MPI MN Up - Close Profile – Planner - Jennifer Carlson

1.    Why did you join MPI?
Synergos has several staff members who are members for professional development – but I also have personal history with MPI because I used to work for Nonprofit Solutions (many years ago). In addition to providing membership support to our client associations, I often coordinate with our in-house staff on meetings and events – so it’s logical to be a member of MPI myself! At one point, I almost became a Meeting Planner and I thought about pursuing a CMP (but life went in a different direction).

2.     How long have you been in the meetings/hospitality industry?
Since 1992, when I got my first real job, working for an association management company. Even though I’ve mostly been in membership, meetings and events have always been part of my work. Plus, I have volunteered for my history club as an event planner for many years.

3.     How did you decide to get involved in this business?  What influenced you?
I kind of “fell into it” through my volunteer work – and realized I’m fairly good at organizing for other people. Hey, it was fun and now I can get paid for it!?! What’s not to love?

4.     What’s the most valuable advice you’ve received about working with meetings?
Deadlines drive behavior.

5.     What is one piece of advice about meeting planning you would share?
Read your contract carefully and always have someone else proof your BEO!

6.     What is one thing about this industry that you love?
Seeing awesome venues that I might never have visited.

7.     What is one thing about the industry would you like to see changed?
See #4.  As planners, we often are poor at planning for ourselves – guilty as charged!  (Funny but it’s true.)

8.     What do you do outside of work?
I’m a geek, particularly about history.  I’ve worked at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, I belong to the Jane Austen Society of North America, and I also belong to a renaissance/middle ages recreationist group (for over 30 years). I do historical fencing, I sew my own costumes and I travel a lot on weekends.