Erica Powell Email & Phone Number

Manages all association led events, including the annual conference- Site selection and contract negotiations.- Event vendor request for proposal, contract negotiations, and ensure quality of service.- Collaboration vendor and NHIA team related speaker management- Oversight of registration process- Onsite event logistics management (room sets, AV, catering etc.)- Event budget development and adherence- Evaluation and continuous quality improvement of all events

Alexandria, Virginia

- Served as client and conference staff lead, planning 3-5 annual conferences (1,200 - 3,000 attendees) with minimal direction- Coordinated 4-7 additional meetings annually for VIPs, board, or committees- Supervised staff members, conducted annual performance reviews, weekly meetings, and training- Kept 5 conferences profitable by moving to virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rebuilt budgets, restructured the programs, sourced and built conference platforms, and managed all… Show more - Served as client and conference staff lead, planning 3-5 annual conferences (1,200 - 3,000 attendees) with minimal direction- Coordinated 4-7 additional meetings annually for VIPs, board, or committees- Supervised staff members, conducted annual performance reviews, weekly meetings, and training- Kept 5 conferences profitable by moving to virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rebuilt budgets, restructured the programs, sourced and built conference platforms, and managed all production- Reduced conference expenses an average of 15% by creating efficiencies, utilizing expertise, and sourcing strong but cost-effective vendors- Ensured financial success by developing and managing conference budgets- Led regular internal and external planning meetings, managed staffing levels and time as well as onsite assignments- Managed the site selection process (RFP development and distribution; proposal negotiations; site inspections; and reports) and hotel and convention center contracting for future years- Submitted RFPs, negotiated contracts, and placed all vendor orders, including facilities, audio visual, catering, decorator, internet, electrical, transportation, signage, production, temporary personnel, photography, floral/décor, offsite events, etc.- Managed all aspects of the room blocks and reservations including the master housing list, weekly reports, exhibitor sub-blocks, and concessions- Compiled and maintained the conference staging guide/specifications and production run of show Show less

Herndon, Virginia

Gaylord National

- Oversaw customer experiences by acting as primary point of contact for all aspects of the event planning phase, beginning after contracting until turnover back to sales- Managed 40+ events on a rolling 12 month basis, varying in size (10 – 8,000 attendees) and duration (half day meetings to 7 day conferences)- Prepared all event documentation and coordinates with sales, property departments, vendors, and customers to ensure consistent, high level service throughout pre-event, event… Show more - Oversaw customer experiences by acting as primary point of contact for all aspects of the event planning phase, beginning after contracting until turnover back to sales- Managed 40+ events on a rolling 12 month basis, varying in size (10 – 8,000 attendees) and duration (half day meetings to 7 day conferences)- Prepared all event documentation and coordinates with sales, property departments, vendors, and customers to ensure consistent, high level service throughout pre-event, event and post-event phases for 470,000 sq ft of total meeting space- Forecasted each event’s group sleeping rooms and event revenue and tracks changes on a weekly basis- Provided excellent customer service, achieving a personal Event Satisfaction Planning score of 94% and an Overall Satisfaction score of 78%, well exceeding the team average of 82% and 67% respectively Show less

Gaylord National

- Served as meeting planning advocate and liaison to all operational departments for 470,000 sq ft of total meeting space - Delivered superior on-site service to clients of conferences as large as 6,000 attendees and 1,500 guest rooms- Contributed to Conference Coordinator Satisfaction score with an personal score of 90.3% based on 72 groups of various sizes- Anticipated guest needs in order to proactively resolve issues while taking ownership of any challenges by using personal… Show more - Served as meeting planning advocate and liaison to all operational departments for 470,000 sq ft of total meeting space - Delivered superior on-site service to clients of conferences as large as 6,000 attendees and 1,500 guest rooms- Contributed to Conference Coordinator Satisfaction score with an personal score of 90.3% based on 72 groups of various sizes- Anticipated guest needs in order to proactively resolve issues while taking ownership of any challenges by using personal judgment and expertise to initiate solutions- Took on-site ownership of each conference for its full duration which leads to the development of a trusting relationship with each client Show less

Philadelphia Marriott West

- Represented banquet department in daily BEO meetings with the involved supervising staff and event managers to ensure events met the customers’ expectations- Managed a team of 11 combined servers and housemen to service a property with 10,000 sq. ft. of total meeting space while serving as primary on-site food and beverage contact- Trained in related duties and meeting management system in order to gather, analyze, and provide all necessary information for a well executed event-… Show more - Represented banquet department in daily BEO meetings with the involved supervising staff and event managers to ensure events met the customers’ expectations- Managed a team of 11 combined servers and housemen to service a property with 10,000 sq. ft. of total meeting space while serving as primary on-site food and beverage contact- Trained in related duties and meeting management system in order to gather, analyze, and provide all necessary information for a well executed event- Partnered with clients of 11 events and room blocks to provide excellent customer service through actualization and billing process by working part-time as an Event Manager Show less

- Rotated through 6 hotels, spending one to two weeks in each of the following positions:front desk, housekeeping, banquet server, breakfast attendant, and line cook- Shadowed and worked with the following department managers: sales, housekeeping,banquet, catering, maintenance, front desk, assistant manager, and general manager- Worked in the financial office with management contracts, franchise contracts, and loanagreements for 15 properties- Acted as manager on duty… Show more - Rotated through 6 hotels, spending one to two weeks in each of the following positions:front desk, housekeeping, banquet server, breakfast attendant, and line cook- Shadowed and worked with the following department managers: sales, housekeeping,banquet, catering, maintenance, front desk, assistant manager, and general manager- Worked in the financial office with management contracts, franchise contracts, and loanagreements for 15 properties- Acted as manager on duty for a week in the absence of the property’s general manager Show less

- Fulfilled managerial duties including: weekly staff scheduling, controlling labor costs, andmanaging food costs by ordering from vendors appropriately- Managed a team of 15 while reporting to two separate management entities- Promoted from front line employee to team leader to manager over 3 years