NEC Keynote Speakers
Be Inspired and Learn from Industry Experts
Our keynote addresses will inspire and share trends that government meeting professionals need to know. Learn more about the educational sessions and our full schedule.
Opening Keynote: Michael Dominguez
Michael Dominguez is Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer for MGM Resorts International. In this role, he provides executive oversight for the global sales strategies of the company’s 42,000 hotel rooms and its 3 million square feet of meeting space (more meeting space found than in all of New York City). Dominguez also leads the company’s industry relations and MGM Resorts Event Productions’ efforts.
Prior to joining MGM Resorts in 2012, Dominguez was Vice President of Global Sales for Loews Hotels & Resorts, where he oversaw sales efforts for 18 luxury hotels in the U.S. and Canada starting in 2008. He began his hospitality career working with Hyatt in 1984.
Dominguez actively serves in various leadership roles in the meetings and events industry and currently serves as the Immediate Past Chairman on the International Board of Directors for Meeting Professionals International. His most recent appointment is to the Board of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation Board.
Among his other achievements, Dominguez was named one of Meetings Focus’ 2014 Meetings Trendsetters, among the “50 Influentials” in the 2013 HispanicBusiness.com’s annual list, one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in Business in North America by Hispanic Business Magazine, and one of the “25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry” by Successful Meetings Magazine.
Closing Keynote: Crystal Washington
The Future of Technology for Event Professionals
Crystal Washington will present the closing keynote address on “The Future of Technology for Event Professionals.” Crystal Washington, CSP, works with organizations that want to leverage technology to increase profits and productivity!
As a technology strategist and certified futurist, Crystal takes complex social media, app, and web topics, and makes them easy to understand and accessible for everyday people.
Crystal’s clients comprise Fortune 500 companies including Google, Microsoft, and GE and as a sought-after keynote speaker, she has entertained and educated audiences around the globe.
She has appeared in numerous publications including Entrepreneur, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Forbes and is regularly called on by major television networks as a tech expert.
Crystal is the author of the books, One Tech Action: An Efficiency Guide for Busy Nontechie Professionals to get More Done, Build Better Relationships, and Enjoy More Free time and The Social Media Why: A Busy Professional’s Practical Guide to Using Social Media Including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+ and Blogs for Business.