Autumn is here which means the arrival of apple cider, fuzzy sweaters and Ugg boots. In addition to welcoming delicious foods and cozy clothes, fall also signals the pending arrival of the RISE awards nomination season!
As a member of the RISE awards committee, I truly appreciate the accomplishments and hard work of our global membership. The RISE awards are a chance to reflect on reaching our common goals as well as celebrating the best and brightest MPI has to offer. Before the nomination process for next year’s RISE awards begins, I wanted to take a moment to address some application suggestions on behalf of the committee. I hope this sheds some light on how committee members review applications and what separates a good versus a great one.
There are three key things the committee members review in each application. One thing some applicants overlook is the completeness of the application. It is key for RISE award nominees to answer every question fully and not copy and paste other answers to other questions. MPI members may not realize this, but each individual question is weighted equally in the review process. When filling out your application ask yourself what is this question really asking for, rather than rushing to just provide an answer and moving on to the next. A nominee may answer nine questions wonderfully and be lackluster with the tenth - that could be the difference between being selected as a finalist or not. Make sure that you put the same amount of effort into each question on the application.
When providing additional documentation, make sure that it supports the points you’re making in response to a question. Notate why you have included it, and where committee members should direct their attention. Keep in mind that committee members all review every application and spend a minimum of approximately 30 to 60 minutes on each one. The more information you send, it becomes less likely that a committee member can investigate it ALL thoroughly. So be selective with supporting documentation, and make sure it is directly aligned to individual questions on the application.
Finally, I would encourage any RISE award nominees to really focus in on the individuality of your chapter, or yourself. What are the unique initiatives that you offered? How did you address the niche needs of your chapter membership? What were the specific set of challenges you overcame? As a global association there will always be commonalities in the state of the meetings and event business overall. But those who can make a clear distinction on their unique value-add to their local community and the MPI community overall, are more likely to be selected as finalists.
Lastly, I want to remind MPI members that you can absolutely nominate yourself or your chapter! In the coming weeks, take some time to review each award category for qualifications. We’ll also be sharing details soon about a webinar to help walk you through the process and answer any questions you may have. Stay tuned to the MPI website for more information - wishing you a safe and impactful fall meetings season!
