 highest recommendation as meeting planners and a company that consistently takes away the stress of negotiating incredible guest room rates with all hotels."
CCI has been working with Crowe Dreambuilders for 18 years to help produce their large network marketing events. These events are held four times a year and attract over 4,000 people for each event. CCI handles all aspects of these events flawlessly and has become an integral partner within this organization.
"A heartfelt thank you seems like such a small thing in the big scheme of things. None of our nearly 140 sales executives could have enjoyed the learning and networking opportunities at our annual National Sales Meeting without the hard work you and your team provided for us. I know you are usually the "unsung hero" working behind the scenes, but you helped me see just what it takes to get everything done behind those scenes. You guys are the best ever."
"Finding the perfect hotel that is affordable based on our budget is a tough job to do by ourselves. So, for over 8 years, we have worked with Convention Connections, Inc. We trust them and have developed such a great relationship with their team. CCI takes all of the stress out of planning a conference. They negotiate all of our hotel contracts and have developed clauses which protect us in every way. They are a true business partner. We just have to have them!"
"Continuously, national meeting planners tell me Convention Connections, Inc. is the best that they have ever had the pleasure to work with.... Without hesitation, there is no one better."
"My company has been using the services of Convention Connections, Inc. for many years. From the arrival of our hotel contracts to the conclusion of our events, they take care of all of the details flawlessly. Convention Connections, Inc. makes your business their business. They always go "the extra mile." I don't know how we ever managed without them."
— Deann Verdier, President, Sugarloaf Mountain Works, Inc.
"A special thank you to the staff at Convention Connections, Inc. (CCI), for handling every last detail of the inaugural VCU Energy and Sustainability Conference. The conference was a huge success and we attribute your role as our total conference manager as a key element to that success. Your personalized service, conference expertise, and commitment to excellence were evident throughout the planning and executing of the conference. As the Conference Chairman for this important conference, I look forward to partnering with CCI in the future."
"Convention Connections has always provided our organization with prompt and professional attention. I am confident in their knowledge of the industry and find comfort in knowing they have negotiated well for us."
"The greatest gift you could give anyone is the great job you always do helping to organize our conferences. You make it seem effortless and everything always runs smooth. I hope we will work together soon."
"We find Convention Connections, Inc. to be very professional, very affable, and their conference planning knowledge is second to none. I am constantly hearing wonderful comments from the people in my organization about their pleasant personality and can-do attitude. Convention Connections, Inc. receives my highest recommendation as meeting planners. They are constantly looking for ways to save the client time and money."
— John Crowe, President, URAssociation and Crowe Dreambuilders, Inc.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your work as Conference Managers for the VCU Energy and Sustainability Conference in Richmond, Virginia. Your dedication to excellence, perseverance, and flexibility in working with the Planning Committee as we developed this first-time conference contributed to a great success. Your knowledge of green and sustainable meeting practices was very helpful in executing the vision of this conference. We look forward to working with you in the future. Thanks again for your hard work."
Copyright © Convention Connections, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Guests: Susan Page, Bill Richardson, Peter King, John Kyl, Howard McKeon, Ron Christie, Mark Green
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Who‘s got the action? The Republicans are in the fight now. Which one‘s moving ahead? And how ready are these guys to really take on Hillary or Obama, or whoever?
Let‘s play HARDBALL.
Good evening. I‘m Chris Matthews. The first round is over, but the real battle is just beginning. The 10 Republicans who met last night for their first presidential debate had plenty to say about Ronald Reagan but very little to say about the man they‘re looking to succeed, George W. Bush. Tonight we‘ll hear from the top three Republican campaigns, Giuliani, McCain and Romney, who‘s up and who‘s down in the GOP field and how they stack up against their Democratic rivals.
Plus, the Republicans held their debate as the national debate over Iraq rages on. On Thursday—yesterday—Senator Hillary Clinton proposed Congress repeal that authorization of October 2002 that gave President Bush the right to invade Iraq. We‘re going to talk about the Clinton plan, if you will, with one of her rivals for the Democratic nomination, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico.
We begin with the first-in-the-country Republican debate. HARDBALL‘s David Shuster has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID SHUSTER, HARDBALL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In front of Nancy Reagan and in their first debate of this presidential campaign, the 10 Republicans largely ignored President Bush while stampeding to embrace the legacy of President Reagan, mentioning him 19 times.
TOMMY THOMPSON, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The great thing about Ronald Reagan was he was a uniter.
MITT ROMNEY ®, FORMER MASS. GOV., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It‘s that optimism we thank Ronald Reagan for.
SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R-KS), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe in the Ronald Reagan principle.
SHUSTER: The world, however, is far different than it was 25 years ago. The current Republican president has low approval numbers, and most Americans say the war in Iraq was a mistake.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The war was terribly mismanaged. The war was terribly mismanaged.
SHUSTER: But John McCain also harshly attacked Democrats.
MCCAIN: When the majority leader of the United States Senate says we‘ve lost the war, the men and women that are serving in Iraq reject that notion. And if we lost, then who won? Did al Qaeda win?
SHUSTER: The other front-runners, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, tackled their vulnerabilities on social issues. Many conservatives are squeamish about Romney‘s evolving views on abortion.
ROMNEY: Well, I‘ve always been personally pro-life, but for me, it was a great question about whether or not government should intrude in that decision.
SHUSTER: But in fact, in the 1990s, Romney stated unequivocally that government should protect abortion rights.
ROMNEY: I said I was wrong and changed my mind and said I‘m pro-life. And I‘m proud of that and I won‘t apologize to anybody for becoming pro-life.
SHUSTER: Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani was asked whether it would be good for America if the Supreme Court repealed the case legalizing abortion.
RUDY GIULIANI ®, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE:
It‘d be OK.
CHRIS MATHEWS, MSNBC, MODERATOR: OK to repeal?
GIULIANI: It would be OK to repeal. It‘d be OK also if a strict constructionist judge viewed it as precedent.
SHUSTER: A few minutes later, Giuliani hedged again.
GIULIANI: States should make their decision. Some states decide to do it. Most states decide not to do it. And I think that‘s the appropriate way to—to have this decided.
SHUSTER: Then in his third response, he finally offered clarity.
GIULIANI: Ultimately, since it is an issue of conscience, I would respect a woman‘s right to make a different choice.
SHUSTER: Among the second-tier candidates, the debate was a good one for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee has been making inroads among Christian conservatives.
MIKE HUCKABEE ®, FORMER ARKANSAS GOV., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I
tell people up front, my faith does affect my decision process. It explains me. No apology for that.
SHUSTER: And on top of a personable and articulate style, Huckabee provided the debate with the funniest one-liner. The question was whether the Constitution should be changed so that a foreign-born citizen like Arnold Schwarzenegger could run for president.
HUCKABEE: This would be not a good start, to do it that way.
MATTHEWS: So that‘s a no. Three no‘s in a row.
HUCKABEE: That‘s a no. After I‘ve served eight years as president, I‘d be happy to change the Constitution for Governor Schwarzenegger.
(LAUGHTER)
MATTHEWS: (INAUDIBLE) 3 to 1!
SHUSTER: In this first GOP