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'Planners are always trying to give their attendees a unique, authentic experience'

An interview with Gina Kenyon, sales and marketing specialist at NIU Conference Centers

Q: Tell us about the NIU Conference Centers.

A: Northern Illinois University was founded 1895 so technically we have been providing education and offering training, meeting and event venues for more than 120 years at our main campus in DeKalb. Wow, that feels so historic. Our regional locations in Naperville, Hoffman Estates and Rockford were each designed to provide state-of the-art facilities to serve the needs of professionals seeking to further their education through NIU coursework as well as those needing quality training, meeting, conference or event space. Our regional centers have provided local meeting venues and education for over 25 years.

Q: What's unique about the venues?

A: Well of course as a university, we are always focused on education and the delivery of knowledge. So certainly everyone that attends a meeting or event at any of our locations benefits from that standard. Our locations are also extremely technology friendly as we regularly connect people at different locations around the globe. However, one thing that never seizes to amaze me is how easy it is to take one of our venues and convert it into gorgeous space for special events, weddings, etc. It is truly transformational.

Q: How do you cater to corporate meetings and events?

A: We have a dedicated team that works tirelessly with your company or organization to schedule and setup meetings or events. We also have staff solely dedicated to catering and on-site setup to ensure all the details are perfect. Finally, our on-site tech support is available to help ensure everything runs smoothly.

Q: What are people in your industry talking about?

A: Planners are always trying to give their attendees a unique, authentic experience. Everyone wants to have memorable meeting or event. We work closely with our clients to create or fulfill their vision but also make suggestions for enhancements that drive better attendee experiences.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

A: I have previously worked for larger hotel chains such as Holiday Inn and Hilton, but most of my career before NIU was with Marriott. The hospitality industry has provided me with wide and diverse experience and training with a significant emphasis on customer service. I moved into the educational conference centers structure 5 years ago and truly love it. I really appreciate how flexible and innovative NIU can be.

Q: Tell us one interesting fact about the venues most people may not know?

A: People see our campus/buildings and often assume that we only offer classes our centers. People don't know that we offer full service conference center space that includes rental of meetings and events venues + catering on a daily basis. We also have an amazing team that is experienced in the meeting and event sector that are solely focused providing fantastic customer service.

NIU Conference Centers

Locations in: Naperville, Hoffman Estates, Rockford, and DeKalb

Owner: Northern Illinois University

Number of employees: Varies based on location

When business opened: 1895

Web address: niuconferences.com

Facebook: facebook.com/ NIUConferenceCenters/

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