Jonathan T. Howe

JONATHAN T. HOWE, ESQ. is the President/Senior Partner of Howe & Hutton, Ltd., a law firm with offices in Chicago, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. He has written hundreds of articles, papers and books, and has spoken to organizations all over the world on all manner of legal issues. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in diplomatic history and international political science with honors from Northwestern University and his Juris Doctorate from Duke University where he was first in his graduating class.

He serves as general counsel for Meeting Professionals International and the International Special Events Society, among others. He also is general counsel for the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives and for the prestigious Association Committee of 100 sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is a fellow and member of the International Forum of Travel and Tourism Advocates and is a founder, President and board member of the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys. He is the legal editor for MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS and THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL magazines. His M&C column, Law and the Planner, was named the best monthly trade publication column by the Society of Business Publication Editors. He is the special advisor to the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Meetings and Travel and served as a member of its Task Force on Membership Benefits for Disabled Lawyers. He served as the first chair of the Convention Industry Council APEX panel on industry contracts.

He is the recipient of the prestigious Meeting Professionals International Industry Award for his service to and advancement of the meetings industry. Most recently, the Chicago Area Chapter of MPI awarded Jon its industry award for his dedicated and significant contribution to the meetings industry. On its 15th anniversary of publishing, he was named in 1992 by MEETING NEWS as one of 15 leaders who have made the difference in the meetings industry. The Chicago Society of Association Executives selected Jon as its Associate Member of the Year. He is the first and only nonmember to receive the President's Award of the Religious Conference Management Association for his dedicated and professional services to the meetings, conventions, tradeshow and travel industry. Since 1995 when MEETING NEWS began to list the 25 most influential people in the meetings industry, Jon has been named almost every year. He is also a Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives.

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International honored Jon as the recipient of its HSMAI Foundation PaceSetters Award for vision and cutting edge accomplishments that have inspired countless others to think "outside the box."

He is one of the few lawyers in the United States to have argued before the United States Supreme Court.