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FAR NORTH DALLAS - Most people don't know exactly what they'll be doing 10 years from now.
But working on timelines long and short comes naturally for Ron Trammell and his 14-person team,
Trammell. vice president special events for Dallas-based cosmetics company Mary Kay Inc., leads an in-house effort that organizes every aspect of the company's numerous annual educational and leadership meetings.
But the biggest event of the Mary Kay year takes place each summer in downtown Dallas, where back-to-back conventions attract nearly 60,000 people to the company's annual Seminar event.
It's unusual for an event of this size to be managed by an in-house staff. Most companies turn to a host of specialists to oversee part or all of their conventions.
"We get the most bang for the buck if we put it together ourselves," Trammell says, although outside vendors do have a role. About 500 corporate employees also volunteer their time.
The Dallas Convention Center is booked 10 years out for the massive undertaking, and work on the next year's events begins almost the moment the last convention of the current year's final session draws to a close.
The theme is selected a year out. At the same time, the company works on lodging requests with downtown hotels and the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau.
"That's typically not a problem in Dallas in July and August," Trammell says. This year, 14 hotels housed conference attendees.
Soon after the annual event, about 25 key Mary Kay employees meet with the event's suppliers, vendors and others to discuss possible improvements for the next year.
Six months before the event, the pace quickens and meetings become weekly.
First, the group, decides what the musical entertainment will be throughout the three-day...