MPI Tennessee Chapter - March 2023 Newsletter

March 2023

President's Message
Upcoming Meetings & Events
2023 President's Awards Gala
Save the Dates!
Member Spotlight | Call For Submissions
Get Social with Us!
MPI Community Support
Kroger Community Rewards

Job Openings
MPI Tennessee Family
MPI TN Member Registration Support Form
MPI Resume Support
MPI Global Assistance Program
Update Profile
Private Facebook Group
Sponsors

Hello & Happy Spring!

Even though a cold snap has reached us here in Tennessee, I am looking forward to spring – and to our annual Circle of Excellence Awards Gala and Silent Auction.

Every year, over 200 Tennessee professionals gather for this exciting evening. Proceeds from the Gala go toward fostering education, business exchanges, and networking opportunities, all while furthering our MPI chapter’s grant, scholarship, and research endeavors. It’s one of the most important events we host throughout the year, and this year is going to be especially fun, because it’s Fast Times at MPI - the 80s prom night we’ve been dreaming of since…well, the 80s!

One of my favorite parts of the evening is the Excellence Award Ceremony. This is a chance to honor chapter members who have made significant contributions to MPI, our Tennessee chapter, and the meetings industry in general. You can help us recognize those members by nominating our Planner of the Year, Supplier of the Year, and New Member of the Year here.

Before I close this letter, I have to take a moment to acknowledge the amazing CONNECT

committee. What an incredible educational conference last month that was made possible

by their dedication and hard work. Thank you all for producing such a wonderful event!

Now, it’s almost time to dust off your raddest prom outfit and get ready to bust some sick

moves on the dance floor. With craft cocktails and tasty bites, a silent auction, stellar

entertainment, and our annual awards ceremony, the evening promises to be a whole lot of

nostalgic fun.

I look forward to seeing you at the Gala!

Michael Farrell

P.S. It’s not too late to showcase your brand at this year’s Gala by donating auction items or

becoming a sponsor!

FAST TIMES at MPI

Hey you guys! Grab your most excellent prom duds and get ready for the totally tubular MPI Tennessee Presidents Awards, Gala and Auction. Show off your dancing skillz on April 20th at Diamond Creek Farms. I kid you not, this 80’s prom will be bad to the bone. So don’t be lame. Mark your calendar for this epic event. Join us for Fast Times at MPI, and tell your posse, cause knowing is half the battle.

Get ready to busta groove to awesome 80’s hits and radical grub and bevvys. But the thing we are most stoked about is the most triumphant awards. Nominate your BFF now, right here!

Yo! For this to be a clutch event, don’t forget to donate an item to our Silent Auction. Send those major goods here!

Gotta motor!

This year, we're bringing back our blind “wine and whiskey pull” — $20 flat rate per wine pull and $30 flat rate per whiskey pull — and there’s not a bad bottle in the bunch!

2023 Awards

Submit your nominations today for the Circle of Excellence Awards.

Submit A Nomination!

Shardé Curry, Founder & CEO

Piece of Mind Events

How long have you been in the events and hospitality industry?

17 years

Why did you join MPI?

As a small business owner, I found myself buried under the massive event planners in Nashville. I felt alone and like I just didn't have what it takes to be considered among the competition. I joined MPI to force myself to connect to Nashville on a professional level. As a native, I quickly realized that this city was not the small city I recall as a child. MPI has really given me so much, but most importantly, a community.

What do you hope to get from your MPI Tennessee membership?

From my membership, I have already gained so much! I now have a support system who gives me advice when I need help, and so much knowledge on events. I feel more prepared and confident when I work with my clients. I also have already been able to become a mentor to others who are just starting in the industry. With so many benefits, I also found it my responsibility as a member to help other small businesses as well. My membership will pave the way for owners just like me who need support and feel unseen.

Tell us more about yourself…hobbies, little known fact, etc.

I have four kids, and am a second-generation Belmont graduate! I love breakfast so it would make sense that my career started at Pancake Pantry. My great, great, great grandmother is the Fisk University Jubilee Singer Ella Sheppard. I'm a Nashville native who married my high school sweetheart!

What is your favorite meeting or event you have been involved in and why?

There are so many that I have enjoyed, so I will only speak on the most recent. My company was selected to work on The Voice. I was so humbled and honored to even be considered. It was an amazing experience and a lot of fun!

What would you sing at karaoke night?

Any Beyonce song because what else is worthy?!

What makes you laugh the most?

My kids! They are so different and you never know what they are going to say or do.

Which decade do you love the most and why?

The 90s because it was full of my favorite sitcoms and cartoons!

You can have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what is it? Diet Coke? Sushi? Scotch Tape?

Hershey Kisses with Almonds.

We want to know more about you! Our membership is diverse, and we have grown so much over the last few years. We want to recognize each of you and help all of us feel more connected by learning more about each other.

Click on the link below to fill out our Member Spotlight form. We will include your responses in newsletters, social media posts and other MPI Tennessee communications. Don't forget to include your picture!

Complete the Member Spotlight Form here!

Every year, Kroger donates millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations through its Community Rewards Program.

If you already shop at Kroger, please consider registering your Kroger Card for the program and designating MPI Tennessee as your chosen organization. Then every time you shop, you’ll be supporting us!

How to participate:

Go to Kroger Community Rewards.
Log into your Kroger account to enroll (or create an account).
Enter organization number GV197 or Meeting Professionals International - TN Chapter in the search field and click on the Search button.
Select MPI Tennessee by clicking on the circle to the left of the name.
Follow the prompts to complete enrollment.
Be sure to select the Enroll button to complete the process.
Register and send a screenshot of enrollment and you'll receive one $15 discount for an MPI event (excluding CONNECT and Gala)

If your organization is 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 and on social media.

We hope everyone in our MPI family is staying safe and healthy as we continue to battle COVID-19 and the affect it is having on our industry and our membership. Our board is here for you if you need anything. We hope the information below is helpful to you as we all navigate the near future. Please reach out to any of us directly if you are struggling, have questions or just need to chat.

MPI Tennessee Registration Support – If you have lost your job or suffering financial hardship during this time and are unable to attend our events, please take a moment to fill out the Registration Support Form. We value you and would love to continue seeing you at our membership events! Click below to fill out a form!

Form for Registration Support

MPI Tennessee Private Facebook: Join our private Facebook page to learn more about these events and to connect with the fun and informative things going on with our MPI Family.

MPI Member Resume Support – Did you know that MPI members have access to complimentary resume critique through our career center? Members will need their MPI username/password to access this service. Click on the following link and follow the path listed to have your resume critiqued: www.mpi.org > Resources > Career Center > Sign In > go to My Account (top left corner) > go to Resume > check mark “Send me my free professional resume critique from TopResume” > click on Upload Resume to, you guessed, upload your resume.

MPI Global Member Assistance Program: We do not want to lose any of you as members. For those whose jobs have been affected by COVID-19, MPI Global has several options to help if you are up for renewal, and they will be reaching out to you. You can also contact MPI Global directly at feedback@mpi.org, call 972-702-3053, or fill out and follow the instructions in this form.

Update Membership Profile: If you or someone you know has new contact information be sure to reach out to us at info@mpitn.org or 615-373-8002 so we can update that information with our chapter and MPI Global. Remember, your membership belongs to you and follows you even when your employer changes (unless you had a specific agreement with your employer where they keep the membership).