Interview with Jill Stark, CCTE, CGMP
Author: Carolyn Koenig
November 2009
Smart Talk
Interview with Jill Stark, CCTE, CGMP
Senior Events Planner, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
President, Society of Government Meeting Professionals San Francisco-Bay Area Chapter
Berkeley, Calif.
Jill Stark has been with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the past five years. She has 21 years’ experience in government event planning and travel management, including such organizations as EG&G Energy Measurements, Livermore Lab, Stanford University and the University of California Office of the President. Last June, she was elected president of the Society of Government Meeting Professionals San Francisco-Bay Area Chapter.Q: What kinds of meetings do you plan? How do you divide them up among your staff?
A: We plan roughly 50–75 meetings and conferences a year: board meetings, seminars, departmental meetings and a wide range of scientific conferences. They range in attendance from 50–1,000.
We have three senior planners. When a meeting request comes in, we assign the meeting/conference to a planner depending on the size of the meeting and the planner’s workload.
Q: Have you seen a change in attitude recently toward government meetings among hotels, CVBs and destinations?
A: Absolutely! As long as I have been in the government meeting industry, I have never seen the suppliers come out in such a robust manner. Venues that would have never contacted me three years ago are now calling me. I have been contacted by CVBs, luxury hotels, resort destinations, and high-end meeting and incentive hotels. All are now promising to be government-friendly, offering per-diem room rates, flexible meal options and daily customizable meeting packages.
Q: What are the biggest challenges that government meeting planners face?
A: Government meeting planners operate in distinct environments. In today’s economic climate, the biggest challenges we face are decreasing budgets. Nevertheless, government planners generally expect fewer budget reductions. The other challenge we have is that we’re bound by stringent ethics requirements that include rules on conflict of interest, procurement, restrictions, contracting, gifts and travel.
Q: Do you have a “green” mandate for your meetings?
A: We currently do not have a mandate to go green as far as our meetings and conferences are concerned; however, we’ll certainly be moving in that direction. We have always been environmentally conscious; we are a scientific and research laboratory seeking technical solutions to some of the greatest problems facing humankind. Our conference services department believes green planning is a responsible way of doing business, and that includes energy conservation, minimizing consumption of natural resources, reducing waste, reusing resources, recycling and using earth-friendly products. We believe playing an active role in preserving the environment is an important aspect to conducting business.
Q: How do you see the role of the meeting professional changing?
A: Change is our biggest obstacle these days. Government meeting planners are clearly more focused on creativity, affordability and accessibility. Companies are no longer having meetings just to have them. They are piggy-backing [other meetings] on their existing programs to get more “bang for their buck,” to save money on airfare, hotels, and food and beverage. The effort is to build attendance while driving down costs and satisfying all stakeholders along the way.
Q: What are the biggest challenges for your association and your members?
A: SGMP is the only national organization for individuals involved in the planning and execution of government meetings, and many times planners don’t even know it exists, or know that we have terrific educational programs.
For me, leading a chapter association can be a challenge, but it’s also highly rewarding. Increasing membership and participation at our monthly chapter meetings is my biggest challenge. Companies aren’t as willing to pay for membership or let their employees take time out of their day to attend a chapter meeting. Getting members to participate and get involved in the numerous activities of the chapter is another challenge. During my presidency, I plan to continue our strong focus on educational programs tailored specifically to the expressed needs of our members. I plan to rise to these challenges!
Q: What about social media? Do you use it to market your SGMP events?
A: These days there are so many ways to communicate; you almost need a team of people to handle all of them! SGMP has just started exploring online communities for marketing, public relations and customer service. I think social media is a powerful strategy that will get our chapter links, attention and massive amounts of traffic. We are excited about the possibilities.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
A: The best advice I was ever given was actually a famous quote by Pamela Vaull. My mother would always write it on graduation and birthday cards: “Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.”
