Tag Archives: GovEvents.com

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VA held nearly 1,000 conferences during the past two and a half years

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Originally posted by Bob Brewin on NextGov

The Veterans Affairs Department held 948 conferences -- about one per day -- attended by 50 or more employees between January 2009 and June 2012, according to a contract notice posted Friday on the Federal Business Opportunities website seeking outside help analyzing the department's conference planning and spending practices after VA Secretary Eric Shinseki ordered a comprehensive review.

In an Aug. 16 letter to Shinseki, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, pointed out that W. Todd Grams, the department's chief financial officer, disclosed at a Nov. 15, 2011, hearing that VA's conference spending totaled "a little more than $100 million" in fiscal 2011 and $92 million in 2009.

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2nd Annual BBQ Lunch to benefit Wounded Warrior Project and the VA Wounded Warrior Program

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Newport News, VA - BOSH Global Services (BOSH) will host its second annual "BBQ Lunch to benefit Wounded Warrior Project and the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program" on September 14, from 11:00 to 2:00 on the lawn at 1 Compass Way in Newport News, Virginia.  The fundraiser, which is open to the public, will benefit two non-profit organizations dedicated to honoring, empowering and assisting wounded service members.

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Cvent Reveals the Top 50 U.S. Meetings Destinations for 2012

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Originally posted by Terri Hardin on Cvent

Cvent, the leader in cloud-based event management solutions, today announced the top 50 cities for meetings and events in the United States, according to meeting and event booking activity in the Cvent Supplier Network. Cvent operates the number one marketplace for group meetings business in the world, expecting to source $7 billion of meetings business in 2012.

"Meetings and conventions are important revenue generators for cities, supporting not only the meeting venues and hotels, but also local restaurants, entertainment and numerous other businesses within the city," said Bharet Malhotra, Vice President of Sales for the Cvent Supplier Network. "Cvent's role in the meetings ecosystem is to connect venues and planners to facilitate efficient and informed meeting booking. As the single largest marketplace for meetings activity, we have an excellent feel for which cities and properties are popular and growing, and the data to back it up."

Survey: Feds can and should continue attending conferences

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Originally posted by Charles S. Clark on Government Executive

As the Obama administration and Congress continue a crackdown on agency spending for travel and conferences, a clear majority of federal employees believe such gatherings are important and that their supervisors remain open to their participation, a new survey shows.

An online poll conducted in mid-August by Government Executive's research division, the Government Business Council, drew from employees at 30 agencies some 350 usable responses addressing the value of attending conferences at a time of embarrassing news stories detailing overspending at off-site events by agencies such as the General Services Administration and the Veterans Affairs Department.

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Congressman pledges to hold hearings on VA conference spending

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Originally posted by Jolie Lee on Federal News Radio

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.)

Spa treatments, concert tickets, plus helicopter and stretch limo rides -- the initial details in a Veterans Affairs' Office of the Inspector General investigation could overshadow the General Services Administration conference spending scandal.

A House lawmaker said Monday a preliminary investigation by the VA inspector general revealed two VA training conferences last year in Orlando cost the agency $5 million. In comparison, the GSA conference that set off a series of congressional inquiries cost about $820,000.

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