by Sean Schuette

​I graduated from college with a degree in technical theatre with an emphasis in stage management.  A stage manager is often the first person to arrive and the last person to leave during the journey of a theatrical production.  They are responsible for the show’s consistency performance to performance, and are often the lead person in charge, for often the director is onto another project they are working on.  You are responsible for calling in understudies when a performer is sick and ensure all items are in working order before the curtain goes up.  Once underway you call all the cues that make what the audience sees happen before their eyes.  You are key to making it all execute, which is very much like the role of a meeting planner and why I love the work I have been in now for eighteen years.
Since production and theater is something I did as far back as my high school days, it is very much a part of my DNA.  I often found myself in the scene shop helping to construct a set piece for a production, as well as backstage during a performance ensuring scene transitions happened on cue and cast members were in place.  There were some times I was onstage acting yet often was truly at home behind the scenes.  In the meeting industry, we do a lot of pre-work and planning, that when the day of the event happens, it is often like we are lifting the curtain on a production.  It is also the case that is often a post-event emotion felt which is a direct reflection of all the work that went into what attendees experienced and is common in the theatrical world.
I approach events I am working on always through a producer’s lens.  I put myself in the shoes of the attendee and how they are going to experience what they are a part of.  It can be as simple to attending a reception for 100 people to the details of a multi-day conference where you have a room set for 500 and a sizeable stage with many sessions happening over many days.  I credit all I learned over those years in high school and then into college with how I focus and apply those processes to my work as a meeting professional.  It fits me well.
Sean has parlayed his technical theater degree & background into the meeting industry that lets his producer's heart & passion flourish, directly impacting the programs he partners on with groups & clients.  He has enjoyed a 18 year journey of diverse experiences actively leading the planning & execution of events ranging in size from 150 to 16,000 people.  The work is ever evolving & fosters ongoing learning from industry peers, resources, & first-hand encounters in the world of meetings & events.  He has been with SPIN since its start as a LinkedIn group and loves the community and family he finds by being a member.
 
Any views or opinions represented in this blog belong to the writer and do not necessarily reflect the view or opinion of SPIN. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information and will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of this information.
 
This blog may not be copied and published without the written permission of the writer and SPIN.
Have something to say? Say it on The Chatter, SPiN members are invited to submit Blogs for publication in The Chatter. If you are interested send an email to [email protected]. Let us know what you want to blog about and we will contact you.
 

by Larissa Schultz, CMP, MHA

The biggest and best form of investment you can make is investing in YOU!
I was reading an article in a magazine the other day and it stated that on average women currently women make 77 cents to a man's dollar. How does that look in real-life? As an example, if a man earns $100,000; based on this average women earn $77,000. There is a long way to go to close that gap.
Now the disparity in pay amongst the sexes is a conversations essential to have - and it is a personal desire of mine that the hospitality industry could lead the way in this societal shift - but what has been found true in many studies in regard to pay and education is the fact - investing in YOU through education*, whether male or female, has true dollar value to it.
* In using the term "education" I mean a continuing learning knowledge base - not limited to just formal higher education but also including training classes, tech college, certification programs, exams as well as on-the-job training.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a chart with 2013 unemployment levels where it was found that those with more education and training showed lower levels of unemployment during the 2013 year. In addition it was found that those who achieved higher education, longer work experience, and more on the job training achieved higher salaries than those with less education and experience.
Companies listen up - studies have also shown investing in your employees' education and training will likely reflect favorably on your company's goals and objectives. In addition, you could increase company loyalty thus decreasing company turnover - both of which has an increased effect on revenue.
To be clear I am not stating that you MUST go to college or earn a higher degree; what I am stating is that by continuing to gain experience, continuing to gain education, new knowledge and learning new process, programs, and skills - pays in dollars and cents.
It may not happen at one time, but the cost for the CMP exam, the cost for that certificate program, that degree program, that educational conference within the industry - those costs for continuing education are worth the investment. Not only to increase your professionalism but to help close the gap on the salary difference.
Invest in yourself. You are valuable.

Larissa J. Schultz, CMP, MHA, is an advocate of continuing to grow through learning and forward momentum! She has been actively involved in the meeting management industry for over 20 years and is the founder/owner of LJS Meeting Strategies based out of the Los Angeles area.  Her background and experience as a meeting planner includes working with corporations and associations planning both domestic and international conferences, meetings and festivals. Larissa is also an adjunct professor at Glendale Community College teaching in the Hospitality and Tourism program. Three things she believes in - laughter, a good glass of wine, and trusting your own instincts.

Any views or opinions represented in this blog belong to the writer and do not necessarily reflect the view or opinion of SPIN. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information and will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of this information.
 
This blog may not be copied and published without the written permission of the writer and SPIN.

Have something to say? Say it on The Chatter, SPiN members are invited to submit Blogs for publication in The Chatter. If you are interested send an email to [email protected]. Let us know what you want to blog about and we will contact you.
​