PAI Spotlight
Amanda Rummel
Meeting planning is not the career I ever thought I would have. I originally went to James Madison University to study music (I had played the clarinet for seven years), but I changed my major a few times after deciding a career in music was not for me—first to business, then communications—before finally discovering the Department of Technical and Scientific Communications. By the time I graduated JMU, the department had rebranded to Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication.
Shortly after graduating, I accepted a job at PAI Consulting as an editor. I liked the editing part of my position, but I also became interested in the organizational projects floating around: preparing meeting materials, creating maps of meeting spaces and venues, and procuring odds and ends for various functions. I appreciated that this work was hands‑on and how my editing eye gave me an extra boost that helped me excel in those tasks. I also realized every meeting has its own personality, and I enjoyed the variety that brought to the workday.
After a few years at PAI, I took on additional responsibilities associated with meeting and conference planning, such as managing registration, preparing and sending meeting announcements, coordinating with venues and vendors, conducting site visits, and providing onsite support. Visiting the proposed meeting venue helped me understand how contracting and negotiations work and how all of a venue’s aspects must be evaluated when making a decision on where to hold an event.
After in‑person meetings resumed in 2022 following the COVID–19 pandemic, I became the project manager for a large, biannual meeting PAI Consulting facilitates. At that point, my title also changed to Meeting Planning Specialist. I currently manage all aspects of that meeting and provide support for additional meeting‑related projects. In addition, I recently became a Certified Government Meeting Professional.
I never stopped loving music, though: I played the clarinet with the Hagerstown Municipal Band from 2002–2018. I’m not sure where a degree in music would have taken me, but my journey landed me exactly where I want to be.
Whether you are in the Government or private sector, PAI Consulting experts are here to help with your meeting and conference planning needs.
Back to Meeting Your Needs home.
Do you have questions or concerns about meetings? Share them with us!
PAI Consulting | Helping you succeed. Learn more.