SPIN Holds Groundbreaking Event Series for Senior-Level Meeting Planners

SPIN, the Senior Planners Industry Network, holds concurrent events on November 30 in 10 North American Cities, all focused on the meetings industry's #1 hot topic: corporate social responsibility (CSR)

On November 30, 2010, in ten cities across North America, senior-level meeting planners will gather at SPIN Think Tanks to give back to their respective communities and to discuss corporate social responsibility (CSR).

“We believe this is a first for any of the meetings industry organizations to have simultaneous gatherings of its members across North America with one common discussion and one common goal,” said Shawna Suckow, SPIN Founder. “Registrations are trending higher than usual, because of the community sharing aspect and the topic.”

SPIN’s planner discussions on November 30 will focus on how to practice CSR it in a way that truly benefits the host community while maintaining attendee participation and budget adherence.

“Two years ago the [meetings] industry was getting creamed in light of the AIG scandal and other extreme lavishness by corporations,” said Tracey Smith, SPIN’s VP of programs. “We’ve taken our hits and are now doing something about it, setting policies for our employers and expectations for the industry.”

“CSR is the new ‘green’,” said Suckow. "It has become the latest must-have for planners to incorporate into their events, to the benefit of communities and charities around the world. We're not just talking the talk though - we're going to live and breathe CSR at our own events on November 30."

This SPIN event series is entirely volunteer-driven, from SPIN members coordinating the events in their cities, to venues volunteering to host at no charge. Attendees will donate toys and toiletries to benefit a local women’s shelter in each city, and SPIN will donate a portion of registration proceeds to benefit meetings-industry-related charities.

“When the call went out to our Think Tank cities to host these events, the response was phenomenal from members volunteering to coordinate and venues offering to host,” said Sara Vanderbilt, SPIN’s VP of operations. “We are very pleased by the response and the impact these Think Tanks are having on their communities.”

The events will take place in the following cities and will benefit their respective charities:

Atlanta - Hard Rock Café, Benefitting Alanta Union Mission
Boston - University of Massachusetts Club, Benefitting Rosie's Place
Kansas City - Crowne Plaza Hotel Downtown, Benefitting Sheffield Place
Orlando - Hard Rock Cafe, Benefitting Harbor House of Central Florida
Philadelphia/Mt. Laurel - The Enterprise Center, Benefitting The Providence House
Toronto - The Sutton Place Hotel, Benefitting Yonge Street Missions
Minneapolis – Pinstripes in Edina, Benefitting Women's Advocates
Dallas - Roy's Restaurant in Plano, Benefitting New Beginning Center
Washington DC - Donovan House, Benefitting My Sister's Place
New York City - Hard Rock Cafe Times Square, Benefitting Northwest NJ Community Action Program

Each event will take place from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m., and pre-registration is required. Attendees may register here: http://www.spinplanners.com/live-think-tanks.html. Tickets are $25 ($15 for planners in transition). Planners must have at least 10 years of experience to attend. Suppliers may attend only in a sponsorship capacity, and only three sponsors per city. Meetings industry media may attend free of charge but must register. For more information, call 651.403.3000 or visit www.spinplanners.com.

SPIN is the world’s largest network strictly comprised of senior-level meeting and event planners. The network, created in 2008, is free and open only to planners with at least 10 years of full-time experience.