Corporate Meetings & Incentives Names Top 20 "Changemakers" in the Meetings Industry.

NEW YORK -- Corporate Meetings & Incentives([R]), a publication of Penton Media, will release its first-ever list of the "Top 20 Changemakers" in the meetings industry in its upcoming June issue. The list spotlights corporate meeting professionals who have been leaders in the creation of strategic meetings management programs within their companies, and who have gained visibility among senior management by developing companywide meeting policies and practices, leveraging volume and maximizing savings. The list is available on the Web at http://meetingsnet.com/corporatemeetingsincentives/.

"These individuals have set examples for their peers by evolving their roles beyond logistics, to focus on strategy and ROI," said Barbara Scofidio, editor of CMI. "Cognizant of their ability to make a difference, they have also reached out to influence the entire profession as educators and spokespersons, mentors and leaders."

This spring, CMI's editors held an online focus group of readers and created a special industry advisory to identify nominees. The winners come from a variety of industries, ranging from high-technology to manufacturing to pharmaceuticals, and their backgrounds and experiences are just as varied.

"What they have in common is an unstoppable desire to create savings and efficiencies in the way their companies source meetings, and the ability to drive change throughout their organizations," said Scofidio.

For more information, visit the magazine's Web site (www.meetingsnet.com), one of the industry's leading online destinations, providing original content, e-newsletters, trends, analysis, and how-to articles for the meetings and incentive industry.

Corporate Meetings & Incentives is part of MeetingsNet (www.meetingsnet.com), a group of market-specific magazines that includes Association Meetings([R]), Financial & Insurance Meetings([R]), Medical Meetings([R]) and Religious Conference Manager([R]), which serve meeting and incentive planners.

Penton Media, Inc. is the largest independent business-to-business media company in the U.S., serving more than six million business professionals every month. The company's market-leading brands are focused on 30 industries and include 113 trade magazines, 145 Web sites, 150 industry trade shows and conferences, and more than 500 information data products. Headquartered in New York City, the privately held company is owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and its co-investors. For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit www.penton.com.