Bernadette Mari

Track spend and forecasting to ensure profit/investment margins are maximized. Plan and promote virtual and live meetings, including registration and marketing utilizing excellent written and oral communication skills, professional aptitude. Manage and track meeting elements and serve as main point of contact with vendors, speakers and stakeholders to ensure day of needs are executed. Provide excellent customer service and produce flawless event experience. Manage multiple aspects of event needs, including vendor RFP process, registration, rehearsals, and surveys. Turnkey management of trade show participation, including booth design, staff responsibilities, ancillary meetings/entertainment, travel coordination, etc. *Launched an industry event for hospitality industry covering pandemic recovery.

Build, communicate, and coordinate master projects to support internal meetings. Set timeline for deliverables and keep projects on schedule and within budget. Act as liaison with vendors including venues, meeting management companies, production companies, etc. to ensure elements executed according to specifications and program needs. Manage logistical elements, such as communication, meeting space, room sets, food and beverage, technology, audio visual, room block, production and on-site management. Coordinate program materials including building registration platform, invitations, confirmations, rehearsal schedule, name badges and signage. Manage on-site execution of the event, including monitoring F&B functions, general session set up, evening functions and offsite events. Travel required, when necessary. Work collaboratively with business partners across the organization using clear, consistent, and open communication. Lead or participate in cross-departmental teams in support of meeting objectives, mitigate risk and develop appropriate contingency plans. Audit program budget, track and review all supplier invoices versus budgeted items, contractual agreements and statements of work. Resolved invoice discrepancies, process invoices and develop final expense summary versus budget.

Event director for annual RSS and Thayer Ventures events. Responsible for logistics, registration, speaker coordination, sponsor execution, strategic partnerships, marketing budgeting and vendor liaison.

Provide strategic event direction and management for leading hospitality organizations. Responsibilities vary on client needs, including marketing campaign management, technology deployment, audience acquisition, sponsor execution, speaker liaison, event management, delegate registration, site selection, budget management, and overall event production.

Manage all aspects of event portfolio, including Celebration of Technology and FSTEC NexGen Conference and Showcase, while acting as day to day Event Director for respective events. Responsible for event direction, marketing, audience development, industry partnerships, vendor negotiation and sponsorship activation. Work hand-in-hand with meeting planner and third party vendors ensuring needs are met, contractual obligations are met, and service levels are upheld. Proactively assess overall sales and marketing needs, delivering creative solutions to increase exhibitor and sponsorship sales as well as delegate registration.

Senior Marketing Manager, Travel | 2011 to 2013 Marketing Manager, Travel | 2006 to 2011 Lead marketing launch of industry leading appointment-based events, young professional conference and luxury travel tradeshow growing the event portfolio from two to more than nine events, including the extension of Incentive Travel Exchange to Caribbean Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange, Young Leaders Conference alongside Luxury Travel Expo and Vegas Travel Week, launch Ultra Luxury Exchange and rebrand Luxury Travel Expo to Luxury Travel Exchange International. Acted as Conference Chair for Young Leaders Conference producing the only event for young travel professionals in the industry. Launched monthly column in leading luxury travel industry publication, Luxury Travel Advisor, increasing interest and engagement for Luxury Travel Exchange International. Launched new comprehensive event websites and corresponding apps for Incentive Travel Exchange, Caribbean Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange, Ultra Luxury Exchange and Luxury Travel Exchange International driving 20% more traffic to sites.

Marketing Manager | 2005 to 2006 Assistant Event Marketing Manager | 2002 to 2005 Event Marketing Coordinator | 2000 to 2001 Leader on launch team of Culinary R&D and SPIRIT Awards to Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators Conference; responsible for marketing efforts and registration platform for the Foodservice Technology Conference (FS/TEC) saving 25% of campaign budget while increasing registration by 15%, including 10% new delegate attendance.