Dawn M Weikel
Dawn Weikel (Scoville) is an accomplished implementation and operations leader with nearly four decades of experience in the hospitality, association, and event management industries. She began her career in 1987 at age 18, entering the hospitality field shortly after high school in housekeeping at Marriott. Over the following years, she advanced through roles in registration, front desk operations, and ultimately spent eight years in sales, building a strong foundation in customer service, operations, and client relations. Her early career established the hands-on experience and work ethic that would define her professional journey.
After ten years with Marriott, Dawn transitioned into the association sector, where she managed approximately 37 events annually, including large-scale annual meetings and traveling programs. During this time, she balanced a demanding travel schedule while raising her children as a single mother, developing deep expertise in logistics, event execution, and on-site management. She later joined Confron (which evolved through several iterations and is now known as Merits), where she dedicated 22 years to registration and housing management. In this role, she became a trusted on-site expert at conventions, handling registration and hotel bookings for complex, high-volume events before moving into project management leadership until the onset of COVID-19.
Following a brief two-year role at a smaller organization, Dawn joined ConferenceDirect three years ago, where she currently leads and manages a team of nine project managers across the United States, Canada, and Brazil. In this leadership capacity, she focuses on team development, conflict resolution, vendor and budget management, and ensuring her team has the tools and support needed to succeed. Her workday often begins at 5:30 AM and extends into the early evening, reflecting her strong commitment and work ethic. Entirely self-taught through decades of experience rather than formal college education, Dawn credits her growth to the mentors and colleagues who have guided her along the way. A notable and meaningful aspect of her career is that she has spent all 39 years of her professional journey reporting to and being hired by women, a reflection of the leadership environments in which she has thrived and contributed.
• CMP (Certified Meeting Professional)
• Employee of the Month (multiple times at Merits)
• Employee of the Year (multiple times at Merits)
• Just Keep Swimming Award (Dory Award)
• Experient Twinsburg
• Experient - a Maritz Global Events Company
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the people that brought me up and knowing that I was able to take things away from them. And that's not only the good, but the bad - learning from what I shouldn't do from some people, and learning what I should do from others. I've been incredibly fortunate to have learned from amazing women throughout my career. One of my earliest lessons came from Miss Rossi at Marriott when I was just 18 and starting in housekeeping. I stepped over a towel that had fallen off a housekeeping cart, and she picked it up and told me, 'This is a Marriott. We don't step over things, even if you're new. You pick it up, and you put it away.' It was a brand thing, and I've taken that lesson with me through all of my journey - you have to learn what your brand does and doesn't do, and you live by that. I've had the unique experience of never reporting to a man in my entire 39-year career - I've always been hired by and reported to women, and I can literally tell you a story from each and every one of them that resonates with me to this day.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that nobody is going to live or die by what you do, but you have to live and die by what you do. It's the truth you have to be able to live with what you've done. This lesson has guided me throughout my career, reminding me that while my work may not be life or death for others, I have to maintain my own standards and be able to stand behind everything I do. Early in my career at Marriott, Miss Rossi taught me about brand standards when I stepped over a fallen towel in the hallway. She picked it up and told me, 'This is a Marriott. We don't step over things, even if you're new. You pick it up, and you put it away.' That lesson about living by your brand's standards and your own personal standards has stayed with me for decades.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be afraid. Take your chances and listen to your gut. A lot of people just go with what they think they should do because it's what they've read, but that's not necessarily true. You have to go with what feels right, and don't follow money. You need to go with what feels right. You get these people that go with a job because it's got six figures or something like that, but you're not going to be happy if you go for just the money. You have to go with what you can live with and what's going to give you the good work-life balance. I've learned this over 39 years in the industry, and I can tell you that following your instincts and prioritizing your well-being over a paycheck will serve you much better in the long run.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now, the biggest challenge is working with what the world is going through and making sure that we pivot enough to where we can succeed. Our industry has gone through a bunch of different things - the pandemic, the wars, and all the economic challenges we're facing. The economics is probably the best way to say it. But the thing that works really well for us is that the event and hospitality industry is a family. They help each other out as best they can, as long as they can do it financially. If you've ever gone onto LinkedIn and looked at people in the events industry or the hospitality industry, when we lose one person, everybody feels it, regardless if you knew them or not. You will see hundreds of people acknowledging that person and what they did, because we know they did something to influence others. The camaraderie of the industry is just amazing, and it always has been. It truly is a family - I see people that I started working with over 30 years ago, and they still remember me even though I have a different last name now.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, respect, and integrity.