Lura A Bobbitt

LURA A. BOBBITT MEETING AND EVENTS PLANNING PROFESSIONAL Managing every detail with efficiency and commitment. Washington, DC  - -http://lurabobbitt.mystrikingly.com/ SUMMARY Highly driven meeting and events planner offering more than 10 years of professional experience with two years of deep focus in events management. Proven detail orientation. Strong ability to develop and maintain relationships with colleagues, clients, vendors, and key stakeholders. Impeccably organized with a knack for anticipating needs and effective problem solving. KEY STRENGTHS Meeting Management| Organization Skills| Project Management| Customer Service Interpersonal Communication Skills| Team Player| Problem Solving| Training | Data Entry| MS Office Cvent| YourMembership| GoToMeeting| Salesforce Delphi| Meeting Matrix| Social Tables | Zoom | Webex PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Meetings and Membership Associate American Iron and Steel Institute, Washington, DC Mar 2018 - present Oversee and facilitate smooth meeting planning including site selection, vendor negotiation, marketing, participant travel, onsite staffing, and post-event reporting. Create registration page for annual meeting. Manage registrations and sponsorships. Handle invoicing. Prepare badges and signage for board meetings and manage onsite registration. Plan and coordinate staff-wide events and outings. Assist project manager with membership database, including training staff on how to use features and technical support. Assist with onboarding of new employees. Manage timesheets for all employees. Set up, support, and run virtual meetings companywide. Assist in headquarters facility management including security, building needs and A/V troubleshooting. ▪ ▪ Assisted in securing $28,500 in sponsorship funds for the 2019 annual meeting – a nearly 62% increase over 2018 funding. Successfully co-planned 2019 annual meeting for more than 200 attendees. Sales Coordinator Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC Apr 2017 – Mar 2018 Distributed a minimum of 12 leads per day to sales managers via phone, email, and web portals. Provided administrative support to sales managers throughout the entire sales cycle, including proposal creation; site visits; and contract development, revision, closeout, and filing. Developed and delivered business reports to track RFPs, inquiries, and in-house events. Business Operations Coordinator Twenty Eighty: Strategy Execution, Arlington, VA Apr 2016 – Apr 2017 Managed, developed, and delivered business reports to business unit leaders to track sales performance. Served as main point of contact for all team member inquiries, comments, and suggestions. Liaised between Government Team and other departments. Provided administrative support to the Government Business Development Team through entire sales cycle, including assistance with lead assignments, proposal creation, and distribution of marketing materials. Coordinated monthly meetings for Government Team. Served as lead planner for Culture Event Management Team, successfully coordinating, planning, and executing internal companywide events. Customer Care Manager Twenty Eighty: Strategy Execution, Arlington, VA Feb 2013 – Mar 2016 Led Culture Event Management Team, ensuring successful coordination, planning, and execution of internal companywide events. Supported frontline operations by answering phones and covering the front desk and training center. Provided top-notch customer service for key clients such as The Department of Veterans Affairs, GSA, ABB, MetLife, and Liberty Mutual. Successfully trained team members. Coordinated with IT Department on urgent customer care tickets. Administered quality control review for registrations. Generated invoices, gathered credit card information, and communicated with the Billing Department daily. - - Provided quality sales leads to inside sales and business development managers. Provided technical support for online training. Tested developed websites prior to rollouts for usability and functionality. Product Development Intern ESI International, Arlington, VA Jul 2012 – Aug 2012 Used vendor storyboards to review quality of e-training content. Xyleme Developer Forum Corporation, Boston, MA Sep 2011 – Jan 2012 Edited course materials and graphics in the Xyleme Learning Content Management System. Open Enrollment Intern ESI International, Arlington, VA May 2011 – Aug 2011 Jun 2010 – Aug 2010 Managed training center operations. Assisted students and instructors. Set up classrooms. Maintained orderly appearance in the facility. Updated policies and procedures guide, local restaurant guide, and signage. Trained and mentored new interns. Proofread the company’s course catalog and logged changes for marketing. EDUCATION Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) Events Industry Council, Expected November 2020 Professional Certificate in Event Management George Washington University, Washington, DC Masters Certificate in Project Management George Washington University, Washington, DC Bachelor of Science, Mass Communications Towson University, Towson, MD RELEVANT VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE Board Director, Career Development MPI Potomac Chapter, Washington, DC Jun 2019 – present Lead the Career Development committee in fostering opportunities for members to advance their career through industry designations and skill development. Create objectives to support the chapter’s Strategic and Business plan. Educate committee chairs with processes, procedures and tools to achieve committee objectives. Assist in budget development for all committees reporting to director based on line items in overall chapter budget. Target incoming director from direct reports. ▪ ▪ Led MPI Potomac Career Development committee in planning four CMP preparation classes, exceeding targeted revenue goals and attendance. Redesigned our 10-week CMP preparation class into a virtual 6-week class creating a new revenue opportunity for the chapter Volunteer MPI Potomac Chapter, Washington, DC Oct 2015 – present Performed volunteer events management work for the organization. Successfully managed the planning and execution of various conferences and events as: ▪ Co-Chair of Student Engagement (received Rising Star of the Year Award and Star Award in 2018) ▪ Co-Chair of Evening of the Stars Award Show ▪ Co-Chair of Mid Atlantic Conference and Expo ▪ Co-Chair of Ambassador Program Coordinator Trinity AME Zion Church, Washington, DC Jul 2017 – Jul 2018 Served as lead member of the Young Adult Missionary Society, developing programs and events for internal church members and the local community. - -