Darlene W. Somers, CMP DES
Director of Meetings at International Association of Venue Managers- Claim this Profile
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Topline Score
Bio
Megan Drumm, CAE
Darlene is the most experienced and skilled meetings and events professional I have had the pleasure of working with. She and I supported the same AMC client, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, for about five years. During my time working with Darlene, I observed her provide well-articulated recommendations and a steady stream of new ideas to help AAPM successfully convene its in-person and virtual meetings year-round. Darlene pairs a mastery of meeting/event planning best practices with an extraordinary attention to detail and tremendous leadership capabilities. Always the first to arrive and the last to leave the conference center during AAPM’s annual conference, I have many fond memories of Darlene greeting me in the AAPM conference staff office with her usual smile and terrific wit. In summary: Darlene makes an ideal partner and colleague and I can’t recommend her highly enough.
Melissa Bellows, MPA
Darlene was the on-site meeting planner for an annual conference for the client I worked on. She swiftly and efficiently took over for a colleague who had two annual conferences the same week. The transition was seamless! Darlene has the ability to form relationships and trust with people very quickly. She is witty, intuitive, and innovative. There was never a problem to big for her to help fix and she kept her calm when the rest of the team felt stressed. She was an invaluable asset to our team. I hope I have the opportunity to work with her again in the future.
Megan Drumm, CAE
Darlene is the most experienced and skilled meetings and events professional I have had the pleasure of working with. She and I supported the same AMC client, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, for about five years. During my time working with Darlene, I observed her provide well-articulated recommendations and a steady stream of new ideas to help AAPM successfully convene its in-person and virtual meetings year-round. Darlene pairs a mastery of meeting/event planning best practices with an extraordinary attention to detail and tremendous leadership capabilities. Always the first to arrive and the last to leave the conference center during AAPM’s annual conference, I have many fond memories of Darlene greeting me in the AAPM conference staff office with her usual smile and terrific wit. In summary: Darlene makes an ideal partner and colleague and I can’t recommend her highly enough.
Melissa Bellows, MPA
Darlene was the on-site meeting planner for an annual conference for the client I worked on. She swiftly and efficiently took over for a colleague who had two annual conferences the same week. The transition was seamless! Darlene has the ability to form relationships and trust with people very quickly. She is witty, intuitive, and innovative. There was never a problem to big for her to help fix and she kept her calm when the rest of the team felt stressed. She was an invaluable asset to our team. I hope I have the opportunity to work with her again in the future.
Megan Drumm, CAE
Darlene is the most experienced and skilled meetings and events professional I have had the pleasure of working with. She and I supported the same AMC client, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, for about five years. During my time working with Darlene, I observed her provide well-articulated recommendations and a steady stream of new ideas to help AAPM successfully convene its in-person and virtual meetings year-round. Darlene pairs a mastery of meeting/event planning best practices with an extraordinary attention to detail and tremendous leadership capabilities. Always the first to arrive and the last to leave the conference center during AAPM’s annual conference, I have many fond memories of Darlene greeting me in the AAPM conference staff office with her usual smile and terrific wit. In summary: Darlene makes an ideal partner and colleague and I can’t recommend her highly enough.
Melissa Bellows, MPA
Darlene was the on-site meeting planner for an annual conference for the client I worked on. She swiftly and efficiently took over for a colleague who had two annual conferences the same week. The transition was seamless! Darlene has the ability to form relationships and trust with people very quickly. She is witty, intuitive, and innovative. There was never a problem to big for her to help fix and she kept her calm when the rest of the team felt stressed. She was an invaluable asset to our team. I hope I have the opportunity to work with her again in the future.
Megan Drumm, CAE
Darlene is the most experienced and skilled meetings and events professional I have had the pleasure of working with. She and I supported the same AMC client, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, for about five years. During my time working with Darlene, I observed her provide well-articulated recommendations and a steady stream of new ideas to help AAPM successfully convene its in-person and virtual meetings year-round. Darlene pairs a mastery of meeting/event planning best practices with an extraordinary attention to detail and tremendous leadership capabilities. Always the first to arrive and the last to leave the conference center during AAPM’s annual conference, I have many fond memories of Darlene greeting me in the AAPM conference staff office with her usual smile and terrific wit. In summary: Darlene makes an ideal partner and colleague and I can’t recommend her highly enough.
Melissa Bellows, MPA
Darlene was the on-site meeting planner for an annual conference for the client I worked on. She swiftly and efficiently took over for a colleague who had two annual conferences the same week. The transition was seamless! Darlene has the ability to form relationships and trust with people very quickly. She is witty, intuitive, and innovative. There was never a problem to big for her to help fix and she kept her calm when the rest of the team felt stressed. She was an invaluable asset to our team. I hope I have the opportunity to work with her again in the future.
Credentials
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate
USF Corporate Training and Professional EducationMay, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
Events Industry CouncilMar, 2000- Nov, 2024 -
Digital Event Strategist
PCMA
Experience
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International Association of Venue Managers
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United States
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Non-profit Organizations
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1 - 100 Employee
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Director of Meetings
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Jul 2021 - Present
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Senior Project & Event Manager
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Sep 2020 - Jul 2021
Partnering with organizations as they reach their goals, one special project or event at a time. Partnering with organizations as they reach their goals, one special project or event at a time.
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Association Management Center
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United States
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Non-profit Organizations
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100 - 200 Employee
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Senior Meetings Manager (Remote Office)
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Aug 1996 - Aug 2020
Directly responsible for the design, planning, oversight, and execution of annual meetings and special experiences for multiple clients ranging from board meetings of 15 members to Annual Conferences and Exhibits with 2000+ attendees. Directly responsible for the design, planning, oversight, and execution of annual meetings and special experiences for multiple clients ranging from board meetings of 15 members to Annual Conferences and Exhibits with 2000+ attendees.
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Education
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Texas A&M University
BA, English