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Meeting Pros Radio

Month: April 2013

Meeting Pros: Sean O’Keefe with Sean O’Keefe Events, Larry Greene with Greene Worldwide Transportation/GaMPI, Jasmine Burke with Atlanta TV Festival

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On this Episode of Meeting Pros:

Sean O’Keefe with Sean O’Keefe Events

Sean O’Keefe Events is an Atlanta based full service event planning and design business with a focus on creating and building nonprofit signature charity events.  These signature events, created to increase a non-profit’s profile and expand their donor base within our community, have included: The Child Development Association’s Down Home Derby; Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance’s Shaken, Not Stirred Gala; Equestrian Aid Foundation’s Tetrathlon and Who Reins Supreme?; YES!Atlanta’s Night of Lights; Fall Fiesta Atlanta in support of Cooperative for Education; The Great Grilled Cheese Challenge; Atlanta Steeplechase Chairman’s Tent; and Polo in the Pines to benefit MD Anderson. Since the inception of Sean O’Keefe Events in May 2010, we have helped raise more than $2,000,000 for our charity partners.

Larry Greene with Greene Worldwide Transportation/GaMPI

Greene Worldwide Transportation has been in business for 25 years. We are a 24/7 transportation company with someone in our office 24 hours a day to help you with  your every need. Whether you need leisure, corporate or group transportation, we have a large, late model fleet of sedans,5 passenger suvs, vans, 6,10,14 passenger stretch limousines, 31 passenger minibuses and 56 passenger motor coaches to fit all of your needs.

 

Jasmine Burke with Atlanta TV Festival

Jasmine Burke is a Producer and Actress who studied Business and Theatre at
Kennesaw State University. After writing spec scripts and developing ideas for other production companies, Jasmine created her own production company with a mission to produce positive &realistic reflections of Urban Youth & Adults in main stream media.

In 2009 she wrote, executive produced and directed her first film “Lucky Lotto” which won recognition at the 2010 Women In Film and Television International Short Film Showcase. As Jasmine creates, she juggles a thriving acting career where she is known for her roles in films like “The Secret Life of Bee’s”, “Big Momma’s House: Like Father, Like Son” and the indie hit “Mississippi Damned”. Jasmine is also no stranger to the small screen having snagged recurring roles on some of TV’s hottest shows such as The CW hit, “Vampire Diaries” and Lifetime’s “Army Wives” as well as made for TV movies like “Disney’s: Let it Shine” and Lifetime’s “Acceptance”. Jasmine is proud to be Co-Founder of the “Atlanta TV Festival” which will give the opportunity to bridge the gap between the content creators and content distributors.

Twitter @thejasmineburke / @ATLTVFestivalFacebook @actressjasmineburke / @atlantatvfestival

 

Meeting Pros: Alan W. Urech with 200 Peachtree / 200 Office, Jimmy Economos with EEP Events, Ellie Westman Chin with Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

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On this Episode of Meeting Pros:

Alan W. Urech with 200 Peachtree / 200 Office

Mr. Alan W. Urech is a Sr. Vice President at 200 Peachtree, 200,000 sq foot special events, conference center and co-working space located at 200 Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta, GA. He leads the expansion of 200 Office collaborative workspace (www.200-Office.com) by implementing dynamic programs to help small growth businesses expand into significantly larger organizations.

His background includes HBO & Company where he was part of a team that expanded the organization from an initial start-up with under $3 million dollars in revenues to over $180 million dollars in revenue within a 12 years period. During this period, Mr. Urech was instrumental in developing and implementing very successful healthcare product lines which significantly expanded the Company’s overall growth and profit margins. HBOC was sold in 1998 for US $13.8 Billion to McKesson Corporation, beginning their current information technology division. His background also includes expanding a Roman Catholic lay ministry, the St. Vincent de Paul Society. As a volunteer president, he lead a team which expanded this organization from a small staff of three people in an 1,800 square feet facility with 1 program to a staff of 24 people in a 20,000square foot facility with over 8 programs. The organization provides an audited 92% of revenues received back into direct aid to its clients. He also worked at the Vatican on Internet initiatives from 1999 – 2004.

Mr. Urech is an Instructor in Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. He instructs multiple Graduate and Undergraduate level programs in entrepreneurship and family business at the Herman J. Russell, Sr. International Center for Entrepreneurship. He is on numerous corporate and non-profit Boards including TAG Health, Georgia State University Health Advisory Board, Digitainment Georgia and theStage2 Business Accelerator.

 

Jimmy Economos with EEP Events

Jimmy Economos, an Atlanta native and recipient of a 2011 Allie Award for the production of his own wedding, began his career at 16 working as an Entertainer and Emcee.

In 1996, Jimmy was chosen to perform in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games which propelled his event career.​

​Establishing himself nationally as an entertainer in high demand, Jimmy created EEP after mentoring for several years under two prominent Entertainment and Audio Visual Production companies in Atlanta, gaining valuable experience and national production exposure.

​Jimmy has had the privilege to work with many of the world’s top talent such as Russell Simmons, Elton John and John Paul DeJoria (CEO/Founder Paul Mitchell) while servicing some of Atlanta’s local celebrities including Kevin Rathbun, Pano Karatassos and Tony Conway.

​Jimmy has held a “chair” seat on numerous event committees including the National Association of Catering Executives and The International Special Events Society, working on the Allie Award Steering committee as Production Chair, Entertainment Chair and Co-Chair of the 2012 Allie Awards.

Jimmy’s fields of expertise are in Audio Visual Production, Lighting Design, Entertainment Management and Event Logistics.

 

Ellie Westman Chin with Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

Ellie Westman Chin is vice president, business development and corporate events for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB.) She has been with ACVB since 2006.

Westman Chin is responsible for corporate development, producing ACVB’s Annual Meeting and the Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame and overseeing the membership staff including sales, service and member events. In addition, she supervises ACVB’s three visitor centers located at Underground Atlanta, the Georgia World Congress Center and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Westman Chin has enjoyed a 15 year career in marketing and event management. Prior to joining ACVB, she worked for Empire Force Events in New York City as an account director. In this role, she managed event programs and served as day-to-day contact for corporate clients including NYC2012, Johnson & Johnson, Sony Electronics and Volkswagen.

In 1993 Westman Chin moved to Nashville, Tennessee to assist in creating the Nashville Sports Council for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB). As associate executive director of the Council she helped secure both the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) and the NHL franchise Nashville Predators. Additionally, Westman Chin was director of operations for the 1997 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and produced the first annual Music City Bowl. She also served the NCVB as director of convention services

Westman Chin serves on the the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee for Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), on the Local Organizing Committee for the 2013 NCAA Final Four and on the advisory board for the Atlanta Foodservice Expo. In 2009 and 2011 she was named ACVB Leader of the Year. In 2012, Westman Chin was awarded the Community Citizenship Award by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – Georgia Chapter.

Meeting Pros: Helen Taffet with Sensational Baskets, Inc., Eric Wolff with TEP Catering

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On this Episode of Meeting Pros:

Helen Taffet with Sensational Baskets, Inc.

Since 1988, Helen Taffet has served as owner of Sensational Baskets, one of the largest gift basket companies in Georgia. Prior to starting her own company, Helen served as Director of Public Relations and held other marketing positions at Peachtree Software, a leading supplier of business accounting software. With a focus on service,creativity and the corporate and hospitality markets, she started Sensational Baskets in the basement of her home. In an effort to grow her business, last year Helen bought Dolce, Inc. another gourmet gift basket company headquartered in Dunwoody, Georgia.

 

Eric Wolff with TEP Catering

Eric was born and raised in Franklin, LA. Franklin is a small town in South Louisiana about 30 minutes north of the Gulf of Mexico/Louisiana coastline and nestled between Lafayette and Morgan City. Being raised by the people of south Louisiana instilled a core understanding of what it means to live life to its fullest. He developed a great appreciation for family, fine food sand hospitality.

Eric contributes his love for entertaining to the “Laissez Les Bon Temp Rouler” mentality of South Louisiana. Eric says “these folks will form a second line parade to celebrate the life of a loved one or host a festival for a catfish”. My maw maw Susie was a school cafeteria cook in a very rural area of Louisiana, so I credit her for being a bit of my inspiration to cook for a living. Her yeast rolls and monkey bread were to die for.

Eric tried the four year traditional college and never found that fulfillment that he was looking for. Early one morning he sat straight up in his bed and he had his answer, he would go to culinary school and become classically trained in the culinary arts. At that time, Atlanta was in the running, but still too far away from his home town, so he decided to attend The Arts Institute of Houston.

Upon graduating from culinary school, Eric began working with EatZi’s Market & Bakery. This would be how he ended up in the great city of Atlanta, where he was a member of the opening team that opened EatZi’s in Buckhead.

After opening several store for EatZi’s, Eric began looking to experience more in his culinary journey. This is when he would be introduced to the off-premise catering industry. And as anyone in this industry knows, you either fall in love with it or you don’t. Well we all know how this story goes, Eric found his labor of love. He began his catering career with Bold American Catering, then on to A Legendary Event and finally on to Dennis Dean Catering. While working with these caterers, Eric would learn what it means to create high quality food, operate efficiently and maintain attention to detail in a catering environment.

In 2004, Eric began putting all of that acquired knowledge in place as the conception of TEP Catering would begin. Eric has built TEP Catering on a couple simple concepts, prepare his food from scratch, flawless execution, always listen to the client’s needs and anticipate the details that they did not think of. Eric is proud to say that they are going into their ninth year and experiencing great growth.

 

Meeting Pros: Omer Dar with SocialBox, Tim Lundy CSEP with Distinctive Design Events

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On this Episode of Meeting Pros:

Omer Dar with SocialBox

Omer Dar was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Surrounded by an entrepreneurial atmosphere (after all it is a “Startup Nation”), he started doing small businesses since he was 12.

During his time in the army he commanded an infantry unit and learned the value of leading as opposed to commanding. After his release, he went for a long backpacking trip the world over and visited over 10 countries in 2 years. He learned new cultures and the differences in the ways those cultures interact with each other.

It was only natural for him to decide to study for his bachelor’s degree while in Europe. While studying he worked for a multinational pharmaceutical company but after 2 years, deciding he wanted to do it his own way, and established his first company, a bio-tech company. In the same year he also established a restaurant that later became a small chain.

Excelling in his MBA studies, he received a scholarship to study at Goizueta Business School (Emory). Not wasting any time, he created a wide network within the school and outside of it to prepare for the next big thing.

After establishing SocialBox with his two partners: Itai Peer and Avner Moratt, he quickly pushed forward to bring SocialBox to the attention of the big corporations. Currently working with companies such as Sun Trust, Kinder Care and Philips Arena.

Tim Lundy CSEP with Distinctive Design Events

TIM LUNDY CSEP, brings to the event table 34 years of combined training and experience for culinary planning and event design. Classically trained chef from New York and award winning event designer, from personal wedding flowers to high-impact environmental designs, making each wedding event specialized. Tim is a wealth of knowledge for the contemporary Bride & Groom, on menu design, event décor and wedding planning.

From coordinating the initial graphics piece to designing your wedding look and creating the balanced menu design complete with transportation, entertainment and custom event rentals; Tim’s event expertise will be you’re biggest advantage.

Mr. Lundy is an international professional speaker on the subjects of Culinary Design, Event & Wedding Planning, and Event Design & Décor for the Association of Bridal Consultants, The Special Event, American Rental Association, International Caterers Association, Event Solutions Expo and International Special Events Society. Tim has produced his first published book called, “Inside the Recipe Box of the Catering Chef”, which was launched February 2009 in Las Vegas at the Catersource Conference.

Allie Awards

In 1988, when Tim Lundy, CSEP, first envisioned the Allie Awards, those were the guiding principles he had in mind. He knew the city of Atlanta was fast becoming one of the stars of the event industry and wanted to create a platform for the local event industry to not only showcase their talents, but also drive them to produce events that could compete on national and even global levels.