Growing up in Stevens Point, WI, Wendy Porter learned the art of discipline and hard work at a young age with a career Army officer father and 2nd grade teacher mother. Wendy went on to attend, and graduate from, St. Olaf College in Minnesota with Majors in Mathematics and German. Today, Wendy is an active member and board member of SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network), lending her skills to the National Board of Advisors and volunteering with the SPIN Twin Cities Branch. She also volunteers with the MPI Minnesota Chapter. When Wendy isn’t planning meetings and events, she is an award-winner gardener and loves being a part of everything floral. She also thrives on travel to Europe and is especially comfortable in any country where German is spoken.

Midwest Meetings: Tell us about yourself and your job.
Wendy E. Porter: As a Master Events Strategist, my primary focus is on the strategic experience that I am delivering for all of the events I produce. Checking the boxes on all of the logistics details is really just an ancillary part of what my team does. That’s the bare minimum required for event planning. I am producing events which are strategic, with specific, measurable goals and objectives for my clients. I want my events to be memorable and meet lofty business objectives… and that involves more than just checking off logistics boxes on a list.
We plan between 6-20 events per year, with budgets ranging from $10K to $1.5 million. The number of events we manage really varies by year. Our ideal client is a corporate client who needs a high-profile event produced and has the appropriate budget to support it. That’s our sweet spot.
In November 2018, I was awarded the National SPIN: 40 Over 40 Award and in April 2019, I was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Minnesota Meetings + Events magazine as the 2019 Inductee for the Best Special Events Planner category. And most recently I was listed as one of the 20, 2019 Meetings Trendsetters, by MeetingsToday in July 2019. It’s an honor to be recognized by these organizations for all of my hard work in the events industry over the last 17 years.
MM: What was your first experience with the meeting/event industry?
WEP: Like most people my age, I fell into it. In 2002, I was in a corporate marketing job as an Acquisition Marketing Manager with UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. I was handed a large tradeshow event to oversee that our company was sponsoring. I quickly learned the ropes, and I ended up managing that event for 13 years. Our booth at one point was 13,000 sq. ft. with 130 staff, including 30 C-Suite execs to wrangle. From there it led to a position created for me as the Director of Events for UHC and a whole host of various types of events which I have produced over the last 17 years.
MM: How do you keep up on industry trends?
WEP: I try to attend as many industry conferences in person as I can, as my calendar and budget allow. I also participate in industry webinars, and I do a lot of reading. I’m subscribed to many blogs and industry publications. And of course, I call upon my industry contacts, peers, and experts to discuss the latest and greatest trends as well.
MM: What is the best advice you’ve ever received/given?
WEP: Don’t sweat the small stuff… and it’s all small stuff!
MM: What is your approach to planning meetings and events?
WEP: I take a very strategic approach to planning events. I typically have a seat at the table with leaders of the organization, often up to the CEO, where we discuss the goals and objectives of the event. That then leads into the strategic and tactical experiential event approaches we will implement to achieve those goals. Everything ties into those goals, from the creative theme to the stage production and the speakers, all the way down to what the badge looks like.
MM: What major challenges have you had to overcome in your career and how did you overcome them?

From art history to event production, Alix Chapie found her groove in the events industry shortly after graduating from Oakland University, in Michigan. Working for a large, well-known gallery in Southfield, Alix began planning internal events and meetings. From there she found Special D Events and began working on location at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, in Detroit, where she worked directly with local sports teams managing their yearly visits, as well as donors on third-party events.

When Alix isn’t in the midst of an event she makes family her first priority, spending time with her husband of 10 years, Nick, their two children, and the family’s golden retriever.
Midwest Meetings: What was your first experience in the meeting/event industry?
Alix Chapie: My first experience in the industry would be at the art gallery I worked at right after college. We planned weekly auctioneer trainings for potential auctioneers who would travel in from all over the world. I assisted in the logistics of setting up the trainings (F&B, AV, room sets, etc.), as well as all of the materials, and making sure they had the correct paperwork to enter the country, work on cruise ships, and such. I helped with the VIP auctions held in the gallery. Those would involve set up, production, F&B, and assisting with bid numbers and check outs. My time at the gallery allowed me to be an artist handler where I would assist the artists with their needs while they were at the gallery. I met and created friendships with many of them over the years. That was the best part of working at the gallery!
MM: Tell us more about your current job.
AC: Currently, I plan between 5-10 meetings/conventions a year. This includes being a project manager on a program as well as being a team member on a larger program. We have a combination of large and small events we manage therefore sometimes you are on an event as the main planner handling all aspects of the event and sometimes you are on a team managing one aspect of the event. Over the years I have managed registration, onsite, logistics, AV & production, signage, F&B, and transportation.
MM: What is your approach to planning meeting and events?

AC: I try to stay as organized as possible and save everything! I want to be very transparent with my clients as well, so we both know what we are working on and everything is clear and organized. I try to take my time and not rush things.
MM: What is the most challenging meeting/event obstacle you have had to overcome? How did you do it?
AC: I was in charge of transportation for a large conference and had to time out exactly when the buses would arrive at the venue and how long it would take them to shuttle back and forth between the venue and hotel, how many people would ride the shuttles, etc. It was difficult to estimate this because of traffic as well as some attendees would choose to walk to the venue. Our client at the time wanted this timed out to the minute ahead of time, so it was really challenging trying to estimate, but our whole team came together, sat down, and worked together to figure it out the best we could and it all worked out in the end. The client was happy and so were we! That is one of the best things about working at SDE, we all work so great as a team, helping each other out and leaning on each other when we need to!
MM: To what do you attribute your success?
AC: Trying to remain positive and staying very organized has always helped me! I also try and be as open and honest with my clients as I can be. Once you develop that trust it makes everything so much easier! Also, just being nice and pleasant to people goes a long way!
MM: As a meeting/event planner, what is one meeting/event you try to get to each year and why? What makes this event important to you and your career?
AC: I did attend The Special Event conference in 2015 and it was really beneficial because not only did they have great learning sessions and networking, but they had special events at night which you could go to and see some of the latest and greatest special event ideas in action. It’s important to go to events like this to freshen up your creativity and the networking is always a bonus! We all take turns attending this event, so I hope to attend it again soon!
MM: How do you decompress after an event?
AC: Spending time with my family, especially my kids is really important. If I’m traveling for an event, coming home to them is the best. Taking them to do special things like park dates, movies, or library visits is really important – spending the most quality time with them is the best after an event! I also like to sneak a fresh manicure in there too and wine with my husband is a must!  

If you would like to recommend an outstanding industry professional for future issues, send an email with their name, title, employer, and a brief description of why they should be featured to Editor@MidwestMeetings.com.

Meet Tracey Bockhop, CMP, owner of Meet Meetings

Tracey Bockhop was born and raised on a small farm near Madison, WI, with her two sisters. While she currently serves on the MPI Wisconsin Chapter Board of Directors as the VP of Finance, you can find her traveling with family and friends, enjoying outdoor activities, or taking in a good concert in her spare time.
Tracey was previously interviewed for How Did You Get Here in the Midwest Meetings Spring 2013 issue, when she was fairly new to the industry working as the meeting planner for the Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association, Madison, WI. Now, six years later, we find her planning meetings and events for Meet Meetings, the company she owns.

Midwest Meetings: What was your first experience with the meetings/events industry?

Tracey Bockhop: I started my career as the Admin at a Marriott Hotel and loved everything about it. Looking back though, I was always the one to offer my time to plan the parties or wanting to be more involved in the activities we held at our high school.

MM: Tell us about your job.

TB: I own a consulting company, Meet Meetings, with that I have around 15 meetings per year. I truly love what I do and that allows me to be very active in suggesting new ideas and implementing better ways to engage our attendees. I do everything from finding new business, working the registration table, and working those long nights of cleaning up.

MM: Do you work alone at Meet Meetings? What are the challenges of owning your own business?

TB: I am currently the only person with Meet Meetings. I have had many challenges owning my own company, but I am almost five years in and the challenges are getting less and less. When starting out I really did not have that ‘one person’ I could go to with questions and I did not know what I didn’t know, so to come up with answers for others was difficult. I have learned to outsource the things which take up my time and do not help my clients, such as accounting and administrative items. I truly believe I am at the best part of my career, currently, and cannot wait for the continued success.

MM: Do you hire temp workers? Do you have any tips for other planners?

TB: I do hire onsite staff and employ people close to me to help prepare name badges, work registration, and other items pre and post conferences. By employ I mean I take them out to dinner for a drink. I have a very strong support team and encourage all planners to work on maintaining the relationships with ones close to them. As a planner this line of work can be very stressful and time consuming but always remember what matters to you in your life and never lose touch with that.

MM: What do you like most about the industry?

TB: There are many things I like about the industry, but what means the most to me is the relationships I have formed because of the industry. So many people I call friends are because our paths crossed at an event. There is a sense of family within the industry and I know there are so many people I can count on and learn from every day.

MM: What is your approach to planning meetings and large expos?

TB: My best approach is to take it in and piece it together, nothing gets planned all at once, and, if you can take things off the to-do list every day, it’s a good day.

MM: To what do you attribute your success?

TB: My success has come from hard work and many long hours. Growing up on a farm and having two hard working parents really instilled a strong work ethic and a can-do attitude. With their support I was able to start my own company and watch it grow; not over night, but with time and effort put forth. I also do not like failing so that helps as well.