Strategic Partnerships though Sponsorship

Shelley E. Griffin
Shelley E. Griffin is a well-respected industry leader with over twenty years experience. She founded Griffin Conference Group, a full-service meeting planning company, in 2005. Prior to that, she served as the Conference Manager for the Archaeological Institute of America.

Shelley was an instructor in the Meeting Management Certificate Program at Bentley College where she taught “Negotiating Techniques for Meeting Professionals.”

She has been an active member of both MPI and PCMA for numerous years. In fact, she worked to establish the New England Chapter of PCMA and served as its first president.

Shelley earned a Bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin. She is married and has a 15 year old daughter.

Valerie McSorley
Valerie McSorley has produced special events for nearly fifteen years. Her background is very diverse and includes conference producing, meeting planning, tradeshow coordination, golf tournaments, fundraising galas, corporate and non-profit events. Most recently she was the Special Events Manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

Throughout her career, she has developed events with a variety of high-level organizations including the Boy Scouts of America, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, as well as designing an exhibit booth which was used at the Tweeter Center for Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow and The Dave Matthews Band summer concerts.

Additionally, one of her conferences was featured as a segment on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. Valerie's events have also been mentioned in numerous industry publications as well as the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Business Journal, Boston Globe, Boston Metro, and Boston Magazine. Valerie was also a contributing writer to New England Corporate Events magazine and had four articles published.

Valerie was also named one of the Top 10 Event Planners in Boston for 2006 by Women's Business Boston. Event planning and production is her true passion and she brings a fresh approach to every project she chooses to collaborate on.

Valerie holds two BA's from Binghamton University in Economics and Sociology. She is also a past member of the International Special Events Society, ISES and a past President of the Downton Boston Chapter of Business Network International, BNI.