MPI DIY: Do it Yourself Networking Events Continue to Grow in 2018

We are all familiar with the public personas of some of the greatest creators of our time; Ben Franklin and Leonardo da Vinci. What few people know about them is that they were also famous for forming social circles of cross-disciplinary thinkers to collaborate with as part of their creative process.

DaVinci’s notebooks revealed that he enjoyed being surrounded by friends, companions, students, assistants, fellow courtiers and thinkers. Thoughts easily became ideas by facilitating informal and open discussions around a Renaissance court.

Ben Franklin created Junto Club (also known as The Leather Apron Club) in 1797 which met every Friday to discuss pressing issues of the day and age. As with da Vinci’s social circle, the Junto Club was comprised of a cross section of influencers in Philadelphia; doctors, engineers, philosophers and more.

Like Benjamin Franklin and Leonardo da Vinci, event professionals are inventors and artists fueled by the energy and ideas of creative people around them. The creation of MPI DIY unfolded quite organically as a result of this desire to gather, discuss and grow. In the 2016, the chapter’s membership requested more interactive and personalized events. The challenge; no additional funds to achieve this beyond what was already allotted for the Strategic Education portfolio. This was the catalyst the Member Care committee needed to conceive MPI DIY. The concept of MPI: Do it Yourself Networking was simple; gather like-minded event professionals together after work at a local venue with no registration, no fees, no nametags, no sales pitches and no host. The DIY theme permeates every aspect pre-event as well as on site; the venue is chosen by the membership via social media polls. Guests are responsible for their own business cards and drink/food tabs. There are no moderators or hosts to greet or pitch guests. Guests can arrive whenever they want and leave whenever they want and no RSVPing is required.

What do guests get out of it one may ask?… exactly what they put into it! Some guests use the opportunity to grow professionally by sharing ideas on how to better their events. Some students use this opportunity to introduce themselves to event industry influencers for employment or mentorship opportunities. The rest use the opportunity to catch up with colleagues who have become friends but whose jobs keep them too busy to see each other as often as they would like. Whatever the objective, everyone is welcomed at MPI DIY; members, non-members and students. This has been evident as we have seen these events grow from 9 guests at the first DIY in October 2016 at the Albion Rooms to almost 30 guests at our last DIY at Charlotte in late February 2018.

Whether you are a DIY regular, or have never heard about these MPI DIYs until this article, mark your calendars for May 2018 (5pm-7pm) for the next DIY (exact date to be determined shortly). Typically, the chapter offers four DIYs per year; one per quarter. As always, the membership will be polled to determine the preferred host venue from 3 venue finalists.

The author of the da Vinci biography (referenced at the beginning of this article); Walter Isaacson states; “Ideas are often generated in physical gathering places where people with diverse interests encounter one another serendipitously.” As event professionals, we know how important it is to create the mediums to do this. Therefore, we’ll design the safe spaces MPI Ottawa members… you bring the wine.

See you in May for the next MPI DIY!

   Article Written By Karen Norris CMP, Member Care Committee

Article edited by Rozanne Lyons, CMP, Intertask Conferences