Why Do You Volunteer?

Volunteering for MPI PHL allows you to learn new skills and grow as an event professional. We all have our reasons for volunteering, and our 2018-19 Board of Directors shares their MPI Stories with you

Gail Sullivan, CMP, HMCC, CIS, Director, Education Institute

I was inspired to volunteer with the CMP Study group leaders in 2001 as a way to keep up to date on my CMP. I loved it so much I stayed for 12 years. I dropped out for a few years to raise kids, explore other areas. I missed the education and networking after a few years so came back to the Education Institute Committee and LOVE it! I do what I can when I can do it!

Ashley Hardison, Director, Special Events

Being three hours away and heading into a new market, I wanted to get to know people quick!  I thought that volunteering would be a great way to meet people. Being in the full service industry I thought my knowledge and experience could help the Special Events Team. Since being on the committee, I’ve enjoyed the set up and day of events! MPI is like a family; to make time for everything you just figure out a way to make it work!

Alayna Gardner, Director, Communications

To grow in my career as an Event Sales Manager Marketing is an essential skill, and the MPI Communications Team has provided my with a safe learning environment to grow my marketing and digital communication knowledge.

Kristine Golden, CMP, Vice President, Communications

I knew I wanted to be more involved in MPI, and joining a committee allowed me to connect with other members in a different way. I first joined the Student Affairs Committee because I was a recent grad and wanted to be involved in the student experience. That led me to then leading the Committee for a couple of years. As the VP of Communication, I was able to work with several volunteers and committees to create the Education Institute Supplement. It was so cool to see the project come together into a great booklet for EI attendees! It all blends together sometimes; Many of my MPI connects have become my friends, and we’ve know each other for years now! 

Nicole Benner, CMP, Director, Leadership Development and Volunteer Recruitment

I come from event planning for professional associations; I saw firsthand that people would get out of their membership what they put in. When I returned to event management, I knew I should join MPI and get involved in a committee right away. I chose communications because, looking at my resume, my writing skills were weak. I was able to learn digital marketing, create a marketing plan incorporating multiple communications outlets, and really put my undergrad degree in Marketing to the test. Not everything was a success, and I got to learn from my failures in a low-pressure setting. I’ve grown so much as a meeting planner, and getting to teach one of the CMP study sessions and see new members grow in their careers and skills is my favorite thing.

Share your MPI story with us – below in the comments section, share why you joined MPI. What’s been your favorite task since you’ve been volunteering? What skills would you like to learn or perfect?