Brandie Putnam, CMP, CTA, has been with the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau since she began as a special events intern in September 2000. She was then hired full time in July 2001. She became the Convention Services Manager in 2004 and is also a member of the Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA).
Forever a Michigan State University Spartan, she enjoys sharing all that the Greater Lansing community has to offer a convention group. She works alongside meeting and event planners to ensure they have all the local tools and resources they need to plan a successful event in the Greater Lansing area.
Forever a Michigan State University Spartan, she enjoys sharing all that the Greater Lansing community has to offer a convention group. She works alongside meeting and event planners to ensure they have all the local tools and resources they need to plan a successful event in the Greater Lansing area.
5:00 am: Wake up and get ready to go! With three kids under the age of four, it’s an organized, scheduled process (usually!) to get ready for the day.
8:00 am: Arrive at the office and touch base about the events of the day with our VP of Services and check emails.
8:30 am: Deliver maps and visitor guides for an information table to an event taking place on the campus of Michigan State University today and tomorrow. We helped them with attendance building for the event by creating a custom web page. The meeting organizer tells me their numbers are looking up for this year so she is pleased.
9:25 am: Return downtown and walk over to the convention center’s show office to greet a client prior to their registration opening later this afternoon. Discuss the logistics we are assisting with today. The planner is concerned that the parking will fill up quickly but otherwise, everything else is looking good for the event.
9:40 am: Call the parking office to ensure that they are ready for the event later today. She verifies they have called in a few extra staff for this event to help with traffic flow if things should back up. Text an update to the meeting planner that parking is all set for the day’s activity.
9:50 am: Set up the Restaurant Reservation Booth in the convention center which will open later this afternoon for the attendees to get local dining information and suggestions.
10:10 am: Walk back to the CVB office to return emails and calls.
10:30 am: Quick meeting with the marketing manager about a pre-promotional flyer she is creating for an event taking place after the first of the year.
11:15 am: Early lunch in the CVB’s break room.
12:00 pm: Return to the convention center to meet the conference committee representative who is organizing a local tour of Michigan’s State Capitol Building. Help gather the attendees for the tour and give a brief history to the group of how Lansing became Michigan’s capital city.
12:35 pm: Escort the group on the three block walk to the Capitol. So happy it’s a gorgeous, sunny day… was worried all week it would rain!
12:45 pm: Greet our tour guide at the Capitol and walk along with the group for the tour. I enjoy getting to talk to the attendees about where they’re from and answering their questions about Lansing.
1:45 pm: Return the group to the convention center in time for their 2:00 sessions.
2:00 pm: Check in on our Restaurant Reservation Booth. Our ambassador staffing the booth has just arrived so we go over the schedule for the convention and what she might expect. She asks to see some pictures of my new baby and, of course, I have a few to share!
2:15 pm: Try to connect with the meeting planner for any updates but she’s still in the board meeting so head back to the office.
2:35 pm: Call to our local shuttle company to go over the schedule for next week’s shuttle program we are coordinating from the convention center to the overflow hotels.
2:50 pm: Time for a mid-afternoon snack.
3:00 pm: Return calls and emails and catch up with some colleagues in the office.
3:30 pm: One last trip to the convention center with our VP of Services and sales manager. Our client is out of the board meeting and we deliver a gift to thank her and the association for meeting in the Lansing area. Touch base to make sure she’s all set for this evening’s reception and tomorrow’s meetings.
4:00 pm: Head home for the day
Evening: Spend time with the family and squeeze in a bit of time on the treadmill.
8:00 am: Arrive at the office and touch base about the events of the day with our VP of Services and check emails.
8:30 am: Deliver maps and visitor guides for an information table to an event taking place on the campus of Michigan State University today and tomorrow. We helped them with attendance building for the event by creating a custom web page. The meeting organizer tells me their numbers are looking up for this year so she is pleased.
9:25 am: Return downtown and walk over to the convention center’s show office to greet a client prior to their registration opening later this afternoon. Discuss the logistics we are assisting with today. The planner is concerned that the parking will fill up quickly but otherwise, everything else is looking good for the event.
9:40 am: Call the parking office to ensure that they are ready for the event later today. She verifies they have called in a few extra staff for this event to help with traffic flow if things should back up. Text an update to the meeting planner that parking is all set for the day’s activity.
9:50 am: Set up the Restaurant Reservation Booth in the convention center which will open later this afternoon for the attendees to get local dining information and suggestions.
10:10 am: Walk back to the CVB office to return emails and calls.
10:30 am: Quick meeting with the marketing manager about a pre-promotional flyer she is creating for an event taking place after the first of the year.
11:15 am: Early lunch in the CVB’s break room.
12:00 pm: Return to the convention center to meet the conference committee representative who is organizing a local tour of Michigan’s State Capitol Building. Help gather the attendees for the tour and give a brief history to the group of how Lansing became Michigan’s capital city.
12:35 pm: Escort the group on the three block walk to the Capitol. So happy it’s a gorgeous, sunny day… was worried all week it would rain!
12:45 pm: Greet our tour guide at the Capitol and walk along with the group for the tour. I enjoy getting to talk to the attendees about where they’re from and answering their questions about Lansing.
1:45 pm: Return the group to the convention center in time for their 2:00 sessions.
2:00 pm: Check in on our Restaurant Reservation Booth. Our ambassador staffing the booth has just arrived so we go over the schedule for the convention and what she might expect. She asks to see some pictures of my new baby and, of course, I have a few to share!
2:15 pm: Try to connect with the meeting planner for any updates but she’s still in the board meeting so head back to the office.
2:35 pm: Call to our local shuttle company to go over the schedule for next week’s shuttle program we are coordinating from the convention center to the overflow hotels.
2:50 pm: Time for a mid-afternoon snack.
3:00 pm: Return calls and emails and catch up with some colleagues in the office.
3:30 pm: One last trip to the convention center with our VP of Services and sales manager. Our client is out of the board meeting and we deliver a gift to thank her and the association for meeting in the Lansing area. Touch base to make sure she’s all set for this evening’s reception and tomorrow’s meetings.
4:00 pm: Head home for the day
Evening: Spend time with the family and squeeze in a bit of time on the treadmill.
