SYNAXIS MEETINGS & EVENTS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Founder
Charles is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SYNAXIS Meetings & Events. He established SYNAXIS in 1994 building upon a successful twelve-year career in the hospitality industry.
A strong believer in professional association involvement, Charles is a past president of Meeting Professionals International's Southern California Chapter (MPISCC) and a past board member of both the Southern California Society of Association Executives (SCSAE) and SITE Southern California (SITE SoCal). He served on MPI's International board of directors in 2002/2003 and returned to the MPISCC board to serve as Vice President, Leadership Development in 2003/2004.
Over the course of his career Charles has served as both member and chair of numerous industry committees, advisory councils and task forces, including MPI's Professional Development Strategy Group, Student/Faculty Advisory Council, Marketplace Advisory Council and Community of Membership committee. He also served on the SITE Young Leaders Program Committee in 2008.
In addition to his MPI and SITE involvement Charles was a member of the Meetings Focus Content Advisory Board and the APEX Standards Review Committee as well as on the advisory boards of Special Events magazine, The Meeting Professional magazine and the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau.
As an industry speaker, trainer and panelist, Charles has facilitated forums and spoken to organizations including MPI chapters, convention and visitors bureaus, colleges and universities, sales forces and allied industry associations. His topics have included International Meeting Planning, Meeting Planning Basics, The CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) Process, Planner/Supplier Issues, Negotiation, Crisis Management, Getting The Most out of Professional Association Involvement, and Working with Not-for-Profit Organizations.
Charles has received three of MPISCC's top awards, named "Planner of the Year" in 2000, "Chapter Leader of the Year" in 1999 and "Supplier of the Year" in 1995 and was recognized with the chapter's President's Award in 2002 and the Past President Award in 2013. He was the inaugural recipient of the Western Regional "Allied Association Award" from the International Special Events Society Greater Los Angeles Chapter (ISES-LA) in 1999 and was recognized as a "Rising Star" in the July 1997 issue of "The Meeting Professional" magazine.
He was twice a finalist for MPI's Marion N. Kershner Memorial Chapter Leader award, formerly presented annually to an MPI member who motivated others, stimulated volunteer functions and acted as a catalyst to cause exceptional results that influenced the life of that individual's respective MPI chapter, based on continuous chapter involvement, commitment, and achievement.
Charles is recognized as having achieved the industry's highest standards of professionalism, successfully passing the Certified Meeting Professional exam in 1994. The CMP designation is the foremost certification program of today's meetings, conventions, and expositions industry.
Our in-house "budget guru", Joseph was born in Hong Kong, educated in Canada, and is fluent in both English and Cantonese.
A graduate of the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, holding a Bachelors Degree in Computing and Information Science, Joseph brings a wealth of experience in business and financial management, computer programming, insurance marketing and sales, customer service, and client relations. He joined SYNAXIS as partner and chief financial officer in January 2002 and is responsible for the company's financial planning and management and maintenance of financial records.
He oversees and manages the budget development process from start to finish for our clients' meetings and events and creates customized financial reports to client specifications. With Joseph's computer skills and financial background our clients can rest assured that there will be no negative financial surprises.
Besides serving as president and chief financial officer, Joseph manages many of the company's larger projects from concept to completion as well as directly managing the company's departments specializing in corporate incentive programs and promotional products. He is constantly researching new locations, destinations, venues, and products to satisfy our clients' ever-changing needs.
Prior to joining SYNAXIS Joseph worked as an extension of the team as a subcontractor on various projects. His exceptional organizational skills and eye for detail ensures that all events are carried out with precision. Joseph was an active volunteer with Meeting Professionals International both on the international level as well as serving the local Southern California chapter. He is well respected for his professionalism, friendliness, and helpfulness. His talents and skills bring a multitude of creative and exciting ideas to all our events.