Hospitality Lifestyles
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Passion and Hospitality of a Small Business Owner
By Doug Baarman On a recent trip to Europe, I had the pleasure of visiting hotels and spending time in beautiful towns throughout western Italy. Upon meeting the owner of a small shop in Sorrento, Italy – I realized he demonstrated what all small business owners must...
Giving Back in the Hospitality Industry
By Doug Baarman I lead a team of independent meeting planners in the hospitality industry. This summer, I’ve made the decision to work on the third pillar of our team’s mission- ‘giving back’. I am taking time away from the office for personal reasons and it is not...
Hospitality Professionals: Lessons from a High School Graduation
By Doug Baarman Recently, I had the pleasure of stepping away from my meeting and event planning world to enjoy my daughter’s high school graduation. Graduation is defined as: “a person who successfully completed a course of study or training.” From my personal...
ConferenceDirect Announces Team Director of the Year
Doug Baarman Receives Award for top performance and leadership for fourth consecutive year Doug Baarman, Senior Vice President of Sales was recognized for the fourth year in a row as ConferenceDirect’s Team Director of Year. He was honored at the ConferenceDirect...
Why Did You Become an Independent Meeting Planner?
By Doug Baarman Those that follow my posts know that I lead an incredible team of independent meeting planners based around the United States and Canada. Most of them made the move from employee of a corporation or organization, so this was their first experience in...
Listen, Learn and Grow as a Hospitality Industry Professional
By Doug Baarman A few friends (and fellow entrepreneurs) along with our families recently vacationed together. It turned out to be one of my most educational experiences in many years…and all I did was listen. Prior to being around these successful individual business...





