SPEAKERS

Lori Allen, Vice President, Global Event Operations, MetLife

The Future of Destinations and Trends in RFPs 

Lori Allen is Vice President, Global Event Operations at MetLife. She is responsible for the execution of the highest profile events across the firm and leads a team of event professionals who specialize in planning, meeting technology and audiovisual production. She also is the head of MetLife’s Global Planning Community, connecting event management teams in key markets outside of the global center including Japan, Korea, Mexico and EMEA. In the Global Planning Community, Lori sets standards and strategy for consistent operation of events enterprise-wide.

Joining MetLife in 2004, Lori has taken advantage of career opportunities internally to evolve into the role she holds today. Prior to MetLife, Lori was a program manager for PRA Destination Management New York and had a position with Carlson Marketing Group as a full time event consultant at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.

Outside of her role at MetLife, she gets great value from staying involved in industry organizations. She is a member of the MCAF group (Meetings Competitive Advantage Forum), which is composed of top event management professionals from a wide range of verticals. Lori is also a member of the Board of Directors for FICP (Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals) and serves as the Chair of the Influence Committee as well as Co-Chair of FICP’s Strategic Leaders program.

Amanda Brennan, CMP, Meeting Planner, Prudential

Getting Back Into the Game (of Networking)

As a Senior Meeting Planner, Amanda is responsible for the planning and execution of conferences, incentives, special events, hybrid meetings, and virtual meetings. She facilitates project planning, develops registration and attendee communications, coordinates logistics, manages the budget, and leads onsite execution.

In her previous role, she worked for BCD Meetings & Events. In this position, she was a Meeting Manager solely dedicated to the Pfizer account. Prior to that, she was a Public Relations Junior Account Executive at a boutique firm in Boston called Elevate Communications.

She graduated from Boston College in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Concentration in Management. She passed her CMP exam in August of 2019 and has been a member of FICP since June 2017. Her involvement in FICP includes volunteering for the 2020 Education Forum Event Team, the 2021 CMP Cohort Co-Lead position, and the 2022 Education Forum Event Team.

Heidi Carlisle, Second Vice President, Travel, Meetings & Incentives, Aflac

Meetings Professional Exchange

Heidi Carlisle is currently the 2^nd vice president, for Aflac’s Travel, Meetings and Incentives department.  She leads the team for the company’s corporate travel and event planning team.  Together they oversee 500+ events and corporate travel for 5500+ employees.  

Heidi Carlisle has been in the event and travel planning industry for more than 29 years (25 of those years with Aflac and 5 years in the hospitality industry) and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Ashford University. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for FICP. During her free time enjoys competitive racing in her pro-mod drag car and traveling with her family.

Kevin Coffey, Travel and Meeting Risk Consultant

Managing Risk at Your Event: A Guide for Meeting Professionals and Hospitality Partners 

A leading resource in travel and meeting risk, Kevin Coffey has a unique background. A 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, he was a founding member of LAPD’s Airport Crimes Investigation Detail, where he investigated crimes committed against travelers at LAX airport, hotels, and car rental agencies. After appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show where he discussed his first-hand travel crime experiences and pitfalls of travel, he’s been sharing his thought-provoking, street-wise crime avoidance strategies with the corporate and association audiences ever since.

As a travel and meeting risk evangelist, he also assists organizations with providing internal training in corporate travel and meeting risk programs and committees, as well as the writing and auditing of policies, and procedures.

A frequent presenter at FICP, SITE, MPI, and GBTA events around the globe, he’s been featured on CNN, Fox News, ABC’s 20/20, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and The Travel Channel. He’s also the author of “Traveler Beware: An Undercover Cop’s Guide to Avoiding Pickpockets & Travel Scams.”

Meg D'Angelo, AVP, Events and Hospitality, Lincoln Financial Group

Thriving Through Change

Meg D’Angelo is assistant vice president of Corporate Events and Hospitality for Lincoln Financial Group. In addition to overseeing all hospitality aspects of Lincoln’s naming-rights sponsorship of the Philadelphia Eagles, D’Angelo is also responsible for working closely with C-Suite and other senior-level executives to strategize, procure, plan and successfully execute major internal and external corporate meetings, special events and hospitality opportunities, including, but not limited to, internal leadership summits, training and education programs, concerts and sporting events.

In 2019, D’Angelo moved from her meetings and events management role within Lincoln to lead the establishment and ongoing management of a corporate meetings, events and hospitality function that is responsible for, among other things, directly overseeing strategy and execution for corporate c-suite meetings and events as well as designing and implementing a premier hospitality experience tied to our stadium naming rights sponsorship of the Philadelphia Eagles NFL franchise.

Additionally, D’Angelo holds the CIS (Certified Incentive Specialist) and the DES (Digital Event Strategists) professional designations and is also affiliated with top industry organizations such as FICP® (Financial & Insurance Conference Planners) and MPI (Meeting Professionals International) and has served on various boards and committees in the meeting planning industry. Most recently, D’Angelo was appointed to be an FICP Board Member in 2020. Meg has a BA in Social Science with a minor in Women’s Studies.

Gia DiBenedetto, Global Director - Americas, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Thriving Through Change

Gia DiBenedetto is a Global Director for the Hyatt Hotels Corporate Sales Team, specializing in the Financial & Insurance market.  She has been a member of FICP since 2017 and has taken on an active role on the FICP Education Committee. She has 11+ years of hospitality experience which began at the W New York – Union Square where she spent most of her time as a Housekeeping Manager.  After finding sales was her true passion, she went to work in several roles within Starwood Global Sales and a variety of New York City properties.  In 2017, she began her career with Hyatt at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa and most recently was the Director of Group Sales at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort.  In her current role, Gia manages the strategic partnerships between the Financial & Insurance segment and Hyatt Hotels worldwide.  Outside of work, Gia enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, taking spin/peloton classes, and cheering on the New York Yankees and New York Giants.

Cathy Diem, Director of Insurance Sales, Hilton Worldwide

Thriving Through Change

Cathy Diem is Director of Financial and Insurance Account accounts for Hilton representing Hilton properties in the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean. She is a Past President of MPI Philadelphia Chapter and is active in FICP- Financial and Insurance Conference Professionals. Outside of the industry she is serves on the board of trustees for the Raritan Valley YMCA, has been elected to public office, and was a certified Swim Official for years. Cathy’s passions include yoga, all sorts of projects, travel, and spending time with her kids and family. She celebrates joyfully the beauty that comes from the kindness of others.

Rocky Dufauchard, CMP, Director, National Accounts, New Orleans & Company

Getting Back Into the Game (of Networking)

Raquel "Rocky" Dufauchard, CMP, Director, National Accounts, New Orleans & Company has served in the Hospitality Industry for 32 years.  Raquel began her career at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in 1989.  After 10 years, she joined the convention sales team at New Orleans & Company where she has worked for the past 22 years.  Rocky is responsible for the Financial & Insurance Market as well as Associations and Corporations in the Northeast.

Rocky serves as a Board Member for the New Orleans Public Library and as a Commissioner for New Orleans Recreation Department.  She is also a member of FICP’S HPAC.

Rocky is a mother of two daughters – Cameron 33 and Riley 14 and a Glam-maw to Karsyn and Kendyl.  In her spare time she enjoys traveling, cooking, shopping, sleeping and playing with her four-legged fury friend “NOLA-Babee.”

Susannah Frances, CMP, Senior Events Experience Consultant, Sun Life

You Can’t Please Everyone: Navigating Difficult Decisions 

With over 20 years of working in the industry, Susannah Frances is a seasoned Global Event Professional with an extensive background in the Financial Services Industry. She has a wealth of knowledge of the Hospitality Industry managing numerous high profile in-person and virtual events. Her areas of expertise includes; crisis management, project management and vendor relationship management.

She has been a FICP member for over 10 years. During her time with FICP she has volunteered for the Canadian Symposium Committee, the Educational Committee and now sits on the Board of Directors. Her industry awards include “BizBash Top 250 Canadian Event Professional” for 2019 and 2020.

Susannah is passionate about giving back to the community and also sits on the George Brown College, Special Events Planning Program Advisory Committee.

Jenna Jorge, President, Goodman Speakers

Integrating Well-Being Into Your Events

Jenna Jorge is the President of Goodman Speakers.

She has been in the speaking industry for 11 years and calls the events industry home.

She enjoys working with the top speakers in the business, and focuses primarily on Financial and Insurance clients. 

The matchmaking part is her favorite, bringing great clients and speakers or entertainers together to make events more memorable.

Jenna is on the Education Committee and the HPAC. Her relationships within the FICP community have become wonderful friendships and partnerships, that she is incredibly grateful for. She has been involved with FICP for 10 years, she also attends events for IRF and MPI.

Jenna is based in Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband and 2 beautiful children.

Elaine Morena, Regional Vice President, Global Sales - Northeast, Associated Luxury Hotels International 

The Future of Destinations and Trends in RFPs 

As the Regional Vice President for Associated Luxury Hotels International’s (ALHI) Northeast Region, Elaine Morena oversees the firm’s global sales teams in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Philadelphia, and Boston. Elaine brings 30 years of hospitality and meeting industry experience to her role. Alongside her associates, she assists meeting professionals, association executives, incentive specialists and business executives who are interested in conducting meetings, conventions, and incentive programs at ALHI member hotels, resorts, cruise ships and DMCs.

Prior to joining ALHI in June 2016, Elaine served as Director of Sales and Marketing for New York City’s The Surrey. During that time, she led the hotel’s sales and marketing initiatives including successfully repositioning The Surrey brand, expanding its target audience, and growing top line rooms revenue.

Elaine’s extensive experience includes direct sales for other premium hospitality brands including Hyatt Hotels, Fairmont Hotels, Marriott International (The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and St. Regis Hotels & Resorts), and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts where she consistently outperformed revenue expectations from the group corporate and incentive markets.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Elaine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Pepperdine University. She earned her Chopra Certification in Ayurvedic Health and Primordial Sound Meditation in 2021 and is currently completing her Well-Being Coach Certification. Elaine is a member of HSMAI, PCMA, MPI, and FICP and serves on the Board for the MPI Greater New York Chapter. In 2021, she was honored with the President’s Award by the MPI Greater New York Chapter.

Carlin Putman, CMP, CMM, President and Founder, Page-One Meetings and Events, Meeting and Event Specialist, AIG Life & Retirement

Thriving Through Change

Carlin Putman has spent the majority of her 22+ year career with AIG.  She started in 2000 as a Junior Meeting Professional and ultimately worked her way up to Director of Meetings and Events, a role she held for 10 years.  For the past 8 years she has been part-time focusing her efforts managing, streamlining, and improving AIG Life & Retirement’s internal meetings and events approval, management and oversight processes and supporting executive meetings and events for multiple divisions across the company brand.  This role has allowed her to focus more of her time and efforts on her two young children now 10 and 11. Carlin also founded Page-One Meetings and Events, LLC through which she focuses on, and performs, non-profit work for several charities in the Houston area including HOPE International and Tourette of Texas and supports other company’s on-site needs as a Trip Director for on-site support.

Pam Schrock, CMP, CMM, Senior Manager, Meetings & Events, Transamerica

You Can’t Please Everyone: Navigating Difficult Decisions 

Pamela Carey Schrock is a Certified Meetings Manager and Certified Meetings Professional with broad event planning experience in corporate and supplier businesses.     

Since joining Transamerica in 2001, Pam’s extensive industry knowledge has been instrumental in producing solid programs within corporate and distribution sectors from board meetings, to road shows, to managing title sponsorship at sporting events.

Pam previously served as an event producer for production and DMC companies.  Prior to that, she was a meeting planner for a multi-level marketing company.

Pam earned a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University. She is an incumbent 2020 FICP Board member.

She lives in Virginia with her husband Jeff and since her 3 step-children are grown, she enjoys her free time volunteering for various charities, golfing and being with friends.

Marilyn Sherman, CSP, CPAE, Hall of Fame Motivational Keynote Speaker

Keeping Your Seat at the Table (Even When Priorities Shift)

Marilyn Sherman is dedicated to training people to let go of obstacles and live and work with courage, commitment, and confidence. For the last 22 years, she has motivated audiences all over the country, and internationally with topics about hope, inspiration, and practical tools to implement immediately. With clients in government, corporations, and hospitality, Marilyn is known for giving people success strategies to overcome obstacles, have a more positive mindset, and reduce conflict in the workplace.

Her live presentations and her accompanying motivational books have been described as ‘life-changing’. She is a graduate of Washington State University and is currently an Artist in Residence for High Point University. Her first job in corporate America was with a finance company who saw her management potential early on and put her into a 18-month accelerated management program. She eventually became a training officer for that company writing and delivering their leadership training. Marilyn worked for a seminar company before starting her own speaking and training company.

She is the author of 4 motivational books including her latest on goal-setting released this year called “Is There A Hole In Your Bucket List?”. Marilyn is a Certified Speaking Professional ™, the highest earned designation in the speaking profession with only 12% of speakers worldwide holding this designation.

Julie Sutter, Manager, Meetings and Events, Selective Insurance Company

Integrating Well-Being Into Your Events

Julie Sutter is the Manager of Meetings and Events for Selective Insurance Company of America.  She started with Selective in January of 2015.  She received her BSBA from the University of Missouri.  She has 20+ years in the Meetings and Hotel industry.  Julie’s past work experience includes 13 years with Maritz Travel Company in multiple positions as well as 6+ years working for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company as a Sales Manager in St. Louis.  In Julie’s current role she is responsible for the sourcing of all meetings of 10 or more guest rooms per night (approx. 40-50 meetings per year) as well as the complete operation of both of their annual President’s Club Incentive Programs.   Although Selective is headquartered in Branchville, New Jersey, Julie currently is home based in Cottleville, MO (outside of St. Louis) where she lives with her rescue dog Stella. 

Tara Thomas, Co-Founder & CMO, The Meeting Pool

TECHbyte: Productivity, Presentation & Wellness Tools for the Way You Work Now 

Tara is a proponent of all things marketing, including strategy, product, branding, events, social media, public relations, communications, and operations. Her background in the marketing of technology applications and online services spans a broad set of areas including SaaS, B2B, enterprise software, financial services, publishing, real estate, and automotive markets.

Tara has over 20 years of expertise managing strategic teams and programs for companies focused on technology including The Television Bureau, Oracle, Visa, RightWorks, IPIX, Certain Software and The Cobalt Group, a leader in the automotive marketing space.

Tara co-founded The Meeting Pool in 2014, specializing in strategies for event tech companies, event organizers and experiential marketers. She has served as an industry speaker, leadership coach and technology analyst for the meetings industry. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and resides in San Francisco, California.