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Speakers and Sessions
The 2025 National Education Conference (NEC) will take place on May 6-8, 2025 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Our theme is “Charting the Course.” Earn up to 7 hours of continuing education and professional development on a variety of topics of interest to government meeting planners and suppliers.
Keynote Speakers
Sharon Gai
 Leading the AI Revolution: Event Planners' Role in Shaping Public Sector Innovation
As AI continues to transform the world, event planners who work with government and public sector organizations have a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in driving this change. This session, led by digital transformation expert Sharon, will show how event planners can create impactful events that help public sector leaders harness AI as a tool for innovation. Traditionally seen as slower to innovate than the private sector, the public sector is now in a position to take bold steps with AI—especially with the right strategic direction.
Sharon Gai is a culture fluid expert in AI, ecommerce and innovation. She helps organizations become agile disruptors in their industries so they can increase revenue and retain users. In her tenure at Alibaba, she advised brands and heads of state in crafting their digital strategy with programmatic marketing and AI. She has worked with TEDx, Singularity University, UBS, Deloitte, Walmart, LVMH, Nestle, Tetra Pak and Twilio. She is in the AAE list of Top Keynote Speakers in 2023. She is also one of 2024’s RETHINK Retail’s Top Retail Expert and a LinkedIn Top Voice in Public Speaking 2024.
Adam White
 MADE FOR GREATNESS: The 7 Habits That Unlock Greatness Within
The difference in success or failure in life, work and business are hidden within habits. Habits are the essence of what separates people who achieve greatness and those that don't. In this powerful program based on the book, "Made For Greatness: The 7 Habits that Unlock Greatness Within", leadership keynote speaker, Adam White delivers the 7 Powerful Habits every Individual can develop to master these leadership challenges.
Adam White is an in-demand national speaker, a bestselling author, and one of the most inspiring, influential leaders in this generation. Society of Government Meeting Professionals and Western Region International Professional Management Association has both named him one of the best and most articulate speakers they have ever heard. As one of the most requested motivational speakers, Adam has shared the stage with Mayor Garcetti of Los Angeles, former Mayor Goodman of Las Vegas, John Maxwell and many other great influencers of this era. His live seminar events are "must-attends” and continue to be a breeding ground for entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, and influencers all over the world.
Learning Labs
Stadium Tour (50 max) - 1 hour: Logistics
2:30pm - Meet in the hotel Lobby
Join SGMP at Energizer Park for a one-of-a-kind tour of the facility. Learn about sustainability initiatives and strengthen your offsite hosting skills. Learn how to produce a successful event at a sports venue and gain valuable insights you can apply to your job.
St. Louis Union Station Hotel Back of the House Tour (45 max) - 1 hour: Facilities & Services
2:30pm - Meet in General Session Foyer
Join SGMP and the staff of the St. Louis Union Station Hotel for a unique back of the house tour of this historic property. Learn about the hotel's human resources, housekeeping, laundry, cafeteria, security services, main kitchen, bake shop, stewarding, main plant, purchasing/loading bay, and banquet back hall. Manage your future events like a boss with the inside information you've always wanted to know!
America's Center St. Louis (30 max) - 1 hour: Logistics
2:30pm – Meet in hotel Lobby
Whether your meeting is large, small or somewhere in between, the America’s Center Convention Complex offers unique and flexible meeting facilities and superior services for any event. Receiving the 2022 Stella Award for Best Convention Center – Midwest, America’s Center is home to four distinct meeting facilities under one roof: Cervantes Convention Center, The Dome at America’s Center, the St. Louis Executive Conference Center and the Ferrara Theatre. In addition, the convention center features six exhibit halls, a ballroom and more than 95 meeting rooms. Join SGMP for a tour of the center and an insightful session on working with Convention Centers.
Additional options for onsite learning will be available during the learning labs hour.
Breakout Sessions
SGMP 2025 National Education Conference will feature fourteen (14) breakout sessions on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Interactive Session (2 hours): 1+1=3: How Destinations and Police Work Together to Create Safer Space for Your Attendees
 Kurt M. Weigle
Learn how unarmed Public Safety Ambassadors and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department work together to make 1+1=3 a big accomplishment in Downtown St. Louis. Hear how the success of strengthened partnerships provides another layer of visible public safety for residents and visitors alike, and how collaboration and clear delineation of responsibilities creates a public safety network that makes Downtown St. Louis not only feel safer, but actually be safer.
Kurt Weigle is Senior Vice President and Chief Downtown Officer of Greater St. Louis, Inc. Prior to his role at Greater St. Louis, Inc., Mr. Weigle served for 18 years as President & CEO of the Downtown Development District (DDD) of New Orleans. During his tenure, the DDD’s focus on quality of life and place-based economic development strategies to retain & attract Industries of the Mind led to international recognition of New Orleans as an entrepreneurial hub, named America’s Biggest Brain Magnet (New Geography) and the #1 City for Information Jobs in the U.S. (Forbes), among other accolades.
Accommodating for ADA Compliance at Meetings: Case Studies of Best Practices
 Rosemarie Rossetti
It’s a legal, social, and professional responsibility to plan your meeting to accommodate speakers and attendees who fall under the umbrella of the ADA. Rossetti speaks from her wheelchair, addressing crucial points you need to know to anticipate challenges to achieve a smooth, gracious, and respectful experience for every participant. She will share the best practices from case studies of organizations she helped find useful ways to make accommodations. She will focus on why ADA compliance is essential, how to set up meeting rooms, and how to adapt to dining and networking challenges.
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., is a globally recognized expert, speaker, consultant, and advocate for disability inclusion. She is the CEO of Rossetti Enterprises LLC since January 1997. Having been paralyzed with a spinal cord injury, she speaks and consults from her wheelchair, sharing her experiences in the meetings industry. Rosemarie speaks to and consults with meeting professionals, providing insights to plan inclusive meetings. As a keynote speaker, she is on international stages. As a consultant, she works with large organizations' meeting professionals, guiding them throughout the meeting planning process. Her insights help save time, reduce stress, and plan inclusive meetings.
Smarter Meetings: Practical AV and AI Tools for Government Planners
 Anca Platon Trifan
Discover how to enhance government meetings with modern AV setups and AI tools for greater efficiency, approachability, and engagement. This session covers: AV for Modern Meetings: Strategies for seamless AV setups in in-person, hybrid, and virtual formats. AI for Content Creation: Tools to streamline agendas, materials, and session content while automating distribution and repurposing. Enhancing Availability: Solutions like live transcription, closed captions, and multi-language support to ensure ADA compliance. With practical demos and actionable insights, this session simplifies tech adoption to elevate your government meetings.
Anca Platon Trifan is a Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Event Technology at Meetings & Incentives Worldwide, Inc. (M&IW), with over 20 years of expertise in AV production, AI integration, and event technology. A trusted strategist in government meetings and events, she specializes in leveraging technology to enhance efficiency, cybersecurity, and attendee engagement. As host of the Events: Demystified Podcast, Anca shares actionable insights on emerging trends in event tech. She is also an advocate for wellness in the industry through her #Fit4Events framework, emphasizing balanced approaches to productivity and success.
2025 Event Trends
 Will Curran
It’s time to dive into next year’s event trends! We surveyed hundreds of #EventProfs to bring you a curated list of the hottest trends shaking up the industry. Will Curran of Bizzabo, named one of the most influential people in events, has written the go-to event trends guide for the past seven years. Will also speaks, publishes tips, and actively produces events globally through his award-winning company. Get ready for an exciting ride ahead!
Now leading the charge as the Head of Klik at Bizzabo, Will Curran is at the vanguard of wearable event technology innovation. He's the visionary founder of Endless Events, the creative force behind the #EventProfs Community, and the charismatic host of industry-renowned podcasts: #EventIcons, Event Brew, and Event Tech Podcast. Celebrated as one of the most influential figures in the meetings & events sector, Will's accolades include being recognized as one of the 40 under 40 event industry leaders, 35 entrepreneurs under 35, and achieving the highest customer satisfaction of any event company in the industry.
Beating Burnout with the 2-Year-Old's Guide to Work-Life Balance
 Annie Meehan
Work-life balance for you and the members of your team is not a myth. It can (and should) be achieved. Creating positive work-life culture is a matter of understanding different work-life strategies and adapting them to your situation. This is created through a blend of education, advocacy, and trial. Failure to create work-life friendly cultures leads to burnout, turnover, poor performance, and health issues. As a researcher of work-life balance on organizational performance, Annie will show you how to beat burnout in a fun and lighthearted way based on the book, The 2-Year Old’s Guide to Work-Life Balance.
Annie Meehan is a dynamic speaker, author of nine books, and entrepreneur who transforms life’s storms into breakthroughs. With unshakeable optimism and resilience, she inspires audiences to embrace change, build collaboration, and achieve their goals. Annie’s keynotes and workshops deliver practical strategies and leave attendees with actionable steps to grow into their potential. From corporate giants like 3M and Target to Women’s Leadership Conferences, Annie authentically connects with diverse audiences. A proud Midwest native now in Fort Myers Beach, FL, Annie cherishes her family and believes life’s storms bring rainbows of opportunity and growth.
EPA's Energy Star Program and the Government Meeting
 Jerry Lawson
The US Environmental Protection Agency provides a number of no-cost technical assistance resources of use to the lodging/hospitality industry and perceives professional meeting planners as valuable colleagues. The ENERGY STAR® logo is known by more than 90% of American consumers due to scores of certified products and equipment, and commercial buildings like hotels can be ENERGY STAR certified, as well as new homes and industrial manufacturing plants. ENERGY STAR assists partnerships with associations, institutions, nonprofits, service, and product providers, as well as local, state, and federal government. EPA also offers WaterSense certified appliances, Safer Choice certified cleaning products and information helping property managers “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” and well as the Green Power Partnership supporting renewable energy use.
Jerry Lawson is National Manager, ENERGY STAR for Small Business & Congregations, US EPA. Previously, Lawson served as: Executive Director for Conservation, Customer Service, Rates & Forecasting at the Lower Colorado River Authority, which generates electricity for cities and rural electric co-ops, and provides water for agriculture in the 30,000 square mile service area surrounding Austin, Texas. Director of the City of Austin Resource Management Department, which successfully substituted utility customer energy efficiency to prevent construction of a new 500-megawatt coal-fired power plant, and with water efficiency delayed construction of a fourth city water treatment plant. Targeted water efficiency also helped maintain water service pressure and firefighting capability during simultaneous historic City growth and a 100-year drought. Deputy Director for Conservation and Renewable Resources at the Arkansas Department of Energy. Managed federally funded state programs and worked with business, industry, institutions and nonprofits to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. Education includes a Master of Public Affairs degree in public finance from Arizona State University and a BA degree from the University of Arkansas with majors in history, journalism, and political science.
Communication is Key: It Begins with You
 Cindy Saylor
Communication is Key: It Begins with You empowers every leader to step into their hero role, using their superpower—communication, especially with themselves. Cindy Saylor, an NLP Practitioner will guide you through her 4 C’s: Crucial, Clarity, Confidence, Consistency. Forget the villain’s voice holding you back; it’s time to amplify your hero’s voice and own your impact. Through interactive insights and actionable tools, you’ll build the skills to lead authentically, inspire deeply, and communicate like a true hero. Ready to take your superpower to the next level?
Cindy Saylor is a dynamic speaker, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, and Brain Health Educator, specializing in empowering others to unlock the potential of self-communication. Through her personal journey of overcoming dyslexia, Cindy has harnessed her experiences to become a leader in mental fitness and communication skills. Her Keynote, "Communication is Key: It Begins with You," reveals how effective communication starts from within and shows participants practical tools to elevate their inner dialogue. Cindy’s powerful approach inspires audiences to transform their communication, both with themselves and others, creating stronger, more meaningful connections.
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Interactive Session (2 hours): Five Steps to Crisis-Proof Your Event
 Kelli McCrary (St. Louis Downtown Improvement District)
This interactive training equips event planners with essential skills and tools to proactively manage crises and support event safety. Participants will be guided through a five-step framework to anticipate, respond to, and recover from emergency situations that can impact live events.
Kelli J. McCrary is a dynamic and results-driven leader with over 25 years of experience spanning law enforcement, corporate security, school district operations, and nonprofit leadership. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Downtown St. Louis Community Improvement District (CID), where she leads a multimillion-dollar organization focused on enhancing public safety, cleanliness, and quality of life in the downtown area.
Mastering Memory for Professional Success & Peak Performance
 Chester Santos
In this fun and interactive program, U.S. Memory Champion, Chester Santos - "The International Man of Memory," will help you to develop life-changing memory skills that you can immediately apply to better retaining and recalling valuable information from conference sessions, training classes, and other professional development activities. You'll also learn how to become a master at remembering names to get more out of the wonderful experience of networking at business events. In addition, you'll find out how to leverage how human memory works to make your company's messaging and event programming more memorable.
Chester Santos, widely regarded as the world's leading memory skills expert, is a U.S. Memory Champion and international speaker. He has authored bestselling books including "Instant Memory Training for Success" and "Mastering Memory: Techniques to Turn Your Brain from a Sieve to a Sponge". Santos has delivered presentations in over 30 countries, including prestigious engagements at TEDx, Talks at Google, and the International Festival of Brilliant Minds. His memory-building techniques have been featured on FOX, CNN, ABC, PBS, NBC, and CBS. He has been quoted in prominent publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine.
Dare To Be Different! 3 Keys for Event Planning Goal-setting Success
 Jan Spence, CSP
Many conversations about meetings start with the logistics: “What are the dates? How many room nights?” However, some event professionals are missing the mark when it comes to setting goals for a truly successful event - one that will “WOW” the attendees (and client). Jan Spence will provide participants with a game plan to transition from being “just” another meeting supplier or planner to becoming an indispensable strategic partner to their industry counterparts. Attendees will learn her step-by-step process for more effectively designing an event, from theme development to all the way to post-event analysis to ensure stakeholder expectations were met.
Jan Spence, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional- less than 400 hold this designation worldwide) is an international speaker, author, and consultant. With contagious charisma and a zest for life which make her an excellent motivator and leader, this TEDx speaker uses her vast knowledge in sales, communications, finances and employee engagement to help numerous clients including Pillsbury, Walmart, and Frito-Lay through "Cheer Leadership®". Known for her highly interactive, entertaining, and inspirational style, she recently taught in Hungary, Dubai, Bahrain and Australia.
Addressing Those "Uh-Oh" Situations in Your Contracts
 Tyra Warner
Everything is going along swimmingly with your meeting until, “uh-oh,” something you didn’t anticipate threatens to disrupt or derail it. Using scenarios that address real issues like construction and remodeling, dishonored reservations, conflicting groups, force majeure situations, and more, we’ll discuss what you should have in your contracts to prevent the issue from occurring or mitigate the damage if it does occur. Groups will have a chance to review scenarios and discuss in small groups before sharing solutions.
Tyra Warner, JD, PhD, CMP Fellow is the Chair of the Department of Hospitality, Tourism, and Culinary Arts at the College of Coastal Georgia. With over 20 years of experience as a meetings industry attorney, Tyra's practice and research expertise are in the legal, safety, and security issues that affect meetings and events. She also has experience in meeting and event planning, hotel catering sales, convention and visitors bureau management, and association management. Tyra is one of only two people in the world who has a law degree, a PhD in Hospitality, and has earned the CMP designation.
The Yellow Cake Principle: Your Recipe for Influence and Success
 Roger Grannis
Want to have your cake and eat it too? The Yellow Cake Principle will show you how. Packed with practical strategies and sprinkled with humor, this session delivers the key ingredients you need to connect, communicate, and improve relationships—without the usual stress. Ready to deepen relationships with clients and colleagues, boost employee engagement, and gain agreement more easily? Unlock the secrets that will transform your approach and satisfy your hunger for success. Warning: The Yellow Cake Principle has zero calories but will boost business performance!
Roger Grannis is a sales communications expert. For more than 30 years, Roger has helped organizations of all sizes increase revenue, improve client satisfaction, and launch new programs with great success. Before becoming a fulltime professional speaker, in 2004, Roger spent seventeen years at Gartner, the world’s leading technology advisory firm. During his tenure, he built the firm’s Sales Training Academy, helping grow revenues from $32 million to $850 million.
Adapt or Die with AI: The 5 AI Tools You Can Use Today To Improve Your Marketing & Decrease Your Costs
 Jon Lakefish
An interactive blend of insightful perspectives and practical demonstrations. Jon showcases various AI platforms that not only save time and costs, but also open new horizons in marketing, branding and more.
Jon Lakefish is a seasoned marketing and branding expert with over two decades of industry experience. Renowned for his deep insights into consumer behavior and a fervent passion for innovation, Jon has spearheaded marketing initiatives across various sectors, significantly enhancing brand presence and engagement. A leading figure in the integration of AI in marketing, Jon is frequently invited to speak at industry events, offering engaging, insightful perspectives on AI's role in transforming marketing landscapes. His consulting services are sought after for empowering businesses to leverage AI, boosting their efficiency and creativity in brand growth strategies.
Building Trust and Influence Through Leadership and Relationship-Building Principles
Dr. Janice Fortman
 This session demonstrates how leadership principles can be applied through customer service techniques to build trust, communication, and problem-solving skills essential for government leaders. By exploring key aspects of empathy, patience, and trust, attendees will learn how to enhance both internal team relations and external client satisfaction, building stronger, more effective relationships.
Dr. Janice Fortman is a renowned relationship coach, and author, celebrated for her expertise in effective communication dynamics. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Jan has become a leading voice in transforming interpersonal relationships. Her unique approach combines practical communication strategies with deep psychological insights, empowering individuals to foster healthier, more fulfilling personal and professional connections.
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