Welcome to the Winter 2011-2012 CTSM Newsletter, keeping you up-to-date on the latest happenings and news for CTSM graduates and candidates.

In This Edition:
   EXHIBITOR2012 Fast Approaching - March 4-8
   Plan Ahead for 2012 CTSM Sessions
   Receiving Credit for EXHIBITOR Sessions
   CTSM Comprehensive Exam at EXHIBITOR2012
   Your CTSM Transcript
   CTSM Portfolio Help
   Update Your Contact Information
   CTSM Portfolio Advisor Luncheon at EXHIBITOR2012
   CTSM Graduates Coming to EXHIBITOR2012
   Congrats New Certified Trade Show Marketers

EXHIBITOR2012 Fast Approaching - March 4-8

Get the Best Pricing by Registering before January 26th

Don't miss out on this great opportunity to learn from the industry professionals and connect with others who do what you do. Get solutions to your toughest problems. See the complete session line-up at www.exhibitor2012.com.

Plan Ahead for the 2012 EXHIBITORFastTrak Conferences and EXHIBITOR eTrak sessions

• Boston - July 17-19
• Chicago - August 14-16
• San Diego - October 9-11
• Atlanta - November 13-15

For a sneak peek of sessions being offered at each EXHIBITORFastTrak location, go to our EXHIBITORFastTrak Preview Page. See our EXHIBITOR eTrak session line-up to find out which two sessions are offered online in each of the upcoming months.

To help in scheduling the completion of your 23 CTSM-required sessions, below is a chart indicating where all of the sessions are being offered in 2012. If you have already registered for EXHIBITOR2012 but find that you can attend one or two EXHIBITORFastTrak conferences or take some sessions online through EXHIBITOR eTraks, then go back to EXHIBITOR2012 registration online and switch sessions. Be sure you are taking sessions which you are unable to get elsewhere. Contact Wendy, CTSM program administrator, at wlewis@ctsm.com if you need assistance with your scheduling.

Note: Due to a speaker scheduling conflict at EXHIBITOR2012, session #41612 (The Basics of Event Planning and Management) has been changed from Wednesday at 8:00 AM to Thursday at 8:00 AM. Also, session #41712 (The Basics of Event Logistics and Implementation) has been changed from Wednesday at 10:00 AM to Thursday at 10:00 AM.

Important Note about Receiving Credit for EXHIBITOR Sessions

To earn CEU's NIU Outreach requires that candidates demonstrate a transfer of knowledge by completing an online quiz (or in some cases an affidavit) after each session. The quiz is designed to be a basic review of the session ELCs. A score of 70% is required to earn CTSM credit and CEUs for each session. Since CEUs are based upon hours in class, it is imperative that you arrive on time for sessions and stay until the end. Room monitor scanners are time-sensitive.

Instructions for submitting quizzes are included with each quiz and on the quiz site itself when you enter it. To receive credit for EXHIBITOR sessions, quizzes and affidavits must be submitted online by the designated deadline for each conference.

CTSM Comprehensive Exam at EXHIBITOR2012

Are you planning to take your exam at EXHIBITOR2012? If you have completed all of your sessions, or if you have 6 or less left to complete and you can get them taken prior to exam time, you can take your exam in Las Vegas. It is offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Don't forget to register for your exam online. Deadline to register is February 6th.

Examinees should check in at the CTSM office desk when they arrive at the Show. We do have a quiet study room reserved for examinees on the conference level of Mandalay Bay. It is open all week long.

Access Your CTSM Transcript


Your CTSM transcript can be accessed directly at any time on the CTSM website. Enter your email address and click "SUBMIT." You will be emailed your private personal pin number from webmaster@exhibitoronline.com. If you have already accessed your transcript online this past year and received your pin number, use that to log in to view your updated transcript. Forgot your pin number or wanting help planning your seminar schedule? Contact Wendy Lewis at wlewis@CTSM.com.

Session #514 - "Preparing, Developing and Submitting a Quality CTSM Portfolio"

In addition to the portfolio web sessions being offered on a monthly basis and the four Portfolio Power-Working Weekends, the class is also being offered at EXHIBITOR2012 on Monday afternoon, March 5th from 3:45-5:15 PM. Register for the one that best fits your schedule.

The next online portfolio session is coming up February 15th at 1:00 PM Central Time. Get it in before the show; then come to the show with your specific questions and get extra help from graduates in the CTSM office or at a Peer2Peer Roundtable that discusses portfolio development. Registration is open and there is room for more attendees.

Update Your Contact Information

This is a plea to all of you in the CTSM program. Would you please take the time to complete this contact form and help us get our database current? A section that gets missed most of the time is Supervisor Name. When we contact your supervisors to make them aware of your progress, we are getting many bounce backs because you have moved on to a different division or company, or your supervisor has moved on. It would be most helpful to have your present supervisor's name and email address. We thank you in advance for your time.

CTSM Portfolio Advisor Luncheon at EXHIBITOR2012

Tuesday, March 6th
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Attention CTSM Graduates: Come learn from our top advisors, Melanie Swanson, Diamond Level CTSM; and Gail Hernandez, Diamond Level CTSM. Between the two of them, their advice has helped 13% of our CTSM graduates accomplish their portfolio projects. Among the topics covered, you'll get tips on how to:

• Help candidates set measurable goals, and how to guide them
• Advise on what information needs to be in the main sections or be part of an appendix
• Check that everything needed in the IMC* section is present (*section most frequently not accepted on first submission)
• Work with advisees who are not responsible for all aspects of the program
• Provide tips on proofreading
• Provide constructive criticism when there are major problems with the document

We hope that you will be able to join us for this working luncheon provided by the CTSM program. Graduates who have never served as a portfolio advisor, but would like to, are encouraged to attend.

RSVP to jnelson@ctsm.com by February 17th. When registering, let me know what questions or concerns you have about your advisor role so that we get them answered.

Urgent Need: Portfolio Advisor who is bilingual in English/Spanish to advise a CTSM candidate from Mexico on portfolio development. Please contact me if you can meet this need.

CTSM Graduates Coming to EXHIBITOR2012 - Can You Help?

With the flurry of activities taking place at the conference, I am always in need of extra help in sharing the benefits of the CTSM program with others. Especially needed are the following:

• Staffers for CTSM Booth #2063. If you are willing to staff the booth Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday for a 1, 1 1/2, or 2 hour shift, let me know what time frame works best for you.
• Peer2Peer Roundtable Leaders. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 5:30-6:30 PM we have three CTSM-topic tables: CTSM-Learn More About the Program, Advice on Developing Your CTSM Portfolio, and How Does CTSM Help My Career?. If you are willing to lead a discussion and answer questions, let me know which day works best with your schedule and which topic you'd like to cover.

*Informally, we always appreciate you stopping in the CTSM office and networking with newcomers to make them feel welcome and answer their questions as they begin their journey towards certification.

*Question: Might any of your supervisors/bosses be coming to EXHIBITOR2012 with you? We would love to get some good video testimonials from the supervisors' perspectives on the benefits to the company that have been realized by having you certified.

CONGRATULATIONS NEW CERTIFIED TRADE SHOW MARKETERS

Join us in congratulating the newest Certified Trade Show Marketers, certified since September 2011:

		Sue McDonald, CTSM Global Event Manager, IRIDEX, Mountain View, CA After eighteen years of providing home daycare (a very important job in its own right), Sue re-entered the professional world. What she felt was of utmost importance to her career advancement through various companies was the significance of having a mentor in her career. A director in her company saw Sue's potential and started nurturing it. Even after the director left, they ended up together in a couple of other companies. Though they no longer work together, Sue says, "Her insight and encouragement made me confident in my position. I feel I was born to do what I do now. I love my job and look forward to going to work each day!"
		Carol Dilger, CTSM Media Manager, Ariens Company, Ferdinand, IN For sixteen years Carol worked for a furniture manufacturer, gaining expertise in accounting, marketing, customer service and general business practices. At the same time, she attended evening classes working towards a degree. She graduated with a degree in Marketing in 2004. Her career as a trade show manager began 17 years ago when she accepted the Marketing Assistant position with Stens Corp, later purchased by Ariens Company of Brillion, WI. Over the years her role has expanded and she has been promoted to her current position, where she is recognized as a leader and a professional trade show and event manager.
		Ashley Backhus, CTSM Business Development Coordinator, TranSystems, Kansas City, MO Ashley's first encounter with trade shows came when she was Marketing Manager for a small optical consulting firm, where their show presence was a 10x10 planned by the company president, office manager, graphic designer and herself on a shoe string budget. After graduating from the U of Kansas with a degree in Strategic Communications, she was hired as a Marketing Assistant for TranSystems, a full service transportation consulting firm. Within three years she was promoted to Business Development Coordinator, and is in the process of being promoted to manage their corporate trade show and conference strategy on a company-wide basis.
		May Espena, CTSM Tradeshow Manager, Stryker Neurovascular, Fremont, CA May has categorized her education leading up to her current position into phases: first, a Bachelor's degree in English from the U of CA, Berkeley; second, "on the job" and "trial by fire" at one of her places of employment; third, becoming a third party planner as a "contractor," practicing and applying client-oriented customer service skills at Woodberry Events, Inc.; fourth, learning about strategies, goals and objectives through the CTSM program. Says May, "Understanding the value of strategic thinking has and will be critical to all my future projects, and for that I am truly grateful for the CTSM certification program." May is applying all she has learned in this new division of Stryker.
		Karin Stanbery, CTSM Trade Show Manager, formerly with Caravan Ingredients, Boerne, TX Karin never imagined that trade shows would be in her future or become her passion. She met her husband while he was attending a trade show. After marriage, she began tagging along with him to trade shows. The president of the company asked if she would like to be Trade Show Coordinator? When she asked what the job involved, he replied, "I don't know, you will figure it out," ... and that she did! Since completing her portfolio, the organization has been restructuring and cutting budgets, resulting in Karin's position being eliminated. Thankfully she has a former boss, who totally understands the improvements Karin made to the program, backing her 100% in her pursuit of a new opportunity.
		Patricia McManus, CTSM Event Manager, Air & Trade Shows, The Boeing Company, Berkeley, MO Pat entered the world of hospitality by answering a Sheraton St. Louis newspaper ad and while there was promoted to Sales/Catering Manager. Her path to Boeing also included manager and director level jobs at the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, independent meeting planner, and the St. Louis branch of International Meeting Management. She joined Boeing in 2000. Among the unique situations she has managed here: dust storm in Australia requiring all planes be moved and secured within 20 minutes; arranging a visit to Boeing by Pres. GW Bush, fire in an exhibition hall in Poland requiring recreating their exhibit in 24 hours; and dinner with Miss Manners and Leticia Baldrige at a conference.
		Jenna Mills, CTSM Marketing Coordinator, PPO USA, a Division of GEHA, Lee's Summit, MO Jenna's journey to become an exhibit manager has evolved over the past twelve years. She was hired in 1998 by Government Employees Health Association (GEHA) as an administrative assistant. After nine months she was promoted to Marketing Coordinator, and a few months later the task of exhibit management became hers. Says Jenna, "It's been a whirlwind getting to this point as I found out about CTSM about 1 1/2 years ago, and here I am! Certification isn't the conclusion for me; rather it's the next step towards a more comprehensive, organized and strategic tradeshow program."
		Jane Dow Axelson, CTSM Senior Manager, Global Meetings, Events & Tradeshows, Stryker Neurovascular, Fremont, CA Graduating with a degree in Sports Management from the U of Massachusetts, Jane dreamed of working in the head office of a professional sports team. After three years as an event manager in this field, organizing celebrity golf tournaments and charity events, she re-thought her career. In March of 1999 she was hired by Oracle Corporation and moved up the ranks in the event team. Desiring a more strategic role, she joined Boston Scientific Neurovascular as their Event Manager in 2004. In 2011 their small division was acquired by Stryker Corporation. The international team remained with Boston Scientific and Jane was given the opportunity to become the global lead for Stryker's neurovascular division.
		Lisa Leach, CTSM Corporate Events Lead, FICO, Arden Hills, MN At FICO Lisa is responsible for planning, executing, and measuring all domestic and global tradeshows company-wide. Her career path towards this event leadership role spans over ten years. Lisa's experience at Sagebrush Corporation, BODY Worlds and TRIAD Conferences has given her the opportunity to cultivate her talents in trade show and event marketing which she loves. She looks forward to continuing her participation in the CTSM program as she works towards a Diamond Level certification. A key life lesson learned through her experiences- smile and provide superior customer service and the organizational skills will fall into place.
		David Oliveria, CTSM Business Development Manager, KAMAN Fuzing & Precision Products, Middletown, CT After serving our country in the US Navy, Dave settled his family in Connecticut, attended night school and earned his Masters Degree in Organizational Management at Central CT State University. His employer has been KAMAN for the past 28 years, starting as a Junior Production Engineer. When he was first transferred to Business Development in 2004, he had no experience with tradeshows and said he "struggled through" until he attended his first EXHIBITOR Show in 2010. KAMAN Precision Products is a division of Kaman Aerospace Corporation, a leading missile and bomb fuse manufacturer, and Dave is responsible for their participation in several air shows and conferences throughout the year.
		Vanessa Shaner, CTSM Senior Tradeshow Specialist, Illumina, Inc., San Diego, CA Vanessa's career began 7 years ago after graduating from San Diego State University with a degree in International Business Marketing. The HR director here noted Vanessa's natural ability with planning events and recommended she enroll in a Meeting and Event Planning Certificate Program. This 8-week program confirmed that this was indeed something she loved doing. In 2007 she applied for a tradeshow coordinator position with Illumina. The same week she was hired the company acquired Solexa, a genetic sequencing company, placing them among the major players in this industry. Her first solo show was managing their participation at the European Society of Human Genetics in Nice, France.
		Aimee Robertson, CTSM, CMP Senior Events Manager, OptumInsight, Guilford, CT For as long as Aimee can remember, she has valued education, and she has enjoyed challenging games. This led her to take a break from college and run a campaign for Workman Publishing's BrainQuest, launching a national "It's O.K. To Be Smart" program via a road show. This experience provided her first taste of planning events and tradeshows. After two years on the road she returned to college and earned a degree in business management. Post-graduation she worked for HSS Software Co, which was acquired by Ingenix, which became OptumInsight, which brings her to where she is today, after several promotions. Aimee is producing her most important event ever in January 2012 - the birth of her child.
		Kathleen Meadowcroft, CTSM Trade Show Manager / Sales Research Specialist, StageRight Corporation, The Rogers Group, Clare, MI Kathleen began working for StageRight in 2000 as a Sales Support Specialist, assisting others and taking on any tasks sent her way. Her position has evolved over the past 11 years as the company has grown as an organization and her skills in the area of trade show management have been recognized. The confidence her managers have in her abilities is being evidenced in January 2012 when she'll take on the additional responsibility of managing all of the Rogers Athletic and World Sporting Goods trade shows, along with her own. Kathleen is relishing the opportunity and the challenge of these additional shows.
		Ellen Byrum, CTSM Meeting Management Consultant, Roche Diagnostics Corporation, Indianapolis, IN Prior experience as an administrator and project manager prepared Ellen for her role as an Administrative Assistant to the Director of Sales Operations at Roche Diagnostics in 2000. Two years later she was hired for an open Conventions Specialist position at Roche and felt like she had finally found her niche in the business world. By 2003 she was promoted to Meeting Management Consultant for the Physician, Office Lab business unit. In 2008 all meeting planners were reorganized into a centralized group reporting to the Communications Department, which is where her position resides today.
		Jocelyn Bellew, CTSM, MBA International Sales & Marketing Coordinator, B. Braun Medical Inc., Bethlehem, PA Jocelyn received her BA degree from Moravian College, majoring in Business Management in 1999. She started working at B. Braun in 2000 as a Customer Service Associate and in 2006 was promoted to her current position. While working, she decided to pursue a Masters Degree from Kutztown University and accomplished this in 2007. Jocelyn noted that after attending EXHIBITOR conferences, she realized that she may not have had trade show experience and education up until then, but that she has always been an event planner her whole life. It's just now that she has gotten on the right path to make it her career. She stated, "If I keep building upon the foundation that I have now, I can't go anywhere but up!"
		Margaret Tolleshaug, CTSM Sr. Events & Trade Show Manager, Cardiac Science Corporation, Bothell, WA Margaret has been managing trade shows and events for 17 years for various companies, but this wasn't her chosen path. In 1993 when the trade show coordinator for Edmark Corp. left, her supervisor asked her to take on that role and Margaret quickly said, "No thank you," knowing what the job entailed. That turned out to not be an option, and she started the job the next day. Now she can't imagine not being in this industry.
		Susan Murray, CTSM Event Manager, McKesson Technology Providers, Alpharetta, GA Susan was not involved with trade shows at the start of her career, but she was responsible for internal and client meetings. She attended travel school and was certified in Travel and Caribbean Destinations. While working as a travel agent, she used her meeting background to plan group travel for clients. She was able to transfer this experience to a global IT company and here was given responsibility for trade shows. Each transition built upon the past. Prior to joining McKesson, she was employed by Hollister Inc. in Chicago, managing trade shows, educational programs, lead management and sales meetings.
		Karen Nash-Walker, CTSM Senior Manager, Conventions & Exhibits, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Titusville, NJ Janssen Pharmaceuticals is part of the family of companies within Johnson & Johnson (J&J). When she embarked on a career with J&J 31 years ago, she had no idea that she would ever be managing conventions, let alone an extensive convention program that spans across all of the J&J pharmaceutical companies within North America. Now that she's been in this role for the past 5 years, she can't think of anything else she would rather be doing. She leads a highly productive team of three Senior Convention Specialists and a Budget Analyst, supporting a program of approximately 200 conventions.
		Jason Martin, CTSM Marketing Analyst, Southern California Edison, Rosemead, CA Jason got his first taste of trade show marketing while attending college at CA State Polytechnic U. He was working for a computer company at the time. They decided they wanted to try exhibiting at a trade show and put him on the project, where he learned a lot of lessons the hard way. In 2009 while finishing his degree in Business Administration he was offered the opportunity to intern in the Events Marketing Dept. for Southern California Edison. Seeing his potential in the area of event marketing, his manager introduced him to the CTSM program. Jason had an interesting venue for his portfolio focus - their participation in the 23-day Los Angeles County Fair.
		Mélodie Cloutier, CTSM Marketing Communications Coordinator, Trojan Technologies, London, Ontario, Canada While in university, Mélodie got her introduction into the world of trade shows when she volunteered to write a communication plan for the Canadian Breast Cancer Network. They invited her to represent them at the 2008 International Breast Cancer Conference in Vancouver, BC and her passion for event planning was born. Within her first few weeks of employment, Trojan Technologies' second largest trade show was coming up. Mélodie said, "Thankfully my leader introduced me to the EXHIBITORFastTrak program in Boston, where I got my first introduction to what really happens from beginning to end in the world of trade show planning."
		Mary Ann Gengo, CTSM Sr. Specialist, Conventions & Exhibits, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Raritan, NJ Mary Ann started her career working for AT&T full time while raising her family. In 2001 she applied for and got a job at Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals. She decided to go back to school at this time also and earned her Associates Degree in Business Administration. When Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceutica were combined in 2004, roles and responsibilities evolved. Mary Ann received several promotions over the years and in 2005/2006 she was awarded the Excelsior Award for managing the conventions/events program through the difficult transition. She's also received two Standards of Leadership Awards and several Encore Awards during her career here.
		Denise Mosey, CTSM Senior Event Specialist, Life Technologies, Brown Deer, WI From childhood on, Denise was the kid in the neighborhood who came with her binder, kept detailed notes and organized the kids, orchestrated "playing school," and maintained the same planner role when it came to family celebrations. Who would have imagined that this could or would lead to a career in event planning! Her professional tradeshow planning began with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance in 1992. In 2000 she obtained her degree in Professional Communications and Marketing. Denise has been with Life Technologies the past four years. The company recently recognized her accomplishments by moving her to their most aggressively-promoted division, Ion Torrent, a leader in genetic sequencing.
		Stefanie Britton, CTSM Marketing Coordinator, AVL North America, Plymouth, MI Stefanie's first exposure to the world of trade shows occurred in 2000. While in college she worked for Tapco International as Marketing Assistant to the VP and was asked to help another team member with trade shows. Before long she was coordinating the entire program. She moved to New World Systems in 2004 as Marketing Administrator and soon had trade show responsibility here also. In 2010 she started at AVL as Marketing Coordinator, responsible for trade shows, special events, web site content and other communication activities. Stefanie says, "I'm passionate about what I do, try to approach my job with an entrepreneurial spirit and aspire to grow to encompass trade show management on a corporate level."
		Jennifer Sedgwick, CTSM Exhibit Operations Manager, GE Healthcare, Wauwatosa, WI Jenny began her career at GEHC 30 years ago in an administrative assistant role for three managers handling marketing communications for the imaging businesses. Today she is managing a team of 4 exhibit managers and overseeing operations for the central US tradeshow program with an extended team of global exhibit managers totaling 15. She leads the largest show GEHC participates in, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), with a 32,000 sq. ft. booth. Most of her time is spent on process improvement opportunities, working with suppliers, sourcing, marketing teams and communications peers. Midway through her career she went back to school and earned her BA in Marketing.
		Elizabeth (Liz) Parker, CTSM Marketing Communications Coordinator, ViaSat, Carlsbad, CA After working with engineers at a high tech job for a while, Liz began her marketing career with a bio-tech/pharmaceutical company, where she was introduced to the world of tradeshows, and she was hooked. She joined ViaSat in 2005. After doing the logistics for a while, she was offered the opportunity to take on tradeshows and marketing communications full time, and she jumped on it. She works closely with three other tradeshow managers. This year she is beginning a new journey - entering college to earn a BS in Marketing.
		Carmen Jones, CTSM Tradeshow & Events Planner, McKesson Pharmaceutical, Dallas, GA Carmen credits her project management and organizational skills to inheritance from her military father. She feels blessed to have had tremendous opportunities to use those skills, supported by mentors along the way, in areas where she never imagined she'd be - US Department of Treasury, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Space LLC architectural firm, and now at McKesson Pharmaceutical. Over the past eight years at McKesson she has headed up their Portables Booth Program and managed this program from about 60 costly local/regional conferences to 130+ per year with all conference costs being charged back to the specific requestors or departments, realizing tremendous savings for their event team's budget.
		Karen Pifer, CTSM Marketing & Tradeshow Coordinator, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Chantilly, VA Karen "fell into marketing and events" in 1990 when she was asked to assist a co-worker on a project at Fujitsu America. She quickly decided this was the niche for her, and over the years has worked in every aspect of Marketing for such companies as Sprint, Mobile Oil, ProxyMed and Softek. Having worked for both small and large companies, she feels she has gained valuable perspectives on how companies view and handle tradeshows and has become a better manager as a result. Currently at SAIC she is a department of one, the sole tradeshow coordinator for the Intelligence Systems Business Unit (ISBU).
		Lisa Alent, CTSM Event Manager, ProQuest, Ann Arbor, MI Lisa is a second generation Certified Trade Show Marketer, reporting to Jaclyn Lebert, CTSM (2005). She began working for ProQuest (formerly University Microfilms Inc.) right after school. Like many administrative assistants, she was often tapped to assist with corporate events. She leveraged this experience to a position as Trade Show Coordinator in 2000. Since then, she's been promoted twice to her current title of Event Manager. ProQuest, a leader in specialized information resources, recently acquired several other companies, which means Lisa will be very involved in rebranding throughout 2012.

Contact Wendy at wlewis@ctsm.com, 507-424-4881, or me with any questions - we're here to help!


Janice Nelson
CTSM Executive Director
jnelson@ctsm.com
763-498-6538