Karen Lawrence, CMP is an entrepreneur and owner of It's My Affair, LLC.   Since starting It's My Affair in 2002, Karen has brought her considerable talents and her unique sense of style to corporate and social meetings, conferences and special events.

Karen has been recognized in the industry as one of 101 Meeting Professionals to watch by ConventionSouth, a meeting planning industry magazine and was awarded a certificate for outstanding professionalism, creativity and dedication to the meetings and convention industry.   She received an award for "Outstanding Project Chair of the Year" in 2004 for her work on the Lake Norman Chamber Business Expo and most recently received the "Sam's Club Emerging Entrepreneur Award".  Karen has been honored by her peers and the Business Today publication as being one of the top Women Business Leaders in the Golden Crescent 2008.

Karen uses her talents to give back to her community and has served on several charitable and civic committees.   Her past participation includes the Executive Committee for the National Business Women's Week Alliance in Charlotte, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Campaign, the Minority Business Leadership Institute Advisory Board and United Way-Lake Norman.   Currently, she serves on the board of directors of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce and the United Way Women's Leadership Initiative committee.  She is a member of WIPP (Women Impacting Public Policy) and Meetings Professional International (MPI).