A much loved friend, an MPIGNY(Meeting Planners International New York) Past President, mentor to many in the speaking industry, a highly respected businesswoman and aspiring comedienne, passed away last November.
Tonight at one of her favorite comedy clubs, many of Laurie's friends honored her and it truly felt like she was in the room with us. Several sang, read poems and most of the fun was remembering her with an anecdote many shared and everyone in the room could relate to -as we knew her.
Laurie's company was Programs Plus International–and as she would say " Your boutique resource for Speakers, Entertainment and Trade Show Booth Attractions" and my favorite logo of hers was:
"We help make your meetings RED HOT….while you stay real cool"
I had the great opportunity to meet Laurie a lifetime ago when I moved to New York through our mutual friend Mark Edelstein (now of Douglas Elliman Real Estate) and we did quite a few projects together and also became good friends.
She is missed by so many and has left a strong imprint on the people she touched with her professionalism, humor and making everyone feel special and important.
As one person said,'When you walked into an event and Laurie saw you, 'she made you feel like you were the only person in the room'–and she would always say: "who can I introduce you to?" How can I help you?
She was a great 'Net worker' although she would say to me–"I'm just a connector"—and I would say "Laurie–that is a strong part of networking!' and we would laugh.
Here is a picture of her RED HOT trademark and also a picture of our mutual friend Diane DiResta, President of DiResta Communications DiResta Communications –Communicating with Impact!
Website: http://www.diresta.com who gave a lovely tribute on behalf of National Speakers Association.
I will always remember Laurie with fondness.
Her humor was refreshing. She was a joy to be around.