MPI Chapter Leader Newsletter

May 2024

May 7


Leadership and Engagement

European calls and Meet up

ECLF & EMEA Meet up at IMEX - May 13 afternoon

MPI Pre-IMEX Networking event - May 13 evening

European Presidents call - May 29

European Membership call - June 4


Reminder: Board Slate Process

As a reminder, all board positions are a 1 year term. All current Board members who are interested in serving in 2025 need to re-apply for the Board and complete the nominations process. The only exceptions are the President Elect and President who ascend to the next roles automatically. If you have any questions about the nominations process, visit the CLRP > Office of the President > Nominations or contact your Regional Operations Manager. 


MPI Town Hall & Annual Membership Meeting (in person or virtual)

This annual meeting is an essential platform for you to stay abreast of the latest developments within our organization. It features a significant agenda where you can hear critical updates from our President and CEO, Paul Van Deventer, and interact directly with our MPI Board Chair, Michelle Allgauer, and MPI Foundation Trustee Chair, Susie Townsend.

  • Virtual Attendance: A virtual meeting platform will be available for those unable to attend in person, ensuring full participation and engagement. Where: MPI LinkedIn page with Virtual Q&A Platform on Slido for real-time inquiries
  • In-Person Attendance: Attendees of WEC Louisville are welcome to join us in-person at the Kentucky International Convention Center, Ballroom D & E


Chapter Leadership Summit 2024

All FY2025 Chapter Leaders will be invited to attend the virtual Chapter Leadership Summit on Thursday, September 12, 2024.  Please mark your calendars now and include this date in your Nomination Process to ensure new Board members attend this important training session. Complete details will be shared as they are finalized in the Chapter Leader Newsletter. 


President's Dinner at WEC Louisville

The current Chapter President has been invited to attend the President's Dinner at WEC Louisville on May 21 with a complimentary ticket. Should any other Chapter members want to purchase a ticket to attend, more details can be found here. Complimentary tickets are non-transferable.


Reminder: New Board Attendance Policy

As a reminder, a new Board Attendance Policy has been included in the current MPI Chapter Policies. The policy can be found in Article IV, Section 2, 2.5. if you have not read the current Bylaws and Policies which are under revision to add local Chapter policies, you can find the base document here: CLRP > Office of the President > Governance.


All Hands Call 2024

MPI Chapter Leader All Hands Calls inform Volunteer Chapter Leaders with crucial information and updates about our organization. All Board Members are encouraged to attend and ask questions directly to MPI Senior Leadership. Register online for the Zoom calendar invite.


MPI’s Annual Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Session Requirement

As shared in August 2023, all Chapters must offer an Anti-Human Trafficking awareness session to their members at least once each calendar year. Members of the Anti-Human Trafficking Committee have started to contact every Chapter to offer their assistance in getting you started with planning this very important awareness session for your members.

As the AHT Committee Ambassadors connect with you, please use this opportunity to collaborate with them in planning/designing your awareness session and tap into the multitude of resources they have available to assist you.

Thank you very much for your support in this important initiative and please note that there is a limited number of $500.00 grants available via the MPI Foundation to help you with the session.

Details on resources available to download and how to apply for the $500.00 grant being offered by the MPI Foundation can be found in the CLRP > Education > Education Forms and Documents > AHT Training & Grant Information 2023/204 (PDF file).


Chapter Leader Webinar: Anti-Human Trafficking Resources and Information for Chapters

“What Can I Do? A Deep Dive Conversation about Combatting Human Trafficking in the Meeting & Event Industry” with resources from the Anti-Human Trafficking Committee.

Join the call on June 6 at 11:00am CDT


Marketing and Communications

Google Analytics for Chapter Website

Each Chapter website has Google Analytics to allow you to track website traffic.  This report is available in Sitefinity, Pages section titled: GA4 Analytics Report.


Membership

MPI Membership Update – April 2024

April 2024 Membership:

  • Total Members: 12,371
  • Retention: 72%
  • Renewal % w/o Grace: 48%

GMID on April 11th saw 147 new members and 290 renewals come in during the one-day promotion. Great job to all Chapters who promoted this special opportunity to your audience!


Affiliate Membership to Your Chapter

Can MPI Members affiliate to more than one Chapter? YES! 

All MPI Chapters can offer an Affiliate Membership application to allow more members to connect with your Chapter.  When a person joins MPI as a Preferred or Premier member, the fee includes one affiliation to the chapter of their choice.  That member can then go directly to your chapter website to purchase an additional affiliation. This is widely used in regions where members can travel between chapters or for Suppliers to cover a geographic territory encompassing more than one MPI Chapter.  The Chapter is responsible for publishing the option on your website, collecting payment, and managing the membership. A template for the Affiliate Member Application is available on the CLRP > Membership > Member Recruitment to download the template.


Education

Register Now for our June 18th webinars!

Join us on June 18th for our MPI-MD Town Hall  webinar over “Building your Restaurant Business with Medical Meetings” from 11-12:30 CT to hear from leading experts in the fields of restaurant sales and medical meeting planning. Or, you can join us from 12-1 pm CT for our Demo Day where we bring the spotlight to cutting-edge Event Technology companies that are revolutionizing the events industry, featuring Community Brands. Secure your spot today!


Events

WEC Chapter Leader Lounge Activities

Join us at the 2024 WEC Chapter Leader Lounge, sponsored by Visit Aurora, for special programming and gatherings exclusively for YOU! Mark Your Calendar.

  • Monday, May 20: 3:00-4:00pm: Volunteer Chapter Leader Reception
  • Tuesday, May 21: 8:30-9:15am: Effective Succession and Transition Planning, Set Your New Board and Chapter Up for Success.
  • Tuesday, May 21: 3:20-3:45pm: Meet with a Purpose: Chapter Leader/Retreat Facilitators Meet and Greet
  • Wednesday, May 22: 8:30-9:15am: Regional Council Chair Panel: Learn about the work being done to support chapters and projects underway.


Receptions and Meet-Ups at WEC Louisville

Need assistance selecting a location for your after-hours chapter reception or meet-up during WEC in Louisville?  If you are planning to schedule chapter meetups/receptions/etc., please do so on Tuesday, May 21. The General Session ends at 5:00pm and the President’s Dinner begins with a reception at 6:45pm.

Please contact Cinnamon Jawor with Louisville Tourism at cjawor@gotolouisville.com or call her at 502-419-7817.


Volunteer Chapter Leader WEC Registration

All FY2023-2024 Volunteer Chapter Leaders and all Chapter Administrators who are MPI members in good standing are eligible for discounted registration:

WEC May 20-22, 2024, in Louisville. Register online using this registration link to secure the $700.00 rate.  


MPI Foundation

MPI Foundation

Thank you for your enthusiastic response to the Chapter Pledge request. Over 35% of chapters have responded and of that, 90% have confirmed they will be providing a Chapter generated donation to the MPI Foundation this year. Some have their plans firmly set, others are still working out the details. Either way, every donation matters and having some fun along the way can help build your chapter community. If you haven’t responded yet, there is still time to confirm your Chapter Pledge and to let us know you share our mission to support each other through the work of the MPI Foundation. Members helping members.

 I will be attending WEC and look forward to meeting as many chapter leaders as possible. I am always happy to have great conversations that can generate interesting ideas, leading to unique and fruitful fundraising experiences. See you there!