CIC Inducts Industry Pioneers
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 8/21/2006
Six meeting, convention and exhibition industry pioneers joined 86 current members in the Convention Industry Council's Hall of Leaders Aug. 20. Industry associations and companies nominated the new honorees, who were inducted during the 2006 Hall of Leaders Gala in Boston.
They are:
- Bob Dallmeyer, president of RD Intl., nominated by the Intl. Assn. for Exhibition Management
- Frank Poe, director of the Dallas Convention & Event Services Department, nominated by the Intl. Assn. of Assembly Managers
- Mickey Schaefer, president of Mickey Schaefer & Associates, nominated by the Professional Convention Management Assn.
- Bill Boyd, president and CEO of Sunbelt Motivation and Travel, nominated by the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives
- Virginia M. Lofft, former vice president and publishing director of Primedia Business, Meetings Group Magazines, nominated by Primedia Business
- Carl C. Thompson, executive director of the Society of Government Meeting Professionals, nominated by the SGMP
CIC President and CEO Mary Power said the inductees' innovation, commitment and energy were inspiring, and a credit to the tremendous talent that exists in the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry.
Dallmeyer called the honor both humbling and exhilarating.
"I am so grateful to my friends at IAEM who nominated me," Dallmeyer said "and I am equally thankful for all the friends in my life who encouraged me and remained steadfast throughout my 40-plus years in this exciting industry."
Schaefer said, "It's very humbling to be recognized along with all of the great leaders that have preceded me in being inducted into the Hall of Leaders. Those who know me know that I volunteer for the industry not to be recognized, but to make a difference. I hope that my efforts in leading CIC's APEX (Accepted Practices Exchange) Initiative have helped bring the industry together to create efficiencies in all we do and to leverage technology to create seamless exchange of data between systems."
Either CIC member organizations or the industry community could submit nominations for the awards, first instituted in 1985. An 11-person CIC selection committee reviewed the nominations and recommended inductees, which the CIC Board of Directors then reviewed.
Each inductee is honored in the Hall of Leaders Recognition Pavilion in the Washington (D.C.) Convention Center and on the walls of McCormick Place in Chicago.
