Leadership
Meet the team.Your success starts and ends with the experienced service professionals who work hard to achieve your goals and objectives. Our bench strength is our advisory board, a diversified group of renowned professionals representing a variety of disciplines critical to solutions we provide.
Mark Benson, CMP
President/Managing Partner, Applied Meetings & Hospitality Solutions, LLC
Mark is a proven hospitality industry sales and marketing professional and a Certified Meeting Professional with experience in U.S. domestic and international markets. Cultural, ethical and relationship values combined with uncompromising dedication and quality standards are the cornerstones of Mark’s persona and reflected in his motto: “Excellence is not optional.” Mark’s focus is to ensure clients receive personalized solutions that deliver superior return on objectives and investments.
Todd M. Mickey, CIS, CITP
COO/Managing Partner, Applied Meetings & Hospitality Solutions, LLC
Todd has been providing high quality service to a wide range of corporate and association clients for over two decades. He places great value on relationships and is known as a passionately driven hospitality professional. His tenacity and drive for excellence combined with his hands-on hotel operations and sales experience, creates his recipe for success and are the foundation to his established reputation for outstanding customer service and quality deliverables.
Karen Devine
CEO & Founder, 3D Cruise Partners
Beginning in the incentive travel industry in 1982, Karen brings a wealth of knowledge with the combined buyer and supplier experience to the meeting and incentive marketplace. After 10 years working for incentive companies such as Carlson Marketing Group and S&H Motivation, Karen began her supplier career in the Worldwide Sales Office in Chicago for Four Seasons/Regent Hotels & Resorts.
After representing Allied Europe as Director of Marketing for the US, she joined Rosewood Hotels and Resorts where she became the Regional Director of Sales in Chicago representing the entire collection of luxury hotels and resorts. Karen’s combined buyer/supplier (hotel, DMC, cruise) experience is unique in the industry, benefitting 3D’s clients with a diverse background to provide cruise and geographical expertise.
Kris O’Brien
Director of Strategic Meeting Management
Exceptional leader in the meeting planning profession with over 20 years of experience in hospitality and corporate environments. Experience includes international and domestic events for groups ranging from 10-300 people. Skilled in planning board meetings, national sales conferences, corporate golf events and incentive programs.
Jill Roth
Director of Strategic Meeting Management
Experienced hospitality and meeting professional for over 25 years starting in hospitality management and advancing to the meetings and incentive industry. Passionate in developing, designing, selling, managing and executing international and domestic conventions, incentive programs, meetings and events. A professional skilled in logistics and managing project teams . A versatile problem solver eager and experienced to conquer the challenges that unexpectedly impact program operations. A creative thinker, results oriented executive with proven project management skills learned from both the meeting and hotel/hospitality industry.
Robert Rippee, MBA, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Black Fire Innovation Hub at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Director of the Hospitality Lab & the esports Lab at the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a mission to provide world-class educational, and industry applied research to drive innovation for the hospitality and gaming industry. As a third year PhD, conducting research on esports, casino gaming and the millennial generation.
Patricia Kerr
Associate Vice President, Meeting & Event Management Worldwide
A highly experienced Strategic Meeting Executive who has demonstrated the ability to lead diverse professional teams and individuals to new levels of success in a variety of highly competitive and complex environments. Strong technical and business qualifications within the financial and insurance marketplace including an impressive track record of 15 years hands-on experience in meeting management, strategic planning, business unit development, project management, and team development. Proven ability to successfully analyze a meeting organization’s critical requirements, identify deficiencies and potential opportunities.
Michael Burke, CMP
Director, Conference & Travel Services The Hanover Insurance Group
Strategic, personable and accomplished corporate travel and events manager. Extensive experience in all aspects of event planning to include: relationship building, contracting, negotiation skills, marketing, budgeting and event technology. Confidently interacts with all levels of management to include CEO, executive leadership and division heads in a collaborative and inclusive fashion. Ability to effectively manage costs and improve ROI. Focused on continuing education and development.
J.J. Vargas
Founder and Creative Director at STORYTELLERS
For the past 20 years, JJ has been applying creative excellence to a wide variety of projects, taking the essence of a product or service and turning it into something beautiful that connects with audiences. STORYTELLERS is a dynamic creative firm specializing in the development of memorable brands, effective marketing and outstanding graphic design for print and web platforms. From logotypes, brochures and annual reports to web sites, packaging and advertisements, he develops key elements that enable companies to stand out, establish lasting relationships with consumers and generate positive business results.