Michelle Scott's Page

How are you involved in the meeting and events industry?

Third Party Planner

What is your company, assocation or affiliation?

Gatherings by Design, LLC

What is your position?

Principal/Planner

How long have you been in the meetings and events industry?

10+ Years

Activities and Interests:

Aside from Meeting and Event Planning I enjoy decorating, entertaining.cooking and scrapbooking when I get the chance. I enjoy traveling on vacation and am interested in experiencing different cultures.

About Me:

I am the founding Principal of Gatherings by Design, LLC. A meeting and event planning business established in 2004. Gatherings by Design, LLC provides meeting and event planning and management services to businesses and organizations and is also a local affiliate provider of choice for several larger national event planning companies.

Before establishing Gatherings by Design, LLC, I held the position of Meeting and Conference Planner for a local New York State Association, where I managed and organized close to 100 meetings and workshops, as well as two large annual conferences. Prior to that, I was the Coordinator of Program Services for Capital EAP, the New York Capital Region’s largest local Employee Assistance Program where my responsibilities included bringing event and program planning and management services to over 90 client companies and government entities throughout the Capital Region, New York and the US. In addition, I was responsible for marketing, communication, and management. I am proud to say that Capital EAP achieved and maintained a consistent 98% client satisfaction rating throughout my seven year tenure. I also worked for five years for Hudson Valley Girl Scout Council, where I and my staff supported 1,600 adult volunteers bringing program services and events to over 7,000 girls throughout 4 1/2 counties in New York’s Hudson Valley Region.

I have more than 15 years of experience in both the for-profit and the non-profit marketplace, and have planned meetings, conferences, and special events for groups as large as 2000.

My passion really is theme development and special events designed to create an exciting and memorable experience for attendees. I find this to be a very fun and rewarding aspect of event planning and one in which many planners for some reason shy away from.

I am also very interested and involved in offering and promoting green /environmentally and socially sustainable meeting alternatives and practices (even before it became an industry trend). I served as the Corporate Social Responsibility Officer for my MPI chapter and wrote a bi-monthly article for my chapter’s news letter entitled “The Green Scene”. I was recently quoted in MPI’s One + magazine and have contributed to other industry publications on various topics pertaining to meetings and events.

I have a strong business background in the areas of marketing, professional development, communications, as well as management and supervision of programs, staff and volunteers.

I also believe in contributing back to my community so Gatherings by Design, LLC has been involved in providing support and assistance to St Paul’s Center, a local, start up homeless shelter for women and children located in Rensselaer, New York.

I am a member of:

MPI - Meeting Planners International
GMIC - Green Meetings Induscry Council
My local Chamber of Commerce

Website:

http://www.gatheringsbydesign.com