Powerful Insights from Industry Game-Changers Abound in First-Ever Collaborative Meetings Management Guide

PHILADELPHIA -- The first true guidebook for developing strategic meetings management programs will hit shelves this August with the publication of Strategic Meetings Management Handbook: From Theory to Practice, published by Easton Studio Press and compiled by StarCite.

Kevin Iwamoto is a widely recognized business travel industry leader with more than twenty years of experience managing global corporate travel and meetings programs. He was President and CEO of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and the GBTA Foundation from 2001 to 2003, where he created and launched the GBTA Groups and Meetings Committee and cofounded the global Paragon Partnership organization, forging a relationship between the GBTA and MPI.“As companies increasingly aim to get a strategic handle on their investment in meetings and events, our sincere hope is that this book will be an indispensable resource that will help them every step along the way,” said Editor Kevin Iwamoto, Global Leadership Professional (GLP) and Vice President of Enterprise Strategy for StarCite. “The profession of meetings management has come a long way since its early days as a new area of travel management. Today it is a thriving practice that is essential to business success. To that end, this book is focused on the ‘art of the possible’ – how to create an effective meetings management program whether it’s in day one, year ten or beyond.”The mission-critical topics covered in Strategic Meetings Management Handbook: From Theory to Practice include:StarCite will showcase the book at the StarCite booth #1205 at the upcoming GBTA Convention in Denver, CO. A reception is being held to bring together the chapter authors at StarCite’s booth on Monday, August 22 at 5:30 p.m. MDT.Prior to joining StarCite in 2008, Iwamoto spent over ten years at Hewlett-Packard, where as Senior Global Travel Commodity Manager he oversaw development, policy creation, strategy, and supplier management for various global travel spend categories over his tenure, including airlines, car rental, corporate and meetings card, meetings, hotels, and ground transportation.AND EVEN…

• How to get holdouts on board!

With an average of twenty-five to thirty years of meetings management experience each, the contributors to Strategic Meetings Management Handbook: From Theory to Practice are at the pinnacle of the industry:

• Betsy Bondurant, CMP‚ CMM, Founder, President, Bondurant Consulting


• Louann Cashill, CMP, CMM, Global Account Manager, Strategic Projects, StarCite


• Carol Salcito, President, Management Alternatives, Inc.


• Linda J. McNairy, Vice President, Business Development, StarCite


• Kevin Iwamoto, GLP, Vice President of Enterprise Strategy, StarCite


• Mike Malinchok, CPC, President, S2K Consulting, LLC


• Amon Cohen, Specialist Business Travel Writer


• George Odom, President, Strategic Travel & Meetings Group


• Debi Scholar, GLP, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT, and President, Scholar Consulting Group


• John Pino, Chairman, CEO, Founder of i-Meet and StarCite


• Andrew Menkes, CEO and Chairman, Partnership Travel Consulting, LLC

“I applaud StarCite for bringing together such a distinguished group of contributors to develop a resource on how to implement a Strategic Meetings Management Program,” said Tim Reid, Group Publisher, The BTN Group. “It is a very valuable endeavor the can provide an additional resource for any serious travel program.”

“In an industry crowded with disinformation and short-term technology fixes posing as long-term solutions, a handbook like this is long overdue,” said StarCite President and CEO Greg Dukat. “Finally, there is a comprehensive resource offering real world strategies on how to put together the best SMMP possible, regardless of whether a program is just starting out or well on its way.”About StarCite, Inc.Strategic Meetings Management Handbook: From Theory to Practice is available for advance purchase in hardcover and e-reader format on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and from StarCite at http://communications.starcite.com/smmhandbook.html.StarCite, Inc. provides a technology platform that makes meetings and event planning, booking and management simpler and more cost-effective for corporations, hotels, venues and meetings suppliers worldwide. StarCite delivers visibility, cost savings and control over meetings spending for businesses and enhanced revenue opportunities for suppliers. Through Web-based, on-demand technology, StarCite automates and supports every key element of the meetings planning and procurement process: planning, budgeting, buying, marketing and managing attendees, payment, and results measurement. Using StarCite’s proprietary online marketplace, meetings buyers can connect and conduct business with over 83,000 hotels, venues, destinations and suppliers globally. StarCite is based in Philadelphia, PA and has offices worldwide. Its equity holders include Internet Capital Group (NASDAQ: ICGE), TPG Growth, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), and TL Ventures. For more information about StarCite please visit www.starcite.com.About the Editor of Strategic Meetings Management Handbook: From Theory to Practice

StarCite, Inc. provides a technology platform that makes meetings and event planning, booking and management simpler and more cost-effective for corporations, hotels, venues and meetings suppliers worldwide. StarCite delivers visibility, cost savings and control over meetings spending for businesses and enhanced revenue opportunities for suppliers. Through Web-based, on-demand technology, StarCite automates and supports every key element of the meetings planning and procurement process: planning, budgeting, buying, marketing and managing attendees, payment, and results measurement. Using StarCite’s proprietary online marketplace, meetings buyers can connect and conduct business with over 83,000 hotels, venues, destinations and suppliers globally. StarCite is based in Philadelphia, PA and has offices worldwide. Its equity holders include Internet Capital Group (NASDAQ: ICGE), TPG Growth, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), and TL Ventures. For more information about StarCite please visit www.starcite.com.

Shelves And Benches Are Helpful Greenhouse Accessories

There are some greenhouse accessories that you can live without. Some of these items could even be considered luxuries and are used mostly to enhance the greenhouse. Shelving and greenhouse benches are greenhouse accessories that are necessary for gardeners to make the best use of their greenhouse space.

Shelves and benches are greenhouse accessories that help the greenhouse gardener use space to the fullest.Be aware that when you use shelving and want to have plants on the lowers shelves you will have to take shadows into consideration when you have a greenhouse with clear covering. Shadows caused by upper shelving can delay plant growth because the plants will not receive as much light when they are on the lower shelves. If you have a greenhouse with translucent covering that provides diffused light, then you won�t have to worry about shadows, so you will have much more room to spread out your plants.Benches and shelving do have some things in common. Both can help you organize the greenhouse. Making good decisions concerning the use of these greenhouse accessories will allow you to function efficiently while you are gardening. Shelving and benches are used in combination to give the gardener choices as far as working, storing things and providing areas for the flowers and plants.Look for shelving and benches that are well made and are built to last. Find shelving and benches that are easily cleaned and have holes for drainage and air circulation. Without drainage, your plants will sit in pools of water which can be a breeding ground for disease.Shelving is generally something that you attach to the interior of your greenhouse walls or they lay on top of built in framing. These are not the same things as greenhouse benches, which are free standing and can be moved throughout the greenhouse.You can use benches and shelving for growing plants, flowers and vegetables and use the undersides of the benches for storing your pots and tools. You could also use this area for additional room for your plants.

Shelves and benches are greenhouse accessories that help the greenhouse gardener use space to the fullest.

Author: Michelle Torres

Value-Priced LED FlexForm 30 & FlexForm 60 Now Available Nationwide from American Lighting

Tape Light with Slim, Easy-Mount Design Provides Flexible, Versatile Options for Under Cabinet, Shelving and Cove Lighting

About American LightingAmerican Lighting offers innovative, high quality, energy efficient lighting solutions to support our customers' diverse business needs and continued success. Experts in LED and energy efficient lighting technologies, American Lighting takes a "green" approach to ongoing product development and offers a broad line of modern lighting solutions. American Lighting has built a strong reputation of technical knowledge and application support, excellent customer service and timely education through American Lighting University and readily available technical support services. For more information, visit www.americanlighting.com, www.americanlightingblog.com or LIKE us on Facebook.American Lighting and the American Lighting logo are registered trademarks of American Lighting. All rights reserved worldwide. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.LED FlexForm 30The connection system of the LED FlexForm 30 and 60 makes attaching a power source or connecting multiple sections easy with no soldering, wire nuts or splicing required. A user simply cuts the tape, exposes the copper conductors at the connection and uses the provided in-line connectors to link sections or attach power.LED FlexForm 60

• Very Bright LED Tape Light Color options: bright white, warm white, amber, blue, green, red and yellow High output, 60 LEDs per meter


• Both versions are compatible with a variety of 12V DC drivers, sold separately

AVAILABILITY

The LED FlexForm 30 and FlexForm 60 Tape Light is in stock and available, for information about where to buy, pricing, and ordering options please contact American Lighting sales at 800.880.1180.The maintenance-free lights are available in convenient kits including five meters (16.4 feet) of tape light and three power connectors, and can be cut in increments of two to four inches for intricate layouts.Suitable for under cabinet, cove, and back lighting, the LED FlexForm’s slim 3/32-inch high by 13/32-inch wide profile mounts easily on wood, steel, metal and most other hard, smooth surfaces. The product offers a low-profile linear light that is bright and fully dimmable with peel and stick installation. It is the perfect solution for tight, hard to reach places and for areas that need a low-profile light that requires minimal space. Able to be hidden in the smallest of spaces, installation of the LED FlexForm will not obscure the view of the area being illuminated.

American Lighting and the American Lighting logo are registered trademarks of American Lighting. All rights reserved worldwide. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Organize Your Closets

Are you already fed up with the mess you see once you open your closet? Maybe it�s high time that you take time off to organize it and make it look like a human being is using it.

A teacher's desk is a very important part of the room to make sure the teacher stays happy and content with the daily routine. It could be the most important piece of classroom furniture. Primary school teachers are unlikely to have their own office, so the desk is their only space to organise their work and keep track of all their students. College professors usually have a much larger workspace, which makes it much easier to keep track of everyone and their grades. This desk must be able to be used to keep track of all the work of every student in the class, including the separation of work that has or has not been graded. The drawers of the desk need to be big enough to hold all the papers that the teacher is currently working on. If there is not enough space to store all of the papers, there will be a huge problem for the teacher when it comes to keeping track of the work of each student. The drawers also need to be easy to work with because they will be used on a daily !Set up the Stackable Roll Down Water Bottle Rack inside your refrigerator to free up valuable space. You can store water bottles or soda bottles on the gravity-fed racks so that the next bottle is always within sight and reach. Stack a couple of these racks and you�ll find that you still have plenty of shelf space on top of the upper rack. Smaller items like tubs of butter or cream cheese will fit there perfectly, leaving other areas of your refrigerator clear for taller items.Kitchen pantries are great places to store a lot of canned goods and other food items. But it can often be a chore to dig through what�s in there in order to find what you need. So why not keep your most commonly needed items closer to hand? The Slim Slide Out Pantry fits between the refrigerator and the kitchen counter. Casters give it an effortless glide so you can pull it out and quickly see and grab the exact item that you need.We pull out clothes and accessories in a quick manner and then other stuff gets disarranged. After the laundry, we put back these clothes unmindfully. Thus, we end up having a total mess in our closets.Have those clothes that you frequently use placed on top of the others for easy access. Arrange your shoes in the shoe rack and place them below the hung clothes. You can put shelves on those extra spaces in your closet and place your underwear and accessories on separate shelves.basis. It will be important for something used so often to work properly and efficiently. Sometimes separate filing cabinets are added next to desks to help with the storage of important papers for the students. If a teacher has a nice desk that does not contain a good storage system, a filing cabinet would be a great thing to add right next to the desk. This will help the teacher stay organised, and the good thing is that filing cabinets are generally affordable pieces of furniture.Shelves are another important aspect of the classroom, especially with very young students. When they are older, the students have lockers in the hallways to store books and other items, but these books are oftentimes stored on shelves in the classroom for younger students. Sometimes there is not a need for large shelves, but every classroom could use at least a little storage space provided by a quality shelf. Science classrooms might be the best example of when shelves are most needed because they are able to store many various materials used during the science experiments enjoyed by the class. Some of these science related tools can be dangerous if not used in the correct manner, so cabinets are usually the right choice for a science classroom. There are many different materials that need to be used throughout the year in a science classroom, so large cabinets are almost always used in this type of class. The large cabinets can also double as work stations for students, so it is a great way to kill two birds with one stone. Large cabinets have huge spaces available for microscope, beakers, and other fragile devices, so there is no need to worry about something breaking have having to be replaced.Organizers aren�t limited to cabinets or the pantry. The refrigerator can use a little help too, in order to help you quickly find what you need when it�s time to prepare dinner. The Fridge Roll Out Caddy keeps foods readily accessible. Each wheeled bin rolls smoothly on your refrigerator�s glass shelves, allowing you to pull a refrigerator�s depth worth of items out for a quick look. Made of rugged plastic, these caddies are also dishwasher safe.1. The very first thing you have to do is to remove everything from your closet. This will give you an idea, in case you have forgotten, of how big a space you have in your closet. Once you see the whole empty space, you can now have a plan in mind on how you are going to arrange everything.3. Now that you have only the essential things that need to be in your closet, it�s time to divide them into categories. Of course, accessories, shoes and clothes should be separated from each other. Your clothes also need to be divided into different types and categories.When separating the items, it is best to have storage bins at hand to help you do the task easily. You may want to have at least three bins � one to hold the things you will be keeping in your closet, the second bin to hold stuff that will be of no use to you anymore and needs to be thrown away, and the third will be for items that you can recycle, donate or sell in your next garage sale.It may really be a tedious task to organize your closet. But it sure is worth the time and effort. Having a neat closet to open in the morning will keep you inspired to go through the day.If you have very limited space for your spice collection, consider the Spice Clip Set. This allows you to hang your spice bottles inside a cabinet door or on the wall near your meal prep area. The three tiers hold four bottles each, so you�ll have up to twelve bottles of spices within easy reach when you�re rushing to prepare a meal.Keep spices convenient to the food preparation area by storing them in the Spice Stack. The three tiers of this organizer hold up to twenty-seven full size spice bottles, or up to fifty-four half-size bottles. A drawer pulls out of each tier and flips down on hinges so you can see what you have. The drawers are color-coded so you can organize your spices even better, and the whole unit fits inside a standard sized kitchen cabinet.

It may really be a tedious task to organize your closet. But it sure is worth the time and effort. Having a neat closet to open in the morning will keep you inspired to go through the day.

Author: Sarah Miller

What Are The Essential Needs For Proper Classroom Storage?

Each instructor will have different needs in regard to what kinds of furniture they will need to be placed around the classroom. This means that each classroom setup will be different and unique from any other. Classroom storage is one thing to keep in mind when planning out the room because there are plenty of items that need to be kept in a safe place when they are not in use. Craft products, books, primary resource maths, and other supplies all need their own storage locations in the room to make sure everything can be pulled out at anytime during the day. The way the room is set up should create the perfect teaching environment for the teacher and a superb learning environment for the students. A teacher must be able to control his or her class in the fashion they feel most comfortable with.

Everyday we pull out clothes that we are going to use from our closets. Also, at least once a weak, after the laundry is done, we add these clothes back to our closets. Most of the time, due to our busy schedule or just because of our laziness, we take for granted the way we do these things.These days, it�s easy, inexpensive and fun to get the kitchen organized. And an organized kitchen means an organized cook. With the right accessories, you�ll never feel like a harried cook again�no matter how little time you have to prepare that next meal.When it�s time to prepare a meal, you need to get to your cooking and baking ware faster, too. The Free Standing Bakeware Holder sits inside any cabinet and allows you to organize bakeware, serving trays or platters. Made of rust resistant coated steel, this holder is durable as well as handy.

While classroom storage is very important when it comes to the peace of mind of a teacher, it is not something that needs to be worried about too much. Finding the right storage spaces for craft products, primary resource maths, and other school supplies is rather simple and is really more of an opinion thing at the end of the day.

Author: Kathryn Dawson

Kitchen Organizers That Make Mealtime a Cinch

Preparing meals is often a hurried task, with time pressing in before and after. When it�s difficult to find spices or other food items, containers or utensils, meal prep times can become frustrating events. But there are plenty of kitchen organizers available to make mealtime a cinch instead of a trial.

Once that is done, you can now rearrange them again based on the frequency you wear them. Make sure that each of your pieces are neatly folded or ironed. If you think something needs to be ironed again, especially your professional clothes, do not hesitate to do so. This will make your closet look much better.Make a mental note on what you want to put where. If you also have a space for your shoes and other accessories in your closet, make sure they will all be in the right place and well seperated.Who hasn�t wished occasionally that she could whirl refrigerated items out of the way to see what�s behind them? Place the Fridge Lazy Susan in your refrigerator and you�ll find yourself accessing commonly used items faster than ever before. You�ll no longer have to dig for that bottle of ketchup or jar of pickles. And not having to dig around means you�ll be more efficient when it comes time to set out condiments for lunch. And this special organizer will stay in place because of the suction cups on its legs.2. The next thing you have to do is to seperate the pieces that you have just removed from your closet. This might be the most difficult part of the task especially if you already have a monstrous mass piled up in your closet. You might even discover things that you thought you�ve lost a long time ago.4. Now that you have divided the important pieces that deserve to stay in your closet, it�s now time to put them back. You may want to use closet organizers from now on like clothes hangers, shelves, and shoe rack. Hang all your pants together, make sure your jeans go together and are separate from your business pants. Hang your other top wear like polos, blazers, and coats keeping the same kind together.While classroom storage is very important when it comes to the peace of mind of a teacher, it is not something that needs to be worried about too much. Finding the right storage spaces for craft products, primary resource maths, and other school supplies is rather simple and is really more of an opinion thing at the end of the day.Another organizer that allows you to see and access food stuffs quickly at meal prep time is the Adjustable Door Rack. Hanging on the inside of the pantry door, this 67 inch high frame features seven wire baskets, each 5 1/2 inches deep. They can hold canned goods, cereal boxes or other food items�whatever you need to get to quickly. And that means that meal prep time will go faster.Your professional clothes should be placed separately from your casual and regular clothes. Pants, blazers, long-sleeved polos, coats and other clothes you wear in business should be kept together. Identify your casual clothes and keep them together. Separate your underwear and socks from your main clothes.Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can organize your closets and make them look neat again.The Lid Rack Organizer is just as helpful. It stands inside a cabinet, allowing you to organize your pot lids or plastic lids for easy access. The rack is made of thick chrome-plated wire for sturdiness and at 12.25 inches wide, it will hold plenty of lids within easy reach.

These days, it�s easy, inexpensive and fun to get the kitchen organized. And an organized kitchen means an organized cook. With the right accessories, you�ll never feel like a harried cook again�no matter how little time you have to prepare that next meal.

Author: Josh Lanier

6 Simple Steps For You To Follow For A Clean And Organized Garage

Your garage�s main function is usually to safeguard and store your car, truck or motorcycles. That can't take place if your garage has turned into a glorified storage unit, stuffed to the rafters with boxes,toys, tools, bikes, strollers and everything else you either don't have room for or just don't want in the house.

Step 5 - Arrange Items For Storage. As soon as you are done with cleaning the garage (floor and walls)now's the time for you to put everything back. Place those items that you use on regularly within easy reach.Mobile Aisle Shelving�this bookcase arrangement system features tightly packed books on shelves mounted on wheels. Only a couple of shelves are accessible at a time and set so they can be moved at will and necessity. This bookcase arrangement is utilized when space is limited and stationary bookcases would restrict book-seeker movement and cut off access to other bookcases.One other issue you need to consider, but is often over looked, is which way the door opens. The door on your beverage-storage-cooler must open correctly given the place you intend to install it. Look for a beverage storage cooler that has reversible door hinges so you can make it open the way you want it to. Additionally, while all of these products can be utilized in a freestanding application, under counter appliances must be front-vented, zero clearance coolers; otherwise, your rear-vented wine and can cooler will over heat and eventually give up the �ghost�.History of the BookcaseBays and Alcove�cases stick out at right angles into the room. This system of bookcase arrangement is both visually appealing and allows the advantageous use of space.Lots of people prefer to paint and seal the floor of their garage to protect it from stains and also makes cleaning easy. Transforming your wall and floor surfaces will have a enormous effect on the appearance of your garage.I have since replaced �Harvest Gold� with a new French door design, dual-zone, locking, front-vented combination wine and can beverage cooler with a smoke glass door trimmed in stainless steel with recessed handles. Boy that was a mouth full! As I always say, buy the beverages you like, store them properly in a combination wine/can cooler, serve them at the proper temperature and enjoy them immensely.Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, August 2010Step 3 - Clean garage. As soon as you empty your garage it's important to take time to sweep out all the loose debris and remove cobwebs. You'll appreciate your garage much more if it's clean so make sure to sweep and dust routinely.Parallel Stacks or Ranges�this bookcase arrangement system provides economy of space, such as in libraries, where such space is essential, and requires constant moving and lifting of material. Not everything is easily accessible, but open space is provided for movement and work.

If you follow these 6 simple steps, in no time you will have a clean and well organized garage. Not only will you be able to park your car in your garage but you'll also be able to find anything want when you need it. One more thing, don't forget to have a garage sale to help get rid of all those unwanted items and put some cash in your pockets!

Author: Walter Jensen