February 12th, 2019

Global DMC Partners Celebrates Members’ Wins at 2019 Association of Destination Management Executives International Achievement Awards Gala


Robert Lee, Spaintacular

Global DMC Partners, the largest global network of Destination Management Companies (DMCs), congratulates its members Realize Colorado and Red Velvet Events for their respective and collective wins at the annual Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI) Achievement Awards Gala, which took place in Houston this past weekend. Austin-based Red Velvet Events took home “Best Innovative Event - $50,001 - $100,000” for Race Against the Clock: A Secret IPO Celebration, while Denver-based Realize Colorado won “Best Recreational Activity” for Ice Climbing. Together, both DMCs jointly earned “Best Collaborative Event” for NORCAL Elite Partner Incentive Adventure. 

Additionally, Robert Lee, Director of Sales at Spaintacular, a Global DMC Partner, was inducted as ADMEI President and Liz Liebeskind of Red Velvet Events joined the ADMEI Board of Directors as Director of Marketing and Communications.

Global DMC Partners President Catherine Chaulet was thrilled to make a statement on behalf of their members’ achievements. “These recognitions are so well-deserved. Realize Colorado and Red Velvet Events exemplify our commitment to clients’ programs, operational excellence and innovation within the MICE industry. I am especially proud of newly elected President Robert Lee and new board member Liz Liebeskind, and I look forward to what they will bring to the industry through ADMEI.”


Front row, left to right: Denise Malo, DMCP – Director of Operations, BBC Destination Management; Melissa Ryman – Program Manager, Realize Colorado; Deana Mitchell, CMP, DMCP, CCSE – Owner, Realize Colorado ; Sara Poulin – Shackman Associates New York; Liz Liebeskind – Sales Manager, Red Velvet Events; Cindy Lo, DMCP – Owner & Event Strategist, Red Velvet Events. Back row, left to right: Christina Pohlman, DMCP – Operations Manager, BBC Destination Management; David Rome, CMP, DMCP – Director of Sales, BBC Destination Management; Robert Lee – Director of Sales, Spaintacular; Maria Kastensson – Sales & Project Manager, Russkie Prostori; Stuart Gardner – President, Florida Meeting Services; Ola Kastensson – Managing Director, Russkie Prostori; Tim Hill – General Manager, iDesignMeetings; Katherine Kirk – Director of Events, Chicago Is…Inc.; and Sara Heald – Event Manager– iDesignMeetings

The event was not only celebratory but also an opportunity for the DMC professionals to connect and discuss challenges, opportunities and best practices. Topics included how DMCs can mitigate cultural differences between destinations along all stages of the process, from pitching, quoting and negotiating to marketing and communicating with all parties. The weekend served as an opportunity for the industry’s finest to learn from one another in order to improve and to develop principles that should be guiding the industry globally, no matter the location.

Award winner Cindy Lo of Red Velvet Events summarized, “Though we are all operating in our respective destinations and have different languages and cultures, we all experience similar challenges: the high cost of doing business; short turnaround times; and the need to increase creativity to meet the demands of our corporate clients.”

Lo continued, “And yet with it all, we still love our work and this dynamic industry and cannot wait to continue to shape it. No matter the distance between us, we have more similarities than differences.”