Lindsay Buchanan, CMP, 33, works in Nashville as manager of meetings, association management and groups, at Travelink, American Express Travel. As a 2017 40 Under 40 honoree, Buchanan discusses her passion for the events industry.
*Connect with Buchanan on Twitter.
What I do: At Travelink, American Express Travel, I am the manager of three divisions, each providing customized services and knowledge for a variety of academic, corporate and nonprofit organizations. I help ensure a smooth workflow for each division.
How I got here: I took a job thinking it would be temporary until I could find a job in the audiovisual production industry. That job became four years and gave me the opportunity to reinvent myself by learning the Cvent online registration system. One day I found a position that listed Cvent as a requirement and I applied. I was offered the position exactly one week following dropping off my resume!
My greatest career accomplishment: During my tenure at Travelink, I earned my CMP and was one of the first to receive the Cvent Certified Event Management Professional designation. I was also honored to be nominated by my peers for the 2016 MPI Tennessee Chapter Planner of the Year.
Impressive stat: I reduced the time for producing the online registration process for our Group Travel Division by 50 percent by creating a standardized-question library and event registration templates based on the groups’ specifications, whether it is an air-only or a complete package.
A specific improvement I’ve made: While Travelink had Cvent prior to my tenure, because of my knowledge and history with the system, we have been able to streamline the process for creation of registration sites by using templates. We have also empowered our clients to keep up with their registration data by using parked reports and accessing a password-protected site specific to each event and client.
What I’m working on: I am striving to help streamline more processes from a meetings management side for all corporate meeting requests, as well as researching and implementing a project/task management system for my team.
What I do outside of work: I love to four-wheel or go off-roading with my husband and daughter; I mentor middle school girls who are without mothers or come from broken-family homes; and I volunteer as a video producer for my church.
Five phrases that identify me: Tech guru; meeting planner; traveler; wife; mother
