Kimberly Friese, Cmp Email & Phone Number

Leverage entrepreneurial spirit, knowledge of industry standards, and expertise in meeting planning and event management to organize events from concept to completion. Direct planning, budgeting, onsite supervision, and execution of corporate, promotional, and special events. *Project Management: Partnered with team to share best practices, provide support, and creatively solve problems with project management system implementation and event logistics.*Event Planning: Demonstrated professionalism, creativity, and proven ability to plan and direct all aspects of social and corporate events from 20 to 200 people for numerous personal and corporate clients.*Event Management Solution: Employed broad knowledge of event-related technologies to manage system set-up, migration, user training, and implementation of new reservation platform, eSpace

Atlanta, Ga, Us

Acted as a strategic partner and trusted advisor throughout oversight of all company-related travel, hotel, onsite destination management, full meeting production, venue and vendor sourcing, contract negotiations, attendee logistics, audio/visual, décor, catering, and event marketing. *Event Planning: Led successful planning and delivery of all events, including high-end broker incentive trips on behalf of five production business units, broker educational meetings, and employee appreciation events.*Efficiency Improvements: Proactively evaluated operations within first 20 days and introduced/launched a new online registration system and event website platform, improving efficiency and creating professional, streamlined communications with attendees.*Budget Management: Effectively administered event-specific budgets and reported status of spend for 150 C-level executives, senior managers, and their guests.*Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked closely with cross-functional disciplines to coordinate travel plans and events as needed.

Atlanta, Ga, Us

Recognized for event planning leadership abilities through a series of promotions. Currently spearhead up to 20 highly visible live meetings annually throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America that range from a 20-person advisory board meeting to an 800 participant satellite symposium. Responsibilities include full meeting production, mentoring two team members to strengthen global collaboration, venue and vendor sourcing, contract negotiations, attendee logistics, audio/visual, catering, and event marketing.* Streamlined meeting series by developing and implementing Lean Process Optimization through branding and creating process templates, dividing tasks among four teams to clarify responsibilities and increase productivity, and adding enhancements including online registration, and streamlining location to just two cities. Results included a consistent and professional branded image across meeting series and maximizing purchasing power with meeting venues.* After 30 days at firm, held first U.S. satellite symposium program with 800 attendees resulting in an extremely successful event establishing company as a major force in the U.S. continuing medical education.* Partner with account team lead to ensure adherence to internal processes from initial concept to on-site execution.

Repeatedly promoted and took on new meeting planning challenges that led to directing 10 global events annually across Europe, North America and Africa for up to 3,000 attendees.* Skillfully directed end-to-end event process for company’s first ever 3,000 person conference along with daily change requirements and showcased superior customer relations resulting in sales lead generation and strengthened client partnerships. * When joined firm, responsibilities included payments, delegate registrations, and managing customer service. Responsibilities grew to assisting in the meeting planning process by conducting site searches for dinner venues, providing gift items for attendees, developing in-house audio/visual, and teaming with the design department to produce event marketing materials. Promoted with full responsibility for training new hires and end-to-end event planning for 10 global events.

Held responsibility for directing and training a staff of 15 full and part-time employees, identifying untapped sales opportunities and increasing corporate client sales, developing repeat business for in-house and off premise catering contracts, and organizing and planning all catered events.* Dramatically increased corporate catering sales by 30% and added numerous new corporate accounts. * Trained wait staff in process and service excellence and bakery staff in retail sales and up selling strategies.

Chicago, Illinois, Us

Led the planning and execution of all fundraising, public relations, marketing and sales activities including the planning and execution of fundraising events, golf tournaments, boot drives, mobile campaigns, and community pledge drives and trained and managed telemarketing team. * Drove fundraising events that surpassed fundraising quotas by 48% to 77% and secured participation from organizations including the Atlanta Hawks, Media Play, various radio stations, and county fire departments.

Planned and executed various convention and catering programs including conferences, meetings, group functions and activities, and sold meeting and catering services to corporate and private clients.* Successfully negotiated food and beverage contracts for banquet and restaurant group business within approved departmental booking guidelines and exceeded sales quotas by developing innovative programs and menus that met specific client needs.