally, a smaller group of 11 individuals made up a board of directors which held its own slate of officers.

The new structure allows for a more streamline governance in which each member organization will be represented by one delegate and one alternate. In an effort to allow for greater participation, CIC is urging member organizations to appoint an individual in a volunteer leadership position to act as the organization’s alternate. In the event that the main delegate is not available to vote on an issue, the alternate will stand in. Although each organization only receives one vote, both representatives will be involved in meetings and programs. The new structure will provide a better forum for interaction and cooperation among the many sectors of the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry represented by CIC members.

Incoming chairman Michael Bandy, president of the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA), looks forward to the new and dynamic structure of CIC. “I see this as one more step to making CIC a more effective organization. My goal is to improve upon the good work of my predecessors by furthering communication and increasing the involvement of all of CIC’s member organizations, especially as we move out of the development phase and into the implementation phase of APEX.”

Joining Bandy in leadership roles include: Thomas Mobley, Jr., general manager and chief executive officer of the Washington (D.C.) Convention Center, as vice chair; Colin Rorrie, Ph.D., CAE, president/CEO of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), as secretary/treasurer; and, Brenda Anderson, CEO of the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE), as delegate-at-large.

In the upcoming year, CIC will focus on increasing communications between the organization and its members. Mary E. Power, president/CEO of CIC, feels strongly that this restructuring will greatly benefit CIC and its member organizations. “It is important that industry professionals are aware of what CIC is doing,” says Power. “By opening the lines of communication to our members, we hope that important information will be passed along to their members about the programs and projects that we are working on providing a greater value to all.”

The Convention Industry Council’s 31 member organizations represent more than 98,000 individuals as well as 15,000 firms and properties involved in the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry. Formed in 1949 to provide a forum for member organizations seeking to enhance the industry, the CIC facilitates the exchange of information and develops programs to promote professionalism within the industry and educates the public on its profound economic impact. In addition to the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Program and the Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) initiative, CIC’s other programs include the Hall of Leaders, Project Attrition, the Prestigious CIC Cup, and the CIC Economic Impact Study. Additional information on the Convention Industry Council can be found at www.conventionindustry.org.

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