MPI FOUNDATION STORIES

Laura Johnson

By MPI Foundation | Jan 31, 2023

Laura Johnson, Hilton Membership Scholarship Recipient 2022-2023

How did your journey begin in this industry, and how has your involvement changed over time?
After college, I got a marketing job for a firm that did 2 seminars a year. with another company They decided to break away from the other company, and I volunteered to manage them. I never looked back. I read everything I could, went to tradeshows, and fell in love with the industry and doing educational conferences. After 6 years, I joined a new company and went from 2 events a year to 100 a year as Director of Training with a full staff for my previous employer. It gave me a whole new way of learning to organize multiple events. Now I'm on my own after starting my own meeting planning company in 2009.

What are your professional goals?
I'd like to grow my firm by expanding my skills, networking with others, giving back to the meeting planning community, publish articles on my lessons learned, and be a sounding board for those who need it.

How do you see this scholarship having an impact on your life?
I am excited to receive this scholarship so I can explore the possibilities that MPI can provide for my business and career but also to see what I can offer back to others with my years of experience as a planner.

Do you have a message for Hilton, a corporate donor for these funds?
Thank you so much to Hilton Hotels for providing a small woman-owned company with the opportunity to have new doors opened and expand my world of planning and hospitality. I commit to pushing it forward!