MPI New England Chapter News - July 2019

July 2019

Special Features In This Issue

President's Corner by Kristy H. Burns, President

July Annual Summer Outing: Register Now!

2019 MPI New England Awards Winners

Missed the June Meeting? Catch up here!

Introducing the 2019-2020 Board of Directors

The Robson Risk Management Model: How to Avoid, Transfer, Retain & Reduce incidents during the planning and execution of your event

Member Corner: Welcome to our New Members

Upcoming Chapter Events

President's Corner

By Kristy H. Burns, CMP

President

Our chapter’s new Board of Directors took office on July 1st and have already started the hard work of the year ahead. The goal of MPI New England is to provide our members with the top-quality education and networking that you have become accustomed to.

I became involved in our chapter on a volunteer level almost immediately upon joining, and it’s the best decision I have ever made. I co-chaired an Educational event at VDA’s warehouse in Somerville that was all about food allergies and events. This event allowed me to coordinate speakers, show flow and overall event design with the team from VDA, this volunteer opportunity directly prepared me for my current role at the Harvard Club of Boston and led to my joining the Board which has provided me with so much leadership experience that has proven invaluable to me as I continue on in my professional career.

So I ask you to get involved too. Maybe you want to learn a skill that just isn’t feasible in your current role, maybe you want a skill that will prepare you for your next career move. Volunteering is a great way to gain skills that are outside your current comfort zone. Let MPI New England do for you what it has done for me.

My main goal in my Presidential Year is to listen to our members; both positive and critical feedback is invaluable for us to move our chapter forward. We do this formally via the Global MPI Survey, but I want to offer an ear to hear your feedback anytime in the coming year. Have a suggestion? Have a criticism? Just want to say hello? Send me an email ( Kristy.h.burns@gmail.com ) and let’s connect.

#joinme

Annual Summer Outing

Thursday, July 18, 2019 * 5:30pm – 9:00pm

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

The MPI New England Annual Summer Outing, legendary for networking and fun, takes you back to 1773 on board the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. Come experience what it would have been like to be part of the single most important event leading up to the American Revolution while being immersed in musical notes performed by Jason Cardinal and the beautiful sites of the Boston Harbor.

Agenda:

5:30 – 6:30 – Registration at the Meeting House

6:30 – 9:00 - Networking at Abigail's Tearoom & Terrace

Location:

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

306 Congress Street

Boston, MA 02210

EVENT REGISTRATION

We would like to extend a giant thank you to all of our generous event partners:

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

Jason Cardinal, Musician

And our trusted Annual Sponsors:

David Fox Photography

Party Rental Ltd

Your Love In Lights

Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa

VDA Productions

Announcing our Annual Awards Winners

2019 MPI New England World Education Congress Scholarship Award

Nancy Goldstein

Director of Creative Design

Amazing Celebrations & Events

This scholarship announced and awarded each year at our Fall Educational Institute covers the registration, flight and hotel stay for one deserving member to attend the MPI Global World Education Congress. Congratulations Nancy and thank you for all you have done and are doing for MPI New England Special Projects.

2019 Kathy Keegan-Cummings Professional Development Scholarship Award

Michele Yebba

Event Professional

The Kathy Keegan Cummings Professional Development Award recognizes a deserving member who has the desire to participate in chapter functions, and whose participation will benefit both their own professional goals as well as the MPI New England Chapter. Michele co-chairs educational events year after year, putting together amazing content for the chapter, takes a lead in planning and offers great mentoring to newer committee members or first time co-chairs.

2019 Dayna Brunelli Tomorrow’s Leader Award

Megan Berninger

Senior Event Services Manager

Fenway Park Events

The Dayna Brunelli Tomorrow’s Leader Award is presented to a member who is making a mark on the chapter after just a short time as a member. The award recognizes a new and growing career in the events industry with a demonstration of involvement, commitment and achievement on the chapter level. Congratulations Megan!

2019 Sam Dame Chapter Leader of the Year Award

Deborah Stark

Field Marketing Manager, Americas

Charles River Development

The Sam Dame Chapter Leader of the Year award recognizes the commitment of chapter member in influencing the life of our chapter. Deb continually comes up with innovative ideas, challenges existing ideals, manages a busy travel schedule but allows nothing to keep her from getting the job done and advances the chapter in the process.

2019 Meeting Supplier of the Year Award

Terry Mulryan-Toomey, CHME

President

Future Affairs Productions

The Meeting Supplier of the Year Award recognizes outstanding industry contributions, leadership and professionalism on the part of a supplier partners within the chapter. Terry is an ever-giving presence as a sponsor of multiple events each year. She goes beyond each time and puts her all into everything she collaborates with others on.

2019 Meeting Planner of the Year Award

Becky McDougal, CMP

Assistant Director of Events

Bentley University, Center for Women and Business

The Meeting Planner of the Year Award recognizes outstanding industry contributions, leadership and professionalism on the part of a planner member within the chapter. Becky had taken a step back from the industry for a short while and jumped back in head first with a volunteer role, speaking roles and lending expertise in the field of Diversity and Inclusion a topic both important and front of mind to the chapter.

Missed the June Meeting?

Our June meeting was packed with honors, featuring both our annual awards ceremony and the induction of MPI’s new 2019-2010 Board of Directors. Chef Dean Moore prepared a delectable gourmet dinner for all attendees in one of Boston’s most historic and beautiful venues: The Harvard Club.

Thank you to our event sponsors:

The Harvard Club

Your Love In Lights

Party Rental, Ltd

Entertainment Specialists

Design Light

Introducing our 2019-2020 Board of Directors

President | Kristy Burns, CMP | The Harvard Club

President Elect | Ainsley Onstott, CMP, DMCP | CSI - Boston

Immediate Past President | Bryan Lavin, CHE | Johnson & Wales University

Vice President Membership | Marjorie Lane | Maritz Travel

Vice President Education | Lisa Santoro | Smart Source Rentals

Vice President, Marketing & Communications | Nancy Lorusso, CMP | Babson Executive Conference Center

Vice President Finance & Administration | Kate Page, CMP | Boston Red Sox

Vice President, Institute | Ella Gonzalez | Gurney's Resorts

Vice President, Special Projects | Michelle Yebba

Chapter Administrator (paid/ volunteer) | Julee C. Cooke | Paragon

Events Director, Membership | Katie Butler | The Liberty Hotel

Director, Special Projects | Kelly Cronan | Big Night Entertainment Group

Productions Director, Institute | Hollie Herrick | Party Rental Limited

Director, Education | Nichole Baldwin | Kronos

Director, In-Kind Strategic Partnerships | Taylor Grinnell | Boston Red Sox

Director, Publications | Gayle Gilberto, CIS | Art of the Event

Director, Social Media | Kate Sklarski, CMP | Caesars Entertainment

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The Robson Risk Management Model

How to Avoid, Transfer, Retain & Reduce incidents during the planning and execution of your event with Dr. Linda M. Robson

MPI: What inspired the creation of your ‘Risk Management Model?’

Robson : The Robson Risk Management Model was developed out of frustration. After the September 11 ^th attacks, there was a stress on event professionals creating risk management plans, but there was a severe lack of information. The only information that I could find was related to emergency/crisis/disaster plans. These focused on incidents like a terrorist attack or natural disaster, also known as low probability/high consequence incidents. This information, while better than nothing, did not make sense to me.

As event professionals we are completely unqualified to deal with these situations, in addition to the fact that government and policing agencies would be in charge. So I started to think about how to approach risk management that would be proactive, useful and realistic for event professionals. The initial draft of the RRMM was done as part of my PhD dissertation in 2008. The RRMM was visually revised in 2009, with the accompanying documentation revised and adapted to reflect current industry trends regularly.

MPI: What are the four strategies you list in your Risk Management Model, and what do they entail?

Robson : The 4 strategies are: Avoid; Transfer; Retain; and, Reduce. A short version of each is:

Avoid: These are event elements that are not crucial to the execution of the event. They can be substituted, removed, or altered to remove the event element. The event professional needs to make sure to examine any related risks by making changes to event elements.

Transfer : These are event elements that the event professional is not qualified to assume; so they are given to another party. For example F&B would be transferred to a caterer. This is done through a contract, which outlines the responsibilities of each party. The event professional is required to research the supplier partner to ensure they are qualified to assume the risk.

Retain: These are risks that are difficult/impossible to predict in terms of probability (weather). There is nothing that can be done proactively, instead the event professional is prepared to deal with it if it manifests.

Reduce : These are event elements that are crucial to the execution of the event, so cannot be removed, substituted, or altered. Instead the event professional takes measures to lower the probability and/or severity of the risk if it manifests (taping down electrical wires).