Institute Speakers

Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP, MS

Corbin Ball Associates

Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP, MS is an international speaker, consultant and writer helping clients worldwide use technology to save time and improve productivity. With 20 years of experience running international technology meetings, he now is a highly acclaimed speaker with the ability to make complex subjects understandable and fun. His articles have appeared in hundreds of national and international publications and he has been quoted in the US and News Report, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fast Company, PC Magazine and others. Corbin serves or has served on numerous hotel, corporate, convention bureau and association boards. He is the only person to have received both the MPI International Supplier of the Year and the MPI International Chapter Leader of the Year awards. Corbin has been named for four consecutive years as one of "The 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry" by MeetingNews Magazine.

Claudette Bouton

Creative Branding Solutions

With over twenty years in events as both vendor and client, Claudette brings a wide variety of experience to the table. Raised in Florida, she has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and now makes Atlanta her home. Claudette has worked for The Fox Theatre, A Legendary Event, and was the Corporate Event Planner for AGL Resources, a natural gas utility company.

Her latest endeavor brings her to the entrepreneurial stage. Creative Branding Solutions works with clients to extend their brand through events and sponsorship opportunities. In addition, Claudette has partnered with Impact Corporate Promotions, a corporate apparel and branded premium company.

A frequent speaker, Claudette has presented at The Special Event, ISES EventWorld and Plan Your Meetings LIVE. She has been an active member of ISES for over 15 years, having served both in local and international roles.

Pamela Burton Moore

Cast of Thousands

Pamela Burton Moore has been producing entertainment for special events with Cast of Thousands for over sixteen years and became President of the company in 2004.  Cast of Thousands provides corporate theatre, customized shows and themed characters for special events.  Cast of Thousands has won 4 ISES International Esprit Awards for Best Entertainment Production and 14 ISES Capital Awards.  Pamela has been a member of ISES since 1995, is a past Chapter President and the proud recipient of the 2001 Chapter Leadership Award. 

Rebecca Coons

Broadstreet

Rebecca has been in the live meeting and event marketing industry since 1986. She has received numerous awards, serves on key industry associations, advises influential publications and has been a spokesperson at major events. 

In 2010 she joined the team at Broadstreet as SVP Client Experience.  Her focus is to create exceptional experiences through strategic communications, brand integration and performance improvement. 

From 2005 until 2010, Rebecca served as Executive Vice President of Southern California based Ethos Design and Lounge22. She was charged with managing the sales teams of both companies, developing new business and creating strategic alliances. Her clients included Ubisoft, Qualcomm, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Carlson Marketing, Ogilvey Healthworld, Public Storage, Enmasse Studios and Starwood Hotels Worldwide. From 1995 until 2005 she worked as Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Extraordinary Events. 

Rebecca attended UCLA on full academic scholarship majoring in Linguistics. 

Larry Cossio

Cossio Insurance Agency

A licensed insurance broker for 29 years, Larry Cossio specializes in hard to place risks. His insurance agency, Cossio Insurance, markets to underserved niches, developing insurance programs to address the needs of the entertainment world. Larry has been speaking to groups for 22 years on various insurance topics utilizing down-to-earth presentations in a format anyone can understand.

Dianne Devitt

Dianne Devitt Presents!

Dianne Budion-Devitt, has a 25-year track record as an innovative leader and industry expert in communication through events and meetings. She currently consults with companies, both domestic and international, focusing on how to style, design, produce and implement creative and innovative communication messages through meetings and events. Dianne also consults with diverse client base including hotels, non-profits, corporate and university to create high impact meeting industry education and workshops and can tailor the content and topics based on planning team needs.

Janet Elkins

Eventworks

Janet brings 29 years of event experience with her. As president of EventWorks, Inc., Janet heads a diverse staff of talented individuals that have been brought together to create award-winning, memorable events. She has been a key figure in the development of the corporate special events industry over the past three decades. She has served on the advisory board for The Special Event and has chaired The Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) Crystal Award Banquet. Her distinctions include SITE's prestigious Crystal Award, numerous Gala Awards and nominations from Special Events Magazine and MPI Supplier of the Year.

Richard Foulkes

Imagination

Richard Foulkes is Director of Special Events & Productions at Imagination,

one of the world's leading independent integrated communications agencies.  With over 30 years' experience working with leading brands Imagination is renowned for unexpected ideas that liberate creativity.

Joining Imagination from the Theatre in 1982, Richard was instrumental in establishing the company’s Technical and Production strategy for its event and exhibition activities.

Moving on from that challenge, he became an influential member of Imagination’s client facing Brand Communications Group, where he was responsible for initiating and implementing face-to-face and marketing projects for a diversity of blue-chip clients including Warner Brothers, Ford, Coca-Cola, Orange and Guinness.

In 1999, Richard was invited to join the Imagination Board of Directors as Director of Special Events & Productions.

Since then Richard has worked on an international scale delivering bespoke events and large scale brand campaigns.

Richard is a keen advocate for ‘experiential marketing’ and has been published in a wide range of journals including Special Events, Event Magazine, RSVP and Marketing Magazine.

Richard is also on the Development Board of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and is President-Elect of the ISES UK Chapter

Allin Foulkrod, CSEP

Creative Visions

Over the last 20+ years, Allin has experienced the craziness of the Special Event industry.   During that time he has produced events in 14 different countries at many of the world’s most exciting and challenging venues,  learning valuable lessons along the way.  Most recently, Creative Visions was recognized as the 2009 Esprit Award winner for “Best Technical Production.”  Three times he has won the Pinnacle Business Master Award and he has learned many of the practices and policies that will be shared during this workshop through both trial and error.  More than seven times he has been approached about selling Creative Visions and he did in 2008 to a holding company looking for just the right match.   He continues to serve as President and has learned more in the last two years than he ever imagined and is excited to share during this year’s workshop.

James Goldberg

Goldberg & Associates, PLLC

James M. Goldberg is a principal in the Washington, DC law firm of Goldberg & Associates, PLLC, where his practice focuses on the representation of independent event and meeting planners, as well as associations and professional societies. He is the author of "The Meeting Planner's Legal Handbook" and teaches "Meeting and Exhibition Law and Ethics" at Northern Virginia Community College. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys.

Lori Hill

lori hill event production

Lori and her company, lori hill event productions, help environmentally conscious people and organizations make their special events savvy AND sustainable.  The company is a member of Green America’s prestigious Green Business Network as well as the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance.  Lori has been a member of the International Special Events Society for 14 years and served as the president of the Greater Washington, DC chapter as well as a member of the International Board of Governors.  In addition to producing award-winning corporate and social events, Lori has appeared on TV and speaks frequently about green events as well as greening your business operations and personal life.  She looks forward to the day when we no longer have a need for the term “green events” because all events WILL be green.   

Cindy Lo

Red Velvet Events, Inc.

When Cindy Lo started Red Velvet Events, Inc. 8 years ago, she did so with the mission to Outplan, Outplay and Outparty! Since then, Cindy has grown the firm into delivering just that and more. The key to the business success has been consistent word of mouth referrals, using technology to maximize the team's efficiency, and surrounding herself and the team around others to constantly push the boundary of event education. In just 8 years, Red Velvet Events, Inc. has earned 2 ISES Esprit Awards, 4 Esprit nominations, 4 Texas Star Awards, and several accolades within the ISES and MPI local-chapter level.

Lee McDonald

Key Artist Group

Lee McDonald is president and founder of Key Artist Group, located in Orlando, FL. and Las Vegas, NV.  She has been in the entertainment industry since 1976 and produces several hundred shows each year for major corporations, associations worldwide.

Debbie Meyers, CSEP

BRAVO! Entertainment

Debbie Meyers producer her first event (a fund raiser) at age 12 creating an amusement park out of cardboard moving boxes and donating the proceeds to the Red Cross. From there it seems she was destined to be in the special event and entertainment industry! Now she is recognized as a leader in the entertainment production field. Debbie founded BRAVO! Entertainment in 1994. Since then her work has consistently has received accolades from industry institutions and organizations worldwide. Earning her Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP) status in 1999 Debbie is proud to be one of the first CSEP's in the entertainment industry. BRAVO!'s client list reads like a who's who of the corporate world.

Kathy Miller

Total - Event Resources

For the past 32 years, Kathy has been working with Fortune 1000 companies, major trade associations and not for profit organizations nationwide in the management and production of their major events, trade shows and meetings. Fourteen years ago, she combined her initiative and significant experience in the sales, marketing and production of special events to form Total Event Resources. Kathy is committed to the meeting and events industry on a global level serving on several boards including an Officer position for the International Special Events Society as well as an Advisory Board member for Special Event Magazine.

Tracy Moran, CSEP

Jobe and Associates

A certified event professional, Tracy is a skilled event director and project manager with over 18 years of broad base experience and knowledge in both corporate and not-for-profit event industries. She has held positions at Trace Ltd. Event Design Specialists, The Ohio State University – James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute, Columbus College of Art & Design, Griffin Communications, LifeCare Alliance and R & R Sports/Ruggieri & Associates. Currently, she is an Event Producer at Jobe & Associates, where she manages strategic partnerships while producing corporate events and implementing client initiatives.

Mike Rayburn

Mike Rayburn is an award-winning speaker and entertainer with a truly unique presentation. Known as the Worlds’ Funniest Guitar Virtuoso, Mike uses his astounding guitar creations, uproarious songs and presentation skills to encourage, challenge and inspire his audiences to step beyond their perceived limitations. Mike draws from a wealth of life experiences as an adventurer, comedian, published songwriter, author, philanthropist, and father, to deliver a keynote presentation which is completely energizing and entertaining.

Featured in Newsweek, USA Today, Billboard, Gig, and on the nationally acclaimed and syndicated “Bob and Tom” radio show, Mike has received standing ovations at all 8 of his Carnegie Hall performances.  

Joann Roth-Oseary

Someone's in the Kitchen

Joann Roth-Oseary is President and founder of Someone's in the Kitchen. This Los Angeles catering and event planning company has an award winning, stellar reputation and has been in business for 29 years. Joann is actually one of the original founding members of ISES, having been present on the steps of Universal's backlot so many years ago, when ISES was just an idea.

Terry Singleton, CSEP

CCP Events, Inc.

Terry Singleton, CSEP is president and founder of CCP Events, Inc. a special event and conference planning/production company in Atlanta, Georgia. Celebrating their 17th year in 2010, Terry attributes the company's success in great part, to her involvement in industry related organizations and a commitment to excellence.  A frequent speaker at industry conferences, Ms. Singleton is recognized as a subject matter expert on special event planning, trends and designs.  Follow Terry on Twitter@CCPEvents.  Terry is currently serving as Treasurer and will begin serving as President Elect on the ISES International Board of Governors in August 2010.

Cheryl Smoot, CFRE

American Cancer Society

A Certified Fundraising Executive since 1996, Cheryl Smoot has twenty-five years of experience working in the not-for-profit sector as a fundraiser. She has held positions at The Ohio State University, OhioHealth Foundation, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Ohio Northern University and Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Currently, she is Senior Director of Major Gifts and Distinguished Events at the American Cancer Society, Ohio Division, where she provides leadership for the statewide initiatives in those areas.

Tracy Stuckrath, CSEP, CMM, CHC

Tracy Stuckrath, CSEP, CMM, CHC, is a consultant and certified event professional who works with organizations to produce value-driven meetings and events that are also healthy and sustainable.  With more than 20 years experience in the event planning industry, Tracy started Thrive! Meetings & Events in 2009, to combine her event expertise with her personal mission to produce events focused on the wellness of organizations and participants alike. Her areas of focus are sustainable, green meeting practices and making healthy, delicious food available to all participants.

Tracy views meetings and events as a form of live marketing and skillfully manages brands through the development, management, and execution of trade shows, conferences, meetings, and special events.

Sally Webb, CSEP

The Special Event Company

Sally Webb, CSEP is Managing Director of The Special Event Company, a full service event management and production company, with offices in London and North Carolina. Over the past two decades, the company has produced events in 19 countries throughout Europe, USA and Asia.

The Company has won many international event management awards for their work including five Special Event Galas, six ISES Esprit Awards, four Events in Excellence Awards and Event Solutions Magazine in the US voted Sally International Event Producer of the Year’ in 2004.

Sally is a founding member of the UK ISES Chapter. In January 2008, Sally became the first European to gain a CSEP Certification and was awarded the first ISES UK Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Services to the UK Event Industry. 

Kevin White, CSEP

Empire Force Events

Kevin is the Director of Production for the award-winning event and destination management firm Empire Force Events. For over a decade, he has been designing and producing corporate experiences worldwide. Kevin is an ISES past president of both the Philadelphia and New York chapters, has served as the chair of its international Certification Committee, and is currently serving his second term on ISES's Board of Governors. Kevin was one of the youngest event professionals to attain the CSEP certification. He is an Adjunct Professor at New York University in the Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management school and has been a presenter at university campuses and event industry conferences throughout the world on various event topics.