FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karin Koser
KPK & Co.
404-636-9311
karin@kpkco.com
SPANX Inventor Sara Blakely Great Kickoff to MPI Georgia Chapter Meetings Exploration Conference
Atlanta – (June 1, 2007) – What do you get when you combine 944 enthusiastic learners, theatrical “light beings,” an opera singer, a former Disney imagineer and the bubbly inventor of one of America’s most heralded new companies? According to attendees at this year’s Meeting Professionals International, Georgia Chapter (GaMPI) Meetings Exploration Conference, you get an illuminating two days of professional development, networking and a fire in your belly. Kicked off by SPANX inventor Sara Blakely, Georgia’s 2005 Woman of the Year, the “Illuminate Your Future” conference held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta April 26 -27 was among the best yet hosted by GaMPI.
“Our intention was to brightly illuminate the careers of our attendees,” said Lance Hornecker, president of GaMPI, “Sara’s bright and bubbly opening keynote not only lit a match, she lit a fire under our attendees. Many of them told me this was the best MEC they had ever attended.”
Blakely began her business using $5,000 from personal savings to start SPANX, her innovative hosiery company, in 2001. In 2002, Ernst & Young named her Entrepreneur of the Year and in 2004, SPANX revenues exceeded $20 million. Sara and SPANX have been featured on Oprah, The View, CNN, Every Woman and in magazines that include Forbes, People, Vogue, Glamour, Essence and Self.
Blakely wowed the audience with her delightfully candid speech, including, the hilarious story on how she came to name her product: “I knew that Kodak and Coca-Cola are the two most recognized names in the world, and they both have a predominant "K" sound in them. Also, from doing stand-up comedy, it is a known secret that the "K" sound makes people laugh. So for good luck, I wanted my product's name to have the "K" sound in it, and SPANKS hit me like a lightning bolt. I immediately knew it was perfect! At the last minute I changed the KS to an X after doing research that made-up words do better for products than real words (and are easier to trademark). SPANX is edgy, fun, extremely catchy, and for a moment it makes your mind wander (admit it). Plus it's all about making women's butts look better, so why not?”
Blakely undoubtedly helped draw this year’s record number of MEC attendees, which included 944 total attendees, 393 planners and 29 students -- an overall 21% increase in total attendance and a 102% increase in planner attendance from last year’s conference. The balance of attendees were the suppliers who reported a terrific turn-out on the exhibit hall floor.
A record number of guests also attended the 20th anniversary of the Gathering, GaMPI’s annual fund and “fun”raiser, that took place the Thursday night of the conference at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. More than $26,000 was raised to benefit Atlanta’s Table, a project of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and to support education and scholarship initiatives for MPI.
Besides Blakely, additional presenters included Jennifer Kahnweiler, Ph.D., president of AboutYOU, Inc.; Chris Canning, CMP, head investigator for Hospitality, Ink.; Kivi Bernhard, owner of Kivi Bernhard International; Peggy Duncan, managing director or PSC Press; Peggy Collins, a professional speaker and trainer; Cynthia L. Alford, CTP, owner and managing director of Destination South Meetings and Events; Kate Demarest, CMP, vice president of Event Marketing at SunTrust Bank; and Diana S. Barber, Esq., faculty member of the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University.
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the premier organization devoted to the educational and professional needs of people in the meeting industry. With over 20,000 members globally, MPI serves both meeting planners and suppliers to the industry.
Meeting Professionals International Georgia Chapter (GaMPI), 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 Chapter of the Year, is currently the 5th largest chapter, with over 900 members. Throughout the year, GaMPI offers superior educational opportunities including retreats and workshops, coordinates several social outings annually, as well as networking receptions prior to each monthly meeting. For more information, visit www.gampi.org.
©2008 KPK & Co. All rights reserved.