President's Message  
 
Hey MPI TN Peeps!
 
Fall is in the air and this just happens to be my favorite month!! I am not sure why maybe because it is the month I was brought into this world. :-)

August was another great month for our chapter with successful events in the West and Central Regions. Also we hit our highest membership number in the history of our chapter currently sitting at 331 members. That is awesome y'all!!   We have a great luncheon planned this month in the Central Region on September 21 at the George Jones Museum.  Please come out as we are doing a different format this month, Roundtable Hot Topics. 

I am excited to announce our Holiday Party will be at the Hermitage Hotel on December 8th.  We are adding a silent auction element to the party so please donate to the cause.  We decided to add this in to help alleviate some of the stress off the annual silent auction fundraising and not rely on all of our fundraising efforts at the end of our year.   PLEASE donate to anything you can and reach out to your colleagues and partners to donate as well.  Remember all of the money raised goes back to the chapter to give back to you our members by providing excellent education and scholarships.  

To our new members: thanks for joining, we are thankful that you joined and are now a part of our crazy MPI TN family!!  If you haven't already, please join a committee and make the most out of your membership!

Thanks everyone for making us the best MPI Chapter!! See you all soon.
In This Issue
Our Sponsors
Platinum Partners
 



 








Gold Partners 
The Peabody Memphis
 
Do you want to become an MPI Tennessee Chapter sponsor and partner with the state's largest and most vibrant community of meeting and event professionals?

For more information, contact Jill Kopecky, Director of Strategic Alliances for MPI:TN!



Looking to make a job change or know someone is?  Check out the positions available at mpitn.org.
Upcoming meetings and events....
Central Region
Hot Topic Roundtables
Wednesday, September 21, 2016 
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
George Jones Museum
128 2nd Ave North, Nashville, TN 37201


CMP Domain: G 

The Roundtable Discussion is a popular meeting design where participants can ask questions and share feedback and experiences with their colleagues. During this hour-long roundtable session, you will choose from six meeting and event industry hot topics that you would like to discuss with your colleagues. Share, learn, and meet new people during this fun and educational meeting design.  
October Central MIX
Dine Around the Gulch 
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Prima, Watermark, Moto, and Saint Añejo
12 Ave. South and McGavock St.

Join your local MPI chapter as we do a walking, drinking, and eating tour of the Gulch. We will start at Prima for a wine tasting and education class and then enjoy local bites from some of our favorite restaurants nearby.

Registration includes wine tasting and education class at Prima along with drinks and hors d'oeuvres at Watermark and Moto. Then after party at Saint Añejo will be on your own.
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) 
August West Education Luncheon

Thanks to the MPI Foundation and a generous grant, the West Region of MPI Tennessee was able to host Negotiating Better Meeting Contracts. Erika Biddix, VP of the East Region, was on hand to present the topic.

In case you missed this meeting, participants learned many tips for negotiating contracts including the term BATNA or Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. In negotiations, this is the most advantageous alternative course of action a party can take if negotiations fail and an agreement cannot be reached. Erika explained, when the proposal is better that your BATNA, accept it, and when it is worse, walk away.

Thanks to our sponsors, Hard Rock Cafe and Wild at Heart Photography for making this meeting a success!

Session Survey Score: 9.5 out of 10

"Erika was enthusiastic and energetic and got people involved in a topic/subject matter that had the potential to be dry and boring. Way to go Erika!"
2016 Holiday Party Save the Date!  


Mark your calendars for our MPI Tennessee Holiday Silent Auction & Party. We will celebrate on December 8th at The Hermitage Hotel, and trust us, you DON'T want to miss this event!

A formal invitation will be sent later in the fall, but be sure to get December 8th on your calendar.
Silent Auction Donations Requested
Would you like to donate an item to the Holiday Party Silent Auction? Do you want the opportunity to showcase your products and services while helping raise money for our chapter? Do you have a connection with a vendor or retailer you would like to reach out to for a great donation?  
To receive the maximum marketing benefit for your donation, please complete the donation form as soon as possible.
Member Recognition
Congratulations Tammie Vogel with International Paper who recently received her CMP.
New Members in August
Congratulations to our members celebrating an MPI anniversary in September!

Shelley Bankard-Weaver
JW Marriott Nashville

Mikayla Burchnell

Sodexo at COSI

Beth Cummings

Treemont Mansion

Alyssa Curtis

National Health Care for the Homeless Council

Erin Mueller
Student
Michelle Davis
Sundial Beach Resort & Spa

Steve Diggs

Steve Diggs, CSP

Kiara Jones

University Of Memphis

Donette Moore

International Paper

Jean Sanford, CMM

TeamHealth

Member Anniversaries
Congratulations to our members celebrating an MPI anniversary in September!

Brenda Moritz, 26 years
Carrie Turner, 14 years
Doris Lewis, 12 years
Rusty Chester, 7 years
Kate Shattuck, 5 years
Mindy Powell-Hardy, 4 years
Susan Zoesch, 3 years
Dannah Scott, 3 years
Kristi Sowards, 3 years
Brittany Baugh, 2 years
Maureen Wilde, 2 years
Angela Dodson, 2 years
Monique Savage, 2 years
Sandy Harris, 2 years
Melanie Blanche, 1 year
Leia Spengler, 1 year
Christi Heacox, 1 year
Jennifer Nichols, 1 year
Virginia Hemby-Grubb, 1 year
Stephanie Harper, 1 year
JoAnna Halpin, 1 year
JayLynn Clay, 1 year
Elizabeth Sauls, 1 year
Scott Bishop, 1 year

New Member Spotlight
Name:  Jean Sanford  

Current Employer and Position:  TeamHealth, Meeting Planner

Email:  jean_sanford@teamhealth.com

How long have you been in this position?   16 years 

Why did you join MPI? 
Networking and educational opportunities.

What do you hope to get from your MPI membership?
Networking and educational opportunities. 

What is your favorite meeting or event you have been involved with?  Why?
My favorite meetings are our national meetings because they involve the entire company from coast to coast.  It is exhausting but very rewarding to plan and manage the national meetings. 

What would you like the chapter to know about you?
I have five grandchildren and spend lots of time with them on the weekends. I love to travel and exercise. 
Name:  Alyssa Curtis  

Current Employer and Position:  National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Training Coordinator

Email:  alyand418@gmail.com

How long have you been in this position?   One year! 

Why did you join MPI? 
To network with other event professionals and further my education.

What do you hope to get from your MPI membership?
Honestly, it's always just great to have a social circle, professional or otherwise, to "talk shop" with. I'm hoping to find that here. There's so much to learn from the experiences of others and I'm excited to share stories, ideas, challenges, etc. 

What is your favorite meeting or event you have been involved with?  Why?
That's so tough! I would say our 2016 national conference. It was a new experience for me, we far exceed attendance goals, it received rave reviews, and I had a chance to showcase my event planning and management skills to a new staff.  

But a very, very close runner up would be Wanderlust Yoga and Music Festival in Oahu, HI. I was a volunteer for that event and it was such an incredible week of events!

What would you like the chapter to know about you?
We (my husband and two dogs) moved to Nashville a year ago from Pensacola, FL. It was tough to leave the beach, but we love being in a bigger city (with more concerts!).

Originally, I'm from outside of Chicago and LOVE the Chicago Bears. We've frequented 312 Pizza Company in Germantown many times to enjoy games with other Bears fans!

I've been involved in event planning for a decade, which at 27, I think is an awesome accomplishment. 

My event planning holy grail bucket list event is to plan the Super Bowl halftime show.

As far as hobbies go, we really enjoy hiking and I love yoga. I also cook quite a bit and have fun trying new recipes.