MPI Tennessee Chapter - May 2023 Newsletter

May 2023

MPI TN,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for making this year’s Gala a huge success. I am so proud of all our MPI TN members for their hard work, dedication and commitment to our organization.

I would like to acknowledge our President’s Award Winners, who are outstanding members of our community and have contributed to the ongoing success of our Chapter. Congratulations to all of you and thank you for your service to MPI TN.

I would also like to extend a special thank you to the members of our Gala Committee and valued Sponsors who worked tirelessly to make the event such a success. Your dedication and hard work did not go unnoticed, and we are grateful for your efforts.

The Auction was also a great success, and we appreciate the generosity of all those who participated. Your contributions will help us to continue to provide valuable resources and programming for our members.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who attended the event. Your support and enthusiasm are what make MPI TN such a vibrant and thriving community. The success of the gala will undoubtedly position the chapter for continued success in the coming year.

Once again, thank you to all of our MPI TN members for your dedication and commitment to our organization. We look forward to another successful year ahead.

All the best,

Michael Farrell

President

MAY MIX EVENT

It’s time to enjoy what Nashville does best, ROOFTOPS!

Join us at FGL House Rooftop for an evening of networking, food and drinks. We will also be hosting our Membership 101 prior to the start of this event, from 3pm-4pm at FGL House.

This downtown venue is one of the many TC Restaurant Group operates and offers Private Party options for groups as small as 50 and as big as thousands.

APRIL ROCKSTAR

Alexa Roncancio

Alexa has been phenomenal on the Communications Committee this year. She is always eager and willing to jump in to help create some amazing designs!

Allison Witt

Allison is an ongoing sponsor, supporter, and volunteer for MPI Tennessee. She always shows up with a smile.

Reserve Your Spot!

Christina Dallas Jones, CMP

Director of Sales & Marketing,

Cambria Nashville Downtown

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

19 years

Why did you join MPI?

I originally joined in 2013, having only networked at my place of employment at the time, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. I attended Belmont's Meeting & Event Planning Certificate Program to develop and hone my skills. There I met Robyn Bass, Carol Norfleet, and Angela Layton. I was so impressed by these women who were confident, influential and had infectious personalities, that I knew I wanted what they had! From there, I had no idea the relationships and network I would build over the years to come through this organization!

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

A wider network and to continue to develop as an industry leader.

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

I moved to Nashville from Orlando as a pit stop to Broadway (New York - not honky tonk row) before getting sucked into the events world here. I still sing weekly as a worship leader at my church and teach voice/acting on the side specializing in college & audition prep. My husband sings/tours full time with a Christian Country Band, MARK209. We have 2 grandsons - come see me at the next event to hear about Austin (4) & Gavin (1). Last but certainly not least, I have 3 cats (Bruce, Suzie & Binx), and 2 dogs (Maggie & Beaux).

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

This is hard... but I would say, it was when my husband and I owned a restaurant & event center in middle Missouri. We hosted the largest Quilt Show in the state. It was three-day event with live music, quilting demos, exhibitors, and over 1000 people in attendance.

What would you sing at karaoke night?

After being coerced because I am not a fan of doing karaoke, I would say any Jo Dee Messina, Jazz, or Grease.

What makes you laugh the most?

Tik Tok... any cat videos really

Which decade do you love the most and why?

The 40s... you just can't beat the music, movies and style!

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

Gasoline, because I love to drive & travel!

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).