IAHMP HOY Newsletter

Cathy Gonzales, Far Right,wearing Chef de Cusine hat, leads the chef team (L to R)
Missey Garcia-Smith, Andrea Zeigler and Margaret Gonzalez. They hosted a special dinning
event for Hispanic and Asian executives and meeting planners.

AHMP Advances Its Diversity Networking Program and CDMP Certification Plans

The International Association of Hispanic Meeting Professionals (IAHMP) is the first Latino organization
in the Meetings & Hospitality industry to address the needs of Hispanics within this important industry. IAHMP has also introduced the industry's first certification program to include Diversity which is currently under development.

Recently, Board members traveled to Washington, DC to attend Destinations Showcase, a one-day conference held at the Washington, DC Convention Center. The event provided lots of educational sessions and network opportunities to meet many of the Convention & Visitors Bureaus from across the country that support this event. IAHMP Board members fanned out to introduce themselves to as many people as they could talk to given the time constraints of the event.

The next day, board member Dr. Andrea Sigler hosted a dinner event at her Fairfax Colonial Home to begin working on implementing
the Certified Diversity Meeting Professional (CDMP) program with a Hispanic- Asian mix dinner given by leaders of the
International Association of International Association of Hispanic Meeting Professionals and the Asian leaders Association. The
group invited representatives of various minority organizations to come for an evening of cultural sharing through networking,
while at the same time donning aprons to learn how to make tamales by Chef Cathy Gonzalez and Asian food by Chef Andrea
Sigler. Cathy is vice president of IAHMP and resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she also is vice president of tourism for the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. All in attendance raved about the learning experience and enjoyed eating the
food they helped to make. These types of sessions are envisioned as an important component of the CDMP program. In addition to learning about the diversity of people, the CDMP will also provide opportunities to learn about their culture and traditions.

Among the guests attending were Floyd Mori, Japanese American Citizens League; Missey Garcia-Smith, Chicago Convention &
Tourism Bureau; Ralph Gonzalez, IAHMP board member; Pervin Ozer, Malaysia Airlines; June R. Sevilla, Cancer and You LIVE; Sylvie Joseph, Arlington, Virginia, Economic Development and Convention and Visitors Service; Vinnu Kudva, South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow; Cathy Gonzales, vice president IAHMP and Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Margaret Gonzalez, president IAHMP and GVR Public Relations Agency. It was a great evening of sharing information on minority markets in the meetings industry.