Last month’s meeting was one of our most successful and highest attended thus far. Unfortunately, I was unable to be present, but the feedback I received in regards to the Industry Panel of Experts was overwhelming. Thank you to all of our panelists and the Leadership Development Team, along with our student members for planning this event. Thank you also to the Embassy Suites Brooklyn Center for their Sponsorship. Make sure you register for the February Program at FIVE Event Center in Minneapolis. This month’s meeting is our always popular Roundtable Sessions. Remember to get up early as this program begins with registration at 7am! One of the roundtable topics this year is “Ask the President”. That is right, sit with me and ask me anything you want about MPI, the Board, International, etc. I hope I can answer your questions and am excited to see if anyone really wants to know more about why and how decisions are made. Don’t forget to nominate a fellow MPI MN Member for an EMPI (Excellence in MPI) Award. The nominations for the EMPI’s are almost open and run until early April. The Scholarship Applications are just about ready as well and members can submit their forms until early April. The Scholarships will be a bit different this year in that you can apply for a specific dollar amount and use it toward an International Conference, to get your CMP or CMM, a meeting card or even to pay for your annual Membership. So think long and hard and make sure you apply as soon as possible to be considered for a 2010-2011 Scholarship. You can find out more about the available awards on our website under the Members Resources and Career Center tabs. Also mark your calendar for Thursday, May 20, 2010 for the Annual Awards Banquet. This year’s program will be held at the Treasure Island Resort and Casino’s Island Event Center in Red Wing. The resort has graciously offered to shuttle members to and from the Resort, provide guestrooms at $49 per room for those wishing to stay over and I even heard some rumblings of possible casino dollars for those wishing to play the slots or tables AFTER the banquet is over. Stay tuned as more information is gathered. BE BOLD, BE BRAVE, BE BRILLIANT!!!
This will be short and sweet as hopefully like most of you, my first quarter is crazy-busy! This year’s budgets have been reset and all of last year’s accomplishments still need to be celebrated. I have already been to New Orleans, Amelia Island, soon to be followed by Naples and then San Antonio. Our whole department has been blessed with much work. As my friend said to me this weekend over brunch, I’m glad the 00’s (oh, ohs) are done and look forward to making it a “10” in 2010! May this be your year too!
The first MPI MN events of 2010 kicked off with great attendance numbers. Nearly 50 people attended the new Emerging Leaders Panel Discussion prior to the monthly meeting. Julie Ann Schmidt of Lithium Logistics Group moderated a panel that included Tom McCulloch, Vice President of metroConnections; Tera Fox, Sales Manager at The Saint Paul Hotel; and Tessa Pinkstaff, Conference Coordinator with the Minnesota Society of CPAs. The panelists discussed their respective paths into the industry and shared the best advice they had received during their careers. Afterward, the MPI MN January Monthly Meeting was in full swing, as we had over 175 members and guests in attendance! Leaders Among Us (formerly known as the Mentor Next Door) presented us with Meeting at the Top, which was a panelist discussion on how leaders can influence and capture the attention of key decision makers in their organizations. Mike Lane, of Mike Lane Productions, did a fantastic job as the event facilitator with his thrilling high energy. The panelists included William Morrissey, President of Morrissey Hospitality Inc.; Jack Noble, President of Event Lab; Donna Foppoli-Patrick, CMP, CMM, Manager of Group Meetings, Events & Travel, Medtronic, Inc.; and Daniel J. Young, CLU, ChFC, LLIF, CMP, Director of Event Planning and Field Recognition, Thrivent Financial. These four panelists were able to share with us some of their valuable insights on how to be a successful leader in today's industry. Some of these highlights included:
Our January 2010 meeting was a resounding success filled with optimism and enthusiasm for an exciting year to come. Thank you to the panelists for all of the leadership wisdom they brought to the table. A special thank you to the Leadership Development Committee for an outstanding job well done! Thank you again to The Embassy Suites Brooklyn Center for sponsoring this wonderful event. Happy New Year!
When: Wednesday, February 17, 7:00 am – 9:45 am Roundtable discussions give members a chance to share best practices with others. This is a great opportunity to gain some new ideas and insights. You will have the opportunity to choose two of the fourteen topics. Each roundtable will last 45 minutes. Come and be ready to share and learn. Click here for more topic details and to register online.
When: Monday, February 22, 11:00 am – 1:30 pm FREE to MPI MN members Connect… Collaborate… Communicate! Your MPI Minnesota Chapter is again taking action to help members facing a job transition. Whether you are looking for a new position now or want to take control of a future job shift, keeping current with industry trends and taking full advantage of your MPI membership can be the answer. Hope to see you there! Click here for more information and to register online.
Erin was instrumental in chairing the December Holiday Party as virtually a one person show. She took the challenge on and planned the entire event from start to finish and made executive decisions on how the day would plan out. With everything that goes into the planning of this large event Erin took it on with style, grace, determination and always had a smile on her face. Her communication skills were incredible in working with the other committees to make sure that everything was flawless for all attendees. To thank Erin for her leadership, she will receive a Target gift certificate for $50 sponsored by Red Barn Group and a gift box from Tastefully Simple. Please help us honor Erin and her efforts. Leaders of the Month are nominated by board members. If you know a chapter volunteer that deserves recognition, please share this with your committee’s Board liaisons or any board member.
What would happen if you communicated with your team like The Container Store does with theirs? Would it diminish your stature as a project lead? Not in the least. Instead, it gives everyone on the team all the information needed to be successful. When I managed the user conferences for a software company in Dallas, I had meetings with the conference staff every morning of the conference over breakfast. We all went through every detail of the day even if staffers were just working on registration or AV setup or whatever. Because they were informed and knew the details of the day, the conference ran smoothly and company executives could get answers even if I was off the floor. Sometimes, things ran so smoothly, I had to check my radio to make sure I was still connected! The staff knew and understood what they were to do, so there was less need for chatter on the radios. What can you communicate to your team that would make life easier?
2. If a wheelchair ramp is 6 feet long, how much of a rise does it cover?
It’s easy. Pick up a supply of our Membership brochures to distribute to potential meeting industry peers. Refer interested prospects by filling out a new member referral form. For each form you fill out, you will be eligible to win monthly prizes and a Grand Prize drawing for a Weekend Concert/Entertainment Package from Treasure Island Resort and Casino! Referral Forms are available online at www.mnmpi.org. In addition, for each referral you submit that joins MPI as a full member, you will receive a $25.00 credit toward your own membership dues! Take advantage of this great savings. Details and brochures are also available from the Membership Team at our monthly meetings.
Please take a moment to complete the 2010 MPI MN online membership survey. This information will be used to make sure that we are doing the best job that we can of making your membership valuable to you. It should only take you a few minutes and the information is invaluable. Please respond by March 1, 2010.
1. How did you get to your current position? 2. What is your current job description? 3. What has been your greatest professional challenge? 4. In your past history, has anything happened that was unexpected? 5. How long have you been in MPI and what have you learned since becoming a member? 6. What is something you would like to share with us about your personal life? 
Congratulations to the following members who have been recognized for their continued commitment to MPI MN and who celebrated their monumental anniversary. Thank you for your continued involvement and commitment within our chapter. 5 Years 10 Years 15 Years
Meeting Professionals International is the association for the global meetings industry and is committed to delivering success for its 21,000 worldwide members by providing innovative professional development, generating industry awareness and creating business development opportunities. Founded in 1972, the Dallas-based organization delivers success through its 68 chapters and clubs in 20 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.mpiweb.org. Minnesota Chapter Office International Headquarters
Meeting of the Minds is the official publication of the Meeting Professionals International Minnesota chapter and is published 11 times yearly. Statements of fact and opinion within this newsletter are the responsibility of individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the officers or members of MPI. Articles submitted are subject to editorial revisions. Articles for Meeting of the Minds are always due on the fourth Wednesday of the month prior to distribution, and articles for News Notes are always due on the first Thursday of the distribution month. |
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I am sure not all of you are sports fans, but maybe, just maybe you were on January 24th when the MN Vikings had hopes of going to the Superbowl. Once again, Football Fans were left with those famous words of “Maybe Next Year”. Our heads hung low, but are slowly starting to rise up again as we move on to another day. What does that have to do with MPI and Meetings…. I am seeing a little bounce in everyone’s step and heads are starting to rise up slowly with a little more confidence.
by KELLY KAUTH,
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One of the efforts of the Leadership Development Committee is to recognize everyday leaders within the chapter. These leaders among us are people who go above and beyond to make sure our chapter goals and objectives are met or exceeded. This month we recognize the work of Erin Feeney, Hilton Minneapolis.
Jaime Kern