American Meetings, Inc.’s leaders, Todd Bludworth & Andy McNeill, recently sat with Team NGLCC to discuss their success and what led them to be the first Certified LGBTBE® Presenting Sponsor of the NGLCC International Business & Leadership Conference:
What impact has certification had on AMI’s business?
The certification focused AMI on developing a long term diversity and procurement strategy. This strategy is important as many contracts in our business are contracted through procurement. It also expanded our Tier 2 Strategy around downstream vendors increasing their opportunity.
Where does AMI find its value in corporate partnership?
The corporate partnership is valuable for several reasons. First, it establishes AMI as an active diverse business in the community which is important to the company. Second, it provides visibility among the other corporate partners at the NGLCC. This enables AMI to work closely with other corporate partners on committees which increases contacts and therefore the opportunity for business may arise Finally, as a corporate partner AMI is supporting future [Certified] LGBTBE® companies and the NGLCC as a whole to continue to improve the business environment for the LGBT business community.
Tell us about the growth of AMI since it was founded:
We met at an organization similar to the one we have built, one of the nation’s largest event pharmaceutical firms. There we managed the overall operations of the company who executed over 400 events annually for physicians and internal pharmaceutical clients. Revenues exceeded $40 million a year. In 2002, we left, and launched AMI with the vision of owning and operating a premiere event marketing and meeting management firm. Since 2002, AMI has grown into a multi-million dollar organization producing hundreds of events annually. The firm has managed programs in more than 20 industries for clients such as BMS, Novartis, Mars, Cleveland Clinic, J & J, Baxter, Pfizer and Office Depot. Our vision of keeping AMI on the forefront of meetings technology, theory and practice has made it an industry leader. The completion of AMI’s new state of the art, 5,000 square feet corporate facility, is a crowing accomplishment as AMI entered its decade anniversary its 15 year anniversary in 2017.
What is AMI looking forward to most at the 2017 NGLCC International Business & Leadership Conference?
The NGLCC conference is one of our business development highlights of the year. As the first Certified LGBTBE® presenting sponsor in the history of the conference, AMI is looking forward to the enhanced visibility that provides during the match making sessions and general sessions. The marketplace expo is always a very valuable and the receptions are where a lot of the real shop-talk takes place. We are also excited on the return of Predictable Success Guru, Les McKeown. AMI implemented his strategies in our organization and have found immense benefit.
How can Certified LGBTBE® companies get the most out of their conference experience?
Great question. At AMI we write a weekly blog to our universe of planners, suppliers and corporate partners. This year we wrote a blog post on that topic. Check it out! https://americanmeetings.com/blog/5-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-the-2017…
How can corporate representatives get the most out of their conference experience?
I think the same planning tips hold true for the corporate attendee’s and Certified LGBTBE® companies. We would add however that it’s important to be open to new areas of opportunity that they might not have thought of as needs. Many times AMI will meet a supplier diversity or procurement professional who has never stopped to think about how they can improve their meeting and event spend internally. Once they hear the ways AMI can help their organization it sparks conversations and AMI has come in to help then asses their current processes. So stay open-minded while meeting the many different Certified LGBTBE® companies.
Where do you see AMI/NGLCC/Supplier Diversity in 15 years?
Supplier diversity will continue to grow and spread among corporations around the world. The collection of diverse people, mindsets and ideas is of great value to any organization. We see significant growth through supplier diversity. It will always be a mainstay of our organization.
Learn more about American Meetings, Inc. at https://americanmeetings.com
