FEBRUARY 2020

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President's Message Sponsors Upcoming Events February Educational Luncheon Past President's Dinner Shout Out 2020 Gala Information Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Belmont Spring Program Chapter Survey MPI Global Committees New Members in January Member Anniversaries in February

"MPI is a heart thing, not a head thing!"

February is commonly known for being a month filled with love. I think it’s known that one of the things I love the most is being a part of our MPI Tennessee and MPI Global family. I love that this month we get to continue celebrating our 40th Anniversary as a chapter. I love that we will have an exciting Bachelor(ette) Style Planner and Supplier Tell All program at the brand new Drury Hotel in Downtown Nashville. I love that we will gather with all of our volunteers at The Thompson Hotel to celebrate you and the love you give to our chapter. And I love that there are so many love (okay, business and friendship) stories that I hear develop because you’re an MPI Tennessee member. You all continue to amaze me with how you love our chapter and our industry, and I look forward to continuing our love story this month. All my heart, Shannon

40th Anniversary Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors

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

For more information, contact MPI Tennessee's Director of Strategic Alliances, Ashleigh Cote!

February Educational Luncheon Wednesday, February 19 | Drury Plaza Hotel Nashville Downtown 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

This isn’t going to be easy. Are you here for the right reasons? We didn’t realize it would be this hard! Do we really have a connection? Don’t we all just want a little clarity? “It’s OK!” All your burning questions will be answered at the Planner/Supplier Tell All – Bachelor Style!  James McCoy Taylor will host our Planner/Supplier Panel – Bachelor Style. James is a Nashville singer-songwriter and contestant on the popular TV show, “The Bachelorette”, in Season 12. It will be a dramatic, matter-of-fact discussion with the audience encouraged to participate. We will get down to the root of our issues and hopefully provide some clarity on the challenging relationships between planners and suppliers. You don’t want to miss out on this engaging and enlightening event! Can’t make it in person this month? Join us on the Live Stream! Register for the live streaming option and instructions will be emailed to you to access.

Reserve Your Spot Today!

Be sure to add this year's Global Meetings Industry Day to your calendar! Tuesday, April 14, 2020 Locations and Registration coming soon!

Be sure to add this year's Circle of Excellence Awards Gala & Silent Auction to your calendar! Thursday, May 14, 2020 Hutton Hotel - Nashville

Can you think of an MPI Tennessee Chapter member who has consistently contributed time and experience to Tennessee’s meetings industry? Recognize members who represent leadership and excellence in the meeting planning profession by nominating them for the following prestigious awards: Planner of the Year, Supplier of the Year, and New Member of the Year. Descriptions of each award are listed below.   Nominations close March 6, 2020, and the winners will be announced at the MPI Tennessee Chapter 2020 Circle of Excellence Awards Gala & Silent Auction.  Click here to make your nominations!   PLANNER OF THE YEAR Recognizes a planner member who represents leadership and excellence in the meeting planning profession along with a commitment to the local meeting community and an exemplary record of customer service in their industry. Nominations are received from the membership. All chapter planner members are eligible.   SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR Recognizes a supplier member who represents leadership and excellence in the meeting planning profession along with a commitment to the local meeting community and an exemplary record of customer service in their industry. Nominations are received from the membership. All chapter supplier members are eligible.   NEW MEMBER OF THE YEAR Recognizes an MPI Tennessee Chapter member volunteer for their enthusiastic contributions to the chapter, involvement in a committee and demonstrated leadership ability during their first 12 months of membership in MPI and MPI Tennessee Chapter. Open to eligible members who joined starting April 1 of the previous year.

Thank you to City Winery for hosting our Past President’s Dinner! We had a wonderful time catching up and honoring MPI Tennessee's past presidents at such an amazing venue. Thank you to all past presidents for everything you have done and still do to move our chapter and industry forward. We greatly appreciate you all!

Hello Future CMPs! MPI Tennessee is partnering with Joanne Dennison to provide you with her Meeting and Events Intensive Two Day Class. This class will help you get a grasp on the material in a strategic, situational, and conceptual way to pass the CMP exam. Attendees will earn 16 credit hours towards applying to sit for the CMP exam. When: Saturday, April 4 - Sunday, April 5 Time: 9am - 6pm Location: Nashville Area Hotel Property TBD Registration Fee: MPI Member- $550 Non-Member- $600 Click on the following link for more information and the registration form. Please contact shannon.jones@butlersnow.com with additional questions.

Click the following link to read a letter by Joanne Dennison, MSEd, CMP CMP –How do I find the right way to study—for me? Joanne Dennison, MSEd, CMP is passionate about educating in the meetings and events profession. She has taught CMP preparation courses for 20 years in North America and even China and Thailand. Her free video Study and Test Tips are YouTube. Contact her for information about upcoming classes at joanne@joannedennison.com . (Updated March 2018)

Spring 2020 Schedule March 6, 2020 - April 3, 2020 MPI Tennessee has partnered with Belmont University to bring you a Meeting & Event Planning program for CMP credit! This is a five-week program that meets at Belmont every Friday from 7:30am - 3:30pm. Each class is taught by a member of MPI Tennessee who is a subject matter expert. The cost for the full course is $975 (non-MPI members) and $877.50 (MPI members). Each class can be taken as a stand-alone class and is $250/person/class. This course is introductory to event planning and intended for individuals new to the industry or interested in learning more about it for current or future job knowledge. However, it is open to anyone and qualifies for the classroom requirements of CMP certification.  This spring's schedule is as follows:  March 6 - Meeting Planning Basics March 13 - Site Selection March 20 - Food & Beverage Planning March 27 - Event Budgeting & Return on Investment / Contracting Audio, Video & Lighting April 3 - Introduction to Special Events You will receive 35 hours of industry education and earn 1 CEU for every 10 hours of class time. You must attend all five classes to receive your MEP Certificate. For more information, please reach out to the Belmont University Center for Executive Education Program Manager, Vicki Allen, at vicki.allen@belmont.edu.

Click Here To Register Today!

We are excited to announce that MPI Global's Membership and Chapter Satisfaction Survey will be sent to all members on February 19, 2020! This survey is conducted in order to ensure we meet your needs. Please be sure to participate so that your voice is heard and to help shape the future of our community as a whole. Don’t forget… Current MPI Tennessee members who participate in this annual Membership survey drive for MPI Global will be put into a drawing to receive a complimentary Gala ticket! TWO Tennessee members will be drawn.

MPI relies on its volunteers to assist with creating programs that members need. Numerous opportunities are available at the chapter and international levels. Not only will you build your career and increase your industry knowledge, but your time and expertise will help the industry improve and grow as well. We want to recognize the members below for donating their time not only to our chapter, but to the events industry on an international level. Thank you so much for everything you do for our industry! Angela Layton, CMM, CMP - RISE Up Committee and Association Planners Community Board Sarah Freeman - MPI Women Community Board Melanie Clifford - CHAIR Chapter & Membership Advisory Council Shannon Jones, CMP - Chapter & Membership Advisory Council Cory Brooks, CMP - Anti-Human Trafficking Committee Erika Biddix, CMM, CMP - MPI Foundation

Is your organization looking for a new team member? Click this link to fill out the online job submission form, and we will make sure to include it in our next MPI Tennessee Newsletter.

Congratulations! Congratulations to Chelsea Williams for being recognized at the top seller for all of ePromos Promotional Products! We are so proud of you, and you greatly deserve this recognition!

Know someone who deserves recognition for a big life or professional event? Send the details to mpitn.communications@gmail.com and we will make sure to include them in our next MPI Tennessee Newsletter.

New to the family in January

Danielle Brooks, CMP Kimpton Aertson Hotel Emmie Brown Southwestern Speakers Chelsea Carroll Holiday Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown Convention Center LaTrivia Grady We Get It Right Staffing, LLC Elizabeth Hamner, CMP Grand Hyatt Nashville Katherine Justice Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation Sondra Noble Hip Hues LLC Melanie Smith, CMP GCFA, The United Methodist Church Jenna Townsend Visit Franklin

Congratulations to our members celebrating an MPI anniversary in February!

Barbara H. Campbell, CMP, CGMP - 25 years Kevin F. Brewer, DMCP - 16 years Melanie Clifford - 13 years Holly W. Stevenson, CMP - 8 years Shannen Elisabeth Stewart - 8 years Meredith McCarty Schakel - 7 years Veronica Anderson - 7 years Chelsea Williams - 5 years Kayce Kiningham, CMP - 4 years Stacey Wilson - 3 years Ashleigh Cote, CMP - 3 years Leigh Heath, CMP - 3 years

Ashley Hollis - 2 years Stacey Swafford - 2 years Harry Lemont - 2 years Lindsay Snyder, CMP - 2 years Lindsey Sullivan - 1 year Jennifer Walsh - 1 year Clint Strange - 1 year Tim Nowak - 1 year Taylor Guardino - 1 year Jaime Larhman - 1 year Olivia Pullin - 1 year

*Note: If you notice that your designation or years of membership are wrong, or you don't see your name, your profile on MPI Global's website may need to be updated! Log in to your profile on www.mpi.org to make changes, or contact us at 615-373-8002 if you have any questions.

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