Jill Stone shares valuable insights regarding the meetings industry.

Thank you to everyone who participated in my Happy New Year contest. The winner is Mikel Robinson! Mikel plans meeting for a few associations, most notably the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF), whose members include “experts in all aspects of Wildland fire management.” The organization offers a “neutral forum for the consideration of important, at times controversial, Wildland fire issues” and allows “the IAWF to creatively apply a full range of Wildland fire knowledge to perform its stated mission.”

Jill:         Thank you for participating in my contest and for talking with us today.

Mikel:   I was happy to participate. Thank you!

Jill:         Tell us about your background.

Mikel:   I used to plan weddings. I am quite sure I won’t do that anymore; weddings can bring out the best, but also the worst in people. I worked on a cruise ship for awhile, in fact, that is where I met my husband who is a boat captain. Now I manage the IAWF and plan their meetings and love it!

Jill:         Tell everyone the exciting places you will be taking your meetings this year.

Mikel:   We are taking our Fire Safety Summit to Sydney, Australia. We have another conference in St. Petersburg, Russia; this will attract the European communities, but others may join in, as it will also be offered virtually.

Jill:         What is your biggest challenge?

Mikel:   Budgets. Our attendees are Federal and State Employees, many drop out due to funding issues. Signing contracts with properties does cause me quite a bit of anxiety, but so far I have to say it has always worked out.

Jill:         What do you like best about what you do?

Mikel:   I like the flexibility this position offers to me. As well, IAWF is a trusted organization that cares about the environment; this fits into my own beliefs and concerns.

Jill:         Thank you for speaking with us today, Mikel!

Mikel:   And thank you, Jill! Keep up the blogging!