Greetings everyone! My name is Joe Bedsole and I am your new MPI THCC Chapter president. I am honored and thrilled to be a part of such a dynamic chapter. A quick get to know Joe – I am a native Austinite (Hook ‘Em!)  and I have been in this industry for 30+ years, starting on the hotel side and am now director of National Accounts for the Arlington CVB.  I am in charge of the ACVB Austin based Satellite Office and work with all Texas Association & Government Conferences. My husband Jeff is a web developer and works for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Rounding out our crew is our Corgi-German Shepherd Maddie and a sometimes resident Hoot Owl named Hootie who resides in an owl house on the backside of our acreage, we live in Travis Settlement in Spicewood right behind Lakeway. I look forward to meeting you if I have not yet!

This leadership year we will be:  Challenging the Future and Celebrating the Past  I know these past couple of years have been a bit bumpy for everyone as we continue to claw our way back from the pandemic – your MPI chapter is making strides in our industry as we continue to build back better.  The entire world has realized how impactful face to face meetings are as every major event in history started with a meeting. What we do matters. What we do is essential. We connect people in person so they can succeed in their career of choice. Meetings aren’t just education sessions. Trade shows are not just sales and networking.  Conferences are not just A/V, F&B and room nights, it is so much more than that. It is money for our destinations, infrastructure, schools, and local businesses and attractions. That education event we are a part of planning may be training a doctor or nurse who will save your life someday. Or that networking tradeshow we are exhibiting at could be the genesis of new lifelong business connections and friendships. A fundraiser that keeps an association alive to continue doing their good work, and of course all of the weddings, birthdays, celebrations of life, personal milestones we have all been a part of. Because when we meet, we start to change the world. We are now “post-covid” and we are here together, ready to Challenge the Future! We are all ready for that challenge – we’re ready to thrive, and I want to do it with you. I am so very lucky to have a seat at this table with this incredible board of directors and all of our committee members and chairs – all of our current leaders and our leaders of tomorrow. I promise to bring passion, loyalty, humor, a fierce sense of duty, and maybe a glass or two of wine as I work side by side with each of you as we champion our industry and go forth in Challenging the Future.  Please join me in person soon as we Challenge the future and Celebrate the past….. and more about that Celebration next time!