News

Courtesy Associates Ranks #1 Among Washington, DC-Area
Meeting Planners for Second Year in a Row

WASHINGTON, DC – December 13, 2004 – Courtesy Associates, a global conference management firm that has been serving clients for over 57 years, has again been ranked the number one meeting and event planning firm in the Washington, DC metropolitan area by the Washington Business Journal (WBJ).

Listed for years by WBJ among the top three meeting planning firms, Courtesy maintained its position at the top for the second consecutive year according to the publication’s December 3-9, 2004 issue.

"We are proud of our longstanding tradition of service excellence, dedication to clients, and superior quality and consistency," said Courtesy President Sheila Stampfli. "We extend a special thank you to all of our clients who selected us to handle their national and international meetings, events and conferences this past year."

In 2004, Courtesy has handled approximately 784 meetings and events (436 of which were in the DC metro area) with a total overall attendance of 161,000. Courtesy’s wide range of clients includes those in the technology, medical, government and corporate arenas, including trade associations and non-profit entities. Courtesy is a wholly owned subsidiary of SmithBucklin.

About SmithBucklin
SmithBucklin is the world’s largest association management and professional services company providing flexible, tailored full-service management and function/project-specific services to more than 185 trade associations, professional societies, technology user groups and government institutes/agencies. SmithBucklin’s mission is to drive growth and build sustained competitiveness for client organizations. Founded in 1949, the company employs 550 professionals specializing in all phases of association activity including executive management, member and chapter administration, convention and trade show management, marketing and branding, Web services, education and programs, government relations and financial management. SmithBucklin manages more than $200 million in annual client budgets from offices in Chicago, Washington, DC, and St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.smithbucklin.com or call 1.800.539.9740.