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Welcoming in a new year with innovative professional development, industry awareness, business development opportunities, and knowledge on how to position meetings and events as a key strategic components of an organization's success.
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MPI NATIONAL EVENTS
The 2016 European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) takes place in Copenhagen.
Experiential Event Series, Mega-Events
South by Southwest (SXSW), Austin, Texas
June 11-14
The 2016 World Education Congress (WEC) takes place in Atlantic City.
Check out our upcoming and past conferences and events.
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A LETTER FROM THE MPI CRV PRESIDENT
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Happy New Year, everyone!
It’s hard to believe we’re already half way through our MPI CRV year! With your help, MPI CRV accomplished so much in the second half of 2015:
- We held our first new member event on a beautiful day in July at Black Birch Vineyard in Southampton, MA. Since July, we’ve gained 26 new members!
- We have shaken up our networking events to include some new, fun ideas like speed networking at Infinity Hall in Hartford, CT in August and Halloween painting at Muse Paint Bar in West Hartford, CT in October.
- We’ve had record attendance at all of our events, including our well received September Webcasting education program and our November roundtables.
- Important to our financial health, the chapter has secured one major cash sponsorship and has held successful teacup and silent auctions to support the chapter. We’ve also launched our Jiminy Peak Mountain Melt fundraiser, where if you guess the date the snow melts on Jiminy Peak, you’ll win a two-night stay with two lift tickets to Jiminy Peak in Hancock, MA worth over $700! Contact Allyson Deckman at mpicrv@gmail.com for details.
That’s pretty impressive for just 6 months, but we’re just getting started! We plan to deliver even more value to the membership in 2016:
- This year will also bring top notch education programs. In January, Jessie States from MPI Global will deliver “Industry Trends: The State of Doing Business in Meetings,” and in April, nationally renowned speaker Janine Driver will speak on “You Say More Than You Think: Successful Negotiating and Building Rapport & Trust Begins with YOU & YOUR Body Language!” That’s just to name a couple!
- XSITE New England returns to the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA on Global Meetings Industry Day, April 14, to provide a quality education program paired with a forum for valuable business exchange. Suppliers get up to 15 qualified appointments; planners attend for free, receive a $100 American Express gift card, and qualify for travel reimbursement. Spread the word!
- We will have TWO upcoming opportunities to win MPI membership renewals (planner or supplier). One will be at the January State of the Industry (you’ll be entered in a drawing if you bring an industry friend) and one at XSITE New England in April (you’ll be entered just for attending).
- There will be an additional drawing for a NEW planner membership for non-member planners attending XSITE New England.
- The Spring CMP Study Group will kick off in February to prepare members for the May exam.
- May will bring another unique networking event at Dave and Buster’s in Manchester, CT, where a portion of your registration fee will go to support the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
All upcoming event details are available on our website at www.mpicrv.org. We hope that you will continue to join us in 2016 – we can’t be successful without you! If you ever have any questions or comments on how we can serve you better, feel free to email me at kate.copeland@uconn.edu. Here’s to another fulfilling year! - Kate Copeland
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CALLING ALL LEADERS!
Call for MPI CRV Board of Directors Nominations
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Can you believe it's been a whole year? It is that time again! MPI CRV call for nominations for our Board of Directors is now in full swing!
The 2016-2017 Nominations Committee is responsible for submitting a slate of candidates for the positions listed below. Nominations for all of the positions will be in accordance with MPI CRV Bylaws. Any chapter member in good standing is eligible for nomination and election to these positions.
Please consider becoming a candidate for one of the elected leadership positions within the Meeting Professionals International - Connecticut River Valley Chapter. If you are interested in making a difference in your career, our chapter, and the meeting industry community, now is your opportunity to lead! If you believe a colleague has great leadership skills, please encourage them to submit their application as well.
The MPI CRV Nominations Committee is currently accepting applications for the following Board of Director positions:
- President Elect - 3 year term (President Elect/President/Immediate Past President)
- Vice President of Finance - 1 year term
- Vice President of Education - 1 year term
- Vice President of Communications - 1 year term
- Vice President of Membership - 1 year term
- Director of Leadership Development - 1 year term
- Director of Strategic Alliance - 1 year term
- Director of Event Special Events - 1 year term
Complete role descriptions for each position can be found by
clicking here. All chapter members are invited to apply for Board of Director positions and you are encouraged to reach out to the current Board of Directors to discuss the roles and responsibilities for your position(s) of interest.
Click here for the current Board of Directors.
Click here for a Board Member Application. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, January 20, 2016.
Between January 21 - January 26, 2016 the Nominations Committee will meet to determine the slate that will be presented to the membership. On February 1, 2016 the slate will be emailed to the membership. Members will have the opportunity to contest the slate and offer other individuals for consideration no later than February 22, 2016. If less than 10% of the membership contests the slate, the proposed slate will be confirmed. If more than 10% of the membership contests the slate, the chapter will conduct an election for all contested positions. The final and bidding list of elected chapter officials will be sent to MPI Headquarters by March 1, 2016, and announced via electronic communication to the MPI CRV members. The new Board of Directors will be sworn into their respective positions at our Annual June Gala on June 7, 2016 at The Riverview.
Serving as a leader of MPI CRV is very rewarding and will allow you to give something back to our industry and our community. If you're one of the people that are able and willing to make MPI CRV a better organization, please send us your Board Application Form.
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An Appointment Style Tradeshow for the Meetings Industry
4/14/2016
1
1:30 AM – 6:00 PM
MassMutual Center
1277 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01103
MPI CRV is excited to announce that at XSITE New England
we will be offering a raffle for
TWO Memberships Opportunities!The first is for a
NEW Planner Membership – If you are a Meeting Planner, not currently affiliated with an MPI and attend XSITE, your name will be entered into a raffle to be drawn at lunch to win a
FREE Planner Membership for CRV for the year!The second is a
Membership Renewal – this is open to anyone who is currently a CRV Member and attend XSITE – Your name will also be entered into a raffle to be drawn to win an
MPI CRV Membership renewal for the next year!Register today for XSITE New England to have a chance to win!!
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Join us at XSITE for a lunch and learn, 'YOU SAY MORE THAN YOU THINK,
Successful Negotiating and Building Rapport & Trust Begi
ns with YOU & YOUR Body Language!'
J
anine Driver, Body Language Contributor for NBC’s Today Show,
is the founder and president of the Body Language Institute. For over a decade while at the ATF, Janine trained thousands of law enforcement officers to decipher fact from fiction using the body language interpretation methods she writes about in her books, YOU CAN’T LIE TO ME and the New York Times Best-Seller, YOU SAY MORE THAN YOU THINK. Janine travels the globe speaking to the corporate world about the fastest way to save time and grow business.
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Joining MPI CRV can be one of the best personal decisions you make about your professional growth and development. What are you waiting for?
Become part of the MPI CRV community today!
MPI CRV members benefit from:
- Valuable Business Connections
- Superior Education Opportunities
- Effective Leadership Development
- Timely Communication
- Professional Recognition
Already a member of a neighboring chapter? Become an
Affiliate Member of the MPI Connecticut River Valley Chapter if you want to:
- Increase your business and exposure in the Northeast
- Get more from your MPI membership
- Join a network with industry movers and shakers
- Network with meeting planners and special event planners from corporations
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Bally’s Atlantic City, located right at the center of the action in the middle of the famed Atlantic City boardwalk, sets guests up for endless possibilities of excitement and entertainment. One of those possibilities includes a trip to the Wild Wild West. The property’s Gold Rush-themed Wild Wild West section is undergoing a $3 million renovation that will transform the space into a casino-bar complex with low-limit table games and inexpensive cocktails featuring a partly-outdoor bar that connects to the boardwalk. These renovations that are set to be complete in July 2016 will only enhance the entertainment and nightlife that Bally’s Atlantic City is known for, adding to the allure of hosting a meeting within the 80,000 square feet of meeting space at the property. The nine park and garden rooms, 28 meeting rooms, three ballrooms and 450 seat theater at Bally’s only contributes to the appeal of hosting a meeting there even more. If that’s not enough, guests can enjoy many enticing restaurants at Bally’s Atlantic City including Guy Fieri’s Chophouse, the traditional steakhouse with a twist that overlooks the famed boardwalk and beach. These Bally’s Atlantic City renovations will contribute to the rebirth of Atlantic City and furthermore the revitalization of the meetings industry there.
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MPI Connecticut River Valley Chapter has been nominated for a 2016 MPI RISE Award!
Nomination: Marketplace Excellence
Award Description: This award recognizes an MPI chapter for providing exceptional business exchange for members. Chapters will have demonstrated innovation and creativity in the development, planning, and delivery of effective business-to-business opportunities for members. More info here.
Nomination: Membership Achievement
Award Description: This award recognizes an MPI chapter, club, or student club for achievement in membership growth, engagement, and retention. Chapters and clubs must demonstrate the impact of their campaigns, programming, overall membership numbers, and involvement in chapter/club activities and/or improvement in retention. More info here.
What the MPI RISE Awards are and who and what they recognize:
The MPI’s Recognizing Industry Success and Excellence (RISE) Awards are prestigious awards presented yearly that recognize and honor individual, community and organizational achievements for their innovation, global transferability, impact and influence.
The 2016 RISE recipients will be recognized at the RISE Awards presentation and luncheon during MPI’s
2016
World Education Congress in Atlantic City.
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A Warm Welcome to our New Members!!
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Karen Bakowski
Jane Barnes
Cheryl Beaulieu
Sarafina Berger
Sashan Blake
Robin Ann Brown
Lisa Cicitto
William Clark
Beth Coutu
Lauren Douglas
Kim Estep
Jennylyn Fontaine
Eliza Greenberg
Rebecca Horn
Alex Hurd
Stephanie Impionbato
Melissa Imrie
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Saralyn Kerrigan
Leslie Kosky
Brandon Kurtich
Donalyn Maneggia
Laura Maruca
Danielle Mazzaferro
Victoria Montagna
Alexa Morgan
Kathleene Opperman
Gillian Palmer
Kaitlyn Quinn
Heather Ruggeri
Emylee Sidera
Gina Snelson
Erin Soucy
Kelly Sullivan
Adam Yurack
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Thank you to ALL of our Volunteers!
Kate Copeland, President
Lacee Colwell, President-Elect
Erin Tierney, Immediate Past President
Rachel Austin, Special Events Committee Member
Corrie Brindamour, Special Events Committee
Amanda Cristina, Education Committee Member
Charles Drago, Vice President of Finance
Annamarie Grise, Vice President of Membership
Maureen Huntley, Director of Special Events
Kris Kasheta, Newsletter & PowerPoint Chair
Georgette Mercado, Director of Leadership Development
Andrea Novotny, Special Events Committee
Stephanie O’Reilly, Special Events Committee Cindy Panioto, Director of Strategic Alliance
Lisa Poulton, Special Events Committee Member
Felicia Puccino, Social Media Chair
Heather Ruggeri, Membership Committee
Jessica Shandor, Vice President of Education
Mary Beth Staron, Special Events Committee Member & Communications Contributor
Amanda Whitehead, Vice President of Communications
Adam Yurak, Special Events Committee Member
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Maximize your MPI Membership,
Get Involved!
Would you like to meet more members, strengthen relationships and expand your skills?
Get involved and volunteer!
Here is a sampling of positions to enhance your professional development:
- Education Committee Members
- Photographer
- Leadership Development
- Special Events, June Gala Committee
Show us your talent, expand your network and enhance your skills!
To learn more, contact President-Elect Lacee Colwell at
lcolwell@caesars.com
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HEATHER RUGGERI
Chief Event Officer, Inspired Meeting
Heather's thought on what volunteering for MPI CRV means to her:
"For most people the turn of the decade was the time for big changes; for me I was just graduating college – a bright-eyed optimist. I waited until 2015 to have my “year of changes”. At the end of March, I took a calculated risk and left my job of 10 years with a well-established company to begin working for Inspired Marketing, a full service advertising and event planning company based in Springfield, MA. Shortly after settling in at my new company, I joined MPI CRV and it has been a pleasure becoming part of such an amazing group. Getting to know the other members of CRV has made this a welcome addition to my professional world. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms and made me feel as though I have been involved for so much longer than six months.
In my role as Vice President and CEO (Chief Events Officer), I work on so many types of events; anything from beer festivals and 10K road races to conferences and weddings. Since my planning position runs the gamut of event types, it is imperative to build relationships with other people in the industry, both suppliers and planners alike. Building these relationships with the members of CRV has allowed me to expand my knowledge base. It’s nice to know if I need to bounce an idea off of someone, I can reach out to any of my fellow members and they are more than willing to help or offer suggestions I may have never thought of. The collaborative nature of CRV is a refreshing change to many organizations more secretive in nature.
It is also so important to stay up on current trends within the event planning industry. The educational seminars offered have allowed me to do just that. This is an ever changing industry and if you don’t stay ahead of the curve, you get left behind. CRV is always looking to put their best foot forward to help each and every one of us know what to expect in the coming months and years. The educational sessions have also allowed me to start to accrue necessary hours for my recertification as a CMP. I feel the chapter is constantly considering this when planning seminars which is a key benefit of my membership.
I enjoy the fact that MPI CRV actively encourages all members to get involved. I have a strong belief in volunteering when I can because I always learn so much. I think the more involved, the more we can all get out of this amazing organization. I think it is wonderful how, as a chapter, we have come up with new and innovative ideas to help get members involved in the monthly events; events like a wine tasting and painting class. And in addition they strive for fun and unique venues to host the educational seminars. I had the pleasure of becoming the Chair of Member Retention shortly after I joined. This shows that CRV is looking for people to become involved, that they value their new members and are looking for each of us to make a difference.
I look very forward to my continued involvement in the CRV chapter as I believe it will allow me to continue growing my knowledge of the industry. Due to the relationships I have built since joining, it has helped not only with my professional development, but also my personal growth."
What her peers are saying about Heather: "
Heather Ruggeri, CMP, is a huge asset to the Membership Committee; the work she does as Chair of Member Retention is invaluable to keeping a pulse on CRV’s Membership. I know that I can rely on Heather whenever I need her help with something. She is always looking for more opportunities to assist and works on creating great ideas to give back to our Chapter. I look forward to working with Heather the rest of the year! " -
Annamarie T. Grisé, Conference Sales Manager, UMass Amherst Conference Services and MPI CRV VP of Membership
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MPI CRV Spring 2016 Study Group
Are you interested in becoming a Certified Meeting Professional? Join MPI CRV's Study Group!
Current CMPs from the MPI CRV membership facilitate CMP Study Group sessions with assigned reading, quizzes, and activities to help you thoroughly prepare for taking the CMP exam. The Study Group is a ten-week course of 1.5 hours sessions with a 3 hour final review session. Study Group sessions count toward clock hours for the CMP application.
The MPI CRV CMP Study Group is $75.00 for members and $300 for non-members.
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Join MPI and Caesar's in
June 2016 for WEC!
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Good Reads & Industry Information
Relevant and helpful industry articles or information submitted by your fellow chapter members for others to benefit from:
2016 F&B Trends: Get Your Crazy On
For the ninth year, boutique restaurant and hospitality consulting firm Andrew Freeman & Co. has released its Trends Report. Each year’s report gets a theme, and 2016 is the Year of the Multiple Personality.
5 Negotiating Tips to Get the Hotel Contract You Want
Here are a few negotiating nuggets gleaned from attending industry event sessions led by John Foster, Esq., CHME, who serves as outside legal counsel for Meeting Professionals International, as well as senior partner/attorney with Foster, Jensen, & Gulley, LLC.
Guide to Meetings Industry Certifications
There's no shortage of certifications, designations, and certificate programs for those who work in the meeting and event planning industry. Here's a sampling of what's available for meeting planners who want to bring their skills to the next level.
10 Things You're Probably Doing that Make TSA Think You're a Potential Terrorist
Details of the Transportation Security Administration’s Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques, or SPOT, program, as uncovered by The Intercept earlier this year, reveal that pretty much everything most travelers do while whiling away the time at airports could make them look a bit suspicious to TSA screeners.
You Won't Believe What Happened on These Site Inspections
A meeting planner’s site inspection is a hotel’s chance to show off its service, staff, facilities, responsiveness—or, as in our collection of stories here, a chance for a property to shoot itself in the foot.
6 Unorthodox Approaches to Engaging Attendees
Toss the boring old meeting-as-usual and inject some of these ideas to transform your events into must-attend experiences.
Are You Committing These 7 Deadly Attendee Sins?
Even meeting planners—especially meeting planners—often are guilty of these conference etiquette infractions. Are you one of them?
9 Ways to Take a Good Sponsor Relationship and Make it Great
Getting sponsors to support annual events can be a challenge in itself, but motivating sponsors to become long-term partners requires finesse. For event and meeting professionals, creating and maintaining a healthy, lasting relationship with a sponsor is all about communication, patience, and thoughtfulness—not unlike what's expected in a personal relationship.
If you have submissions you would like published, please send to Amanda Whitehead, Program Coordinator, University Events and Conference Services, UCONN, MPI CRV VP Communications, at
amanda.whitehead@uconn.edu.
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Increase your exposure! Join MPI CRV's Strategic Partnership Program.
We are excited to announce our plans for a brand new Strategic Partner Program with MPI CRV. Partnering with MPI CRV is an opportunity to reach MPI CRV members in all lines of the meeting and event planning business and at every level. Currently, there are 116 members in the MPI Connecticut River Valley chapter - all are invited and encouraged to attend monthly meetings which include educational and networking opportunities.
This revamped sponsorship program is developed to provide the Strategic Partners with opportunities to forge new relationships within the meeting planning communities within MPI. All of our packages are designed to maximize your exposure to our members. Look over the items and packages or contact us to design a customized package to meet your unique needs. Our goal is to add value to our relationship and to assist you in creating a return on your investment.
For more information, please contact Charlie Drago, MPI CRV VP of Finance at cdrago@massconvention.com
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A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
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December & June Event Sponsor
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[MPI CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY CHAPTER]
[
330 Main Street - 3rd Floor,
Hartford, CT 06106] | [
860.541.6438]
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