January 2018
Special Features In This Issue
  • Top 10 Tips to Start the New Year and Your CMP, by Joanne Dennison, MSEd, CMP
  • Top 10 Tips for Convention Hosts by Robbie Samuels, our Guest Contributor
  • Tips for Booking Entertainment by Mike Amado, Entertainment Specialists
  • Your Love In Lights Explained by Tom Kura, Co-Owner
President's Corner
by Molly Hudson, CMP, CMM, President
On behalf of Richard, Bryan and myself I’d like to wish you a very happy 2018!
I cannot believe that half a year has come and gone and I find myself midway through my presidency. 
 
So much has happened over the last 6 months. We partied on the rooftop of the Revere in a thunderstorm, we executed a three ring circus at the AVFX showroom, we played Family Feud with our MPI family at Howl at the Moon – and that was just Q1!
 
We debated the Future of Medical Meetings on the “Senate Floor” at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. We spent 2 amazing days jam packed with education and networking at the Portsmouth Sheraton Harborside Hotel and just a few weeks ago, though it feels like a lifetime ago, we danced the night away at Fenway Park with World Premier celebrating the holiday season.

So much has happened and there’s so much more to come. The Board of Directors slate announcement will be coming out within the month and I encourage you all to take a look at and get to know those who will be leading our chapter in the coming year.
 
If you are currently a volunteer and would like to try something new, reach out to your committee's Director or VP. If you aren’t currently a volunteer, the difference in benefits reaped between someone who actively engages and someone who just attends is really stark and will make all the difference to your membership
 
Please use any of the many avenues available to you to get more involved. Whether it be responding to outreach from the membership team or myself, taking part in the ambassador program and most applicably the Membership Madness event on March 21 st  at City Winery.
 
If you want more information on any of the above, please email me directly at molly_hudson@hms.harvard.edu ; I’d love to talk with you. Thank you for being a part of this amazing community, I look forward to connecting with you in the New Year!
CMP Corner
Top 10 Tips to Start the New Year and Your CMP
Joanne Dennison, MSEd, CMP, has been an educator in the Meetings Industry for more than 15 years, including preparing people around the world for the CMP exam.

This is the year…. the year you earn your CMP or start your journey to it. You’ve thought about it, but it was never “a good time”. It never will be until you decide this is the time .

Important to know: CIC became EIC in 2017 and you may see both so know that they are the same. Here is the new website that you will be referring to a lot: http://www.eventscouncil.org/

Guest Contributor
Top 10 Tips for Convention Hosts
Robbie Samuels, Professional Speaker | Podcast Host | Coach

The responsibility of hosting extends beyond the event team. Share these tips with board members, exhibitors, speakers, and long-time participants. Encourage them to have a host mentality and help co-create an exceptional experience for all participants.

1) Make EVERYONE Feel Welcomed
If the effort to welcome was as great as the effort to invite, then retention would become less of an issue. Reach out to the folks standing off by themselves. Introduce yourself to participants while standing in line at the buffet. And, if first timers and solo participants are easy to identify, go out of your way to say hello. 

January Event
MPI New England is kicking off 2018 with an educational event to inspire effective working relationships between suppliers and planners.

In true New Year’s fashion, presenters will give a countdown of their best tips for executing the perfect event. Attendees will learn useful, immediately applicable tools for communicating with vendors.

Tuesday, January 16 th , 2018
Registration & Reception: 5:30pm – 8:30pm

Location:
Harvard Club of Boston
374 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115

Parking information:
Parking is available in the Club’s own lot, located directly behind the Back Bay Club at 415 Newbury Street. Parking is a flat rate of $20/car for the event. 

To Register, click HERE
New Member Spotlight
Anthony Moreschi, Manager - Convention Sales
Wynn Boston Harbor

Anthony is no newcomer to the world of events here in New England; but, he joined the chapter for the first time last month after taking on a new role at the greatly anticipated Wynn Boston Harbor.

Q - Anthony, #tellyourMPIstory, why did you chose to join MPI?

I joined MPI after attending the Annual MPI Holiday Event. During the event I had the opportunity to meet one on one with several of the Board members and they made me feel welcome and even took me around to introduce me to others attending the event. This made me realize that joining MPI was a must because it showed that MPI was different from the rest and it wasn’t just another networking event.
New Member Corner 
Welcome to these New Members that joined in December

Kate Braun, Boston University, Assistant Director, Event Services

Matthew Danto , Hyatt Regency Boston, Sales Manager

Marcie Falconero , XO The Girls - Felicia's Perfect Setting, President

Katie Faust , Goodman Speakers Bureau, Event Manager

Alaina Ferriero , NXTevent, Inc., Sales Account Manager

Yolanda Gonzalez , NXTevent, Inc., Director of Sales & Industry Relationships

Allyson Jersky , AIIM, Events Specialist

Jason Katsoris                   

Samantha Levine                         

Anthony Moreschi , Manager – Convention Sales, Wynn Boston Harbor  

Heather Munnell , Director of Sales

Nicholas Rossi , Boston University, Events Specialist

Heather Schell , Boston Park Plaza/Highgate Hotels, Group Sales Manager

Melanie Smith , Amadeus Hospitality Americas, Inc., Marketing Events & Programs Coordinator

Sandra Smith , Party Rental LTD, Business Development Manager

Karen Travelo , CMP, Alkermes, Inc., Corporate Meeting Planner

Tara Zanett , Kronos Incorporated, Event Coordinator                               
2018 Membership Directory
If you are an MPI/NE member and want to add the current membership roster to your resource file, then get excited! The 2017-2018 directory is now available.

Go the Publications tab in the main navigation on our home page and you'll find the most comprehensive listing of current New England members.

Remember, you have to be logged into the site as a member to access the Directory.
Star Volunteer Spotlight
Bea Flammia, CMP, Senior Group Sales Manager
Royal Sonesta Boston
Bea is a long time member as well as experienced Co-Chair of numerous monthly education programs. Her contributions have added great value to our chapter over the years and she is actively working on the content for our February educational meeting.

Q - How did you first become involved with MPI?

I was fortunate to have a couple of mentors when I first started in the business. I went to them for advice on how to grow into the next level in the hospitality field. Both recommended MPI and one mentor, Mike Nagle was very involved and committed . He was my inspiration-him and Jane Weigel.

Q - Can you share one of your most memorable MPINE stories?

MPI/NE has matured over the years and is constantly evolving from the time I became a member. I can’t share my most memorable stories from MPI/NE but I will say, never underestimate the power of networking, supplier to supplier as well as supplier to planner.
Sponsor Spotlight
Your Love In Lights
Ever heard of Your Love In Lights? Chances are you have seen their hand crafted work at a recent event. If you attended our Winter Wonderland Social, you sure did. I spoke with Tom Kura, Co-Owner, recently to learn more about his unique event decor business.

Q – Tom, tell us the story of how Your Love In Lights came to be?
 
We founded Your Love In Lights in 2015 with a desire to launch a family business and a plan to introduce the Boston area to a popular trend in the UK and Europe. The planning began when Helen, who is British, spotted the growing demand for large illuminated letter displays during one of her trips back to England. Once I designed and built the first letters LOVE in our Needham workshop (ok, basement), we were ready and jumped in with both feet. Today, with the help of our teen-aged kids, our family business serves a wide range of events, from corporate to social, across New England.
 
As we've worked to build our business over the past few years, we've been very impressed by the welcome and support we've found with the many Boston event industry professionals we've met. We wouldn't be where we are today without them!   
 
Q - Anyone that has seen Your Love In Lights first hand understands why the word “Love” is included in your company name. For someone who has never seen these lights, what do you tell them?
 
These handmade marquee lights can help your event make a statement. They offer a new way to decorate and brighten large event spaces and provide a brandable photo backdrop for the guests. They can fit into any type of event…fundraisers, galas, holiday parties, reunions, meetings, weddings, mitzvahs, and birthdays.
 
Q – Tom, as a small business breaking into the vast world of events, how do you describe your business to a potential new client?
 
  • High impact. We have expertise in placing lights for maximum impact within a wide variety of event spaces.
  • Hassle-free. All-inclusive rental service
  • Hand-crafted - products designed and built by us
  • Responsive. We have a large inventory of letters, numbers and symbols available, and can deliver even on short notice
  • Custom look. A wide range of bulb styles and colors
 
Q - So, what’s next?
We’re working on a complementary range of smaller sized lights for added effects.
Sponsor Spotlight
Top Tips for Booking Entertainment
Mike Amado, President, of Entertainment Specialists is one of MPINE's valued partners. I recently spoke with him regarding what advice he would give to someone new to booking entertainment.
 
First off, we run into many things are often overlooked with new planners. Contracting for the correct amount of time is something we always try to explain up front to a planner. Different artist performing between 4p-8p and the guest will arriving in the space at 2p, so a lot of the time it is missed that the band has to be set-up early. So what looks like a 4 hour booking turns into something much longer were the group has to be on-site and set-up before guest arrive even though they are not actually performing until much later. Also providing meals for the musicians are often overlooked as well the timing of the meals for the entertainers. Many times the musicians are offered meals when it is actually time for them to start performing which then creates an awkward situation for everyone. So it helps to add meals into the timeline, especially when dealing with a big band. 

Entertainment Specialists has grown to become the sought after entertainment company in New England for our bands, DJs, and wedding services. We are referred by all of the 4 and 5 star hotels in the city, as well as Newport mansions and hotels. Entertainment Specialists represents the most requested talent from Maine to Miami.
Upcoming Chapter Events  
 We're here to help you plan ahead and get the next few months of MPINE events into your calendar. Programs and meetings are always being added to our website and you can on the link to our Event Calendar HERE to find the latest updates.
When You Buy MPI , So Do Our Members!
To connect with Jenn Allard, our Advertising Sales Representative , on marketing opportunities through MPI New England, click Here .

Big thanks to VDA, one of our Chapter sponsors!