Jessica LaPointe

Experience

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  National Multiple Sclerosis Society, CT Chapter

  Jul 2008 - Jan 2011

  Development Coordinator

  • Plan and execute all logistics for two Bike MS Cycling events per year• Recruit, train and coordinate schedule for 125 volunteers per event• Cultivate and grow relationships with members of cycling community, event participants, event volunteers, sponsors and vendors• Increase and publicize event participation through database management, e-communications, recruitment mailings, website management, while performing prompt follow up regarding event inquiries and participant questions • Increase rider participation by 18% and funds raised by 21% from 2008 Show less

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  Association Resources, Inc.

  Jan 2011 - May 2013

  Meeting Planner

  • Lead meeting planner for four clients including company’s third largest client• Lead meeting planner for four clients including company’s third largest client• Responsible for all meeting logistics and vendor relations• Coordinate sponsorship acquisition and oversee sponsorship fulfillment• Collaborate with association volunteers and leadership to create, build and promote meeting program content• Maintain registration records in database and report weekly on meeting statistics• Perform pre-meeting speaker communications and post-meeting follow up for all conferences for up to 65 speakers per conference• Coordinate exhibits programs for each client up to 75 exhibitors per conference• Responsible for the implementation of pilot continuing education credit barcode scanning system for 500 attendee workshop• Plan, build and ship “meeting in a box” packages for six remote bi-annual workshops for up to 90 attendees each• Produce post-meeting summary reports including budget, attendance, evaluation results, etc. Show less

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  Solomon & Associates Event Management

  May 2013 - Jan 2016

  • Lead meeting planner for four major clients in the corporate and non-profit fields• Serve as co-lead for up to 15 other events per year• Responsible for building and submitting RFP’s to contract for meeting space for up to 15 domestic and international meetings held monthly for a large telecommunications client• Perform contract negotiations on behalf of each client with hotels, catering, decor and other vendors• Build and maintain a detailed budget for each meeting and event• Construct and maintain registration websites for each client meeting (up to eight annually)• Order all food and beverage and audio visual equipment for each client meeting based on meeting requirements while adhering to budget constraints• Create and oversee rooming lists for each client meeting• Coordinate transportation for meeting VIP’s, offsite events and airport transfers• Act as point of contact for all attendees regarding registration, hotel and travel questions prior to and during meeting• Oversee client meetings while onsite including staffing registration, ensuring all audio visual needs are met and working with the hotel so that all food and beverage functions are executed correctly• Responsible for budget reconciliation, expense reporting and client billing after each meeting• Manage up to 2 staff members and 1 intern Show less • Lead meeting planner for three major clients in the corporate and non-profit fields• Responsible for building and submitting RFP’s to contract for meeting space for up to six domestic and international meetings held semi-annually for a large telecommunications client• Perform contract negotiations on behalf of each client with hotels, convention centers and other vendors• Build a detailed budget for each meeting and event• Construct and maintain registration websites for each client meeting (up to five annually)• Order all food and beverage and audio visual equipment for each client meeting based on meeting requirements while adhering to budget constraints• Create and oversee rooming lists for each client meeting• Coordinate transportation for meeting VIP’s, offsite events and airport transfers• Act as point of contact for all attendees regarding registration, hotel and travel questions prior to and during meeting• Oversee client meetings while onsite including staffing registration, ensuring all audio visual needs are met and working with the hotel so that all food and beverage functions are executed correctly• Responsible for budget reconciliation, expense reporting and client billing after each meeting Show less

  • Manager, Conferences & Events

    Jul 2014 - Jan 2016

  • Senior Planner, Conferences & Events

    May 2013 - Jan 2016
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  Carlson Wagonlit Travel

  Feb 2016 - Jan 2018

  Senior Planner

  • Full time onsite meeting planner for large healthcare company client of CWT• Responsible for meeting logistics, budget management, attendee registration, venue sourcing, vendor management and expense reconciliation for internal and client-facing meetings• Build RFPs and source all venues including hotels, restaurants, convention centers and special events venues as well as external vendors including production, catering, decor, transportation and Destination Management Companies. • For each meeting manage logistics documents, vendor orders and schedules, attendee rooming lists, group transportation and other event specific details• In 2017 was lead planner for 32 internal and client-facing meetings including largest internal event with 550 attendees• In 2017 managed total meeting spend of $685,000 while exceeding goal of negotiated meeting costs savings of 35%• Assistant subject matter expert for for QuickMobile Meeting App• For each meeting leveraging the Meeting App, responsible for coordinating content build, launch and management of onsite attendee usage Show less

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  Cigna

  Jan 2018 - Nov 2022

  Senior Meeting Manager

  • Responsible for contract negotiation, logistics, budget management, attendee registration, venue sourcing and expense reconciliation for up to 15 events annually• Build RFPs and source all venues and vendors including hotels, restaurants, convention centers, production, transportation, decor and branded materials • Partner with production vendor to ensure all technical needs are met for each program to include in-person and virtual components• Collaborate effectively with clients in cross functional teams to ensure project goals are executed flawlessly with special attention given to the attendee experience• Create, oversee and reconcile all meeting budgets up to $1.2 million• For each meeting responsible for building and launching an event website in Cvent to manage all attendee registrations and event communications 2022 Highlights:• Built and managed three CrowdCompass Meeting Event Apps for two largest client-facing programs (200 - 600 attendees) and largest internal facing program (650 attendees) • Named Meeting Services department subject matter expert for PGi GlobalMeet platform and CrowdCompass Meeting App.• Built and produced six virtual webcast events in PGi GlobalMeet including our first bi-lingual (French) webcast broadcasted to over 600 attendees2021 Highlights:• Served as Project Lead for converting all department files from a hard copy system to a digital Sharepoint filing system • Built and produced eight virtual webcasts in PGI GlobalMeet including four where members of our Leadership team participated as speakers 2020 Highlights:• Played a key role in newly created Virtual Event Taskforce to source and implement a new virtual event platform for Cigna (PGi GlobalMeet)• Led the on-boarding of PGi GlobalMeet as the preferred webcast platform for to include collaborating with Sourcing on contract negotiations, creating “how to” training plan and best practices manual for meetings department Show less

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  University of Connecticut

  Nov 2022 - Jul 2023

  Category Manager, Business Support Services

  • Responsible for the administration, performance and management of all procurement strategies relating to business operations related goods and services for all University of Connecticut Campuses • Manage the Business Support Services category which includes 45 commodity codes and an annual spend of $16.5 million• Partner with internal stakeholders across all departments to source goods and services that meet their business needs, while maintaining policy and threshold compliance during the entire bidding and procurement process• Leverage industry databases and online resources to research alternative purchasing vehicles to include consortia contracts, State of Connecticut contracts and U.S. General Services Administration contracts when applicable • Review all purchase order requests, averaging 230 annually, received through the purchasing portal to ensure pricing, scope and terms abide by University policies, State of Connecticut statutes and payment terms per associated agreements • Exercise knowledge of existing University policies and procedures while negotiating terms and conditions for agreements to ensure State and University compliance while protecting University and fiscal interests • Manage a contract portfolio of over 200 agreements averaging an annual spend of $13.3 million• Track individual contract spend and prepare reports as requested for Board of Directors meetings• Supervise one Purchasing Agent I as part of the Business Support Services team Show less

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  Cigna Healthcare

  Jul 2023 - now

  Contracts & Finance Administrator