Are you looking for a creative way to generate buzz for your next event? Here's an idea: Attendees at this week's Successful Meetings University International hosted-buyer event celebrated its success by capturing their favorite moments on camera, then sharing them with fellow meeting planners on Facebook as part of a photo contest designed to catalog and commemorate the two-day experience.
Just two days after the event — which took place March 20-22 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York — SMU has announced the contest winners:
The winning photo by Ed Hazlewood.
First place goes to Ed Hazlewood of the Lyon Convention and Exhibitions Bureau, who wins an iPad 2 for a photo collage that reflects the "meetings" aspect of the event; second place goes to Cheryl Smith of OC Events, who wins a $250 Maui Jim Gift Card for an image depicting the business relationships that were established at the event; and third place goes to Elena Altemir of the Barcelona Convention Bureau, who wins a $50 American Express gift card for a photo that illustrates the role of food and beverage — and its representation of destinations — at the event.
Successful Meetings congratulates the contest winners and invites meeting planners to join us at future SMU events, the next of which — SMU Colorado — is taking place June 1-3 at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.
To check out the winning entries of SMU International's photo contest, visit Successful Meetings' Facebook page. Or, for a complete list of future SMU events — and to apply to attend as a hosted buyer — visit www.successfulmeetingsuniversity.com.