A letter from our President

February 2023

This month, River West Meeting Associates is celebrating our 26th anniversary. For me, this anniversary is particularly gratifying. After three challenging years that had such a significant impact on our industry, I am proud to say that we are thriving and moving forward with a renewed sense of optimism and energy.

I am particularly grateful to my colleagues who navigated this difficult time with grace and perseverance. 

When I reflect on 26 years in business, it is the people that we have built partnerships with that stand out the most.  Our clients over the years represent some of the most successful and progressive companies in the world.  Many of the individuals that I have worked with have become dear friends who have included me in their family celebrations and milestones.  I treasure each of those relationships, and I am grateful for their support. 

We have the pleasure of working with many wonderful Travel Directors, who are the face of River West all over the world.  Travel Directors are the unsung heroes of our business.  They are at the desk before the sun rises to greet our meeting attendees and the last to go to bed at the end of the day.  In between those hours, they solve a myriad of problems, both small and large.  Their creativity, stamina and can-do attitudes are what make our meetings successful.  I am forever indebted to each of them for representing us so well.

We have been fortunate to collaborate with outstanding suppliers including Hotels, DMCs, Production Companies, Caterers, Transportation Companies and Entertainers.  It has always been an honor to witness their dedication to making each attendee’s experience memorable.

The River West Team throughout the years has been the backbone of our success.  From the early days of running airline tickets to the FedEx hangar at O’Hare at 11:00 pm and sing-alongs as we stuffed hundreds of meeting packets to navigating virtual meeting platforms, I have been fortunate to surround myself with people who are dedicated to the ideals of our company and to continuing to raise the bar on the service we provide our clients. River West would not exist without their individual and collective talents. I am both humbled by and grateful for each person that I have worked with over the past 26 years.

Since 1997, much has changed in our industry and at River West, but the values that we began with, still remain consistent: 

·       We keep our promises.

·       We respect your deadlines.

·       We do things with style and on budget.

·       We are passionate about your success.

We’re looking forward to the next chapter in our business.

With gratitude,

Mary Ann Doherty
President