Elevate: Performance, Presence & Leadership | A Professional Development Workshop 

 

September 10, 2026
12:30 PM CDT - 5:00 PM CDT
Add to Calendar

 

Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop
25 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60661
https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/chicago/chish/hoteldetail
Directions

The event is dedicated to Professional & Personal Development and designed to help attendees elevate their performance,  strengthen their leadership presence, and develop their personal brand.

This interactive program brings together actionable skill-building and executive perspectives, offering both buyers and suppliers practical takeaways they can immediately apply.


Agenda

  • 12:15 – 12:40 PM —  New Member Orientation!
  • 12:00 – 1:00 PM —  Registration Open & Networking
  • 1:00 – 1:30 PM —    Business Meeting
  • 1:30 – 3:00 PM —    Overcoming Perfectionism Workshop with Dr. Greg Chasson
  • 3:00 – 3:30 PM —     Break
  • 4:00 – 5:00 PM —     Business Travel Leadership Panel

What to Expect

Overcoming Perfectionism Workshop | Greg Chasson

Author of Flawed: Why Perfectionism Is a Challenge for Management, Greg Chasson leads an engaging session focused on avoiding perfectionism and its impact at work.

This 90 minute workshop will help attendees learn how to:

  • Maintain high-quality outcomes while minimizing the downsides of perfectionism
  • Increase productivity by reducing procrastination
  • Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy expectations of others
  • Prevent tension and disengagement caused by perfectionist behaviors


Business Travel Leadership Panel | Moderated by Audra Mead

Audra Mead, Chief Culture Officer at Fox World Travel, moderates a panel of industry leaders sharing their perspectives on career growth, self-development, and standing out in a competitive environment.

Attendees will walk away with:

  • Clear ways to elevate their leadership presence and visibility within their organization
  • Practical approaches to continuous self-development and career growth
  • Insight into how senior leaders assess performance, potential, and advancement

Speaker Bios

Circle Image

Dr. Greg Chasson
Professor, The University of Chicago | Licensed & Board-Certified Psychologist | Author & Speaker

Dr. Greg Chasson is a licensed clinical psychologist, board-certified cognitive-behavioral therapist, professor at the University of Chicago, and author of Flawed: Why Perfectionism Is a Challenge for Management. His work focuses on helping leaders and organizations address perfectionism, improve performance, and create lasting behavior change. He has authored more than 70 scientific publications and completed advanced fellowship training at Harvard Medical School. As an international speaker and educator, Dr. Chasson combines behavioral science with practical strategies to help individuals and teams overcome fear, overthinking, and barriers to progress.

Circle Image

Audra Mead
Chief Culture Officer, Fox World Travel

Audra Mead partners with senior leaders to shape organizational strategy through people, culture, and leadership. Throughout her career, she has led initiatives spanning executive development, organizational design, talent strategy, employee engagement, succession planning, and culture transformation. She is passionate about helping leaders strengthen their influence, navigate change, and create environments where people can do their best work. A collaborative facilitator and speaker, Audra brings practical experience and thoughtful perspective to conversations around leadership, organizational effectiveness, career advancement, and continuous professional growth.

Circle Image

Heather Samp
Managing Director, Operations Transformation, American Airlines

Heather Samp is a transformational aviation leader with more than 20 years of experience across Revenue Management, Network & Fleet Strategy, Loyalty, and Operations at American Airlines. She has led major strategic initiatives including the redesign of the AAdvantage program and development of American’s Operations Excellence framework. As Managing Director of Operations Transformation, she partners with senior leaders to advance strategic priorities across the airline. Heather is a recipient of American Airlines’ Circle of Excellence Award, holds a degree in Aviation Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and is a licensed private pilot.

Circle Image

Shannon Byrne Schneider
Director of Global Corporate and Airline Sales, IHG Hotels & Resorts

Shannon Byrne Schneider leads strategic partnership and business development efforts across some of the world’s most influential corporate travel and airline organizations. Throughout her career, she has built innovative growth strategies, strengthened industry partnerships, and helped organizations maximize the value of their travel and meetings programs. Her career reflects a commitment to continuous growth, learning, and delivering results. Shannon is recognized for her collaborative leadership style, deep industry expertise, and ability to build meaningful connections between people and businesses through travel.

Circle Image

Amanda Lello
Director of Procurement & Corporate Professional Services, Medline Industries, LP

Amanda Lello is a procurement leader at Medline Industries with more than 25 years of experience in procurement and supply chain management, specializing in professional services. She leads Medline’s professional services procurement team, developing category strategies, driving sourcing innovation, and strengthening supplier partnerships. Known for her collaborative and data-driven approach, Amanda brings together stakeholders, suppliers, and business leaders to achieve strategic objectives. Since 2006, she has delivered approximately $425 million in savings across more than 40 organizations and is passionate about elevating procurement as a strategic business partner.

Parking Information:

Crowne Plaza West Loop is conveniently located near multiple transit options. For those driving, please note the following:

Self-Parking is available at 727 W. Madison Street, conveniently located directly across from our hotel lobby.

Parking Rates

· Overnight Parking: $57.00

· 8-12 Hours: $27.00

· 0-8 Hours: $23.00

 

Day Parking Validation Process

Guests requiring day parking should visit the Front Desk to pay for and validate their parking. To complete the validation process, guests must provide:

· A valid phone number

· Their vehicle license plate number

 

Please ensure this information is available at the time of validation to avoid any delays.


Thank you to our sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors


Tickets

$100.00 Member registration
$75.00 Earlybird rate before August 21

$150.00 Guest Registration
$130.00 Earlybird rate before August 21

$0.00 Direct Member Registration