Three Cheers

There are things worse than standing up in front of a group of people and speaking, but as far as I’m concerned, most of them involve bleeding.

Perhaps I exaggerate, but handing out Incentive’s 14th annual Sales Excellence Awards at the IMRA Marketing Conference in San Diego Tuesday night was a little more enjoyable than usual, and not because I was in San Diego (it was cold).

It was because I got to say a very public thank you to someone who has made my life, and if you’re in the incentive industry in any way, probably your life, a lot easier. And despite the fact that we had six Waterford crystal vases onstage for a ceremony with only five awards— and the fact that she was the one who set those awards out—she had no idea it was coming.

The sixth one went to Kate Marie, who formally became the executive director of IMRA at the show, removing the “IT” after her title that stood for “in training.” Anyone who has dealt with IMA, or with IMRA, or any of the other IMA special interest groups, knows that Kate is a phenomenon and we’re all lucky to have her.

As a journalist with 15 years of experience, I’ve dealt with many, many people who do roughly what Kate does for thousands of groups, corporations and government agencies, and I say unequivocally she’s one of the best.