AGENDA

Thursday, March 19

9:00 am – 10:15 am: Welcome & Introductions

9:15 am – 10:15 am: The AI-Enabled Conference Planner: Real Lessons from Building a Modern Association Conference (1 CAE)

Speaker: Lamees Abourahma, Executive Director, Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association

Description: Meeting planners are being asked to do more with tighter
timelines, higher attendee expectations, and increasingly complex content strategies. In this session, Lamees Abourahma, CEO of the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), shares how her team redesigned their annual conference planning model by integrating AI tools, structured workflows, and data-driven decision-making. Drawing on lessons from producing a multi-day national conference for senior executives, she will walk through how AI accelerated content creation, improved marketing agility, supported speaker management, strengthened negotiation processes, and elevated the attendee experience. Participants will leave with practical examples, templates, and a roadmap for applying AI in day-to-day planning—without losing the human touch that defines exceptional events.

10:15 am – 10:45 am: Break

10:45 am – 11:45 am: State of the Industry from the Virginia Tourism Board

Lindsay Norment , Brand Director, Virginia Tourism Corporation

Dan Roberts, VP of Research & Strategy, Virginia Tourism Corporation

Description: Gain valuable insights into current trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping Virginia’s tourism landscape in State of the Industry from the Virginia Tourism Board. This session will highlight the latest data, statewide initiatives, and strategies driving growth, offering meeting planners a clear view of how the industry is evolving and what it means for future events.

11:45 am – 12:00 pm: Break

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: LUNCH at the Virginian

1:00 pm – 1:45 pm: Property Tour of the Virginian

1:45 pm – 2:00 pm: Break

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm: Social Media for Meeting Planners: A Tutorial (.75 CAE)

Speaker: Jason G. Moyers, VADA Social Media Chair/Attorney, Harman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman

Description: Social media in this day and age is as prevalent as ever. For associations and non-profits, it offers opportunities to engage and connect with members. It also offers a welcome source of free advertising and publicity for events. This session will explore ways to utilize social media to promote events for your association or non-profit. Specifics applicable to various platforms will be addressed, as will tips and best practices for maximizing the impact this activity can have.

2:45 pm – 3:15 pm: Break

3:15 pm – 4:15 pm: Winning Together – How Planners and Hotels Are Reinventing the Playbook (1 CAE)

Moderator: Sheryl Chasse, CPIA, Association Executive, PIA of VA & DC

Description: The meetings game has changed — new pricing models, leaner staffing, transparency rules, evolving attendee behavior, and a whole new definition of value. In this session, we bring together leaders from both sides of the field for a candid play-by-play on what’s working, what’s not, and how smarter strategies and stronger partnerships can help us win in the seasons ahead.

Panelist: Michelle (Westerkamp) Jones Clark, CAE, CMP, Senior Manager, Convention & Meetings, Virginia Farm Bureau

Panelist: Tigre Fortune, CPCE, Member Relations Specialist, Virginia Asphalt Association

Panelist: Tim Koch, National Sales Manager, The Omni Homestead Resort & Spa

Panelist: Jamie Ridgeway, Sales Manager, Great Wolf Resorts

4:15 pm – 5:30 pm: Break/Free Time

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Reception

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm: Dinner

8:30 pm – 9:30 pm: After Dinner Activity

Friday, March 20

7:30 am – 8:30 am: Breakfast

8:30 am – 9:45 am: Scavenger Hunt: Get to know Downtown Lynchburg… and your Fellow Attendees (1.25 CAE)

Facilitator: Tiffany Brown, Program Assistant, Virginia Tech

Description: Let’s go on a morning stroll! You’ll get to team up with fellow attendees, meet some new people, solve some clues and visit interesting locations in downtown Lynchburg and our host property. Bring your walking shoes and be prepared to have some fun!

Co-Creators: Andrew Marks, Assistant Director of Tourism & Cameron Lohr, Coordinator, Lynchburg Office of Economic Development & Tourism and Shelley Waldeck, Director of Sales, The Virginian

9:45 am – 10:00 am: Break

10:00 am – 11:15 am: Why Didn’t I Think of That? Sharing Strategies, Successes, and Smart Solutions (1.25 CAE)

Facilitator: Kristin Pettway, Executive Director, DRIVE SMART Virginia

Description: Join fellow meeting professionals for an energetic and interactive roundtable designed to spark ideas, share experiences, and inspire new approaches. This is about learning from each other. We’ll dive into what’s trending, what’s changing, and what’s actually working in today’s meetings and events world.

Attendees will participate in small-group discussions on topics such as attendee engagement, event budgets, incorporating AI, and risk management and wellness. Come ready to share your wins, your challenges, and your “why didn’t we think of that sooner” moments. You’ll walk away with practical tips, fresh perspectives, and connections that will help you plan smarter, not harder.

11:15 am – 11:30 am: Closing Remarks

11:30 am – 12:00 pm: Boxed Lunches

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