Carolina Blitz April-May 2018

Carolina Blitz April - May 2018

Hotel Ballast, Tapestry Collection by Hilton Wilmington, NC | May 16-17, 2018

in this issue...

features We Need You! To Have a Successful Silent Auction and BFG . . . . . . . . . . 18

in every issue Our Annual Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Our Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Monthly Meeting Planner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 MPI-CC Board & Committee Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 See MPI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Look Who We Spotted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Fundraising News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

EE-PHOTO/iStock/Thinkstock

Board Meeting Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21

Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 |

1

MPI-CC THANKS OUR ANNUAL SPONSORS! We Appreciate Your Support!

Diamond Sponsors:

Gold Sponsors:

Silver Sponsors:

2

| Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

our members Welcome New Members!

Ashley Unrue ashley.unrue@hilton.com Michelle Stowe Ashworth College stowe930@aol.com Melissa DeHont The Capital Grille raleigh@tcgdine.com Trent Mollison North Carolina Association of CPAs tmollison@ncacpa.org Kristy Regan North Carolina Association of CPAs kregan@ncacpa.org Angel Lane Structural Integrity Associates lane801@gmail.com Holland Soucy Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel holland.soucy@concordhotels.com

Star Robertson Hyatt Place star.robertson@parkshotels.com

Sarah Hurt College of Charleston srhurt@gmail.com

Lauren Davis Quaintance Weaver Restaurants and Hotels ldavis@qwrh.com

P Renee Moore Duke University renee.moore@duke.edu

Crystal Douglas Hilton Hotel Charlotte CenterCity Crystal.Douglas@Hiltoncentercity.com

Lisa Stringer Vacation Myrtle Beach Hotels lstringer@vacationmyrtlebeach.com

5 Years Denise Ryan, CSP, MBA FireStar Speaking

25 Years Danny Treece American Meetings & Events Inc

Brittany O’Shaughnessy HelmsBriscoe

Kathy Hastings, CMP, CMM Teradata

Kimberly Freeman kf7821@gmail.com

Molly Cosby Wake Forest University cosbym@wfu.edu

40 Years Rod Abraham The Rod Abraham Group, LLC

20 Years Ursula Pavlik, CEM Myrtle Beach Convention Center

Tami Roberts EventOPS tami@eventopssoftware.com

Sara Ellis The Special Event Company sara@specialeventco.com

MPI-CC Anniversaries

Nicole Kelljcheain Winegardner & Hammons Hotels nicole.kelljcheain@marriott.com

Contenia Smith UNCC conteniaesmith@bellsouth.net Rich Phaneuf Association Executives of North Carolina (AENC) rich@aencnet.org

First Timers and New Members at the March Mixer

Cindy Beckham Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa Gregory Hussar Kingston Plantation, A Hilton & Embassy Suites Resort

Congratulations to each of you for reaching a milestone in MPI!

Left to Right: Kristin Schneider – ATL Airport District DMO Star Robertson – Hyatt Place David Krusch – EastCoast Entertainment Melissa DeHont – Capital Grille Cassandra Bolden – HelmsBriscoe Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 |

3

monthly meeting planner May 16 -17, 2018

September 20-21, 2018

Annual Meeting Wilmington, NC Hotel Ballast

June 2-5, 2018

World Education Congress Indianapolis, IN

July 19-20, 2018 BrianAJackson/iStock/Thinkstock

Education & Business Exchange Charlotte, NC The Westin Charlotte

November 8-9, 2018

Chapter Meeting Spartanburg, SC Spartanburg Marriott

Chapter Meeting Winston-Salem, NC Marriott Twin City Quarter and Benton Convention Center

Reminder: Deadline for submissions for the next Carolina Blitz is Friday, May 25, 2018.

Please submit any articles or photographs to be considered for publication to Editor-In-Chief Cathy Mauldin, CMP, at cathymauldin@gmail.com.

Thought you knew us? Meet the new us.

CONVENTION CENTER WINSTON - SALEM

NORTH CAROLINA

With a multimillion dollar Convention Center renovation and more than $1.5 billion invested downtown, Winston-Salem is renovating more than buildings. We’re Reinventing the Meeting.

Contact Christian@VisitWinstonSalem.com, 336.782.4218, or Karen@VisitWinstonSalem.com, 336.728.4210.

4

| Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

ReinventYourMeeting.com

ÂŽ

president’s message

When We Meet We Change the World

by Alyce Kelly, CHSP

GMID, what does that mean? I know, Global Meetings Industry Day, but what does it mean for us? Recently, we held our chapter meeting at The StateView Hotel in Raleigh, NC and the MPI Global video from 2013 played while Christian Schroeder was talking about GMID. It’s been a while since I watched that video, but it is powerful. We are all part of a very large and economically powerful industry. We should not only be proud of that, we should also strive to always be the best at what we do.

Alyce Kelly, CHSP The Inn at Pine Knoll Shores MPI-CC President

MPI-CC held a reception on Global Meetings Industry Day, Thursday, April 12, 2018 at The Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill, NC. I was proud to see the turnout and honored to be a part of the event. Sure, it’s a networking event, but more importantly it was an opportunity to recognize the industry that we all work in each day. Remember, when we meet we change the world!

n

Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 |

5

MPI-CC 2017-2018 Board of Administration President Alyce Kelly, CHSP The Inn at Pine Knoll Shores 252-241-8402 gm@theinnatpks.com

President-Elect Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM Global Knowledge 919-461-8698 Alison.Harding@ globalknowledge.com

Immediate Past President Barbara Dragan Visit Greenville SC 864-421-0000 bdragan@visitgreenvillesc.com

Director of Marketing Ricardo Hicks American AV 336-686-6895 rhicks@americanav.com

Marketing Committee Jessica Bernhardt The Kessler Collection 912-346-2966 Jessica.bernhardt@ kesslercollection.com

Director of Meeting Planning Deanna Griffith House, CMP, GWPgM, CME, PMP, PCM, CMM Spectrum Reach 704-941-3482 deanna.k.griffith@gmail.com

Education Committee Co-Chair Alison Flaig Genworth Mortgage Insurance Alison.flaig@genworth.com

Communications VP of Communications Nicole Robinson Keshler Greater Raleigh CVB 919-834-5900 nkeshler@visitraleigh.com

Education VP of Education Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM North Carolina Association of CPAs 919-469-1040, ext. 128 ahodges@NCACPA.org

Education Committee Co-Chair Wendy Jeffries HelmsBriscoe wjeffries@helmsbriscoe.com

Finance VP of Finance Maureen Donovan Holiday Inn Resort Wrightsville Beach 910-256-2231 mdonovan@

Special Events (Auctions) Mica Parekh, CMP IWP Photography 919-270-2510 mica@iwpphotography.com

Silent Auction Committee Kathy Flowe, CMP The Alabama Theatre 843-272-5758 ext 4450 kflowe@alabama-theatre.com

wrightsville.holidayinnresorts.com

Special Events (Trade Show) Mallory Middleton, CMP Cheers Years 828-467-7943 mallory@cheersyears.com

Business Exchange Committee Co-Chair Chris Chassagneux Relias Learning cchassagneux@reliaslearning.com

Director of Leadership & Volunteer Development Molly Nelson Crowne Plaza Greenville, SC 864-248-1722 mnelson@cpgreenville.com

Awards Committee Chair April Ferguson, CMP, CMM BCD M&E Onsite at Cisco Systems 502-468-6084 april.clark1@gmail.com

Director of Membership Michelle Castro Siena Hotel 919-918-2539 mcastro@sienahotel.com

New Member Committee Chair Alicia Miller, CMP Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce 919-664-7090 amiller@raleighchamber.org

Membership VP of Membership Selah Bideau, TMP Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte 704-409-3547 selah.bideau@hilton.com

6

| Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

f Directors and Committees

Advocacy Committee Chair Christian Schroeder Visit Winston-Salem 336-728-4218 Christian@ visitwinstonsalem.com

The Management Office Christine Irwin, CMP The Management Office 704-377-5648 Christine@ themanagementoffice.com

Publications Committee Cathy Mauldin, CMP DESA, Inc. Onsite at CDM Smith 803-917-1871 cathymauldin@gmail.com

Social Media Committee Tenessa Moore Moore Creative Ink, Inc. 704-542-4814 tmoore@moorecreativeink.com

Meeting Planning Committee Molly Johnson, CMP Wilmington & Beaches CVB 910-332-8747 mjohnson@ wilmingtonandbeaches.com

Professional Certifications Committee Co-Chair Farrah Staub, CMP Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley 919-571-5319 farrah.staub@marriott.com Professional Certifications Committee Co-Chair Jennifer Kist, CMP MHI 704-607-1454 jkist@mhi.org

Business Exchange Committee Co-Chair Allison Gore My Girl Friday allison@mygirlfridayinc.com

Leadership & Volunteer Development Committee Jemeria Lawson

The Durham Hotel 919-768-8837 jlawson@thedurham.com Member Care Committee Mary Mora MGM Speakers Bureau 336-775-9661 maryg@mgmspeakersbureau.com

Recruitment Committee Chair Needed

Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 |

7

see mpi!

MPI-CC Partners for Success!

by John Cruz

I get asked all the time about my MPI-CC journey and where I get the biggest value from my membership.

My answer has always been a simple one…it’s the connections and relationships that become established and grow year after year.

A great example is a recent event that I produced. When planning a meeting, I have two major buckets that are crucial to me: the venue and the keynote speaker. I reached out to two fellow MPI-CC members to partner with me on this conference. I’d like to give a special shout-out to our own Benny Williford of Pinnacle Speakers Bureau for finding an outstanding speaker, who fully exceeded our expectations. The second shout-out is to our own Kate Jansen, Corporate Sales Manager of the Raleigh Convention Center, for both hosting us and for being a true partner in the process. An additional shout out to another MPI member Roger Goodwin and ON Services that managed the production side of my event taking the presentation to the next level.

As luck would have it during our March MPI-CC meeting, I received a last-minute request to stage conference furniture and was sitting next to MPI-CC’s Aundrea Hopkins from American Furniture Rental (AFR). She leaned over and said, “I can support you.” Within minutes the order was generated and that request was

8

| Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

handled. So, you see, this collaborative effort between myself and these MPI-CC partners really contributed to the success of my event.

I was both proud and thrilled to produce a successful 5th Annual Blue Cross NC 2018 Tech Summit. The purpose of the Summit was to provide an update on our IT vision and strategy and to provide a full day of learning opportunities to our technology professionals. While we explored a variety of technical topics throughout the day, the emphasis of this year’s event was on robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. So, it was a major return on my investment by being a member of Meeting Professionals International Carolinas Chapter. n

The See MPI column features MPI-CC members doing what they do best, representing our industry with passion and expertise. If you have an event you’d like to highlight or an awardee that deserves recognition, please email Jean Travers at JTravers@HelmsBriscoe.com.

John Cruz Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina

You may not know us yet, but you will.

From Finland to Morocco, Abu Dhabi to St. Kitts, we find ourselves keeping great company these days. Landing at #7, Greenville, SC is the only destination in the United States ranked one of the “10 buzzy destinations” to visit in 2017

by The Wall Street Journal. In fact, in their words, not ours, “The stars have aligned to make this Southern belle, Dream Town, USA.” These are just a few nice things the #1 U.S. newspaper in the country had to say about Greenville. So, next time the CEO asks, “We’re going where!?”…just tell them Greenville, SC. Yeah, THAT Greenville.

What are you waiting for? Plan your next meeting in the place that has everyone talking. #yeahTHATgreenville

800.351.7180 Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 |

9

education Looking Ahead at May 2018 MPI-CC Education

by Wendy Jeffries

Education sessions for the MPI-CC Annual Meeting

will address examples of being overwhelmed, short

will provide meeting planners and suppliers alike

staffed, short of resources and short-tempered.

with the tools to manage project scope creep, motivate volunteers, and recognize body language nuances to improve business and leadership skills. The Hilton Wilmington Riverside, which has completed an 8.5-million-dollar renovation to become Hotel Ballast, Wilmington Tapestry Collection by Hilton, will host the May 16-17 meeting in Wilmington, NC.

Thursday morning, Janine Driver shares how to use the “New Body Language” to increase sales, build clientele and get what you want. Learn how to spot microexpressions that can assist you in overcoming silent objections and reach new levels of success.

Following lunch on Thursday, Janine Driver will continue

Wednesday afternoon, Lynne Wellish will lead participants in managing the difficult question, “Could you do just one more thing?” Together as a group, we

exposing the secrets of using the “New Body Language” to become a powerful leader that will have the ability to fix any situation in 5 minutes or less.

Continued on page 16

COMING EARLY 2018

The Maxwell Regional Agricultural & Convention Center Goldsboro, North Carolina

WE’RE EVERYTHING BUT CONVENTIONAL With 44,900 sq. ft. state of the art convention space, you’ve got 44,900 reasons to choose Goldsboro: 4,750 sq. ft. of accommodating breakout rooms | 15,000 sq. ft. innovative assembly hall | 3,200 sq. ft. commercial grade kitchen 9,500 sq. ft. scenic outdoor patio | Over 600 parking spaces & modern office space available

visitgoldsboronc.com | 919-734-7922 10 |

Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

FYV-570 Resize Myron ad 3.5x4.75-v1[10.11.17]bg.pdf

2

11/16/17

11:00 AM

RECHARGE YOUR MEETING EXPERIENCE IN HICKORY

- LET US HELP PLAN -

C

YOUR NEXT HOMETOWN EVENT

M

The Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Y

(FACVB) would love to help plan your next event. We

CM

will work with you to gather & present proposals,

MY

arrange site visits & assist with promotional items,

CY

ensuring your event goes off without a hitch.

CMY

K

For more information contact Myron Jones - FACVB Director of Sales mjones@visitfayettevillenc.com

(910) 835-5083

Energize your meetings and attendees with a well-crafted experience in Hickory, North Carolina. As an organization, we are grounded in the steady pulse of our supercharged service — a positive staple that our clients and customers count on. With advanced technology offerings, renovations throughout the facility, and a metro-wide commitment to community enrichment, we have the power you seek to amp up your next event!

HICKORY METRO

Convention & Visitors Bureau

Meetings. Well Crafted.

828.322.1355 hickorymetro.com

“All of the staff was very helpful and exceptional to work with – best venue staff I have ever worked with!”

– Sharnese Ransom, Executive Director

NC Association of County Directors of Social Services

MEEt

on vine time 30 MILES NORTH OF SAN FRANCISCO

Complimentary, professional assistance for meeting planners includes RFP distribution, site tours and expert program planning.

We will make your meeting a success.

Ask about our $4,000 incentive.

1.800.576.6662

SonomaCounty.com/meetings

sonoma wine country Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 |

11

Look Who We Spotted at the...

12

| Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

... StateView Hotel in March!

Photography by Mica Parekh – IWP Photography

Winston-Salem Marriott’s Multi-Million Dollar Modernization Unveiling Summer 2018 Located in the heart of North Carolina, the city’s largest full-service hotel will feature* the M Club Lounge and a 2,500-sq. ft. fitness center with natural lighting.

In addition, all 319 oversized guests rooms will soon include:

• Walk-in showers,

• 55” mounted TVs

• Laminate floors

• Plush Serta® Perfect Sleeper® Mattresses The downtown Marriott hotel is ideal for meeting functions up to 250 people. *Post renovation

DESIGNED WITh YoU IN MIND Located in downtown Winston-Salem, the Twin City Quarter - home to the $20 million newly renovated Benton Convention Center - now showcases 175,000-sq. ft. of flexible meeting/banquet space in 55 rooms, including 6 ballrooms. For our client’s convenience - one sales and event planner contact for the entire complex.

Within walking distance to more than 45 restaurants, lounges, craft breweries, shops and galleries on Fourth Street’s Restaurant Row and in the Downtown Arts District.

5th and Cherry Streets, Winston-Salem NC 27101 • 336.725.3500 • info@twincityquarter.com • twincityquarter.com

14 |

Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

Get Ready to Experience a New WEC MPI’s 2018 World Education Congress conference is scheduled for June 2-5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

and Leadership Village, aim to team us up with likeminded individuals for networking and skill building.

Take a look and see which WEC Village suits you best!

As usual, MPI has gone to great lengths to plan

Indianapolis is the #1 convention city in the U.S., and

everything from the keynotes to concurrent sessions.

it’s the perfect host for WEC’s innovative education.

Education runs the gamut from ethics to technology;

MPI promises big things in Indy for event planners and

there is truly something for every attendee. We can’t

suppliers alike. WEC18 hopes to bring us together in

forget the networking functions! The food and fun is sure

its new “village” workspaces. These freeform spaces,

to leave you happily exhausted. To register or learn more

Innovation Village, Social Village, Experiential Village,

about WEC18 click here!

Meet.

Stay.

Play.

2018

Build Your Event Packages $10 Breakfast $25 Breakfast & Lunch $35 Breakfast, Lunch, & Breaks $89 Accommodations Complimentary Meeting Space/wifi

800-408-7245

(Call for details)

visitgreenvillenc.com 800-537-5564

Just a stone’s throw from Sunset Beach, NC, Sea Trail is your one-stop destination with over 40,000 sq. ft. of flexible event space, full-service catering, all-suite accommodations, golf and entertainment.

www.seatrail.com

Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 | SeaTrail-MPI-August.indd 1

15

7/25/16 9:31 AM

Continued from page 10 This session aims to assist leaders in directing their organization down a path of increased profitability.

Lynne Wellish will return Thursday afternoon with a presentation on how to “Re-energize your volunteers to build a great and successful team!” This segment will provide understanding on what volunteers want and how to retool those volunteer roles to aid in recruitment.

The May MPI-CC meeting promises education that will prepare attendees with the tools to recognize scope creep - changes, big or small, that occur after the project has started and to acknowledge body language cues from others and those micro-expressions we send out as well.

Join your fellow MPI-CC members in the Wilmington salt air and enjoy the all new Hotel Ballast, a Hilton Tapestry Collection Hotel. n

A WHOLE NEW VIEW ON MEETINGS It Comes Naturally.

Wendy Jeffries HelmsBriscoe MPI-CC Education Chair

THE WEST BEACH CONFERENCE CENTER 24,000+ SF STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY OPENING FALL 2019

Call 800.576.1585 to schedule your site visit… and lead your team to success

EXPLORE OUR EXCITING NEW ISLAND-WIDE EXPANSION TODAY G ROUP FACILITIE S TE AM- B UILDIN G 5 G OLF COU R SES 1 0 - MILE B E ACH VILLAS TH E SAN CTUARY LE SS TH AN 3 0 MILE S F ROM H ISTORIC CH ARL ESTON

Proud Host of the 2021 PGA Championship

16 |

Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

Publication: MPI Carolinas Size: 3.5 x 9.5” Job#:142-8869 Run Date: April/May 2018 Dana Communications 609.466.9187

Making Our Connections Smarter Director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Emlyn Koster, Ph.D., is an insightful local mind, sharing his knowledge and network with meeting organizers from sciencecentric meetings and recently held research symposia as well as the upcoming Citizen Science 2019.

Consider how a smart city’s pipeline of experts can help simplify planning, identify corporate partners and customize programming, impressing your most savvy attendees. Think Raleigh. Where science, innovation and education grow from the ground up.

Learn more at visitRaleigh.com/smart

Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 |

17

A N N U A L

M E E T I N G

Silent Auction & Bidding for Good

Are YOU on board to make our Annual Meeting Silent Auction and Bidding for Good a success? We sure hope so!

We are closing in on the big day for the silent auction and the start of Bidding for Good. Soon, you’ll have the opportunity to put your money where your membership is. Surely, we have something you’ve been looking for – a little bling, a gift for mom? Remember, your greenbacks bring the best education to our chapter! Here are some of the fabulous items to choose from: • gift baskets from your property

• local merchandise from Wilmington

• weekend stays at your property

• gift certificates for national restaurants

• collections of gift cards

• sporting event tickets

• pottery

• jewelry

• sports memorabilia

• golf packages

• spa treatments

• grilling packages

• lottery tickets

• art work

• drink mix baskets

• wine baskets with glasses and bottle opener

If you donated an item, your Silent Auction Committee thanks you, we couldn’t do this without you!

The Silent Auction will be in the Hotel Ballast’s Cape Fear Ballroom.

Be on the lookout for the Bidding for Good link ~ bid frequently, bid often and share the link!

Mica Parekh, CMP IWP Photography MPI-CC Special Events (Auctions)

18

| Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

MEET AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL. Greensboro offers the perfect combination of small town charm and big city appeal.

See what’s new in Greensboro! You will be surprised by all it has to offer.

visitgreensboronc.com Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 |

19

board meeting highlights Board of Directors Meeting Minutes March 15, 2017 | Raleigh, NC

by Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office

Attendees: Alyce Kelly, CHSP; Vince Chelena; Christine Irwin, CMP; Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM; Nicole Keshler; Selah Bideau; Michelle Castro; Mica Parekh, CMP; Maureen Donovan; Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM; Patrick Brochu Participated via phone – Deanna House, CMP, GWPgM, CME, PMP, PCM, CMM Excused absences: Mallory Middleton; Molly Nelson; Barbara Dragan, CMP; Ricardo Hicks Minutes: Alyce Kelly presented the minutes from the November 9, 2017 Board of Directors Meeting and asked for a motion to approve.

Motion: Mica Parekh, CMP made a motion to approve the November 9, 2017 Board of Directors Meeting Minutes as presented.

Second: Nicole Keshler Vote: Approved Financials: Maureen Donovan presented the February P&L statement, Balance Sheet and Aging Report.

Maureen asked everyone to review and reported that we are still in pretty good shape even after cancelling the January meeting. Most importantly, we were able to contribute $2,100 more into reserves, which exceeds the budgeted goal for the year. Alyce Kelly, CHSP asked for a motion to approve the financials as presented.

Motion: Nicole Keshler made a motion to approve the February P&L and Balance Sheet as presented.

Second: Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM Vote: Approved Chapter Office: Christine Irwin, CMP reviewed the March meeting financials, agenda and meeting room locations. Christine reported that most January meeting paid registrants moved their payments to the March or May meetings. Only a handful asked to be refunded.

Christine reviewed the metrics report.

Consent Agenda: Alyce Kelly, CHSP asked for a motion to approve the consent agenda.

20

| Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018

Motion: Maureen Donovan made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented.

Second: Selah Bideau Vote: Approved Communications: Nicole Keshler announced that she has a new marketing chair (Jessica Bernhardt) who is in charge of collecting information for the Midweek Member Minute. Every department needs to send their information directly to her. The communications team is also working on a social media master plan and will poll attendees tomorrow during chapter announcements.

Auctions: Mica Parekh, CMP announced that they will be doing an “F” dollar fundraiser at this meeting. One raffle ticket for a dollar, if the dollar has an “F” on it, you get two raffle tickets. Mica requested the entire Board’s help in soliciting for Annual silent auction donations.

November Meeting Survey Results: Amelia Hodges reviewed the results from the November Meeting survey and addressed feedback with the Board. Our speaker, Mike Hourigan, was well-received.

CMP Bootcamp: Amelia Hodges presented on a proposed new CMP Bootcamp.

After much discussion, the Board would like Amelia and Deanna to go back to the party that proposed this with a few follow up questions before deciding whether or not to move forward with this and what that format looks like.

CrowdCompass Agreement: Nicole Keshler announced that we have renewed the CrowdCompass App partnership for another 4 years.

New Business January Meeting Cancellation: Alyce Kelly, CHSP reviewed the details for how the January meeting cancellation was handled. The Office of the President

and The Management Office were monitoring the weather and continually keeping in contact as things progressed. As soon as the Governor declared the state of emergency and urged all non-essential meetings and travel to be postponed, Alyce Kelly, Alison Harding, Barb Dragan, Christine Irwin and Sarah Johnson all got on a conference call within minutes to discuss the plan of action. Attendees and the hotel were notified immediately of the cancellation. Alyce Kelly wrote a formal letter to the Director of Sales notifying her of the official cancellation and assuring her that we would look to rebook the hotel in 2019.

Meeting Adjourned.

Board Conference Call on January 23, 2018 Attendees: Christine Irwin, CMP; Barb Dragan; Maureen Donovan; Selah Bideau, TMP; Mica Parekh, CMP; Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM; Nicole Keshler; Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM; Michelle Castro; Mallory Middleton; Molly Nelson; Alyce Kelly, CHSP; Ricardo Hicks Motion: Barbara Dragan presented the 2018-2019 slate of officers and directors as follows: President – Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM

Board Retreat: Alison Harding reminded the incoming board that the 2018-2019 Board Retreat will be held April 12-13 at the Siena Hotel. Steven Foster will be our facilitator for both the April and November retreats.

President-Elect – Nicole Keshler

Global Meetings Industry Day: Alison Harding announced that the Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) event will be held on April 12 also at the Siena Hotel. We will wrap up with the retreat around 5:00pm, and begin the GMID reception with programming starting at 5:30pm.

VP of Membership – Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM

Hotel RFP per person pricing: Amelia Hodges presented on behalf of herself and Deanna House. They notified the Board that it has been a few years since we have increased the per person pricing on our hotel RFPs. After discussion on per diem pricing as well as standard hotel F&B pricing, a motion was put on the table.

Motion: Amelia Hodges made a motion to increase the MPICC per person pricing budget to: • Board Break - $10 per person, inclusive • New Member Mixer - $8 per person, inclusive • Welcome Reception (to include 2 drink tickets) $40 per person, inclusive • Breakfast - $15 per person, inclusive • AM Break - $10 per person, inclusive Second: Selah Bideau Vote: Approved Education Committee: Amelia Hodges announced that July, September and November speakers are finalized and currently being contracted.

Global Mid-Year Update: Alyce Kelly presented the current score of our performance standards as reviewed by Belinda. These points will grow as the year progresses. We are currently sitting at 14% chapter participation in the Global satisfaction survey.

Next Board Meeting: The next board meeting will be held on May 16, 2018 at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside (soon to be Hotel Ballast) in Wilmington, NC.

Immediate Past President – Alyce Kelly, CHSP VP of Finance – Maureen Donovan VP of Education – John Cruz, CMM VP of Communications – Ricardo Hicks Director of Special Events (Tradeshow) – Mallory Middleton Director of Special Events (Auctions) – Selah Bideau Director of Meeting Planning – Deanna House, CMP, CMM Director of Membership – Michelle Castro Director of Leadership & Volunteer Development – Nicole Filippo, CMP Director of Marketing – Mica Parekh, CMP Second: Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM Vote: Approved The slate will be sent out to the membership for 30 days for approval then submitted to MPI Global.

Motions made via e-mail on March 12, 2018 Motion: Molly Nelson made a motion to lower the application limitation to three years on the following chapter awards: Planner of the Year, Supplier of the Year, Tomorrow’s Leader and Volunteer of the Year.

Second: Selah Bideau Vote: Approved Motion: Molly Nelson made a motion to allow chapter officers and directors to win the Helping Hand Award.

Second: Selah Bideau Vote: Approved n

Christine Irwin, CMP MPI-CC Chapter Administrator The Management Office

Carolina Blitz | April - May 2018 |

21

Carolina Blitz The Carolina Blitz is the official publication of the Carolinas Chapter of Meeting Professionals International and is published every other month. All contributions, articles, and photographs should be submitted to Publications Committee Chair/ Editor one week after the meeting. Send to Cathy Mauldin, CMP CathyMauldin@gmail.com EDITORIAL AND NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Director of Marketing Ricardo Hicks • American AV Editor Cathy Mauldin, CMP • DESA, Inc. Onsite at CDM Smith

Know a Helping Hand?

We have so many active members who deserve recognition for their efforts! If you know of someone who is going above and beyond, share their name and volunteer accomplishments with us so we can give them a shout out. This person can be a board member, a committee chair or member or even a brand new MPI-CC member who has already started to shine.

Helping Hand Awards are given on a monthly basis and nominations are accepted all the time!

Please send your nomination to April Ferguson at aprilferguson10@gmail.com.

Thank you for helping recognize your fellow members!!

CALLING ALL WRITERS Do you dream of being a published author? If so, the Blitz is looking for you! While we’re not the Wall Street Journal, getting published in the Blitz is a great way to share your ideas with fellow MPI-CC members and earn points toward your CMP certification. The Blitz is always accepting original articles and great topic ideas. To submit your articles or ideas, please contact Cathy Mauldin, CMP at CathyMauldin@gmail.com or submit via our website at www.mpi-cc.org.

Contributing Writers Alyce Kelly, CHSP, Inn at Pine Knoll Shores; Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Company; John Cruz, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina; Jean Travers, HelmsBriscoe; Mica Parekh, IWP Photography; Selah Bideau, TMP, Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte; Wendy Jeffries, HelmsBriscoe Photographer Mica Parekh - IWP Photography Proofreaders Kathy Flowe, CMP, Alabama Theatre; Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office; Teresa Palmieri, Sheraton Imperial; Myron Jones, Fayetteville CVB; Nancy Lowe, CMP, NC Medical Society; Ginny Fountain, CMP, CMM, NC Association of Electric Cooperatives; Melinda Mowry, DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern - Riverfront Publisher Vince Chelena • The Management Office 704-377-5648 • Fax 704-333-6927 • staff@themanagementoffice.com Advertising Christine Irwin • The Management Office • 704-377-5648 Design Kistin Creative Studio • 704-724-9188 • kistincreative.com MPI-CC Web Site: www.mpi-cc.org ADVERTISING RATES AND DEADLINES AD SIZE FREQUENCY MEMBER NON-MEMBER

RATE RATE Quarter Page 1X $220 $290 (3 1/2”W x 4 3/4”H) 3X $200/issue $270/issue

6X $160/issue $230/issue Half Page Horizontal 1X $420 $550 (7 1/4”W x 4 3/4”H) 3X $400/issue $530/issue

6X $360/issue $490/issue Half Page Vertical 1X $420 $550 (3 1/2”W x 9 1/2”H) 3X $400/issue $530/issue

6X $360/issue $490/issue Full Page 1X $640 $840 (8 1/2”W x 11”H) 3X $620/issue $820/issue

6X $580/issue $780/issue Full Page Insert 1X $700/issue $910/issue

3X $680/issue $890/issue

6X $640/issue $850/issue (Produced and provided by advertiser) There are six issues of the Blitz published yearly FEB/MAR, APR/MAY, JUNE/JULY, AUG/SEPT, OCT/NOV, DEC/JAN

May 16-17, 2018 Hotel Ballast, Tapestry Collection

by Hilton Wilmington, NC

NOTE: Rates are published as of January 2011, and are subject to change without notice. All published rates are net non-commisionable. Any cost incurred by the BLITZ for art that is not fully press ready (e.g. reductions, halftones) will be billed to the advertiser, or art that is not press ready may be refused.

DUE DATE: Due by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Artwork is due to the publisher within 10 days after deadline for space reservations.

SEND MATERIALS TO: Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office, 1307 West Morehead St, Suite 207, Charlotte, NC 28208 Christine@TheManagementOffice.com • Fax: 704-333-6927 For more advertising information contact Christine Irwin at Christine@TheManagementOffice.com or 704-377-5648 Visit our website at www.mpi-cc.org for additional advertising and sponsorship opportunities!