Mark Benson
President
Applied Meetings & Hospitality Solutions
Mark Benson is president of Applied Meetings & Hospitality Solutions a leading meeting planning and incentive travel support firm focused on quality business practices that bring together meeting professionals, hoteliers and logistic travel experts.
Mark is a proven hospitality industry sales and marketing professional of 25+ years and a Certified Meeting Professional with experience in U.S. domestic and international markets.
Cultural, ethical and relationship values combined with uncompromising dedication and quality standards are the cornerstones of Mark’s persona and reflected in his motto: “Excellence is not optional.”
Dianne Budion Devitt
Founder
DND Group, Inc
Dianne Budion Devitt, founder of The DND Group, Inc. specializes in experiential design and direction for live event engagement and marketing communication. Dianne is a producer, educator and speaker, known for her unique style blending creativity and vision. A best-selling author of What Color is Your Event?, a resource for meeting design and how to apply impactful creative ideas, Dianne launched the first SenseUP! summit in April 2016 on sensory engagement and has designed an industry accredited workshop on meeting design called ColorUP!.
Dianne has been an adjunct professor at New York University for over 25 years and was a recipient of NYU’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Dianne has led, participated and managed teams for global events including the 1st European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan; the Vietnam 50th Commemorative Anniversary; the Apollo 40th Commemorative for MIT; and the Clinton Global Initiative.
A past president of the Greater New York chapter of Meeting Professionals International, she was inducted in to the chapter’s Hall of Fame. She is also a board member of the Metro New York Special Events Society and the National Speakers Association NYC chapter.
Janet Elkins
President
EventWorks
Janet Elkins heads a diverse staff of talented individuals and oversees all departments that comprise the production company EventWorks. Janet’s and the team’s extensive experience and database enable Eventworks to produce award-winning, memorable, customized events and entertainment shows for clients around the globe.
Janet has been a key figure in the development of the corporate special events industry over the past three decades. Her distinctions include the SITE Crystal Award, Esprit Award and 26 Gala Awards from Special Events Magazine. She was named MPI Supplier of the Year and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Special Event. In 2012 she was inducted into the Event Solutions Hall of Fame.
Janet has addressed audiences across the nation and overseas, sharing her 30+ years of industry knowledge. She has also served as an instructor for various seminars and classes held at MPI locations, ISES and universities in the greater Los Angeles area.
Jed Mandel
Founding Member
Chicago Law Partners, LLC
Jed R. Mandel is a founding member of Chicago Law Partners, LLC. He has extensive experience representing not-for-profit organizations and is general counsel to more than 100 trade associations and professional societies. His practice includes counseling associations on tax, antitrust, corporate governance, contract, liability, insurance, healthcare, certification and credentialing, meetings and conventions, and other related matters.
Jed has appeared before Congress, state legislative bodies and various state and federal agencies advocating positions on behalf of client associations. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Association Forum of Chicagoland and a charter member of the American Society of Association Executives’ Legal Section. He is the general counsel for the Association Forum and was awarded its Associate Member of the Year Award. Jed also has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.
Cecile Mutch, GLP, GTP
Senior Director, Corporate Services
Kellogg
Cecile Mutch, GLP. GTP, is senior director, corporate services, for Kellogg, overseeing global travel contracts with agency, card, airline, hotel, car, aviation suppliers, records management/archives and meeting management.
She began her career at Kellogg in 1994, managing the onsite travel agency at Kellogg Aviation. She was hired in 2003 to advance the domestic travel and corporate card program, adding meeting management to her responsibilities and being promoted to senior manager in 2006. After leading consolidation with a single corporate card and a single travel agency in 43 countries, she was promoted to global director of travel services in 2010, then senior director in 2012. Prior to Kellogg, she spent 18 years with the lWorldTravel BTI.
She serves on numerous industry advisory boards, including American Airlines, Marriott International and Prevue. She also is an active participant in Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) committees at both the national and state levels.
