Brenda Howe, Meeting Manager
As Meeting Manager, Brenda Howe’s responsibilities include managing online registration, maintaining the registration website and leading registration activities onsite for the ASTMH Annual Meeting. She also is the contact for exhibiting and partnership opportunities at the meeting. Ms. Howe has been in the meeting/trade show industry for more than 20 years, and has helped organize shows for medical, food service, business and consumer electronics associations. She has an Associate’s Degree in Science from Morton College in Chicago.
What attracted you to ASTMH and what do you bring to the Society?
From the start it was the ASTMH mission. The Society is dedicated to ending tropical diseases that cause pain and suffering in children and adults from around the world, and the personal sacrifices that members make to follow their passions and beliefs is really inspiring. I love being part of something that makes a difference in the world and my experience helps make the Society a better non-profit association. I have worked for the American Heart Association, American Pediatric Surgical Association and the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine, among others. This has equipped me with plenty of knowledge, confidence and skill to help take ASTMH to the next level.
How long have you been managing registration and how has it changed during that time?
I’ve been in the meetings registration world for 20+ years and managing registration for ASTMH for five years. From a logistics point of view, technology has vastly changed the way attendees register today. In 2016, we introduced print-on-demand, which significantly cut the waiting time for our attendees picking up their registration badges.
What tips can you offer readers who will attend TropMed19 in National Harbor, MD, November 20-24?
Read the “What to Know Before You Go” email sent to every registered attended right before the start of the meeting. It contains the registration desk hours, Wi-Fi information, room locations and other important information. Last-minute attendees should take advantage of the online registration system. It stays open throughout the meeting. Anyone registering online can go directly to badge pickup, avoiding the lines and paperwork! Also, take time to visit the exhibit hall. You never know what or who you will encounter there and you’ll be supporting the people who help us deliver an outstanding meeting of science every year.
You assumed a new role this year managing the Society’s exhibits and sponsors. How’s that working out for you?
I am so happy to receive this responsibility. This new role is allowing me to pull together my creative ideas while providing funding for the Annual Meeting. It’s the best of both worlds! I get such a feeling of accomplishment when I arrive at the Annual Meeting and see all of these ideas come to life, from the signage to the exhibit hall to the bags we give out at the registration desk.