Melissa Milione, CMP, CPCE, is Corporate Director of Events for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. She supports all of the colleagues who sell and coordinate catering and conference services for all of Hyatt’s full-service hotels in the Americas. In addition, she is responsible for developing and executing all training, delivering innovative technology to support events and developing talent for the hotels. She leads Hyatt’s Strategic Event Partner team. A graduate of Virginia Tech’s Feiertag Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Melissa has over 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry in all areas of F&B management, hotel sales and convention services. As a Director of Catering her teams have twice been named Catering/CS team of the Year for Hyatt Hotels and she was named Director of Catering/CS of the Year for large hotels in 2008. She is actively involved in Hyatt’s Commercial Services Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Melissa is an active member of NACE and MPI. She is Past President of MPI North Florida and a trainer for the chapter’s CMP Study Group. Melissa has been recognized by MPI North Florida as Supplier of the Year twice (2012 and 2018) and received the distinguished Presidents Award (2011). Active in her community, Melissa volunteers in local schools and is Chairperson of the Professional Advisory Board for the Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Virginia Tech.