MPI Foundation Update – The Biggest Shame

I was on a conference call recently as the MPI Ottawa Chapter Ambassador to the MPI Foundation. There was something that was said that really stuck with me.  With all of the incredible work and success that has gone into fundraising for the MPI Foundation; the biggest shame would be to have the scholarships and grants that are made available not be used.

In my previous job, we had a fantastic referral program in which we could easily send business leads to our sister Hotels. There was an incentive in place for us to be encouraged to do this on a regular basis. One of our North American Sales leaders used to speak to us with the most wonderful Scottish accent and she would refer to this as “Easy Money”. I can still hear her saying it in my head today.

When it comes to funding the education that we want to take or the conferences and workshops that we want to attend, “Easy Money” is not often available, is it? This is where the MPI Foundation comes in.  This is your “Easy Money”.  There has been over $1.8 million raised for the Foundation so far this year!!  Within our chapter, in 2016, Ottawa Members received full grants for 2 new memberships, 2 scholarships for professional development towards CMM & CMP studies including receiving these designations and 2 scholarships to attend conferences such as the World Education Congress (WEC).  To date in 2017 our Ottawa members have received 4 scholarships.

Scholarships and Grants are actually quite easy to apply for on-line at MPI Foundation Scholarships & Grants .  You can now apply at any time and applications are reviewed each month on a rolling calendar basis!  I encourage you to have a look at the following video for some testimonials of the importance of the MPI Foundation to members and you can view it from right HERE .

I would be more than happy to assist anyone in their efforts to apply for a scholarship or grant. Do not hesitate to reach out to me if I can help you at all.

For our Planner members, here is a special announcement:

M&IT Canadian Nationwide Scholarship Program

The M&IT Canadian Nationwide Scholarship Program is designed to support the educational opportunities and community strength of Canadian MPI  Chapters through chapter grants and the promotion of excellence among Canadian MPI members. Planner members in Canada are eligible to apply for a scholarship of $1,500 CAD awarded in April, 2018. Applications are now being accepted! The $1,500 CAD scholarship will fund professional development, and may also be applied toward attendance at IncentiveWorks, WEC, an MPI membership or Academy program. Applications close February 28th, 2018, with the announcement of the award made in April 2018.  Apply Here

The MPI Foundation is also helping to Sponsor the EVENT  in April in Ottawa which impacts 3 Canadian Chapters: Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.  As part of this conference, the Ottawa Chapter will be hosting a special Rendezvous event to raise funds for the Foundation specifically; having some fun with your industry peers is a bonus!

In addition to all of the great items mentioned above, we cannot forget that the Foundation also funds a lot of critical pan-industry research for the global meeting and event industry.

So ……. What are you waiting for?

To learn more about the MPI Foundation, apply for scholarships or to donate directly to the MPI Foundation you can use this link: https://www.mpiweb.org/foundation

 
Article written by Greg Plazek, MPI Ottawa, President Elect and Market Sales- Account Executive, Marriott Hotels of Canada

Article Edited By Darlene Kelly-Stewart, Stonehouse Sales & Marketing