GEOFF FREEMAN
Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
U.S. Travel Association

www.ustravel.org
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Geoff Freeman serves as senior vice president of public affairs for the U.S. Travel Association, the nation’s leading voice for increasing travel to and within the United States. He leads all advocacy activities for the organization, including lobbying, strategic communications, and grassroots mobilization. Throughout his career, Freeman has managed a variety of complex public affairs campaigns and developed innovative outreach strategies for such organizations as the Discover America Partnership, APCO Worldwide, Freddie Mac, and the American Association of Health Plans.

JAN McINNIS

Master of Ceremonies

www.theworklady.com

For comedienne and professional speaker Jan McInnis, life is full of “finding the funny.”  She – and the audiences who continually rate her programs “hilarious” – wouldn’t have it any other way.

Inspired by fifteen years as a marketing director in the 9 to 5 world, Jan has spoken at hundreds of conferences, training sessions, employee retreats and banquets, and was featured in the “Wall Street Journal” as one of the top convention comedians whose act is clean.

Her knack for humorous analysis, practical tips on handling life’s curveballs, and creative guidelines to mastering change are taken from her own experience of leaving the cushy “regular” job and heading out into the bumpy road of comedy. 

Jan has just published her new book “Finding the Funny FAST; how to create quick humor to connect with clients, coworkers and crowds.”

Mark Komine
Senior Vice President, Sales - Americas
Hilton Hotels Corporation

Mark Komine serves as senior vice president of sales – Americas. In this role he oversees sales strategy, development and execution across the Americas organization.  Komine came to Hilton from LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels, where he served as executive vice president, directing sales and marketing strategies for LXR’s properties located throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean. An industry veteran, Komine has also held sales & marketing leadership positions with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Westin Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, and Fidelity Investments’ Seaport Companies.

Christopher Regan
Director of Search & Social
HyperDisk Marketing

www.hyperdisk.com

As Hyperdisk Marketing’s director of search & social, Christopher Regan leads the firm’s social media and search engine marketing initiatives across multiple verticals, yet focuses most of his direct attention on hospitality for clients such as Starwood, Joie de Vivre Hotels, PlumpJack Hospitality, PGA National, and others.  His industry experience of 15 years leads him, today, to admire the ever-developing synergies between social media tactics and targeted search engine optimization outcomes, as determined through the lens of Hyperdisk’s  ROI analytics.

Steven Herron
Strategic Marketing Manager
HyperDisk Marketing

www.hyperdisk.com

Steven Herron has nearly 20 years of sales, marketing, and advertising experience. He possesses a strong strategic marketing acumen and has worked with many major brands including Hilton, Motorola, and Starwood. He specializes in Web 2.0 and new technologies that integrate efforts to optimize tracking, measurement, reporting, and Return On Investment. Herron’s hospitality career spans three decades and began as a busboy in a hotel restaurant in 1974. He writes about online marketing and is frequently published online and by Landmark Communications. His Twitter username is fusedmind.

CHRISTIE HICKS

Senior Vice President, Global Sales

www.starwoodhotels.com

Christie Hicks has over 25 years of experience and is one of the highest ranking women in the hotel industry. She has been named as one of the Top 25 People in the Hospitality Industry by Meetings and Conventions magazine and one of the 25 Most Influential Women in the Travel Industry by Forbes magazine. Christie keeps a pulse on the meetings community, currently serving as the Chairman of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Foundation Board of Trustees and Commissioner on the CIC APEX Initiative.

CORBIN BALL

Meetings Technology Expert

www.corbinball.com
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Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP, is an internationally recognized expert on technology. His articles have appeared in hundreds of national in international publication and he has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fast Company, and PC Magazine. He has been named for four years as one of "The 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry" by MeetingNews magazine and has spoken to groups in 25 countries on five continents in a manner that is engaging, understanding, and fun.

JAMES P. CONNOLLY
Master of Ceremonies

www.jamespconnolly.tv

James P. Connolly is one of the country’s leading Corporate Emcees and Comedy Entertainers. A radio and television personality, Harvard graduate, and Desert Storm Marine veteran, James’ colorful background allows him to connect with any audience. Unique in both performance and material, Connolly makes an unforgettable impact whenever he appears.

Host of “Live From Here” on XM Channel 154 National Lampoon Comedy Radio, James’ credits include Comedy Central, HBO, VH1, and XM and Sirius Satellite Radio. A headliner in top comedy clubs and casinos, James regularly entertains the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

JOSHUA L. GRIMES, Esquire
Attorney at Law

www.grimeslaw.org

Joshua L. Grimes, Esq., of Grimes Law Offices in Washington, DC & Philadelphia, is a leading attorney in the hospitality industry. His clients include meeting planners, corporate meeting departments, associations, hotels, convention centers and conference facilities. Mr. Grimes negotiates dozens of contracts annually involving convention centers and hotels, both in the United States and abroad. He also represents clients in dispute resolution, business deals, and their internal governance matters. Mr. Grimes was designated a “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer,” an honor bestowed by his peers. Mr. Grimes is Counsel to the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association and a member of the APEX Contracts Panel sponsored by the Convention Industry Council.