Corporate Conference Services Manager

Posted on: 2006-11-17

Meredith Jill Brown ________________ 41 Brooke Club Drive  Ossining, NY  10562  914.762.2280  [email protected] Scholastic Inc. New York, NY Manager, Corporate Conference Services Aug ’05 – Nov ‘06 • Strategize and supervise all 25 annual trade shows as they relate to Scholastic and its Educational Divisions • Manage and regulate all custom and tech shows for Scholastic and its divisions: FETC  ASCD  NCTM  NECC  NAEYC  IRA • Oversee and develop all strategies and promotional tactics revolving around IRA: International Reading Association • Control all custom and tech show budgets pertaining to show services, transportation, offsite events, installation, tech, dismantle and exhibit house fees • Plan and organize offsite events reflective off show floor promotions: ELL Launch parties; Book Club Breakfasts; NAEYC Awards Dinner, IRA Education Group Read 180 Forum, etc. • Arrange, brainstorm and source merchandising needs for all presenting show divisions • Reconcile after-show budgets, port-mortem presentations, and recommendations for next year’s forecast The Hallmark Channel New York, NY Consultant, Ad Sales Marketing and Events Jan ’05 – May ‘05 • Work with VP of Marketing on all ad sales upfront presentations including compilation decks, vignettes, signage, and collateral materials • Arrange all onsite support and event planning for each upfront meeting/presentation to include necessary signage, media kits, catering and all other needs • Manage and maintain all merchandise pertaining to The Hallmark Channel and The Hallmark Movie Channel • Arrange all Assured Value buys from advertising agencies to include tag able spots, exclusivity, and entitlements • Track and maintain all media buys involved in consumer marketing NBC TV Network New York, NY Manager of Corporate Events and Specialty Merchandise Jan. ‘03 – May ‘04 • Report to VP of Corporate Events. • Manage day-to-day orders of all specialty merchandise as it pertains to NBC Networks: NBC  CNBC  MSNBC  Bravo  Telemundo PAXTV • Manage day-to-day orders of all specialty merchandise with conjunction to local stations groups and dayparts: Primetime  Late Night  NBC News  Daytime  NBC Sports  Olympics  TVSD  Telemundo Stations • Manage and execute annual events such as IFP Independent Spirit Awards, US Open Olympia Fields, The Players Championship in Jacksonville, NBC Upfront, Telemundo Upfront, PAXTV Upfront, Today Show Sampling for Summer Concert Series, Pebble Beach outings, Richard Petty events and Gotham Awards. • Develop and manage internal conferences such as annual sales meetings, affiliate relations conferences, and client programs (Bravo in Las Vegas, Stations group trip to Colorado Springs, Premiere night of Cirque du Soleil, Telemundo sales meetings and Sports Calcutta.) • Provide support and supply merchandise and onsite effort to NBC Holiday party, NBC Kid’s Party, Daytime Soap events, Kentucky Derby, AFL luncheon, and The Apprentice finale Post-Party. • Track and present budget reports for merchandise and premium purchases to each daypart on monthly basis. • Research various charity outings for merchandise donations as well as auction items such as Conan O’Brien, SNL, Late Night with Carson Daly and NBC Tour tickets. • Manage successful direct mail campaign to ad sales clients, leveraging NBC ratings and viewership research to promote the network’s upscale demos and programming. Bravo Networks Jericho, NY Event Marketing Manager June ‘00 – Jan ‘03 Report to Director of Event Marketing and Vice President of Trade Marketing. Manage day-to-day marketing activities to extend the Bravo Film and Arts Network and The Independent Film Channel brands via event-based strategies. Manage the Administrator of Event Marketing. Key marketing goals support Advertising and Affiliate Sales objectives. Develop event-based strategies for IFC Entertainment and auxiliary business opportunities. National Advertising Sales Objectives • Developed and managed events for the ’01 and ’02 upfront season through direct and ongoing contact with the SVP of National Ad Sales, to help drive the advertising sales message to the advertising community. Managed annual strategic alliances to leverage branded events including Cirque du Soleil, Aeros Performing Arts Group and Garry Shandling (The Larry Sanders Show.) o Positive client and industry feedback on these events contributed to greater opportunities for the sales presentations and meetings during the upfront process. Goals met in the past two years. • Managed annual sponsor activation and client entertainment for The International Hamptons Film Festival. Partnered with the SVP, VP and all A/E’s in the national ad sales office on trip goals, client list, invitations and activities. Partnered with film creators and corporate sponsors to optimize Bravo’s presence and positioning o Achieved high response in repeat attendees among A level clients. Positive feedback received by ad sales clients. Successfully executed event based strategy to position Bravo Network as a leader in film, arts and entertainment. • Managed successful direct mail campaign to ad sales clients, leveraging Bravo ratings and viewership research to promote the network’s upscale demos and programming. o Exceeded response rates for campaigns for programming launches, including The It Factor, Inside the Actors Studio, The West Wing and Musicians. • Managed strategic relationship with Cirque du Soleil to include client trip to Montreal, VIP events across the country for Cirque performances and a merchandising program for the entire sales organization. o Optimal client interaction with performers and Cirque management has lead to an expanded partnership for Bravo, strengthening the equity of the network’s designation as the official network of Cirque du Soleil. Affiliate Sales Objectives • Worked directly with the EVP of Affiliate Sales and the various Regional Vice Presidents to manage national regional and local trade show activity required for distribution and local ad sales goals. o Bravo/IFC Network booths and all onsite activity were branded to promoted current and upcoming programming, premieres and specials to existing cable operators and new multi-system operators ready to launch or maintain the channels in each market. • Arranged promotional events for cable operators in an effort to launch networks and/or maintain placement with existing multi-system operators. o By hosting branded dinners and events for clients such as Comcast, Cox Communications and Insight Communications, national accounts and affiliate sales managers were able to secure outstanding deals, promote further customer communication and re-launch Bravo and IFC on various systems throughout 2000-2002. IFC Entertainment Objectives: • Developed and managed multiple film premieres alongside the President of IFC Entertainment, to maximize IFC Films in the indie market o Positive feedback among event receptions at Spirit Awards, Sundance Film Festival, The Toronto Film Festival and the Independent Feature Project. • Developed promotional items, materials and organized multiple screenings to promote IFC Originals. o Managed multifaceted direct mail campaign to key trade influencers around IFC’s Dinner for Five. Resulted in 92% awareness among cable operators surveyed. • Managed all event activity around the Independent Feature Project, Independent Sprit Awards: manage relationship marketing; negotiate sponsor elements, client entertainment and branding. o IFC’s post-party at the Independent Spirit Awards has proven to be the biggest and best display of talent and celebrities attending in support of IFC’s accomplishments, earnings, and awards. Corporate Objectives: Developed and managed the Bravo and IFC premium program to meet the needs of all senior management, the National Ad Sales division, Affiliate Sales and Cablevision Systems Corp. • Affiliate Sales, IFC Entertainment, Rainbow and Cablevision. o Through inventory control, the developed program has moved over $300k of branded merchandise in an effort to effectively market both Bravo and IFC towards each on-air look and design. • Launched first online premium program company-wide. o Survey results have proven over 90% positive feedback from all areas of the company by addressing the ease, usefulness, and promptness of having an online program to directly order all marketing and promotional items. Cablevision Systems Corp. Bethpage, NY Project Manager, Marketing & Advertising Sept. ‘99 – June ‘00 Director of OptimumTV; Managed Traffic Coordinator • Organized and executed events applied to campaign offers: Cablevision’s Behind The Mic; The Wiz Shopping Spree Sweepstakes, The Wiz Shopping Spree Sweepstakes II, geared towards acquisitions, upgrade and customer retention of OptimumTV Cablevision Systems Corporation Woodbury, NY Coordinator, Direct Marketing April ’99 – Sept ‘99 Direct Report of Director of Direct Marketing • Created and maintained monthly offers of OptimumTV for acquisitions, upgrades, retention and customer communication instituting the target, offers, estimates, and testing. Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. Woodbury, NY Owned by Cablevision Systems Corp. /NBC 1996 to 1999 Corporate Communications/ Conference Services and Event Marketing Coordinator Direct Report of SVP, Corporate Communications and Marketing • Organization of internal transactions (i.e. - Fox/Liberty merger; Madison Square Garden purchase; TCI / CSC deal; Radio City Music Hall and Nobody Beats the Wiz purchases, etc.) • Organized new corporate image program for businesses (MuchMusic, Sportschannel, News 12, Bravo Networks, AMC and Romance Classics) • Managed continuous industry initiatives: CableWorld First 50 Years; Leadership Research Institute; Kaitz Foundation; Tune Into Kids and Family I & II Howard J. Rubenstein Associates, Inc. New York, NY Public Relations Assistant to two Vice Presidents 1994 to 1995 • Special projects and direct account work with high profile clients: Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum; Inc. Magazine; UN50th Anniversary NYC Host Committee; The New 42nd Street and Victory Theater; Herman’s Sporting Goods Stores Other Related Experience: Entertainment Columnist, Music Critic Heavy Metal Magazine; KNAC.com; WorldWideWebRecords.com; The Island Ear Newspaper; The Round-Up Newspaper Education: State University of New York at Buffalo Buffalo, NY Bachelor of Arts, Communication 1994 Affiliations and Awards: Cable and Telecommunications Association of Marketers, Member since 1997 Women in Cable and Telecommunications, Member since 1998 Cable Fax’s 2002 FAXIE Awards: Most Innovative Tchotchkey for Bravo’s Inside the Actors Studio PROMAX 2002 Award: Most creative concept and design for the Bravo Umbrella Six Sigma Green Belt: 2004