John Foster JD, CHME

JOHN S. FOSTER, ESQ. CHME is an attorney, speaker, author and legal counsel whose firm FOSTER, JENSEN & GULLEY specializes in the legal aspects of meetings & conventions, trade shows & events, and association management. He has been an associate or general counsel for over nine hundred (900) individuals, national and regional associations and companies since 1986 and has been named as one of the 25 most influential people in the meetings industry by MeetingNews. His peers have also voted John a Special Recognition Award as “Corporate Member of the Year” through the Georgia Society of Association Executives (GSAE). Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Members voted John special recognition as its “Author of the Year” for his frequent contributions to Convene magazine. John has also been selected as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) peer-to-peer assistance program, a select member of the MPI Advisory Panel, and a Platinum Speaker for Meeting Professionals International (MPI). John is the author of the soon to be published “Hotel & Facility Contracts: A Field Guide and Best Practices for Meeting & Event Professionals”.

John is a former outside counsel for Meeting Professionals International (MPI) for industry contracts and other legal issues. He is also a co-founder of the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys (AHIA) and a legal reviewer for the APEX Contracts Task Force.

John’s professional experience includes twelve (12) years as a director of sales and marketing for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, and Holiday Inns and he holds the Certified Hospitality Marketing Executive (CHME) designation from HSMAI. He is also a volunteer with the Georgia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and a member of the Christian Legal Society (CLS).