CMR Renews AAAAI Partnership
CMR has renewed its partnership with the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) through 2018. CMR has been AAAAI’s official Housing & Registration services provider since 2010. AAAAI’s 71st Annual Meeting took place this year in Houston, Texas and drew more than 4,000 attendees.
We are looking forward to working with the AAAAI team on their upcoming meetings in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Orlando.
More about AAAAI:
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology is dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge and practice of allergy, asthma, and immunology for optimal patient care.
AAAAI prides itself on publishing cutting-edge research, recording the history of allergic diseases, and presenting the latest advances through its Annual Meeting. The Academy’s first Annual Meeting in 1944 was a two-day event with four sessions and 23 presentations. Now, thousands of delegates gather annually from around the globe for a jam-packed schedule that includes hundreds of sessions over five days of learning and networking.
The organization also proudly funds research and training initiatives. To date, the AAAAI has funded awards totaling more than $5.19 million, much of this through the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Education and Research Organization, Inc. (ARTrustTM).
CMR Volunteers at Project Open Hand
On Thursday, May 21, 2015, eight of our colleagues went to Project Open Hand (POH) to volunteer their time in the kitchen. Founded in 1985, POH is a nonprofit organization that provides meals with love to seniors and the critically ill. Every day, they prepare 2,500 nutritious meals and provide 200 bags of healthy groceries to help sustain their clients as they battle serious illnesses, isolation, or the health challenges of old age. The organization serves San Francisco and Alameda Counties, engaging more than 125 volunteers every day to nourish our community.
CMR’s volunteers spent four hours chopping onions and potatoes for hot meals, and packaging dry goods for the grocery distribution center. In addition to volunteering our time, CMR staff also collected bags full of toiletries for POH clients.
We were greeted with a warm welcome and a tour to learn all about the organization.
The team, hard at work in their hairnets!
Community Involvement at CMR:
CMR cares deeply about the San Francisco community and Bay Area, and generously offers staff the opportunity to volunteer during business hours for up to 8 hours each year at various events. CMR’s Community Involvement Committee (CIC) works to find ways that our staff can volunteer together, fostering teamwork while supporting local non-profits.
CMR Renews Choose Chicago Partnership
CMR has again renewed their partnership with Choose Chicago—the official destination marketing organization for Chicago, Illinois. Choose Chicago’s mission is to “bring regional, national, and international business and leisure visitors to Chicago for the economic benefit of the City, the community, and [their] membership.”
Since it’s start in 2012 under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, this non-profit organization has been responsible for significant economic growth through a restructuring of tourism sales and marketing activities.
In just over two years, Choose Chicago has also helped build a surge in domestic and international tourism while attracting world-renowned events. Chicago now ranks 9th in volume of international visitors in the United States; was the first host city outside of New York for the 2015 James Beard Award; and proudly welcomed back PCMA’s Convening Leaders—the largest annual meeting of convention & conference planners—for the first time in 21 years.
After a record-breaking year in 2014, when the city welcomed 50.2 million visitors, Choose Chicago has upped its original goal of reaching 50 million visitors by 2020 to 55 million.
CMR is proud to support the city of Chicago in its tourism efforts. For the remainder of 2015, CMR will have the pleasure of visiting the windy city three more times as we assist our clients with the following programs:
National Electrical Contractors Association’s 2015 Safety Conference
Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition & Conference 2015
Society for Neuroscience’s “Neuroscience 2015”
Find out more about Choose Chicago.
We're Exhibiting at Springtime Expo 2015
Please visit us at Booth 827 on April 9 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for ASAE’s Springtime Expo 2015. There will be plenty of seating available for you to take a break from the busy expo floor while you discuss CMR’s technology platform and service offerings with one of our team members.
The following CMR staff will be available to meet with you:
Steve Olsen – Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Dave Goetz – Co-Founder and President
Brian Roy – Vice President, Product Services
John Fuhr – Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Julie Noto – Vice President, Client Services
Robert DeSando – Director, Hotel Business Development
Danielle Elliott – Sales Manager
If you’d like to schedule a meeting with a member of our team during, before, or after the expo, or if you have any advance questions, just send us an email at sales@cmrus.com. We’ll be glad to set up a time to chat.
Please find a map of the expo hall below. Just head straight down the center aisle and find CMR on the right.
We look forward to seeing you there! The Expo Hall will be open from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be available to attendees. If you haven’t already, Register here.
More about ASAE:
ASAE represents more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 10,000 organizations. ASAE members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies, and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. More information about ASAE is available here.
CMR Volunteers at the SF Botanical Garden
On Wednesday, February 11, 2015, twelve CMR employees participated in our first Community Involvement Event of 2015. Our team worked at the San Francisco Botanical Garden to create a new pathway in the California Native Garden by clearing out weeds and laying down wood chips.
In addition to enjoying the warm sunny day and contributing to the beauty of the Garden, CMR staff were also treated to a brief tour.
Community Involvement at CMR:
CMR cares deeply about the San Francisco community and Bay Area, and generously offers staff the opportunity to volunteer during business hours for up to 8 hours each year at various events. CMR's Community Involvement Committee (CIC) works to find ways that our staff can volunteer together, fostering teamwork while supporting local non-profits.
More about the San Francisco Botanical Garden:
One of the most diverse gardens in the world, the San Francisco Botanical Garden in a living museum in Golden Gate Park. It covers 55 acres of land and showcases more than 8,000 different kinds of plants from all over the world. The Magnolia collection is one of the most famous at the Garden, and is currently in bloom (expected through early March). For more information about visiting or volunteering, please go to the SF Botanical Garden website.
Take Part in the Meeting Planning Information Survey Today!
Alex Smith, CMR's Director of Marketing, will be presenting a session at PCMA's Convening Leaders 2015 in Chicago alongside data scientist Bob Hayes, PhD, and Ron Morris, President of Feedback Systems. Our session is called "Turning Data into Useful Information for your Event" and is scheduled for Monday, January 12th at 2:45 p.m.
To inform our session content and ensure the most meaningful conversation for PCMA members and conference attendees, we have built the Meeting Planning Information Survey to help us better understand the role of "Big Data" within the meetings industry. We of course know how we are leveraging data, as well as how our clients work to collect and use information at their events, but we'd like to make sure that we capture the true state of the industry at large.
Please help us to develop our session content around the topics that you are most interested in hearing more about by completing the brief Meeting Planning Information Survey today. If you choose to provide your email address, you will be sent a copy of the survey findings. And, of course, please join us on Monday, January 12th at PCMA's Convening Leaders as we further explore the topics uncovered by the survey!
Please follow this link to complete the survey: https://surveys.feedbacksystems.com/s3/Information-Survey
Thanks in advance for your participation!
CMR's Annual Bowling Tournament 2014
CMR's 2014 Bowling Tournament took place on August 15th this year, and as always, we took the Mission Bowling Club by storm! With creative team names (like the glam squad, "Striking Beauties") and fun costumes (bathrobes, onesies, and hawaiian shirts all made appearances), a good time was certainly had by all. Mission Bowl always provides great food and wonderful service, making it easy to return year after year for this annual CMR tradition.
If you were wondering just how much fun it would be to work at CMR - now you know! There's no shortage of great "family" outings throughout the year. To join this fun-loving, hard-working team, check out our LinkedIn page for job postings, or submit your resume to jobs@cmrus.com.
American Diabetes Association's 74th Scientific Sessions Opens in San Francisco
The American Diabetes Association's 74th Scientific Sessions opened today in San Francisco at the Moscone Center. Over 70% of registrants have already checked in using CMR's Scan-and-Go kiosks or with the assistance of CMR staff.
Registration and Hotel Assistance can be found in the West Hall throughout the weekend beginning at 7:30 a.m. We look forward to welcoming all attendees over the next 5 days!
CMR Staff Collect 200+ Donations to SF Animal Care & Control
CMR's Community Involvement Committee hosted a donation drive in the month of May 2014 to benefit the City & County of San Francisco Animal Care & Control. Among the over 200 items collected were new dog beds, toys, food, treats, and used sheets and towels for use throughout the shelter. We are both proud of our staff's efforts and happy to contribute to the community of San Francisco!
About Animal Care & Control
The San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control is committed to the delivery of effective, courteous, and responsive animal care and control services to the residents of San Francisco.
The Department is responsible for San Francisco's stray, injured, abandoned, neglected, and mistreated animals, as well as for the enforcement of all state and local Animal Control and Welfare laws. Learn more.
Support an Athlete at the Special Olympics 2015 World Games
For #GivingTuesday 2013, CMR launched a fundraising campaign to support athletes on their way to the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.
Every $2,500 raised supports one athlete, covering all of their expenses while at the 2015 World Games in Los Angeles.
CMR's initial donation will help four athletes realize their dream of competing...but that was just the beginning! Through the generosity of our friends, family, and industry partners, we hope to raise enough money to support another four athletes - and we are well on our way.
On the heels of a successful Special Olympics Invitational in Southern California last week, we invite you to participate, help us meet our goal, and help support eight athletes at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games!
Want to help?
Support Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 by making a donation to our team. The process is fast, easy, and secure... and you can be sure that it will benefit a great cause!
Or, if you want to be a real all-star, join the team! It takes just a couple of minutes to set up your page, and you'll be the newest member of the CMR - Convention Management Resources fundraising team.
Come join the squad!
Support Courage. Support Determination. Support Joy. Support an Athlete.
The 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games Organizing Committee (GOC) has chosen CMR® to be the exclusive provider of Housing Management Services for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games. In addition to managing the regional hotel block, CMR® will donate housing management services for the 7,000 athletes and approximately 3,000 coaches who will be housed in Olympic villages.
Join CMR at PCMA's 2014 Education Conference in Toronto
Danielle Elliott, CMR's Sales Manager, is excited to attend PCMA's 2014 Education Conference June 22 to 25 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as well as the PCMA Chapter Leaders Workshop beginning June 21.
Danielle serves as the PCMA Northern California Chapter Director of Member Relations, and is looking forward to connecting with, and learning from, fellow PCMA members.
If you'd like to schedule time to meet with Danielle while in Toronto, please contact her at delliott@cmrus.com or 415.979.2235.
CMR to Exhibit at the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Nashville
CMR will be exhibiting at the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The Association Solutions Marketplace Expo will be open on Sunday, August 10th and Monday, August 11th from 10:15 a.m. through 1:45 p.m.
The following staff will be representing CMR in Booth 1013:
John Fuhr, Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Danielle Elliott, Sales Manager
Please contact Danielle Elliott (delliott@cmrus.com | 415.979.2235) to schedule an appointment during the show.
ASAE represents more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 10,000 organizations. ASAE members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies, and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. More information about ASAE is available here.
Visit the CMR Booth #5082 at ASAE’s Springtime Expo ‘14
As an exhibitor at the 2014 Springtime Expo, we will once again join hundreds of industry vendors for the largest one-day hospitality show for meeting professionals. If you’re looking for inspiration, up-to date planning trends, or more information about industry best practices, the Springtime Expo is for you. This year’s event will take place on May 15th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington, D.C.
Produced by ASAE, Springtime Expo draws more than 4,000 participants annually, including meeting professionals, association and nonprofit executives, industry vendors, and press. In addition to the renowned Expo Hall, the event offers numerous education sessions, learning labs, and networking events. More information about Springtime Expo is available here.
The following staff will be representing us in Booth 5082.
Steve Olsen, Co-Founder and CEO
Dave Goetz, Co-Founder and President
Julie Noto, Vice President, Client Services
Brian Roy, Vice President, Product Services
John Fuhr, Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Robert DeSando, Director of Hotel Business Development
Danielle Elliott, Sales Manager
Please contact us to schedule an appointment with one of our staff members during the show.
ASAE represents more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 10,000 organizations. ASAE members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies, and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world. More information about ASAE is available here.
Special Olympics Invitational 2014 Housing Management Services Contribution Underway
Last year, the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games Organizing Committee (GOC) selected CMR to be the exclusive provider of Housing Management Services for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games.
In addition to our contribution of services to the World Summer Games in 2015, we will additionally manage athlete, delegation, and visitor housing for the 2014 Summer Games Invitational for Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC).
As a lead up to the 2015 Games, SOSC is presenting an expanded version of their annual event, offering athletes, coaches, volunteers, family members, sponsors, donors, and spectators an enhanced Summer Games experience.
The 2014 Summer Games Invitational will feature six sports: aquatics, basketball, bocce, golf, gymnastics, and track & field. The event will be held on the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles from June 6 – 8, 2014.
Along with featuring 1,100 athletes from Southern California, 300 athletes and 140 coaches from 20 countries around the world will join the competition as the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games tests processes.
We are both excited and honored to be a part of this event, and look forward to cheering on the talented athletes and providing them with the best possible experience during the event.
CMR Staff Lend a Helping Hand at the San Francisco Marin Food Bank
On March 18, 2014, our Community Involvement Committee (CIC) planned a volunteer shift at the San Francisco Marin Food Bank. Eleven of our staff spent three hours at the Food Bank helping to pack boxes of food for senior citizens and fresh fruit for distribution to hungry Bay Area residents.
Alongside other volunteers and employees of the Food Bank, we packed hundreds of grocery boxes and over 17,500 pounds of fruit. We were thrilled to lend a helping hand to such a great Bay Area organization, and look forward to working with the SF-Marin Food Bank again.
With 1 in 4 Bay Area residents unsure of where their next meal will come from, hunger is a growing issue in San Francisco and the surrounding region. The SF-Marin Food Bank has scaled up to meet the challenge, now getting more food to more families than ever before. Each year, the Food Bank distributes over 46 million pounds of food – more than half of which is fresh produce direct from the farm. The Food Bank relies on donations and volunteers in order to serve the community, and is one of the largest and most efficiently run Food Banks in the nation. Learn more about the SF-Marin Food Bank.
CMR collects over 100 toys to Benefit the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program
The CMR Community Involvement Committee led a toy drive to benefit the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program in December 2013. Thanks to the generosity of our team, we collected over 100 toys that were distributed to Bay Area families in need of a little joy for the holidays. We greatly appreciate SFFD for sending a representative along with his specially-outfitted truck to collect our donation.
The San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program, run by the SF Fire Fighters Union, Local 798, is the city's largest and the nation's oldest program of its kind. Since 1949, it has evolved from a few firefighters repairing broken toys and bikes for 15 families to over 300 firefighters and friends volunteering their time to distribute over 200,000 toys to more than 40,000 disadvantaged children year-around. Besides helping individual families in need, the Toy Program serves many community organizations, including shelters for abused women and children, inner-city schools, neighborhood groups, children's cancer wards, and pediatric AIDS units, and additionally responds on a year-round basis to displaced children who become victims of fires, floods, and other such disasters.
Dependent solely on donations, the SF Firefighters Toy Program places collection barrels at retail establishments, street fairs, Christmas parties, and many other functions. For more information or to make a donation, please call (415) 777-0440.
Special Olympics World Games: CMR® to Contribute Housing Services for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games
San Francisco, CA — December 20, 2012 — Convention Management Resources (CMR®) is proud to announce that the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games Organizing Committee (GOC) has chosen CMR® to be the exclusive provider of Housing Management Services for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games, to be held July 24 – August 2, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
“We are committed to working with the best partners to ensure a great experience for our athletes and other participants, so we are proud to welcome CMR® to our team,” said Patrick McClenahan, GOC President and CEO.
In addition to managing the regional hotel block, CMR® will donate housing management services for the 7,000 athletes and approximately 3,000 coaches who will be housed in Olympic villages on the campuses of USC and UCLA.
“Our entire CMR® team is thrilled and inspired by the opportunity to help Special Olympics fulfill its mission,” said Steve Olsen, CEO of Convention Management Resources. “We are honored to contribute our services and to participate in such an extraordinary humanitarian effort that has such a remarkable impact on so many.”
Over the nine days of competition, Los Angeles will welcome more than 500,000 spectators celebrating Special Olympics athletes from 170 nations, who will compete in 24 Olympic-type events staged in various venues in Los Angeles and nearby cities.
About the Special Olympics World Games
Special Olympics began in 1968 when Eunice Kennedy Shriver organized the First International Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA. One thousand athletes with intellectual disabilities from 26 U.S. states and Canada competed in athletics, floor hockey and aquatics.
Since the first event took place in 1968, the Special Olympics World Games have evolved into a world-class sporting event, attracting a wide range of sponsors, supporters and media. Every two years, thousands of Special Olympics athletes worldwide come together to showcase their athletic skills and celebrate the spirit of Special Olympics, which celebrates nearly 50,000 events a year. Alternating between Summer Games and Winter Games, Special Olympics World Games bring public attention to the talents and capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities, helping to change attitudes and break down barriers than can exclude them from the mainstream of the community.
The Special Olympics World Summer Games return to the United States after 16 years, having last been in the United States in 1999 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The most recent World Summer Games were the 2011 Games that were held in Athens, Greece. The next Special Olympics World Games will be the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games, to be held from January 26 to February 6, 2013 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.