Elite Meetings Alliance - Speakers & Special Guests

	DIANNE BUDION-DEVITT The DND Group, Inc www.DNDgroup.com A leader in the events and meetings arena for 25 years, Dianne Budion-Devitt is an accomplished consultant, speaker, and educator. An assistant professor at New York University’s Preston Robert Tisch School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Marketing, she is also president of New York’s chapter of Meeting Professionals International and recipient of the industry’s Hall of Fame Award. Her upcoming book, What Color is Your Event (due out late Spring 2010), focuses on the importance of delivering a message that brings people together.
	MIDORI CONNOLLY CEO Pulse Staging & Events, Inc. www.pulsestaging.com Passion of purpose drives Midori Connolly, CEO of Pulse Staging & Events, Inc. Author of the first-ever set of guidelines for Green AV Staging, Connolly's interest in sustainability led her to explore alternative meeting formats. Now a trusted resource in audiovisual support for Hybrid Meeting design, production, and execution for clients such as BMW and PCMA, Connolly is also an MPI platinum speaker on Corporate Social Responsibility and serves on the International Board of Directors for the Green Meetings Industry Council.
	WAYNE COTTER Master of Ceremonies www.waynecotter.com Although beginning his career as an engineer with a New Jersey computer company, Wayne Cotter soon came to the visionary conclusion that the tech industry was going nowhere and left to pursue show business full-time. Now a top nationally touring comedian—nominated for an American Comedy Award for "Best Standup Comedian" and appearing dozens of times on both David Letterman and Jay Leno—Cotter draws rave reviews as a Master of Ceremonies, bringing his clean and relatable comedy to business audiences nationwide.
	JEANETTE NYDEN, J.D. President J. Nyden & Company www.jnyden.com A former Assistant Public Defender and bankruptcy litigator, Jeanette Nyden founded J. Nyden & Company in 2003 to teach the art of negotiation. Working closely with clients, Nyden provides them the tools to craft negotiation capabilities and strategies, especially in the realm of vendor/supplier contracts. A practicing attorney, mediator, and adjunct professor, Nyden has also authored Negotiation Rules! A Practical Approach to Big Deal Negotiations. Her client list includes professionals from start-ups such as NetStar Communications to global goliath Microsoft.