Brought to you by Joanne Dennison, CMP, MS Ed.
Joanne's Meeting and Event EGuide
May 5, 2019
This is not a carefully curated collection. 
(Some of you have heard my feelings about the use of the word curated.)


Got a question? Want me to find something for you? Did you get this forwarded to you? If you would like to be on the list, text MEETGUIDE to 22828. Or just sign up here online!
Newsletter Contents:

Things that interest me... and maybe you!
How Much Is a Gallon of Coffee?
Clothing, Packing, Travel
Where Will I Be?
All Things CMP
Career and Jobs #EventCareerStrategy


Things that interest me….
and maybe you!



Dog Spot for your events?

I have been accused by people who spend time with me, that I see the entire world from the event perspective. The stories are many. That being said, yes, when I am out and about I am always looking for things that we could being into our events to solve problems or make our attendees more comfortable. In the past I have posted about the professional headshot booth and the rentable nursing rooms. This one is for your dog and I saw it at a highway rest stop. Although it would not work at all events, it may work at some where people need to leave their dog short term. 

 


The TWA Hotel at JFK Is Opening NYC’s Most Unique Rooftop Pool This Summer
Travel + Leisure
(This is my new bucket list item….)
New York City is teeming with rooftop pools, but this summer’s most exciting rooftop pool opening is in an unexpected location — and it could just lure New Yorkers away from the skyscrapers in favor of something even more exciting. The much-anticipated TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy Airport announced Tuesday it will open an infinity pool with clear views of the airport’s runways and planes taking off. Gerber Group — the nightlife company behind fashionable venues like Mr. Purple and The Campbell  


Are you going to Canada? Maybe for MPI-WEC?

If so --make sure they let you in. I have heard two stories this past year of people being denied entrance due to past DUI’s in the US. One I heard from someone who it happened to and the other was with two people who were denied. Anyone who is planning a meeting in Canada with international attendees should, in my opinion, make this well known.


Happy Mother’s Day! Which by the way was started in Grafton, WV. There is a Mother’s Day Shrine located there.

8 Meeting Planner Lessons I Learned from My Mother
Smart Meetings
No matter how you plan to celebrate this weekend, we should all be taking the time to not only appreciate our mothers, but mothers everywhere, who are strong enough to withstand perhaps the most important and challenging job of them all. Many of us carry some of our mothers’ lessons on a daily basis. Even though my mother is a doctor, not a meeting planner, she has endured quite a bit of stress and mayhem in her time, enabling her to impart some very valuable lessons that can be applied to 



Contract Amendment vs Addendum
People think I make the definitions up when I teach this or discuss it with anyone. Or I get “That’s just EICs definition—its not the real one.” I actually thought someone was going to punch me one time about this. Very aggressive. So here—this a NOT from EIC.
Easy way to remember? An Addendum is when you “add” a document.



Sorry! Heard the link did not work last time so here is a rerun!
8 airplanes converted into restaurants (CNN)
(Off Premise event anyone???)
These grounded airplanes across the world have been turned into restaurants. Find out what it's like to truly dine in style inside an airliner 

HOW MUCH IS A GALLON OF COFFEE?

How many times have you heard this question in our industry? For planners it is a litmus test as to whether they can continue being interested in a property. Why? Because if you are trying to get a quick idea of whether you can even consider looking at a venue, on the Food and Beverage side, it is the one constant. Breakfast/Continental Breakfast/Breaks/Lunch etc all have too many variables. A gallon (or liter) of coffee is a just that. Can’t change it. Can’t vary it. So many planner use it to get a gauge of the pricing at a property, or even a geographical location (so they may ask a CVB/DMO the same to get a range).
Some venue sales people know it and use it. One of the best examples I ever saw, was watching a friend of mine who is DOS of a very nice casino resort property, who identifies themselves with the greater Chicago area. She was talking with a potential client and they said they did business in Chicago but would never consider going to the surrounding area. My friend asked: “What do you pay for a gallon of coffee?” The planner answered $100. My friend said: “Ours is $40”. The planner’s eyes got very large and replied “Let’s talk”.
My question to you is how much have you paid recently for a gallon of coffee, or if you are a venue, how much is yours? I want to post this for a few months, because I find when I discuss budgets with people, they cannot believe how much food and beverage varies location to location.
So to keep this as simple as possible please answer with just the flat charge for the coffee. No tax, no service charge, no gratuity. I would love to get some pricing from outside of the US so please share that information and how it is measured—Liter? 
I am also aware that some places, especially out of the US, you cannot even buy it except per person. For now, let’s stick to this and maybe that is a question for another day.

Please give me the venue and geographical location (please do not assume I know). I will assume you will allow your name to be in the EGuide, so if not let me know. Email me the info at joanne@joannedennison.com


A Gallon of Coffee Around The World - How Much?
Does not include any taxes, gratuities or service charges
Reported by my readers (listed in parentheses)

Pocono Manor, PA, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions -- $48
($56 for Starbucks)
(Richard McCadden)


Clothing, Packing, Travel
Finally! An article on Men’s Clothing for travel
DUER Just Made the Best Travel Pants of the Season Gear Patrol
L ive Free Adventure Pants are built to go anywhere, withstand anything and keep you dry and comfortable in any situation. 



I nside the Women Who Travel Meetups: Nashville Condé Nast Traveler

(What a great idea! I am definitely going to be checking into this… no one likes to travel alone, and women frequently have additional challenges to keep in mind.)
We're visiting cities around the world to celebrate Women Who Travel—here's the scoop from this month's meetup. 



Do you have trouble sleeping while traveling (or even at home)? This is not a problem for me, but I hear from so many others that it is. Thought this was a fascinating article.
This trick helped 96% of WWII US military pilots learn to fall asleep within 2 minutes, even after drinking coffee
Business Insider

The pilots practiced the method over and over, and 96 percent of them achieved success after six weeks of practice. During WWII, though, the U.S. military quickly realized that if fighter pilots didn't get sleep, their poor decisions had dire consequences. The military brought in naval ensign Bud Winter to develop and test a scientifically designed method of "teaching" sleep. After just six weeks of practice at turning their brains off using this five-step method, 96 percent of pilots could fall  
Where Will I Be? Will I see you there?


MPI New Jersey , May 17 at the Doubletree Newark Airport

I am extremely excited to be the presenter at this meeting---my original chapter. The topic will be “The ROI of You”. You do not need to be a MPI member to come, and the content is relevant to any career!


I n a world that values someone’s work performance by how much they effect the bottom line—how are you being perceived?
What is your value?
Do they know?
Do  you  know?
 
Even if you are doing an excellent job, the world is moving too fast to hope that someone notices. Your job is to make the organization better. Your personal responsibility is to make sure you know how to do it and how to show it, with the same strategy you do with your meetings and events.
 
By attending this session you will learn:
o  How to determine what the organization thinks is important
o  How to gather information in a way that you can measure it
o  How to use that information to show your value, and the ROI your organization gains by the work that you do
 

Many of you know this is something I am very passionate about and is a cross over between my work in the meetings world and my work as The Guidance Counselor for Grown Ups. What to move your career forward? Be seen differently in your current organization or when you go for your next interview? This is one way to prepare. A Friday lunch meeting—hope to see you there!

 

June 15-18, 2019 MPI-Word Education Congress (WEC) 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

So excited for this conference—it has not been held in Toronto since 2002 and I know they are going to be great hosts. I will be presenting the following:

Saturday -CMP Master Class  - expanded to 8 hours this year! Separate registration from your overall WEC registration. And you can come to it even if you are not coming to WEC. This does not qualify for the “Take Twice” because it is a MPI Global class.

Monday – How to Make Your Meeting a Good Piece of Business

Tuesday – “It’s Best if I do It”—Learning How to Delegate

Tuesday – Have Questions About the CMP Process?— expanded from 30 minutes last year to 1 hour and 15 this year. Great time for people to ask all those questions about what it is, why they might want to earn it, what the process is from start to finish, and odd things they should know.


And something very new!
CMP Master Class at Sea – January 16-18, 2020

Yep--I'll be teaching this. This MPI Global class will be held on Celebrity Cruise Line leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale. One of the things I am very excited about is in addition to the class itself, which will be broken up through the cruise, we will get to do some behind the scenes tours and talk about how they pertain to doing meetings on cruises. Remember you can already have your CMP and attend. Anyone who has ever taken my classes knows they are not just on taking the exam. You will earn CE’s for you application or re-certification. More information to follow on registration from MPI Global soon!



Plus all the classes listed below!

ALL THINGS CMP


My Two-Day Intensive Class

My Two-Day Intensive Classes—one left this spring and one for summer, and I am working on the fall ones!

Did you know you can earn 16 Continuing Education hours to apply or re-certify for your CMP by attending? Yes, it is framed around the CMP Domains, but it will also show you how to be better at what you do---or want to do.
I make a decision 2-3 weeks before the class is held as to whether there is enough registration to hold the class. If you know you are taking it please register before those dates! If I am holding the class and there is still room, I will continue to take registrations. What I hate is when I cancel a class do to registration numbers and then people contact me going “I was going to take it!”.
All Classes are Saturday and Sunday and registration is open for all.



July 13-14

The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center, New Brunswick, NJ
Marketing Partner - MPI New Jersey
Venue Partner - The Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center
This is easily accessible on the NJ Transit NE Corridor Line

As of now this will be my only class between May and August.
Registration open soon and limited to 20 people .


Oct 5-6 , Q Center, St. Charles IL (Almost Definite)



Oct 12-13 Party Rental Ltd., Showroom, Boston MA
Marketing Partner - MPI New England
Venue Partner - Party Rental, Ltd.


All classes above are eligible for the "Take Twice" option. You do not have to take both classes in the same location. Please email Joanne@JoanneDennison.com for your comp form and let her know when and where your first class was.
Even if you've already taken the class twice, you're more than welcome to attend another as long as there is room.


Class Picture of my CMP Class Last Weekend
Hilton Columbus at Easton

For the past five weeks I had the opportunity to hold four of my Meeting and Event Two-Day classes. I was in Boston MA, Bethlehem PA, St. Charles IL, and Columbus OH. See our pictures from the #SisterhoodoftheTravelingBlankets and #BrotherhoodoftheTravelingBlankets !  




Upcoming 2019 CMP Exam Dates
Now with month-long testing windows:


January, May, August, November
This means applicants will have 200% more testing days in 2019!

NEW: Trying to figure out how those questions end up on the exam? Here you go: Exam Questions


Did you take the CMP in 2014? 2009? 2004? 1999?
It is your year to recertify—DO NOT miss it!

L ink to free study and test tip videos:
Here are more than 20 short videos to help you study for and take the CMP exam and some test taking tips. These videos have over 25,000 views.

Some of these tips include:
The Ordinary Success Project LLC is a CMP Preferred Provider. The program(s) identified with the CMP Preferred Provider logo meet the requirements to receive continuing education (CE) credit for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential. The use of the CMP Preferred Provider Pre-Check logo is not an endorsement by the Events Industry Council of the quality of the session. For more information about the CMP credential or CMP Preferred Provider Program, please visit  www.EventsCouncil.org .
Career and Jobs - They are not the same!


Young or old, it's a good time to get a job CNBC

Whether you're just graduating from college or you've been in your job for years and are ready for a change, it's a good time to get a hired. Here's how to get started. 




JOBS:

Public Events Specialist Rice University, Houston TX


Program and Events Specialist – Office of the President
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA





Places to Search for Jobs:


 
 
 
 
 
 

If you are on this list you probably heard me present on the meetings and events industry (good chance on the CMP exam) but no, you did not ask to be on this list because the list did not exist till now. If you choose to unsubscribe I totally get it. On the other hand if you stick around there might be something interesting, amusing or maybe even both .
Joanne Dennison, CMP, 732.672.1134    
Twitter @joannedennison #themeetguide

Instagram #themeetguide
Member MPI & NSA