by: Mary Cline, PCMA SE Membership Volunteer & Chris Colbert, Director of Membership
The PCMA Southeast Chapter is proud to spotlight one of our 500+ members from across the continent and Puerto Rico in each newsletter.
You could be next…
This month, the Spotlight is on Amy O’Meara, National Account Executive, Meet Minneapolis Convention & Visitors Association, winner of PCMA SE Membership Volunteer of the 3rd Quarter.
How many years have you been in the events/hospitality industry?
20 years! My after school job was at a Holiday Inn and time has flown by since then.
How long have you been a PCMA member?
Since 2012.
What is your current job title, name of your organization and how long have you been in this position?
I am currently National Account Executive at Meet Minneapolis, and have been with the organization since 2012.
What aspect(s) of your PCMA membership benefit you the most?
Networking at the local chapter level and also the education. I love PCMA News Junkie emails, which I use to get industry updates before I even start my day.
Where do you find “everyday” inspiration related to your work?
My local hotel partners and my clients are such a great group of people to represent; they impress me all the time with their creativity and passion. Makes me work even harder to keep up!
At what point and how did you decide to pursue a career in events/hospitality?
One of my favorite childhood games was “playing hotel” or “playing restaurant;” when I started meeting event professionals in my first hotel jobs, I saw that this could be a real-life, grown-up job.
If you could possess one super-hero power, what would it be, and why?
I would love the option to borrow time. Make some days shorter and other days longer when you need more hours to get it all done. 24 hours is just so limiting, you know?
What part of your self-organization practice would you recommend to others?
We are good at managing short-term deadlines, monthly and quarterly goals. It is the “big picture” stuff that can get forgotten. I have a long-term goal that needs small amounts of action on a regular basis. Once a week, my outlook calendar reminds me to work on it. I cross of the completed action steps and add new ones. If I miss a week, no big deal, as long as I am constantly moving forward. Even if I just look at it and remember what my next actions are, it helps remind me where I am headed.
What adjective best describes you professionally?
Energetic.
What would be your valuable advice to give someone just starting a career in events/hospitality?
Don’t limit yourself to just one area of hospitality; take time to shadow colleagues and cross-train within your organization, help other departments and volunteer in industry organizations like PCMA. Your career will be as rich and robust as you make it.
What is one of the most defining moments of your career?
When I was a front desk clerk and our sales office was short staffed; the director, Sharon Eckert, asked me to step in and help out. I said “Yes.” I have been rewarded in so many ways since that day I offered a small favor.
What book has influenced you the most professionally?
I’d love to say something smart like Who Moved My Cheese or Lean In (both were great books, of course) but honestly it may have been the true crime murder mystery Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. It takes place in Chicago as the city prepared for the 1893 World’s Fair (a mega-citywide event). This book felt so real to me as my own city, Minneapolis, prepares for the 2018 Super Bowl. I re-read it this year for inspiration as we close in on the big game. The Shining is another hotel-lit favorite of mine.
