APEX TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COUNCIL KICKS-OFF THIRD MAJOR PROJECT

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 29, 2004

CONTACT: Juli Jones, Vice President
Convention Industry Council
(703) 610-0273

APEX TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COUNCIL KICKS-OFF THIRD MAJOR PROJECT

McLean, VA – November 29, 2004 – At a recent meeting in Dallas, Texas the APEX Technology Advisory Council (TAC) launched its Requests for Proposals Demonstration Team, led by volunteers Bob Bennett, vice president of StarCite, Inc., and Tony Stanfar, vice president of OnVantage.

The TAC was formed in 2001 when it was charged with developing and defining data specifications for each area for which accepted practices are developed.

“The puzzle we are solving is how to send APEX-based documents between organizations that utilize different operating systems and applications with dissimilar field descriptions,” said EJ Siwek, CMP, president of FLASHpoint Technologies, LLC and chairman of the APEX TAC. “These transmissions will provide dynamic data that can be easily exchanged between systems, and the systems need to be ready to send and receive that data.”

Two other TAC demonstration teams were launched earlier this year. The Housing & Registration demo team is lead by Bruce Small, director of sales information systems for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. The Event Specifications demo team is led by Alicia Moran, vice president-client services and results delivery for Passkey International, Inc. These teams are translating the accepted practices established by APEX panels into implementable formats including interactive templates, data definitions, and XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema. Upon completion, the industry will have tools to ensure that the sharing and exchange of data will be smooth and seamless.

“Although APEX is not intended to solve all of the industry’s problems, it can make a solid impact on communication within the industry. It will also encourage vendors who develop applications to further expand the ability to seamlessly share data between systems,” says Mary E. Power, president and CEO of CIC.

To keep industry professionals and interested technologists informed of the TAC’s progress, the APEX Technology E-Newsletter will be launched in 2005. Individuals can subscribe to this newsletter by sending an email with “ADD” in the subject line to ej@flashpointtech.com. The message body should include the subscribers name, title, employer and mailing address.

Additionally, any individual interested in participating in the TAC should also contact EJ Siwek, CMP at (203) 207-5454 or via email at ej@flashpointtech.com.

APEX (Accepted Practices Exchange), an initiative of the Convention Industry Council, is developing and implementing industry-wide accepted practices which will create and enhance efficiencies throughout the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry.

The Convention Industry Council's 31 member organizations represent more than 98,000 individuals and 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, develops programs to promote professionalism within the industry, and educates the public on its profound economic impact. In addition to the APEX initiative, the CIC is also responsible for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Program. Other programs include Project Attrition, the Hall of Leaders, and the CIC Economic Impact Study.

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©2004 Convention Industry Council
Contact the CIC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 29, 2004

CONTACT: Juli Jones, Vice President
Convention Industry Council
(703) 610-0273

APEX TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COUNCIL KICKS-OFF THIRD MAJOR PROJECT

McLean, VA – November 29, 2004 – At a recent meeting in Dallas, Texas the APEX Technology Advisory Council (TAC) launched its Requests for Proposals Demonstration Team, led by volunteers Bob Bennett, vice president of StarCite, Inc., and Tony Stanfar, vice president of OnVantage.

The TAC was formed in 2001 when it was charged with developing and defining data specifications for each area for which accepted practices are developed.

“The puzzle we are solving is how to send APEX-based documents between organizations that utilize different operating systems and applications with dissimilar field descriptions,” said EJ Siwek, CMP, president of FLASHpoint Technologies, LLC and chairman of the APEX TAC. “These transmissions will provide dynamic data that can be easily exchanged between systems, and the systems need to be ready to send and receive that data.”

Two other TAC demonstration teams were launched earlier this year. The Housing & Registration demo team is lead by Bruce Small, director of sales information systems for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. The Event Specifications demo team is led by Alicia Moran, vice president-client services and results delivery for Passkey International, Inc. These teams are translating the accepted practices established by APEX panels into implementable formats including interactive templates, data definitions, and XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema. Upon completion, the industry will have tools to ensure that the sharing and exchange of data will be smooth and seamless.

“Although APEX is not intended to solve all of the industry’s problems, it can make a solid impact on communication within the industry. It will also encourage vendors who develop applications to further expand the ability to seamlessly share data between systems,” says Mary E. Power, president and CEO of CIC.

To keep industry professionals and interested technologists informed of the TAC’s progress, the APEX Technology E-Newsletter will be launched in 2005. Individuals can subscribe to this newsletter by sending an email with “ADD” in the subject line to ej@flashpointtech.com. The message body should include the subscribers name, title, employer and mailing address.

Additionally, any individual interested in participating in the TAC should also contact EJ Siwek, CMP at (203) 207-5454 or via email at ej@flashpointtech.com.

APEX (Accepted Practices Exchange), an initiative of the Convention Industry Council, is developing and implementing industry-wide accepted practices which will create and enhance efficiencies throughout the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry.

The Convention Industry Council's 31 member organizations represent more than 98,000 individuals and 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, develops programs to promote professionalism within the industry, and educates the public on its profound economic impact. In addition to the APEX initiative, the CIC is also responsible for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Program. Other programs include Project Attrition, the Hall of Leaders, and the CIC Economic Impact Study.

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