MPI Tennessee Chapter - November Newsletter

November 2022

President's Message
Upcoming Meetings & Events
Flannel & Fizz Holiday Party
Leadership Academy
Save the Dates!
Rock Star of the Month
2023-2024 Board Nominations
Mentorship Highlight
Volunteer with Us!
Member Spotlight | Call For Submissions
Get Social with Us!

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

Happy November Friends!

Now that Halloween is over, cue Mariah Carey and bring out the spiked apple cider!

Jumping straight into the holidays, I hope to see everyone at Flannel & Fizz – 2022 Holiday Party this Thursday, November 10^th! Our Special Projects team and Go West Creative are pulling out all of the stops and I cannot wait to see it all come together.

I also hope that when shopping for gifts this year you will think out of the box and consider BUYING MPI. We have so many members that provide amazing tailored physical gifts and some outstanding experiences! Many of our members also have “side hustles” that directly benefit them.

In the spirit of November, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you all how Thankful I am to know you, work with you, and to be your friends. MPI Tennessee is truly a special group of individuals who care for each other more than any other organization I have been a part of and for that I am forever grateful. To prove how special our group is, I am proud to announce that the MPI Tennessee Chapter has won Overall Excellence Award for 2021-2022 through MPI Global!!! This is such an honor and a testament to your hard work and dedication to our chapter! Thank you!

Registration is closed, but we are looking forward to seeing each of you and celebrating this amazing year together!

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Are you in the events/hospitality industry and NOT a member of Meeting Professionals International? Then we want YOU.

Join us for an adventure in one of the most unique venues you will ever experience. MPI Tennessee and Ancient Lore Village bring you the Magic of Connection in Knoxville.

Already an MPI member? Then, please come and meet your neighbors who are interested in joining.

We are excited to announce our October Rock Star:

Scarlett Coffman!

Working with Scarlett on my committee has been so great! Like all the members, she is willing to help in whatever way she can. She gives her input and can easily make new friends! As a new board member, I like the honest feedback and the insight she gives to help me make decisions. Knowing I can count on her for any tasks also makes things easier for me as I navigate the entire event. I am so glad to have her! She is a great asset to this chapter.

2023-2024 BOARD NOMINATIONS

Are you an industry leader looking for an opportunity to showcase your skills and contribute to the success of MPI Tennessee Chapter?

If so, consider volunteering your time and talent to the

2023-2024 MPI Tennessee Chapter Board of Directors!

The MPI Tennessee Chapter Board of Directors is responsible for chapter operations including programming, financial oversight, and governance. By volunteering your time, you will help shape the future of our industry across the state!

Please note the following dates and actions:

December 2, 2022 - Nomination Due

Nominate yourself or a fellow member by sending interest to

Jill Kopecky at JillKopecky@livenation.com.

All nominees will receive further communication on December 9, 2022.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023 - Application Due

Board of Directors application due to

Jill Kopecky at JillKopecky@livenation.com

Click Here for Board of Directors Application

Click Here for Board of Directors Job Descriptions

Click Here for Directory of 2022-2023 Board of Directors

Nominations will be conducted in accordance with the Meeting Professionals International Tennessee Chapter By-Laws. Any planner or supplier member in good standing is eligible. Your consideration should include the types of skills and talents you can contribute, your past involvement with the chapter, recognition of the time commitment involved in a leadership role and the necessity of your employer's support.

Please contact Jill Kopecky at JillKopecky@livenation.com with any questions.

^{MENTORSHIP PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS}

The MPI TN mentorship program provides an environment and opportunity for personal development, professional growth, and relationship building between new and experienced members.

This program is designed to benefit both mentees and mentors alike by cultivating relationships that help individuals grow their career. As referenced in a recent Forbes article, mentoring relationships can "push your career to a new height" and can "deliver a rewarding and potentially life-changing experience for both the mentor and the mentee." Effective mentoring happens when both the mentor and mentee assume responsibility for making the relationship work.

Mentees benefits include gaining knowledge on topics that will increase skills and business value and establishing a relationship and open line of communication with an industry expert. The program gives mentors the opportunity to support and guide the next generation of industry professionals and increase leadership skills and self-awareness. Both mentors and mentees can strengthen their network by developing relationships with everyone involved in the mentorship program

There are five mentorship topics to choose from: Industry Experience, Personal and Professional Growth, Maximizing Your MPI Membership, Networking Skills, and Successful Leadership.

Plus, the cost is generously covered by our sponsor, Event Logistics, Inc.

The mentorship committee strives to make exceptional mentor/mentee pairings with over 50 pairs since December 2020. The four-month sessions are offered twice a year. February - May and August - November. Each session is limited to 20 participants to keep the group small and personal and includes virtual and in-person group gatherings. If you would like more information, please visit the website or contact Cindy Tipler, ctipler@cctenn.org or Beci Ruzek, sales@southerngiftingco.com.

Click Here to Learn More!

We ❤️ our volunteers! Are you looking for a way to contribute and make a difference? Do you have skills that might be beneficial to our chapter? Or maybe you want to be the change you wish to see. If this is the case, we need you!!! Below is the signup link, and we will connect you with the committee you have the most interest in. Thank you in advance for your participation in making our chapter amazing!

Mike Severson

Founder/Owner - Songwriter City

How long have you been in the events and hospitality industry? Almost 7 years with Songwriter City and 20+ years of music industry experience prior to that.

Why did you join MPI?

To forge and build relationships with other industry professionals. I believe it's important to have community and be aligned with lifting each other up.

What do you hope to get from your MPI Tennessee membership? To not only grow personally and professionally, but to help others do the same.

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

Born in Iowa, raised in Oklahoma, and moved to Nashville in 1993. Worked at several record labels and then launched Songwriter City in 2016. Ran my first marathon in 2021 and the plan is to do one every year as long as I can. Enjoy hiking, gardening, traveling, kayaking, and am a life long Green Bay Packers fan.

What would you sing at karaoke night?

With just the right amount of adult beverages, "Sweet Caroline."

What makes you laugh the most?

Our animals. Dogs are the best.

Which decade do you love the most and why?

1980's. The best music and artists. As a bonus, no mobile phones, social media, and 24/7 news.

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

Airline miles. I have so many places I want to see.

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!

WE ARE JUST AS EXCITED

AS GARY!

Our Communications team has done an amazing job this year to bring you more posts, photos, gifs, memes, and yes - we even have our very own Tik Tok channel now!!

Go FOLLOW US there today for a chance to

WIN $10 OFF of your next MPI TN event!

Support MPI with every eligible AmazonSmile purchase from your phone or web browser!

Just shop at smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate to our organization, at no additional cost to you!

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).