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The Young Leader Summit was held August 10-11 in San Diego and it went off with a bang. As you stood there at the registration table, looking across the 48 registrants, you noticed many characteristics, however one stood out the most, the eagerness to gain knowledge. The Summit began by welcoming the participants to a “Speed-Date the Planner” session. Eight seasoned planners volunteered their time to give their expertise to the determined Young Leaders. No question was off limits, which provided real, straight forward questions about the industry and how to tackle certain situations.
 The next morning, we opened up with our first keynote speaker, Robyn M. Mietkiewicz. It was great to have Robyn right off the bat because she is a fellow young leader herself. She is a Senior Manager, Accounts & Global Meeting Management for Meeting Sites Resource. “Accomplishing Your Goals – A Roadmap for Success” set the tone for the entire Summit and it started the young minds thinking about how they were going to make the positive changes in their lives to further their careers.
Next came a panel of experts in the area of Hoteliers, DMC, Third Party Buyer, and CVB. These professionals were given grueling questions from the young leaders. These suppliers offered value information for both YL suppliers and buyers. Then we got a little air, and transferred over to the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center for a team building opportunity. YL’s learned about different types of wines, as well as the chance to blend different wines together to produce our own taste that was pleasant to everyone’s palate. The award winning team produced their own wine as well as their spicy name and label for their bottle. What a perfect chance to learn a bit, but have loads of fun at the same time.
 To end our day and motivate our Young Leaders, Larry Gelwix spoke on “The Five Championship Strategies for Sustainable Success”. Known as the “Winningest Coach in America”, Larry challenged each and every person to make minor adjustments in your team/life, and success will arise. You may have heard Larry’s story recently in the movie theaters, which a film called “Forever Strong” was made on Larry Gelwix and his 405-10 record. “Larry spoke on things that are very apparent to me and my life, and it has motivated me to take the 7 Day Challenge”, says Young Leader, Erin Norminton.
The SoCal Chapter has really set the bar on the Young Leader program with their first Young Leader Summit. “Events like these bring our peers together to solve issues, brainstorm ideas, and motivate each other, which is the greatest possible education”, says Young Leader Christi Evans.
 Thank you to the SITE SoCal Young Leader Committee, your hard work and dedication is unsurpassed. Please be on the lookout for YL events in the fall.
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