September Education Program & Networking Luncheon

Moderator:

Tim Trefzer, VP Sports & Venues | Honeycomb Strategies 

Tim has led the sustainability and ESG efforts of some of the most iconic and recognizable sports teams, venues, events, and brands in the world, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, and the NCAA Men's Final Four. Tim co-founded the Sustainable Sport Index, the sports industry’s first benchmark of sustainability. For over ten years, he led sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the 225-acre, five-venue Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus, including facilitating LEED certifications. Tim is past adjunct faculty at Georgia State University and Arizona State University. He has held leadership roles in several industry associations including USGBC and IAVM and is a member of several boards. Tim resides in Atlanta.

M.A. Arizona State University

B.A. Florida State University

Panelists:

Allyson Wagner, Associate Director, Meetings + Events | Destination South Meetings + Events

Allyson Wagner currently serves as Associate Director, Meetings + Events with Destination South Meetings + Events in Atlanta.  Along with her team members, she plans and manages meetings and events for corporate and association clients around the globe.

Allyson’s career began with a degree from Clemson University in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management and from there she moved into the hotel industry. Allyson cites her tenure with the Marriot Global Sales Organization as the foundation for truly understanding the meaning of strategic engagement with both internal stakeholders and clients.

She has been an active member of the hospitality community throughout her career. She is a current member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and has held several volunteer and board positions within  MPI Georgia including Chapter President. She’s been recognized as an MPI Global Member of the Year finalist as well as an MPI Georgia Chapter Leader of the Year. She’s also an active member of the Events Industry Council. Allyson is a pioneer in the meetings community for her efforts around bringing sustainability initiatives to the industry and was a founding member of the Green Meetings Industry Council Atlanta.

Allyson enjoys mentoring young people interested in hospitality and meetings management.  Despite her busy schedule, she finds plenty of time to travel with her adult children and cheer on her Clemson Tigers. 

Guido Brun, Director of Sales & Marketing | Emory Hotel & Conference Center

Guido Brun is a hospitality professional serving as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Emory Conference Center Hotel.  He has over 25 years of hotel management experience both with Marriott International and Crestline Hotels and Resorts. 

He’s been an active member of the local hospitality industry in Atlanta with memberships in GAMPI, GSAE and SGMP.  During his tenure in Atlanta, he has also been an active member of many local chambers including the Atlanta CVB, Gwinnett CVB, Dekalb CVB, Cobb CVB and the Alpharetta CVB.

He along with the leadership team of the Emory Conference Center have championed green initiatives from the conference center’s inception back in 1995.  The conference center’s green efforts have evolved through the years to include single stream recycling, food composting, solar power and recycling waste oils into a fuel source.  Their efforts have been recognized within the industry by receiving multiple awards including GHLA “GoodEarth keeping” and a TripAdvisor “Green Leader” Gold Level. 

Session Description:

Sustainability in meetings and events is not a new concept but there's still a lot to learn. How has this rapidly evolving part of the industry become a business imperative over the last two decades? With clients, stakeholders, vendor partners, and attendees expecting sustainability to be addressed, we'll discuss how this looks and what is involved as well as best practices, trends, new opportunities, and how to get started. We'll also hear directly from a planner and supplier about environmental and social considerations they bring to their operations and how they see it evolving in the future.

Schedule of Events:

Registration: Registration will close on Friday, September 13.

Member Rate: $50
Non-Member Rate: $70
Student Rate: $25
Supplier Table: Please get in touch with the chapter administrator for more information. 

ALL Preferred and Premiere MPI members are eligible to receive member registration rates for MPI Georgia events.

Cancellation Policy:
If you need to cancel your registration a full refund will be granted if cancellation is received in writing before 5:00 PM on Friday, September 13. After that time there will be no refunds. Please send a cancellation notice to info@mpigeorgia.org. Additionally, registration fees may not be applied or transferred to future events.

Substitution Policy:
If you have registered but cannot attend the meeting, you may substitute another employee from your company at no additional charge. Please send written notification of this change before 5:00 PM on Friday, September 13 to info@mpigeorgia.org. After that time, substitutions will need to be made onsite.

Thank You to Our Event Sponsors

Overall Lunch Sponsor		Overall Lunch Sponsor
Event Sponsor		Registration Software
Photography		In-Kind AV Sponsor

Thank You to Our Annual Sponsors:

Platinum
Silver	Silver
Bronze	Bronze
In-Kind Photography	In-Kind AV