To all my meeting planner and hotel/DMC partner friends.

I'm baaacckkkkk!!!!!!!!

So I am back from maternity leave! Actually back 1 week early because our largest incentive conference of the year in Maui was this week and I was NOT missing that! And of course.....if you actually thought I turned off my blackberry and lived in a world of new baby bliss these past 11 weeks you are wrong. I am a meeting planner.....you never turn off. It is impossible!! That or I am a control freak! I didn't want to abandon my team 100% with so much they had going on so I secretly "kept in touch". Shhhh...dont tell Human Resources..... Soo.....a little recap. Had my baby girl Taylor Elizabeth Putman. March 7. 6 lbs 13 oz. 19.5 inches. She is a beautiful baby and such an easy baby as well!! We are blessed.

First week back to work I am on a plane to Maui for our largest incentive of the year. 400 of my closest and dearest friends. Check out this view. Not a bad first week back to work eh????  There is me and my team after a fabulous successful Conference!!  They did such a great job and I am so lucky to have them! 

Amazing right? Well I packed a bathing suit and never got to even put it on. Life of a meeting planner. Typical story of my life as a meeting planner so if you guys actually think I go on these trips and get to enjoy the pool and beach you are wrong!  Spent most time in a windowless office working the behind the scenes magic! With 2 kids now I also have to be in and out as quick as possible. So no pre or post extensions for me in the near future as we used to enjoy with no kids. Sacrifices but you do anything for your kids!!  And I am enjoying every minute of it with them. I also celebrated my 10 year wedding anniversary while in Maui. Bittersweet since he could not be there with me and we honeymooned in Maui!!  I mean really?? What are the odds?? But he had to stay home and be Mr. Mom. But he did send me a giant cheese wine and fruit basket followed by an amazing chocolate covered strawberry tray surrounded by petals in a heart. Awww. So sweet. I am a lucky gal!

So as I depart this amazing destination back to my family, my meeting team proceeds to extend their stays at other islands in Hawaii. I wish I could join them but know any beach can't beat returning home to this...........my loves.  

When they are older we are going to really enjoy taking a vacation after Conference and they can really enjoy the beach and fun!!!  Now I have 1 more week of maternity and then back full time next week!  I am looking forward to diving back into it all!   Aloha everyone!  

Meeting Planner on Maternity

Well I am officially on maternity leave as of Monday. Scheduled to go to the hospital tuesday to start induction. Yes folks. I gave myself a whole day off work to relax before life takes a big fat reality check dump on me. 2 kids under the age of 2. This will be fun! I scheduled a relaxing pre-natal massage and mani pedi at my favorite spa in Houston, Trellis at the Houstonian Hotel and Spa! Seriously the best in town!!! However the morning pretty much kept me on my blackberry answering the 100 emails I had received. We just launched our biggest program registration of the year last week to Maui, I had tried to get it launched earlier so I had time NOT on maternity to get it half way wrapped up but "upper management" took forever to approve the communication. Now my team is covering the biggest registration of the year and I am out. Fun. The overall fact that it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to let go put the blackberry down and just relax I believe is some sort of addiction. Yes, I am addicted to the crackberry and even pushing a baby out is not going to stop me from asking my husband in the hospital after birth to please hand me my blackberry so I can check messages. Yes, its true. It happened with my first kid and it will happen with my second. One of my planners says she cant believe an hour after I had Brady I was emailing. But I guess as a meeting planner, the constant rush of multi-tasking multiple projects at once you are always "ON" and being off is just not in the job description. Well, we will see how this maternity leave goes and if I can try to turn it "OFF" at least a little.....next post I will be Meeting Planner mother of 2. Wish me luck!

Best quote this week

"I dont know how to use a mouse!!! I am in sales, I am not an administrative assistant!!!"

ok, then ma'am.....let me just walk you how to register for your meeting. click on the mouse on the right to open the link.....

days this job really sucks.......

Moving and Meeting Planning dont mix

So, moving sounded like a great idea. New baby on the way, bigger house, more room space place for little Brady to play!!! Well, not when you have my job. Moving day comes a week before a large CEO Meeting which today, YES DURING MY MOVE, they decided to completely change the agenda on me. Ok so now I am anticipating about 20 room reservation changes and attendance changes and updates that I am going to need to make to ALL OF MY VENDORS for a meeting that is in 5 days. Great. This in addition to a 250 person conference in San Diego I need to finalize pack up for that I fly to next week. And I can basically sit here as people pack boxes around me and type away at emails to make all these changes occur. This all in addition to my mother getting sick today who was going to watch our 18 month old son so we could tend to the move which stressed the day more since as I type and make calls, and run after a toddler, all amongst the packing of boxes and furniture delivery appointments.....I may die!!!!!

To top it off... Audit for the company regarding all meetings and events NOW is calling me because they need to review all of the documentation they just spent collecting from me over the past 2 months. Today???? Really??????????? I think the end of the world may be here.