With more than 20 years in the event industry, Lauren Halpern established herself among the top corporate meeting planners in South Florida. This summer she left her position as corporate program manager for Office Depot to start her own firm. She was recently elected president of the South Florida chapter of Meeting Professionals International.
You just left your post at Office Depot, but will still be working on a freelance basis with the company. What is the advantage and the challenge?
The advantage of working on my own is that I can do what I love to do, which is meeting and event planning, and still be able to spend time with my children. The flexibility allows me to spend more time and be involved in the community. Because I recently opened my doors, one challenge is that I need to be ready for all the business I've been encountering.
What do planners need to know about leaving corporate posts to pursue their own businesses?
My message for independent meeting planners is to get connected and be involved. I feel the transition from corporate to independent was easier because I've taken the opportunity to connect with people. It's been easy for me because people have really opened their arms and been very encouraging.
How does your corporate experience influence your association post?
I'm involved in MPI so that I can be connected and meet other people in the industry. They can help me grow my business, and in turn, I can help them grow theirs. I believe there's enough business for everybody. It all goes back to connecting and networking. I use MPI as a source for connecting and networking. It's different being independent, but you still need to be involved in keeping up your contacts.
Are planners more important today in the corporate world than in the past? Why?
Meeting planning has been going on for years, but it really has just become recognized as a profession about 15 years ago. Now that it's a profession, we need to educate people and influence people and support one another. What it brings [to corporations] is loyalty. Most event marketing departments today have large budgets to manage. What we know how to do as event managers is to reach [in-house] and external customers.
What's the state of the industry in Florida as you see it?
I see that the Florida market has become more of a seller's market than buyer's market. It's harder to get space for events. There are a lot of groups coming down here. For most of the hotel venues, the business has picked up. I don't know about the Howard Johnson market, but statewide, the premium or incentive market is growing. If a client says, "I want to come to Miami, but I can't find space," it's frustrating. When I'm doing meetings and incentive programs, I'm looking for activities and events. I buy hotels that have things to do for [my] customers, and I see that [Florida] has become a destination that is popular for incentives and meetings.
Where do you hope to lead your chapter during your tenure?
My goal as president is to help those who want to get involved in meeting planning to get involved. My mission is to make connections, and I feel that when people get involved in associations and donate their time and talents, there usually is some kind of return of investment.
—Juan Carlos Rodriguez
You just left your post at Office Depot, but will still be working on a freelance basis with the company. What is the advantage and the challenge?
The advantage of working on my own is that I can do what I love to do, which is meeting and event planning, and still be able to spend time with my children. The flexibility allows me to spend more time and be involved in the community. Because I recently opened my doors, one challenge is that I need to be ready for all the business I've been encountering.
What do planners need to know about leaving corporate posts to pursue their own businesses?
My message for independent meeting planners is to get connected and be involved. I feel the transition from corporate to independent was easier because I've taken the opportunity to connect with people. It's been easy for me because people have really opened their arms and been very encouraging.
How does your corporate experience influence your association post?
I'm involved in MPI so that I can be connected and meet other people in the industry. They can help me grow my business, and in turn, I can help them grow theirs. I believe there's enough business for everybody. It all goes back to connecting and networking. I use MPI as a source for connecting and networking. It's different being independent, but you still need to be involved in keeping up your contacts.
Are planners more important today in the corporate world than in the past? Why?
Meeting planning has been going on for years, but it really has just become recognized as a profession about 15 years ago. Now that it's a profession, we need to educate people and influence people and support one another. What it brings [to corporations] is loyalty. Most event marketing departments today have large budgets to manage. What we know how to do as event managers is to reach [in-house] and external customers.
What's the state of the industry in Florida as you see it?
I see that the Florida market has become more of a seller's market than buyer's market. It's harder to get space for events. There are a lot of groups coming down here. For most of the hotel venues, the business has picked up. I don't know about the Howard Johnson market, but statewide, the premium or incentive market is growing. If a client says, "I want to come to Miami, but I can't find space," it's frustrating. When I'm doing meetings and incentive programs, I'm looking for activities and events. I buy hotels that have things to do for [my] customers, and I see that [Florida] has become a destination that is popular for incentives and meetings.
Where do you hope to lead your chapter during your tenure?
My goal as president is to help those who want to get involved in meeting planning to get involved. My mission is to make connections, and I feel that when people get involved in associations and donate their time and talents, there usually is some kind of return of investment.
—Juan Carlos Rodriguez
