MPI-CAC Year in Review Chapter president takes a look back on what MPI-CAC has accomplished in 2019 and what’s ahead for 2020

I just wanted to take a moment, on behalf of MPI-CAC, to wish every one of you a very Happy New Year. For our chapter, 2019 was a big year. Most notably, we have made the transition to our new management company DRI Professional Services (DPS). While there are still things that need to get done, the transition has gone very smoothly and we are very fortunate to have an exceptional team in place. They truly are valuable assets of the chapter.  

Our chapter was also the recipient of the MPI Top Performing Chapter award which we are extremely proud of.  MPI-CAC would be nothing without all of our amazing members. We thank you for participating in events, attending committee meetings and board meetings with an all-in attitude. We take great pride in all of our members and volunteers, and love to see your successes. We love seeing you all constantly seeking new ways to challenge yourselves in order to continually grow professionally and personally. 

As we begin the new decade, I am ASKING each of you to get involved in the chapter … either through sponsoring chapter events and building your business, or by engaging as a volunteer in the chapter and building your career and expanding your network. We have opportunities for everyone! All you need to do is reach out and ASK! I can personally share that volunteering has been an incredibly rewarding experience and I know others will say the same. Even if you only have an hour or two a month, we are happy to welcome you to the team.

Most immediately, we look forward to seeing you at NEXT on Feb. 12 at Convene. We have listened to your feedback over the years and have shortened the program to a half day. Keep your eye out for more details in the coming days. 

On April 14 we host Industry Xchange (IX) that will be Chicago’s collaborative contribution to Global Meetings Industry Day through a partnership of MPI-CAC and several local chapters of fellow industry organizations.  When you attend, you will be joining leaders from all corners of the globe to showcase the real power of meetings, events, conventions, exhibitions and more. Our education content team has done a wonderful job creating content that the members have asked for. 

Another exciting note – we are back on Instagram! Please follow and tag @mpicac at events.  Our marketing team is doing a great job documenting events, posting updates and sharing our story. 

We have a ton of plans for 2020 and are excited to share them with you.  Here is to another great year of pushing MPI-CAC to the next level. 

About the Author: Erin Babarskis, CMP, is the Americas Senior Event Manger, Global Travel, Meetings and Events for Ernst & Young LLP. She is the 2019-2020 MPI-CAC President.