Blitz dec14jan15 final

Carolina Blitz December 2014 - January 2015

New Member Spotlight Donna Blake-Weems Page 8

Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham Airport Morrisville, NC | January 21, 2015

Greenville, South Carolina – one of the fastest growing destinations in the Southeast – has quickly become that Greenville. The one with an award-winning downtown set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The one with a growing reputation as the South’s next big culinary hotspot. The one with countless things-to-do diversions and an incredibly diverse venue mix from big boxes to innovative and unique alternatives. The one more and more planners and organizers are choosing to hold their events. Yeah, that Greenville.

Learn more online or call us at 800-351-7180.

in this issue...

features Is Gmail the Perfect Email?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Rewarding Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 From Secretary to Industry Icon – Nancy B. Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 The Nuisance of Nuisance Laws . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Back to My Roots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

in every issue Our Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 New Member Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Helping Hand Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Look Who We Spotted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15

©2014 Martha Jordan

Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-23

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

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Find yourself in good company in Greenville, NC Meetings executives find themselves well attended to in Greenville, North Carolina. Planners enjoy unmatched event services and visitors find themselves the absolute center of attention in our two hospitality areas: the newly-expanded facilities of the Convention Center District, and the Uptown Greenville District hub for dining, arts and recreation opportunities.

Point your meetings in our direction. You won’t find better company!

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 Director of Publications/Editor one week after the meeting. Ginny Fountain, CMP - Ginny.Fountain@ncemcs.com EDITORIAL AND NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Director of Publications Laura Barnes, CMP • Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort Editor Ginny Fountain, CMP • North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives Contributing Writers Malinda Harrell, CMP, CASE, Greater Raleigh CVB; Jeanette Keys, Greenville Convention Center; Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Company; Denise Ryan, MBA, CSP, FireStar Speaking ; Linda Ilsley, CMP, LPI Events; Kelly Bagnall, Dykema Hospitality & Gaming Industry Group; Beth Ziesenis, Your Nerdy Best Friend; Vince Chelena, The Management Company; Lindsay Myers, Caesars Entertainment; Christian Savelli, MPI; Kathy Flowe, CMP, Alabama Theatre; Nicole Robinson, Greater Raleigh CVB Photographer Myron Jones, Fayetteville CVB

GREENVILLE-PITT COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

www.visitgreenvillenc.com • 800-537-5564

Proofreaders Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office; Cathy Mauldin, CMP, DESA, Inc.; Melanie O’Bryan, Biltmore; Myron Jones, Fayetteville CVB Publisher Vince Chelena • The Management Office 704-377-5648 • Fax 704-333-6927 • staff@themanagementoffice.com Advertising Amy Johnson • Courtyard by Marriott, Carolina Beach Oceanfront and Fairfield Inn & Suites, Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach • 910-458-2617 Design Kistin Jordan • Kistin Jordan [Graphic Designer] • 704-724-9188 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 (7 1/2”W x 9 1/2”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 6 issues of the Blitz published yearly FEB/MAR, APR/MAY, JUNE/JULY, AUG/SEPT, OCT/NOV, DEC/JAN 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, 1800 Camden Road, Suite 107, #213, Charlotte, NC 28203 Christine@TheManagementOffice.com • Fax: 704-333-6927 For more advertising information contact Amy Johnson at amy.johnson@crestlinehotels.com or 910-458-2617.

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

Visit our website at www.mpi-cc.org for additional advertising and sponsorship opportunities!

our members Welcome New Members!

Donna Blake-Weems North Carolina Assisted Living Association donna@ncala.org

Andrew McRoberts Ernst Young andrew.mcroberts@ey.com

Janele Reynolds The Umstead Hotel & Spa Janele.Reynolds@theumstead.com

Leslie Burns burnsphldlp2@aol.com

Anne Mino Live Oak Bank anne.mino@liveoakbank.com

Catherine Rodgers Student - ECU rodgersca13@students.ecu.edu

Joshua Dernosek Party Reflections jdernosek@partyreflections.com

Cerise Motley Student - ECU montleyc11@students.ecu.edu

Jay Scoggins DoubleTree Columbia SC jay.scoggins@doubletreesc.com

Darlene Fitzgerald Green Valley Ranch Resort darlene.fitzgerald@stationcasinos.com

Ian Myers Student - ASU myersip@appstate.edu

Ruth Tansill Student ruthtansill@carolina.rr.com

Johannes Fuchs i-contravel GmbH Johannes.Fuchs@i-contravel.com

Lisa Newth newth.lisa@att.net

Alexis White Student - ECU whiteale12@students.ecu.edu

Sandie Holley NC Association of Pharmacists sandie@ncpharmacists.org Molly House housem10@highpoint.edu Sarah Hurt srhurt@gmail.com Reilly Kathryn Student - ECU reillyk12@students.ecu.edu Carrie Kunder cjkunder@hotmail.com Madison McClellan Student - ECU mcclellanm13@students.ecu.edu

Bree Nidds Wilmington and Beaches CVB bnidds@wilmingtonandbeaches.com Alexandra Oates PSAV aoates@psav.com

Kathleen Gorton Sunbelt Rentals Lenore Donaldson Pamela Reid, CMP, CMM Envision Communications Debbie Quintiliani SAS Institute Inc.

Mackenzie Williams Student - ECU williamsm11@students.ecu.edu

Melissa Overbey Oceana Resorts by Wyndham Vacation Rental melissa.overbey@wynvr.com

Megan Woodlief Student - ECU woodlief12@students.ecu.edu

Neelam Patel Raleigh Marriott City Center neelam.patel@marriottraleigh.com

Kai Zander Rally Software kzander@rallydev.com

Kathleen Potawsky Student katepotawsky@gmail.com

MPI-CC Anniversaries 15 years Wendy Bassett, CMP HelmsBriscoe

Jillian Williams Student - ECU williamsji12@students.ecu.edu

10 years John Sneed II, CHSP Wilmington and Beaches CVB

First Timers and New Members

Julie Froehlich Jackson Marketing Group, Inc.

5 years Heather Tillman, CMP BD Technologies Executive Coordinator

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

New Members:

Jay Scoggins, Corporate Sales Manager, Doubletree by Hilton Columbia South Carolina; Alex Oates, Sales Manager, PSAV Carolina Region; Donna Blake Weems, Administrative Assistant, North Carolina Assisted Living Association; Scott Mumma, Sales Manager, PSAV Carolina Region Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

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

Diamond Sponsor:

Gold Sponsors:

Silver Sponsors:

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

president’s message

THERE IS ALWAYS A STORY

by Malinda Harrell, CMP, CASE

As I started to ponder on the message that I wanted to communicate for the BLITZ, the thoughts of New Year’s resolutions came to my mind: promises to lose weight, exercise more, save more money, the list goes on and on. But the one that resonated with me the most was “to be a better person.”

By the time you read this message, the turkeys will have been pardoned or eaten, depending on your household. You will have volunteered to help the homeless, given to a family in need, shouted countless happy holidays, promoted joy and good wishes. The decorations are removed without as much enthusiasm as when they were going up. During the holidays, good cheer is spread daily, and there is always someone giving money, time and service to their fellow man.

Malinda Harrell, CMP, CASE, Associate Director of Sales, Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau; 2014-2015 MPI-CC President

THE NEXT MONTH: Our new year’s resolution usually starts fresh, full of energy and commitment.

We have every intention of doing just exactly what we said we would do… and by the time Cupid meets us in February, it is never thought of again.

Has this happened to you? I will be the first to raise my hand. That is why the New Year’s Resolution “to be a better person” struck gold in my heart. This is something that I CAN do; this is something that EVERYONE can do. This is something that doesn’t require a well thought out plan or extreme exercise video. We just have to CHOOSE to be kind. Our natural tendencies are to make assumptions by what we see on the outside. The catalyst to being a better person is fueled simply by being someone who understands that THERE IS ALWAYS A STORY. The holiday season brings out compassion and kindness in all of us because we understand the general circumstances of a given situation. Families living in poverty, needing coats for the winter, losing their jobs, being abused, homeless...those were the stories that most likely didn’t begin in November or December.

There are times when we don’t “see” the story on the outside; it is often disguised by a sharp tone of voice or a negative behavior. The clerk who was rude to you found out her mom was diagnosed with cancer that day. The coworker that never speaks to you may be suffering a life of abuse and is too afraid to talk. The guy that cut you off in traffic is rushing to work because he is on the brink of losing his job if he is late one more time. He is always delayed because he is a single parent taking care of a special needs child. There is always a story and most of the time we won’t know the circumstances; however, this is where we can BE BETTER, by choosing to be KIND. No Shaun T or Green smoothies are required to make a difference all year long.

KINDNESS IS CONTAGIOUS. A meeting is defined as when two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics. I am no mathematician, but if everyone involved in a meeting makes the choice to be kind, we have the opportunity to affect billions or more! Our industry allows us spread kindness across the globe, one meeting at a time.

My New “ALL” Year Resolution is to be a better person. I will choose to be kind.

Will you join me?

Better people make a Better world. n

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

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MPI-CC 2014-2015 Board of Directors and Committees EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President

Vice President of Finance

Malinda Harrell, CMP, CASE

Alyce Kelly, CHSP

Greater Raleigh CVB

Hampton Inn Morehead City

919-645-2668

252-240-0775

mharrell@visitraleigh.com

alyce.kelly@hilton.com

President-Elect

Vice President of Membership

Christian Schroeder

Tarshi McCoy, TMP

Visit Winston-Salem

DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern

336-728-4218

Riverfront

Christian@visitwinstonsalem.com

252-638-0304

tarshi.mccoy@hilton.com

Vice President of Communication

Immediate Past President

Corey Bizzell

Erin Moye

Durham CVB

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

919-680-8315

919-313-2160

corey@durham-cvb.com

emoye@wdigc.com

Vice President of Education Barbara Dragan The Westin Charlotte 704-335-2114 Barbara.Dragan@westin.com

DIRECTORS Awards/Recognition

Strategic Partnerships

Lindsay Myers

Amy Johnson

Caesars Entertainment

Courtyard by Marriott

919-628-8836

at Carolina Beach

lmyers1@caesars.com

910-458-2617 amy.johnson@crestlinehotels.com

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Marketing/Community Outreach

Meeting Planning

Alison Jenkins

Lori Hedrick, MHA, CMM, CMP

The Umstead Hotel & Spa

Burroughs Wellcome Fund

919-447-4122

919-991-5105

Alison.Jenkins@theumstead.com

lhedrick@bwfund.org

| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

DIRECTORS (continued) Auctions

Education

Diane Weems

Tonya Miller, CMP

NC Aggregates Association

Embassy Suites Greensboro-Airport

919-782-7055

336-668-4535

Diane@ncaggregates.org

tonya.miller@jqh.com

Exhibits

Publications

Karolyn Stone, CHSP, CMP

Laura Barnes, CMP

Marriott Columbia

Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort

803-744-6922

843-341-8010

Karolyn.stone@marriottcolumbia.com

lbarnes@omnihotels.com

Membership

Management Office

Jeanette Keys

Christine Irwin, CMP

Greenville Convention Center

The Management Office

252-321-7671

704-377-5648

jkeys@greenvilleconventioncenter.com

Christine@themanagementoffice.com

COMMITTEES Scholarship Liz Guertin Visit Winston-Salem 336-728-4231 liz@visitwinstonsalem.com Silent Auction Kathy Flowe, CMP Alabama Theatre 843-272-5758 kflowe@alabama-theatre.com Business Exchange Chair needed Education Stephen Valliere Hawks Cay Island Resort 904-813-3307 stephen.valliere@ hawkscay.com

Hospitality Gloria Refinati 336-501-4576 grefinati@gmail.com Recruitment Kimberly Harrelson Kingsmill Resort 757-253-3980 Kimberly.harrelson@ kingsmill.com Membership (Co-Chairs) Melissa Riggle New Bern-Craven County CVC 800-437-5767 mriggle@cravencountync.gov Rick Cammer The Ballantyne Hotel 704-248-4033 rcammer@ theballantynehotel.com

Publications Ginny Fountain, CMP NC Association of Electric Cooperatives 919-875-3050 ginny.fountain@ncemcs.com Meeting Planning Molly Nelson Spartanburg Marriott 864-591-3113 Molly.Nelson@marriott.com Leadership & Volunteer Development Alison Harding, CMP Global Knowledge 919-461-8698 Alison.Harding@ globalknowledge.com CMP (Co-Chairs) Sarah Sharkey, CMP Ernst & Young LLP Sarah.sharkey@ey.com

Amelia Hodges, CMP North Carolina Association of CPAs 919-469-1040, ext. 8 ahodges@NCACPA.org Awards Wendy Bassett, CMP HelmsBriscoe 843-243-0554 wbassett@helmsbriscoe.com Strategic Partnerships Chair needed Marketing Sandi Owen Embassy Suites Columbia 803-744-8134 sandi.owen@jqh.com Community Outreach Chair needed

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

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new member spotlight New Member Spotlight: Donna Blake-Weems

by Jeanette Keys

Donna has been in her position

work and what she does for her members. The ability to let

at North Carolina Assisted Living

go of the little things has allowed her not to get caught up in

Association for eight years. She

things she can’t change. “If I’m honest though, I would say

describes her property and position

that I could use a little more fun in my life!”

as follows; “like most associations we have a small staff and serve a large, ever changing, diverse group of people. What makes my position with the North Carolina Assisted Donna Blake-Weems

Living Association interesting is the number of hats I wear. From

membership relations, marketing, meeting/conference/ trade show planning to educating people about what assisted living is (and what it isn’t), to helping the person who just walked into our office looking for care for their loved one; we do it all.”

Donna was introduced to MPI by one very active MPI member, who is also a board member and her mother-inlaw. Diane Weems has been talking “up” MPI to her for years, and she finally joined. Her reason for joining was mostly because her role at work had changed and she saw the information MPI offers speaks directly to the issues she

Donna believes the biggest challenge of our industry today is budget, budget, budget. “Sticking to the budget yet still offering a quality experience for our members is a huge challenge, which is why I’m glad to have had the opportunity to attend some of the MPI meetings and pick the brains of veteran meeting planners! The meetings I attended clearly showed that while both the meeting planner and the properties have budgets to adhere to, when we work together the creativity on both sides ends up creating a better experience for our attendees.”

Donna’s advice for anyone considering a profession in hostpitality is to “take every opportunity to learn as much as you can!” Attend meetings, read articles, watch webinars and network with other meeting planners, but most of all just keep asking questions. This industry seems to change and evolve constantly, so just keep an open mind and pick up as much as you can. n

was facing as a new meeting planner.

Donna says that marrying her husband and moving to the US from Canada started the chain of events that led up to the biggest impact on her life. And, the biggest impact

Jeanette Keys Greenville Convention Center MPI-CC Director of Membership

has been watching her parents, who have been married for more than 50 years, give back to their community.

Their whole marriage has involved fostering children, volunteering for and sitting on boards for children’s services and domestic violence shelters. It shaped her life by showing her not only how non-profit boards function and the importance of fundraising, but also the importance of giving back to her community. She carries this wherever she goes.

If Donna could meet someone living or deceased, who would it be and why? She stated “that is hard”. There have been so many people who were innovators and creative thinkers, but also those whose stories we know so little about that it would be hard to choose just one.

Donna has done pretty well achieving a balance between her personal and professional life. Her family is her biggest responsibility and her greatest joy. She truly enjoys her

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

January 21, 2015 Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham Airport Morrisville, NC

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February 6 & 7 ▪ February 20 & 21 February 27 & 28 ▪ March 13 & 14

Free Info Sessions:

December 10, January 7, January 28 ▪ 6-7 p.m.

UNC Charlotte Center City 320 E. 9th St. ▪ Charlotte, NC 28202 Program designed for Meeting & Event Planners, Travel Agents, Hoteliers, Hospitality Professionals & those considering a career change.

704-687-8900 ContinuingEd.uncc.edu/mep Come Experience Our Hickory Hospitality

Where Meetings are Well Crafted.

• •

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•

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•

Free Parking

•

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Visit us online at www.hickorymetro.com or contact us by phone at 1.800.509.2444 for more information.

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

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2015 MPI-CC Silent Auction

by Kathy B. Flowe, CMP

The Silent Auction Committee is handling the auction(s) a little differently this year.

Bidding for Good: The first Bidding for Good posting was on November 3, 2014 and closed on November 24, 2014. I would like to thank the Visit Winston-Salem, DoubleTree by Hilton Columbia, Alabama Theatre, Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel, Holiday Inn Resort Wrightsville Beach, Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa and Colonial Williamsburg for the packages that were donated to help us raise the $1,842.00 on the first posting of Bidding for Good.

Our second posting will open online February 9, 2015 and close on February 23, 2015. The third will open online on May 11, 2015 and will be open at the Annual Meeting for Membership to bid. This one will close on May 22, 2015.

If you are interested in donating a package for the second or third Bidding for Good posting, please contact Kathy B. Flowe, CMP or any of the Silent Auction Committee Members. We must receive your packages for the second Bidding for Good posting by January 26, 2015 and for the third no later than April 27, 2015.

I have the form available for the second Bidding for Good posting now. Please contact me so you may get your package ready to go online.

News You Can Use Our very own Andrew Schmidt, Past President of MPI-CC, has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Andrew is a twenty-three year veteran of the hospitality industry, with a mix of Andrew Schmidt hotel, destination marketing, and CHME, MPA academic experience. For the past 19 years, he has worked as the Sales & Marketing Manager for the Greenville-Pitt County CVB, and for the last year has also served as the Interim Executive Director.

Andrew earned his undergraduate and Master of Public Administration degrees from East Carolina University, where he also currently works as an Adjunct Faculty Member in the College of Human Ecology’s School of Hospitality Leadership. For the past fifteen years he has taught courses in hospitality marketing, convention sales, and convention services.

Our regular 2015 Silent Auction will take place at the Charleston Marriott, Charleston, SC on Sunday, May 17, 2015.

Let’s all work together to make this be best year ever for raising funds for the MPI-CC Scholarships. Remember these funds are for you!

Committee Members: Kathy Flowe, CMP (Chair) Melanie O’Bryan Karen Wall Teresa Palmieri

Maureen Donovan

Donna Rabon Donna Riggs Neva Fanelli Lynn Royal. BSPH Stephanie Ribson Cindy Beckham Tremain Cooper

Alabama Theatre Biltmore Visit Winston Salem Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center Holiday Inn Resort Wrightsville Beach Sea Trail NCRGEA A&N Awards and Promo GSK NESCent/Duke University Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa Dr. Tremain Cooper LLC

Kathy B. Flowe, CMP Alabama Theatre MPI-CC Silent Auction Committee Chair

“I am both excited and honored to be chosen to lead our Convention & Visitors Bureau in the coming years,” states Andrew D. Schmidt, Executive Director of the Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “I look forward to working with the bureau’s outstanding staff and our local industry partners to make Greenville and Pitt County the preferred hospitality destination in our state.”

Also in the news is Myron Jones from the Fayetteville CVB, who was recently highlighted in Connect Marketplace, Collinson Media & Events.

Myron Jones

Last, and least only in size, is a warm welcome to Brooklyn Rebecca Sprouse. Congratulations to Kathy B. Flowe, CMP, of The Alabama Theatre on the birth of her sixth grandchild.

Her granddaughter, Brooklyn Rebecca Sprouse, was born on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, to Dan & Angie Sprouse in Simpsonville, SC. Kathy is very excited about her newest little angel!

If you have news we can use, please send to ginny.fountain@ncemcs.com.

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

Brooklyn Sprouse

MPI-CC is proud to present the Helping Hand Award to Kimberly Harrelson

by Lindsay Myers

Kimberly was nominated by Jeanette Keys, who wrote the

Do you dream of being a

following words about her:

published author? If so, the Blitz

Kimberly is the Recruitment Chair for MPI-CC and has

is looking for you! While we’re

been serving as a great leader, actively promoting MPI to all of her clients and the people she runs into in her daily

not the New York Times, getting

travels. Kimberly’s personality is contagious. She walks into a room and the entire room adapts to her optimism, Kimberly Harrelson, Kingsmill Resort, MPI-CC Chair of Member Recruitment Committee

professionalism and wit. Kimberly is a leader in her industry and a leader within MPI. She never meets a stranger and has a genuine gift of hospitality. Being able to make people feel special and warm is what she does. She is a “servant leader” and understands that serving others is the way to success

and lasting relationships. Her hands are always open to assist anyone in need and she is just plain “nice.” She deserves the helping hand award as her hands and heart are always open to her peers, colleagues and friends!

To nominate a fellow MPI-CC member for the Helping Hand Award, please email Lindsay Myers at lmyers1@caesars.com. n

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

Lindsay Myers Caesars Entertainment MPI-CC Director of Awards/Recognition

contact Ginny Fountain at Ginny.Fountain@ncemcs.com

Know a Helping Hand?

Know anyone that has lent a helping hand?

Committee Chairs, please nominate one of your members that has volunteered their time and efforts this month and thank them for helping to make your goal possible. Let me know who they are and how they went above and beyond for your committee. Please send nominations to Lindsay Myers at lmyers1@caesars.com

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

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“

“

Successful is an understatement.

Winston-Salem was near perfection!

— Dr. Linda H. Gilliam, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

®

• More than 4,800 hotel rooms • 100,000+ square feet of meeting space downtown • Over 100 restaurants and shops within walking distance of Convention Center complex • A Forbes’ Top 10 Best Downtown • Centrally located in the state FOR DETAILS, CONTACT: Christian Schroeder, Director of Sales and Services Christian@VisitWinstonSalem.com 866-728-4200 main • 336-728-4218 direct Karen Wall, Sales Manager Karen@visitwinstonsalem.com 866-728-4200 main • 336-728-4210 direct VisitWinstonSalem.com

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

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DO YOU Buy MPI?

by Linda Ilsley, CMP

Why Buy MPI? The Carolinas Chapter has several members that have provided statements regarding the value of Buy MPI. We often work with each other, but we do not always recognize the value of the relationship.

I recently received a contract from a fellow MPI member and was pleased to see that in the referral area of the contract, Buy MPI was listed. She also had Buy MPI in the closing above her name. Let’s show the ROI to our employers that pay for membership, or if it is paid by the individual, note the value.

Let’s spread the word.

Members that have filled out testimonials please make sure you pick up a Buy MPI Ribbon at registration.

We are pleased to congratulate the three winners of six tickets to Biltmore, thanks to Melanie O’Bryan. The winners are Nancy Lowe CMP, NC Medical Society, Lori Hedrick CMP, CMM, MHA, Burroughs Welcome Fund, and Alison Harding CMP, GTP,

Lori Hedrick shares that she was contracting rooms 14 years ago with Linda Ilsley for a group and learned about MPI. “At my first meeting I became engaged as the Chapter Newsletter editor. I have made numerous connections and always call my MPI partners when looking for a property.”

Alison Harding has contacted Corey Bizzell with the Durham CVB for his input when booking a group in Durham. Global Knowledge used the Marriott City Center in Raleigh, NC for a National Sales Meeting. Buy MPI member relationships are successful again.

I encourage members to visit the Buy MPI team, which includes Molly Johnson, Brent Lancaster and Heidi Roland, at the Buy MPI table at the January meeting. Share your success stories.

Most importantly, Buy MPI. Thank you to the members who are sharing their stories.

People buy from people; it is all about the relationship. n

Global Knowledge.

Nancy Lowe states that she works with Christina York at Grandover Resort frequently. “It is always preferable to do business with people you know. Doing business with a fellow MPI Member gives me the added comfort level of knowing your colleague adheres to the same high standards and ethics.”

Linda Ilsley, CMP LPI Events MPI-CC Past President

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

13

Look Who We Spotted at the...

... November Chapter Meeting in Southern Pines!

Photography by Myron Jones, Fayetteville CVB

education Recap of November Chapter Meeting Education and Campfire Sessions

by Nicole Robinson On Thursday, November 20, we gathered around the ‘fire’ for the first (of hopefully many more) Campfire Sessions. These sessions allowed attendees to get a quick taste of all four topics, choose which two they would like to know more about, and then go to those two sessions.

Wendy Gates Corbett, MS, CPLP, Founder of Refresher Training, showed us first hand (as she was presenting virtually from Raleigh) some of the basics of Virtual Meetings. Planning is key; one must plan the Technology, Experience, and Presentation in order to ensure the Virtual Meeting will be beneficial to attendees. Planning the key take away(s) and design of the slides along with the time and specifics of the actual meeting are crucial.

Sharon Heath-Riley, President of RSVP Events, discussed Stage and Set Design along with Critical Thinking in planning an event. RSVP’s motto is Design, Develop, Deliver! Sharon stressed the importance of safety and developing a multilayered event to invoke the attendees’ senses. Fresh, new ideas are key. Using a company like RSVP Events to produce something one-of-a-kind will ensure that your mission is executed, and attendees have the best experience possible.

Aundrea Hopkins with AFR Furniture Rental and Josh Dernosek with Party Reflections lead a Campfire Session on Inspiring an Event Environment; how to incorporate unique furniture into a meeting and get creative with your event design.

Knowing the overall purpose of the meeting will help guide a rental company as to what set up or décor would work best to create that experience for attendees. You want to amuse and entertain attendees, but you also want the meeting or event to be worthwhile.

Executive Chef Torrian Ferguson from the Embassy Suites Greensboro discussed what is new and trendy in the world of food and beverage. Chef Ferguson stressed the importance of using local goods. Typically chefs can get locally produced or grown food and beverage items at a cheaper cost than those that have to be shipped. Also, talk to the chef. Tell him or her what you want and let them work their magic. Most chefs would love the opportunity to get creative and do something over and beyond the typical pre-set catering menu. Southern comfort food with a twist is becoming a go-to for many chefs.

On Friday, November 21, Joan Eisenstodt led our education session and panel discussion. Site Selection: From R-D-S to eRFPs and Whatever’s Next; Joan encouraged our group to think differently about RFP content, distribution, and responses. There are no shortcuts with RFPs. Planners providing the RFP must give all the information needed in

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

order for the responding party to be able to produce a direct proposal. However, hotels and venues should be reading the RFPs thoroughly and acknowledging each request, even if they are unable to provide everything. Submitting a direct proposal is key, not ‘spin’ or marketing. Joan believes there are Three Rules to Remember: Provide & Seek Thorough and Accurate Information, Provide Information to the Right People, and Make No Assumptions – details and specifics matter! Knowing a group’s “wants, needs, and must-haves” and the difference between them all is crucial in responding effectively, Joan says.

Joan stressed the importance of sensitivity training and safety. Making sure attendees are safe and respected while at a meeting will add to the overall outcome of that meeting.

Address the specifics. Do you know about hotel ownership, management, possible renovations, or their last kitchen inspection? You need to know other groups that will be in town during that time; whether it be in the hotel or a citywide event. Be aware of the crime statistics in that specific city. Knowing this information ahead of time will allow you to prepare for possible incidents. Use your CVB to get these statistics. They are your best resource for almost everything when it comes to what is going on in their city.

Our panel of two suppliers (Lisa Tennison, Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, and Paula Kastanek, Ballantyne Hotel) and two planners (Lisa Royster, CMP, with AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, and Nancy Smythe, previous experience as an Executive Director of a National Association) led to many important conversations. From the planner side, suppliers need to know the program. Learn the RFP. What are the goals and objectives and how can you best help them achieve those goals? From the supplier side, ask for the business. Find out what it will take for that planner and that group to book their event at your facility.

Trends are always changing, and it is important to stay up to date on what planners and organizations need and what hotels require in order to make an event beneficial for all parties. Joan left us with a great quote from Vanessa Redgrave, “Ask the right questions if you’re going to find the right answers.” At the end of the day, you will never know if you don’t simply ask. n

Nicole Robinson Greater Raleigh CVB MPI-CC Education Committee Member

Sergey Nivens/iStock/Thinkstock

Is Gmail the Perfect Email Tool?

by Beth Ziesenis What can I say about Gmail – or rather, what can’t I say about Gmail? In my humble opinion, it’s the strongest tool in my Google toolbox, followed closely by Calendar. I could write a whole book about Gmail functions, and with the addition of the new Gmail Inbox, it gets even better.

Unroll.me can help. It analyzes and categorizes your email, making it darn easy to unsubscribe or organize.

You can gather all the regular updates you get into one digest and get rid of all the rest.

3.

Five Things to Know about Gmail 1.

Gmail is a cloud-based email system from the powerhouse that is Google.

2.

You get a Gmail address when you register with Google, but you can also import your other email addresses into the reader. Each email address can have its own signature, and you can choose which email to reply from no matter the source of the email.

3.

Gmail’s spam filter helps keep your inbox clean, and its classification system for promotions, updates, important emails and more helps keep you organized.

4.

About a kabillion third-party apps integrate with Gmail to make it better (see below for my favorites).

5.

Google works very hard to make email management better and better. Last week, they released a new tool called Inbox, which makes it easier to organize your inbox and get things done faster and easier. And because the system analyzes your email, you’ll see quick links to track packages when you get a postal mailing confirmation, or check your travel schedule when it sees a flight registration.

Four Favorite Gmail Third-Party Apps 1.

Boomerang Use Boomerang to schedule an email to pop back into your inbox at a certain time. This helps you remember to follow up with clients, write back to your mom and more.

2.

Unroll.me If your Gmail inbox (or Yahoo! or AOL or more) overflows with subscriptions, promotions and just plain old junk,

Cirrus Insight I pay $5 a month for the basic level of Salesforce (it’s really hard to find… go here) so I can keep track of conversations without having to save everything in my inbox. But it was a pain to go back and forth from Gmail to Salesforce to log information.

Cirrus Insight charges me $19 a month to connect my Gmail to Salesforce with a menu that sits to the right of the inbox. Every time someone writes, I can enter the contact info into Salesforce without leaving Gmail, and I can save all the correspondence with a click. Another handy tool is a little creepy – Cirrus Insight tracks my outgoing mail and lets me know when and where it’s opened. Another tool called Yesware has tracking as well with a free version.

4.

Discoverly Wouldn’t it be helpful to see critical info about your contacts without having to leave your inbox? Discoverly pulls in social media profiles and other info into a panel right near your contact’s name as you’re corresponding.

You also get bonus info when you visit your social media sites, like the box that shows up below my buddy Bruce Turkel’s Twitter profile. n

Beth Ziesenis, aka Your Nerdy Best Friend, is the chick you call when you need to know if there IS an app for that. Beth has made a verb out of the word nerd, writing books and speaking about free and bargain tech tools for anyone with a job and a smart phone. Her latest book, “Release Your Inner Nerd,” is available on Amazon.com and other online outlets. Read more about Beth at yournerdybestfriend.com Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

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2014 thro ugh Marc h 2015!

| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

9/9/2014 8:02:59 AM

education

By Elaine Pofeldt Reprinted courtesy of The Meeting Professional

When planning its annual May education meeting, the MPI Wisconsin Chapter usually opts for the third Thursday of the month. Not anymore.

After sending out its RFP last December, the chapter found it tough to locate space in Milwaukee for 120 people on May 21, 2015.

“We really struggled,” says Carmen Smalley, CMP, chapter president and an instructor of meetings, events and hospitality courses at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Ultimately, the group decided to move the gathering to the first week of May, when there were more options available and it could get a block of rooms at an attractive rate. Despite that flexibility, the salesperson at the selected venue, The Pfister, encouraged attendees to reserve rooms early to take advantage of the secured rate before the cutoff date because of how busy the city is.

It’s crunch time for many meeting professionals who are facing increasing pressure on every front as the pace of meetings and events grows in segments throughout the industry.

Meetings and events are being complicated by factors such as limited guest room availability (“book now or forget about it”), shorter lead times and continually increasing airfare on flights with fewer open seats, according to survey respondents.

The challenges appear to be affecting U.S. meeting professionals in particular.

“We are finding room rates escalating,” reports Kevin Beckman, CHRM (MPI Kentucky Bluegrass Chapter), director of strategic accounts, Crowne Plaza Hotel Louisville. “We are adjusting our revenue goals for 2015 and increasing our rates for group business in 2015 and 2016.”

Cornelia Horner, CMP (MPI Potomac Chapter), vice president, American Land Title Association, says that as the number of attendees to her meetings rose, there was less availability to add to room blocks.

“Even in stable markets, there seems to be a push to extract more revenue from meeting room rental, parking and shipping,” says Barry Jones (MPI Brazil Chapter) of FamilyLife,

citing his group’s decades of history in the Southern California and Central Texas markets.

And a U.S.-based planner who works primarily with government clients with strict spending limits shares anonymously: “The increase of other segment business is making per diem room rates much more difficult to get during peak months.”

Short lead times were the challenge increasing most dramatically. In the three months this year from June to September, the percentage of respondents who faced this challenge rose from 5 percent to 10 percent.

However, there’s a flip side to what’s going on: It’s fueled in part by economic growth that is leading to a resurgence of meetings. Optimism in the European Union (EU), hard hit by a protracted economic downturn, is growing. EU meeting professionals anticipate larger amounts of business in the near future, better attendance at both live and virtual events and increased budgets and spending.

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

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The expected growth in budgets, however, is likely to be accompanied by an increase in overall costs. Meeting professionals are bracing for significant hikes in the cost of putting on a meeting, which could force many to dig deep into their bag of tricks to stay on budget. Air travel costs are expected to increase 5 percent in the coming year, more than any other line item—but they are not rising in a vacuum.

Other anticipated cost increases: F&B/catering (4 percent), guest rooms (3.9 percent), audiovisual (3.1 percent) and meeting rooms (2.5 percent).

As rising costs on all sides squeeze organizers, suppliers are being asked to help them stretch their budgets. Pam Madewell, CTA (MPI Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter), has gotten accustomed to clients asking her to “do more with less” at R. Fox Designs.

“It seems to be the trend, particularly in the last five years,” says Madewell, whose firm provides event management,

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

décor and custom prop production and rental to clients such as destination management firms and third-party event planners. “I don’t want to say that every events budget has been reduced, [but] it does seem like more and more have been.”

When clients face lean meetings budgets, Madewell often suggests creative alternatives to pricey, out-of-season flowers—such as attractive centerpieces made from inseason flowers or from more natural-looking, reusable succulents and river rocks.

“Those are very popular,” she notes, adding that they’re also appealing for clients focused on sustainability.

Some clients have suggested their own inexpensive solutions, as well. For instance, Madewell was “extremely surprised” when a large pharmaceutical company asked to place polyester-shirt-linen overlays in the brand’s signature color

EU

55

%

Respondents predict a budget increase.

BUDGET OUTLOOK

14%

Respondents predict a budget decrease.

32%

Respondents predict no change in budget.

EU

81

BUSINESS CONDITIONS

%

Favorable

35% Full-time

20% Full-time

32% Part-time

0%

Respondents predicting an INCREASE Respondents predicting a DECREASE

19% Neutral

EU EMPLOYMENT

Part-time “Making sure the venue fits the style of what the company is trying to project makes a huge difference,” she says.

For instance, when looking for sites for “young, hip, modern” companies, she will turn to properties such as a local venue with a great rooftop garden.

over the hotel’s white tablecloths to provide “short bursts of color,” instead of opting for more formal, floor-length white linens at a recent event. Ultimately, she says, she was impressed “by how great the event looked on such a small budget.”

“That in itself helps promote the brand and would require less décor than an outdated property,” she says.

Smart site selection can also address some of the budgetary challenges clients face—reducing the need to add many extra touches to brand the event, Madewell notes.

“Great architecture goes a long way, if you highlight it with lighting,” she says. “Fabulous architecture means you don’t have to put a theme-y thing in that place.”

Or she might try a sweeping space in the local warehouse district that has great bones.

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

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MEETINGS WITH A PURPOSE GREATEST INCREASES IN GATHERINGS FOCUSED ON PRACTICAL TOPICS In a post-recession environment where many organizations are still emphasizing significant ROI in meetings, the trend toward holding meetings with a demonstrable business payoff is continuing. Meeting professionals can expect to see the greatest increases in gatherings focused on practical topics such as training, sales and education.

Some groups are adding education to celebratory events.

When the MPI Wisconsin Chapter held its awards gala to recognize engaged members this past September, it “had some education attached [to] it,” Smalley notes.

TJ Johnson, VP of education for the MPI Manitoba Chapter, is on the front lines of this trend. She is program manager of conferences at the Austin, Texas-based International Legal Technology Association (ILTA), an organization that provides educational content and peer networking for technology professionals who work at law firms. As U.S. law firms have merged with overseas counterparts in recent years,

a greater number have employees working from far-flung international locations. To serve the needs of these distant technology teams, Johnson says the organization has increasingly been holding local educational and networking events around the world, typically for 50 to 100 people.

“Our job is to help provide the educational component to our members wherever they are in the world,” she says. “They can’t all travel to the U.S.” The meetings also address another need many feel when working in a new environment.

“They want the networking,” Johnson says. “They want the same grassroots community in their country.”

In March 2014, ILTA partnered with a technology trade show in Hong Kong, providing the educational component to the nearly 200 attendees. ILTA invited all of the firms that had staff in the U.S. and offices in Hong Kong. The next day, they arranged for a law firm to host a roundtable discussion on local issues and also included networking for the 50 participants.

“It was really fun,” Johnson says.

The event was so successful that ILTA is now seeing requests for more gatherings of this kind.

“Now we are arranging [for these locations] to have a similar type of get together every six months,” she says.

ILTA is also looking at other opportunities to piggyback on existing meetings and events by bringing an educational component.

“Sometimes we’ll work with vendors or suppliers who are able to do an educational road show around the world,” Johnson says.

“They may build something and go to a number of U.S. cities and have local meetings with the vendor and do a demonstration or talk about a particular issue.”

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

TECHNOLOGY CREATIVITY MUST BE INCORPORATED FOR THE INCREASINGLY CUSTOMIZED, ALWAYS-ON ENVIRONMENT Unsurprisingly, strategic use of technology continues to grow in importance for meeting and event professionals—a trend that is taking many forms.

The increasing use of mobile devices such as iPads and smartphones continues to create challenges for meeting professionals.

“Everyone wants and needs access to the Internet, and everyone is connecting to Wi-Fi on multiple devices,” says Christina Devlin, CMP, CMM (MPI Oregon Chapter), events manager, Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia Chapter.

“Hotels and other venues need to step it up and offer better connectivity within their meeting rooms to allow for that.” Given the frustration she experiences with this, Devlin is considering purchasing a dedicated router for use on site to improve the quality of WiFi and ensure it meets the needs of her attendees.

A note from the Blitz Editor: We would suggest contacting your CSM before bringing in any WiFi equipment/routers as it may be a violation of your contract.

The increasing demand for technology has helped fuel the growth of firms such as the TFI Group, a full-service events agency based in London that serves corporations, pharmaceutical firms and associations.

Adam Said (MPI United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter), senior executive of product development, TFI Group, says the company has been receiving more requests for “bespoke” technology solutions, ranging from apps to registration software for conferences.

That requires continuing innovation. For one of its association clients, TFI Group has helped record event attendance using off the-shelf technology.

“The association’s needs keep changing and changing,” Said says. “They are asking for something more efficient and cost effective. We are developing a system after a lot of discussion with the client.”

In some cases the firm has found the best solution is creating a customized look and feel for existing conference apps.

“We try to build a skeleton that fits most of the events and where we spend more time is on the graphic design,” Said says.

Meanwhile, his firm is keeping its eyes on the future, looking for ways to incorporate Google Glass into meetings and use RFD technology to develop high-frequency apps “where you can just walk into a room and organizers know you are there.” Given the pace of technological change, he and his colleagues are keeping their eyes on the future.

™

Meetings Outlook is developed in partnership with Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Meetings Outlook is supported in partnership with IMEX Group.

Research conducted by Association Insights. © 2014 Meeting Professionals International

Value of Educational Events and Easy Access Ami Mayfield, CMP (MPI Texas Hill Country Chapter), knows that if she wants to attract a crowd of Realtors to the meetings she plans at Keller Williams Realty International in Austin, Texas, she’s got to expose them to ideas that help them grow their businesses. As a result, she keeps educational programming front and center.

“It’s one of our crucial components of any event, not just our annual convention,” says Mayfield, senior events manager at the firm. “We believe in learning for learning’s sake.”

It’s a year-round commitment fueled by the presence of Keller Williams University (KWU), an in-house education arm that provides the business-building curriculum.

KWU enables the firm to offer more than 200 educational sessions at its annual convention.

“We have to incentivize our people to get away from their offices,” Mayfield says.

“Education holds the biggest value. The more education we can give them, the more successful they are and the more willing they are to come to the convention.”

Of course, even the best educational content won’t lure attendees if it’s inconvenient for them to get to and from an event. Mayfield is excited that with the expiration of the Wright Amendment, which restricted access in and out of Dallas Love Field airport, attendees at her firm’s events will be able to enjoy nonstop flights. She has been looking into holding a future annual convention in Dallas and, with attendees expected from all over the globe, Mayfield thinks the new options at Love Field will be important to the event’s success.

“Love Field is so close to the business district in Dallas that ground transportation is minimized,” she says.

by Denise Ryan , MBA, CSP

Years ago I read an article about grade inflation at a North

This is a struggle? Attending class and doing crappy work

Carolina institution of higher learning. This was the part of

is an accomplishment? You know what I think? X should

the article I found most disturbing:

be fired.

Ms. X (name omitted to protect the guilty), the economic

She gives A’s for really bad work. What does that teach

professor who crunched the data for the grade report, has

anyone? Isn’t her job to TEACH these students? Wow, I

struggles grading in an honors-level economics course that

guess a degree with honors from this school is a huge joke.

involves a great deal of tough written research. In a class

Hope the parents and students paying for that don’t mind.

of 15 honor students, the work ranges from very good to

Hope the students that are doing really good work don’t

“really bad” X said. But it’s very difficult work, so should

care that their honor’s degree is made meaningless by this

she give C’s to students low on the ladder?

teacher’s actions.

She gives mostly A’s, she acknowledged.

I do think that if our institutions of learning refuse to reward

“They’re undertaking a task that very few others have done, and the fact that they got through it is an accomplishment,” she said. “But is that right? That’s what I struggle with.”

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

excellence and only excellence, we will fall farther behind countries that do. If we celebrate the ability to win a video game over the understanding of a work of Shakespeare, we will get what we deserve. I’m not saying that we obliterate

Chad+Baker /Photodisc/ThinkStock

Rewarding Excellence

The best teachers I had taught me how to think, how to learn, and they created a lifelong thirst for knowledge. There is no excuse for giving any student an A for really bad work.

you. Is producing green cars excellence for the Big Three?

What about comfort? What about profit? Is excellence taking care of over-paid employees for life or taking care of customers over the life of their cars? Is excellence winning the game or is excellence being a good sport? I don’t care if you do win the Super Bowl - if you are a gangsta in your off hours, I don’t think you exemplify excellence. See what I mean? What is excellence? Does anyone even talk about it anymore?

5.) It’s not politically correct. What if we define excellence and the short kids can’t be MVP for the basketball team?

What if we define excellence and the girls can’t win? Or the

the former, not at all. But we cannot lose the latter. The

green people? When the winners have to be diverse rather

best teachers I had taught me how to think, how to learn,

than excellent, it’s no longer excellent. Not everybody is

and they created a lifelong thirst for knowledge. There is no

good at everything AND IT’S OKAY! I’m not talking about

excuse for giving any student an A for really bad work.

discriminating. I’m talking about setting standards that

Employers, next time you hand out an award just because someone showed up and breathed for five years, you too are rewarding mediocrity. What do you do for excellence? What do you give those who showed up with a great attitude and really contributed to the bottom line?

Here are some of the reasons I think we don’t reward excellence: 1.) It’s hard. Someone has to figure out how to define excellence. Someone has to set standards. But our Economics professor clearly knows good work and bad work. This can be done. But it will take some effort.

2.) Someone’s feelings might get hurt (or self esteem might get damaged). That’s life. Not everybody gets the dream job, every team can’t win the Super Bowl, all swimmers don’t get a gold medal. Some people are going to lose. The sooner you learn this lesson, the sooner you can figure out what you do want to achieve and work harder at it. The best thing you can do for someone is let them lose at something.

Either they will work harder and get better or they will find something they can win at - something that makes better use of their unique talents.

3.) Someone might get mad. Yep, well, learn how to handle confrontation. Have boundaries. If you change a student’s grade because he (or his parents) pitches a fit, then you are weak. Parents, if you are fighting your kid’s battles, please get a grip. Don’t fight with their teachers, bosses, or anybody else. Or, get ready to fight all their battles for the rest of their lives. And don’t think they’ll ever fight for you they won’t know how.

have everything to do with results and nothing to do with how much money your parents do or don’t make, what color your skin is, what your gender is, or anything else. But people start to freak out if some group doesn’t win. Any high achiever will NEVER ask that the bar be lowered for them.

6.) We want to make ourselves feel better. Johnny got bad grades and feels embarrassed? Let’s give poor Johnny a prize, he tried after all. Poor Martha has so much going on at home; let’s not pressure her to actually help customers today. It’s not about Martha, it’s about you - you don’t want to feel bad by pressuring her. It’s like loaning money to your always broke brother, you’re giving him the money to get rid of him or so you can feel superior. Want him to stand on his own two feet? Stop rewarding his failure.

7.) Rewarding excellence might highlight our own shortcomings. What if everyone in your honors Econ class fails? Could you handle what that might mean about your teaching? What if your employees NEVER reach their goals?

What does that say about you as a leader? What if your kids don’t get in that college you want them to? What does that say about YOU? Geez - why bother with excellence? Let’s just overeat, quit exercising, play video games, put up with employees who mistreat customers, show up late, dress like slobs, buy things we can’t pay for - oh - and count on someone else to bail us out.

Because the pursuit of excellence gives you what nothing else can - self respect. Stop taking away others chance to earn it. n

4.) We have no idea what excellence is. This is different than number one - with number one, you know, but drafting the standards is difficult. In this one, you don’t even know what excellence is! Many companies blab about excellence

Denise Ryan, MBA, CSP FireStar Speaking

in their mission statements, but when asked what excellence in their industry means, they can’t even tell Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

25

We came from humble beginnings and at the center of it all was a lady by the name of Nancy B. Holder.

Who is Nancy B. Holder and how did her story shape who we are now?

Preface: Thirty years ago MPI chartered the Carolinas Chapter and hasn’t looked back. With nearly 500 members and a territory that spans two states, the Carolinas Chapter contends with unique and complex challenges. We came from humble beginnings and at the center of it all was a lady by the name of Nancy B. Holder. Who is Nancy B. Holder and how did her story shape who we are now? To answer that question we need to agree that our collective character as an organization was built on her DNA. She’s the reason we exist. Sometimes we have to look back and remember where we came from to know where we’re going. So Christine Irwin and I made the trip to WinstonSalem to visit this iconic meeting planner and talk about those early years.

Taking Expectations to the Next Level Forget the typical pre-con. When Nancy Holder held a meeting in your hotel she addressed the entire staff.

Housekeepers, front desk clerks, wait-staff, even the bartenders attended. The general manager typically started the pre-con with a few words about how important the group was and how important Nancy was to the hotel. After being introduced, Nancy turned on the charm and the entire staff left thinking they were the most important people in the world.

This might seem egocentric but that’s not Nancy. She insisted on full-staff pre-cons because a RJ Reynolds meeting was not a typical meeting and Nancy, above all, was loyal to her company. She knew that problems occur when communication gets passed through the ranks and translation creates opportunity for misinterpretation.

She was a better communicator than most and she knew it. She thought it was best that everyone heard from her directly.

The First Female Executive

From Secretary to Industry Icon, Nancy B. Holder

by Vince Chelena

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

Nancy Holder began her career with RJ Reynolds in 1951 as a secretary in the industrial engineering department.

Winton-Salem was a small town back then so it didn’t take long for people to notice that a young female secretary was keeping a predominately male dominated department in order. Management noticed and asked if she would try something new, creating a travel compliance department, placing Nancy in an executive position.

Nancy was skeptical. She didn’t want to become the first token female executive just because the industry was dominated by men. Enter Colin Stokes, then chairman and CEO of RJ Reynolds. He told Nancy there were a lot

of things he knew about her but being a token was not one of them. Travel was a sizable expense for the company and her skills in this positon would benefit the company in a significant way. Nancy agreed to take the job and that was the beginning of something truly special.

There’s the right way, the wrong way, and then there’s the Reynold’s way

had worked too hard to meet the 30 member goal and the expectation was that MPI would be there to install officers.

Nancy told Doug that we were going to start an organization with meeting planners and suppliers in the Carolinas and we might have to call it something else. If he wanted this group to be associated with MPI, he would be in Asheville with a charter in hand. Doug showed.

Who’s going to pay for the envelopes?

Stepping into RJR’s headquarters was like stepping into an episode of Mad Men. Everybody smoked cigarettes and bottles of booze were on display, not hidden in desk drawers. Executives dined in private dining rooms and arrived to company jets in chauffeured limousines.

Nancy served as chapter president the first two years. There wasn’t much in the way of money; total annual revenue was around $3,000.00 and EVERY member was a volunteer. Bill Caldwell, a supplier serving on the board produced, printed and distributed the meeting notices.

When Nancy took them on the road she had to deliver a commensurable style of service. Money was not an object.

Each executive had their personal travel quirks and Nancy knew them all. The “Reynolds Way” was a synonym for service beyond first class or personalized attention.

It was the knowledge Nancy held in her head about each individual attendee and the right way to deliver it.

Balancing the Reynolds Way and the hotel’s “right way” was sometimes tricky. Hoteliers were sometimes reluctant to change standards based on a meeting planner’s concept of service. Nancy always won and hoteliers learned something if they paid attention.

This became a problem for another board member. While attending the fifth chapter meeting, two suppliers were overheard in the hotel bar talking about the meeting notices.

One of the suppliers, a board member, was complaining that meeting notices were arriving in Bill’s hotel envelopes.

He didn’t think that was fair and thought Bill was taking advantage of the situation and receiving free advertising by sending the notices in his envelopes.

We Need Fifteen Planners and Fifteen Suppliers Nancy became a member of MPI in 1981. The closest chapter meeting opportunities were in Washington, DC and Atlanta, a long distance away from Winston-Salem. In 1984, Nancy called then MPI executive director, Doug Heath, and inquired about starting a chapter in the Carolinas. Doug told her she needed fifteen planners and fifteen suppliers working in the Carolinas to join MPI and only then would chapter status be considered. She didn’t know fifteen planners in North Carolina so she called a fellow planner, Toni Sylvester, in South Carolina.

Getting suppliers to join was easy. Getting planners to join was not. Nancy had to sell a concept and just about every planner in the Carolinas needed to join if this was going to work. Nancy took a leap of faith and booked a meeting at the Grove Park Inn thinking she would have the number in time. It came down to the wire. The fifteenth planner joined about seven days prior.

An elated Nancy called Doug and asked him to come to Asheville and present the Carolinas with a charter. Doug had a scheduling conflict and wasn’t sure he could make it on such short notice. This irritated Nancy. Too many people

It was around 7:00 PM that evening and everybody was heading out for dinner. Nobody knew what Nancy wanted to talk about, but word spread that she had called an immediate board meeting. The board had adjourned five hours earlier so it must be important.

A few planners sprang into action seeking a house phone, searching for banquet staff and looking for an empty meeting room. A meeting room was needed, STAT! None were available. Nancy sent word that the meeting would take place in her guest room. Be there in fifteen minutes.

Everyone was there, a dozen directors sitting on two double beds. It was silent and yes, it was awkward. Nancy was in the hallway receiving a few last minute details. She walked into the room and stood in front of the TV. “I don’t know who’s been complaining about the meeting notices going out in Bill’s envelopes, but that’s going to stop right now. Unless you are willing to pay for MPI printed envelopes, stamps and a post office box, I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

Meeting over, cocktail buzz killed.

Feel the Power Imagine being on top of your game and inviting your colleagues across the country to a party. Well it was more than a party, but Nancy did exactly that. It was MPI’s first regional meeting hosted by a chapter. The chapter was two years old.

Continued on page 32 Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

27

which criminal activity has occurred — or where local law enforcement believes criminal activity is occurring.

A growing number of jurisdictions have specifically deemed various types greenwatermelon /Photodisc/ThinkStock

of criminal activities that occur on a property to be public nuisances. In other jurisdictions, law enforcement officials may use generic provisions in structural nuisance ordinances that prohibit “anything affecting the public safety” as a window to call criminal activity a “nuisance.” In some cases, the expedited remedies available to the government and, in some instances, private citizens, can catch a hotel operator unaware leaving little time to respond, correct the issues or prepare an adequate defense.

The Nuisance of Nuisance Laws

These laws are often intentionally vague so as to allow an

by Kelly Bagnall & Chais Sweat

Other times, local laws are in conflict with state laws, or

enforcing party broad discretion. Moreover, contributing to the difficulty in compliance, nuisance laws are often unclear as to who has enforcement authority and decides the standards for whether a condition qualifies as a nuisance. the nuisance provision references older ordinances that are designed for unrelated issues.

This article was originally published in The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel. www.metrocorpcounsel.com

Law enforcement officials seeking to abate criminal nuisances often invoke the specter of expedited injunctive

Imagine the following — a solidly performing hotel,

relief, such as shutting a hotel down on only a few days’

diligently paying its occupancy and property taxes, that has

notice, if the hotel refuses to meet certain demands. Such

a 95 percent customer satisfaction rating is surprised one

demands may include, without limitation, turning over

morning by the local sheriff paying the hotel a visit. The

hotel guest registries, demanding that the hotel refuse

sheriff has a posse of deputies in tow, carrying padlocks

certain categories of reservations or event requests, or hiring

and a “notice of violation.” The sheriff informs the manager

additional security. Complying with these demands not only

on duty that he is there to shut the hotel down for violating

impacts a property’s bottom line, but many also conflict with

the town’s nuisance laws. A quick review of the notice of

the hotel’s posted privacy and confidentiality provisions

violation states that the hotel is in violation of a provision of

and the hotel’s brand standards or impose reporting and

the ordinances prohibiting any condition on a property that

other requirements on hotel staff that could, if not managed

“endangers the public welfare.” After a brief and awkward

appropriately, give rise to other claims.

conversation with the sheriff, the hotel is surprised to

Additionally, those seeking to enforce

learn that a ring of identity thieves has been using he hotel

criminal activity nuisance abatement laws

(and the hotel’s complimentary wi-fi services) as its base of

could also make the dispute “public,” which

operations and, over the last 12 months, unbeknownst to

can impact the property’s and the brand’s

the hotel, there had been four different arrests of identity

image.

thieves who used the hotel in this way.

Understanding the operation of the various types of nuisance Can a sheriff shut down a hotel without a court order for

laws and the variety of common defenses, along with an

crimes allegedly committed by the hotel’s guests, and what

understanding of the specific nuisance laws in effect in the

can a hotel do about it?

local jurisdictions where your properties are located, can

Across the country, nuisance laws that can

facilitate a prompt, standardized response.

impact hotel operations exist at the state, county and municipal level. Largely, these laws are aimed at reducing or eliminating structural defects and unsanitary conditions. One can easily imagine local code enforcement officers invoking nuisance laws to condemn a dilapidated building. However, nuisance laws may sometimes be used to seek remedies against hotels at

28

| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

Structural And Sanitary Nuisances As stated previously, the most common types of nuisance abatement laws are those adopted at the county or municipal level regarding structural defects and/or sanitary conditions.

Most municipal codes empower the fire marshal, sheriff or similar code enforcement officer to make inspections

of buildings to determine if fire hazards,

to hotels and broad definitions of what may constitute a

structural defects or unsanitary conditions

nuisance, highlight the difficulty hotels face in evaluating if

exist, and provide a host of remedies,

such laws apply and resisting enforcement attempts by law

ranging from summary procedures by

enforcement.

which the enforcement official can close the building, impose incarceration or simply impose fines and other penalties, including the recovery of attorney fees. Responsibility for compliance with the code (and therefore the party against whom any fines or criminal penalties may be enforced) often includes the owner and/or property manager.

Common Remedies And Defenses It is not a surprise that structural and sanitary nuisances tend to have very expedited procedures through which enforcement officials can take remedial action, including attempting to place the property into receivership, shutting the establishment down and vacating any guests. The

Criminal Activity Nuisances

rationale behind the expedited procedures is that, if the enforcement official can identify some part of the structure

Enforcement of nuisance laws related to criminal activity

of the building or some health concern that is an immediate

occurring at a hotel is always a source of concern. Many

threat to the health or safety of those occupying the building,

jurisdictions have laws specifically define certain types

it is in the public interest to have a procedure to immediately

of criminal activity occurring on real property to be

have the building vacated. For less serious structural

public nuisances. Typically targeted activities include

violations, common remedies include fines or assessing

violent crimes, firearm violations, drug-related offenses,

cleanup/construction costs against the property owner.

prostitution, human trafficking and organized crime,

For criminal activity nuisances, remedies

despite the fact there may only be a few offenses over a

tend to be less expedited than is the case

certain period of time and regardless of whether the hotel

with structural nuisances, but still have

initiated the call to law enforcement for assistance. Even in

very short timeframes. For example,

jurisdictions with no specific criminal nuisance laws, some

under one state law, a show cause hearing

enforcing parties have attempted to include any criminal

may be set within 10 days of serving the

activity into the broad and vague definition of “unsafe condition” (see identity theft scenario above) or similar terms found in ordinances typically used for structural defects.

property owner with the summons and complaint regarding the abatement action. However, in many jurisdictions, temporary ex parte orders (i.e., TROs) may be obtained under certain circumstances. Fines and jail time

Under one state statute, for example, it is deemed a public nuisance any time there have been three or more arrests, three or more arrest warrants indicating a pattern of criminal activity, or issuance of three or more citations for a violation of an enumerated list of municipal ordinances (the list includes

may also be imposed.

Common defenses may include the following: •

Lack of standing to enforce;

•

Lack of adequate notice of the violation;

•

Voluntary abatement of the nuisance (i.e., voluntarily

sale/possession of drugs and violation of noise ordinances) within the year preceding the ling of an action for abatement of such offenses.

addressing the issues before the court hearing); and •

Technical defenses as to the specific nuisance (e.g., there have been only two prior citations vs. three required to

At the local level, in the same state referenced above, the

trigger “nuisance” or the citations issued do not fit the

ordinances prohibit any nuisances that threaten life, health

laundry list — example: related to domestic dispute call

or safety of the public, including “any condition which

— vs. the targeted activities).

would constitute a public nuisance at common law.” That local ordinance only applies to “tenement housing,” but one might argue that, based on the language of the ordinance,

Continued on page 31

it applies to hotels. Similarly vague definitions of “public nuisance” in other jurisdictions range from “anything that causes injury or damage to the health or life of any other person” to “anything that substantially annoys … the comfort, health, repose, or safety of the public; and in any way render[s] the public insecure in life or in the use of property…” Ambiguities in local ordinances, like

Kelly Bagnall Director of Dykema’s Hospitality & Gaming Industry Group

whether or not “tenement housing” ordinances relate

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

29

board meeting highlights Board of Directors Meeting Minutes November 20, 2014 | Southern Pines, NC

by Christine Irwin

Attendees: Karolyn Stone, CMP, CHSP, Jeanette Keys, Tarshi

behalf. The new website is 80% complete and we anticipate

McCoy, TMP, Vince Chelena, Christine Irwin, CMP, Malinda

a launch date of December 5th.

Harrell, CMP, CASE, Erin Moye, Christian Schroeder, Barbara Dragan, Tonya Miller, CMP, Lori Hedrick, CMP, CMM, MHA, Diane Weems Attendees via Conference Call: Alyce Kelly, CHSP, Amy

2015-2016 Board Positions: Christian Schroeder presented the suggestions on restructuring the board and made a motion to restructure the current board positions.

Johnson, Lindsay Myers, Laura Barnes, CMP

Motion: Christian Schroeder made a motion to slate the

Excused Absences: Colleen Schwoerke, CMP, Corey Bizzell,

future Boards until further notice:

Alison Jenkins

President

Minutes: Erin Moye presented the minutes from the September 20th Board Meeting in Durham. She asked for a motion to approve the minutes as submitted.

Motion: Diane Weems made a motion to approve the September board meeting minutes as submitted.

Second: Karolyn Stone, CMP, CHSP Vote: Approved

following positions for the 2015-2016 Board of Directors and all

President-Elect

Immediate Past President

VP of Finance: Director of Strategic Partnerships,

Director of Fundraising

VP of Membership: Director of Membership,

Director of Leadership & Volunteer Development

VP of Education: Director of Meeting Planning

VP of Communications: Director of Marketing

Second: Erin Moye

Financials: Vince Chelena presented the October P&L

Discussion: Christian explained the strategic thinking behind

Report, October Balance Sheet and October Aging Report.

the restructure. With the new structure, the board would have a heavy focus on Finance and Membership. The current Director

Motion: Tarshi McCoy, TMP made a motion to approve the

of Auctions and Director of Exhibits would combine into one

financials as presented

position to become the Director of Fundraising. The Director

Second: Christian Schroeder

of Publications and the Director of Marketing/Community

Vote: Approved

Outreach would combine into one position to become the

Chapter Office: Christine Irwin, CMP reviewed the October metrics report. All metrics we are tracking are trending in the positive direction.

Consent Agenda: Malinda Harrell, CMP, CASE asked for a motion to approve the consent agenda.

Motion: Karolyn Stone, CMP, CHSP made a motion to approve the consent agenda Second: Barbara Dragan Vote: Approved Board vs Committee responsibilities: Malinda Harrell,

Director of Marketing. The Director of Meeting Planning and the Director of Education would combine into one position to become the Director of Meeting Planning. The VP of Administration is eliminated and a new position – Director of Leadership & Volunteer Development – is created under the Membership umbrella. The Chapter Management Office will take on the duties of taking the minutes at meetings while the oversight of the Bylaws and Policies will now fall under the Immediate Past President. With that being said, Directors will need to ensure that they have the proper committees in place to carry out the tasks given to their department so that each Director can focus strategically on the future of the Chapter. The combination and elimination of board positions is a strategic decision and is in no

CMP, CASE addressed the group on Director vs Committee

way a reflection of current or past performances.

responsibilities. She encouraged the group to not be a

Vote: Approved

Board of Do’ers, but a Board of Directors.

Website Updates: Malinda Harrell, CMP, CASE presented updates on the new website launch on Corey Bizzell’s

30

| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

Nominating Committee: Erin Moye presented her candidates for the nominating committee.

Motion: Erin Moye made a motion to accept the following candidates to the nominating committee:

Loretta Yingling, CMP – Greater Raleigh CVB

Alison Harding, CMP – Global Knowledge

Tim Miron – Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte

Nancy Lowe, CMP – NC Medical Society

Teresa Palmieri – Sheraton Imperial Hotel

Second: Karolyn Stone, CMP, CHSP Discussion: It was clarified that Erin Moye would be the chair of this committee as the 2014-2015 Immediate Past President and that Christian Schroeder would be a voting member of the committee as the 2014-2015 President-Elect.

Vote: Approved

• January 21st – luncheon meeting in Morrisville at the Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham Airport.

• February 11th – breakfast meeting at the Marriott Spartanburg. The hotel is organizing a reception at a brewery the evening before.

• March 18th – Johnson & Wales in Charlotte. The room block will be at the DoubleTree next door.

• May 17th – 18th – Charleston Marriott. We have locked Jim Spellos in for that meeting.

• June 3rd – breakfast meeting at Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

September Meeting Survey Results: Tonya Miller reviewed

Membership: Jeanette Keys reported that the membership

the results from the September Education & Business

team will be soliciting suppliers for comp hotel rooms for

Exchange survey and addressed feedback with the Board.

1st time non-member planners for each meeting.

Helping Hand Nominations: Lindsay Myers presented the CBS Dates: Christian Schroeder reported that Brad

nominees for the November Helping Hand Award:

Shanklin held a President and President Elect conference call on November 11th to discuss the dates of the Chapter

• Amelia Hodges and Sarah Sharkey – CMP Co-Chairs

Business Summit. Beginning in April 2016 CBS will be

• Kimberly Harrelson – Recruitment Chair

held in the spring. This will coincide with the election of the incoming boards, so that the appropriate leaders can

• Cathy Mauldin – Publications Committee Member

attend CBS prior to the official start of their year. This

After each nomination description was read, a board vote

means that beginning with the 2016-2017 Slate, we will

was taken and Kimberly Harrelson won the November

need to complete the nomination process earlier in the

Helping Hand Award.

year. The 2015 CBS will be held on the Friday prior to the start of the 2015 WEC.

Next Board Meeting: Malinda Harrell announced that the next board meeting would be held on Wednesday, January

Mid-Year Board Retreat: The Mid-Year Board Retreat will be

21st at the Four Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham

held on Tuesday, January 20th and possibly the morning

Airport.

of Wednesday, January 21st, prior to our chapter meeting on Wednesday, January 21st. This will be held at the Four

Meeting Adjourned. n

Points by Sheraton Raleigh Durham Airport. Our retreat facilitator will be Tara Liaschenko.

2015 Meeting Location Updates: Lori Hedrick, CMM, CMP, MHA updated the Board on the 2015 meeting dates and

Christine Irwin, CMP on behalf of Colleen Schwoerke, CMP VP of Administration

locations:

The Nuisance Of Nuisance Laws Continued from page 29 _______________________________________________________________

your local sheriff or code enforcement officer related to the criminal activity nuisance concerns?

In most cases, the hotel will work with the enforcement official to find an amicable resolution as the possible negative outcomes weigh on the hotel’s decisions. It could be costly and time intensive to pursue the hotel’s defenses, and the vague and broad definitions in the ordinances fail to provide clear guidance. Even if a foolproof legal defense is available, the best practice is, of course, to first try to work with

First, knowing the applicable laws/ordinances is important.

Second, it is paramount that the hotel maintain a good relationship with law enforcement to demonstrate, when necessary, that the hotel is diligently and proactively attempting to eliminate any perceived criminal activity (in certain instances a policy and procedure refresher with

enforcement officials to attempt to achieve mutual goals.

the hotel staff is the best place to start). Third, a combined

So… what can you do to anticipate, protect against and

may provide early detection of activities that may already be

proactively mitigate the risk of an unwanted visit from

under the eye of law enforcement. n

systematic review by both the risk and operations teams

Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

31

From Secretary to Industry Leader: Nancy B. Holder Continued from page 27 _______________________________________________________________

All the big names came. The top planners and suppliers from Chicago, New York, Atlanta, DC and everywhere else in the eastern United States booked their flights to Winston-Salem.

Darryl Hartley-Leonard, then chairman and CEO of Hyatt Hotels, agreed to be the keynote speaker. They all came because Nancy invited them.

Everybody else in the chapter was scared to death. We had amassed around $6,000 in annual revenue and Nancy was throwing an educational retreat for 350 industry leaders. If it weren’t for panic, we would have been stunned.

The theme was Mayberry, but the sessions were world class.

A two-year-old Carolinas Chapter showcased a regional conference concept that’s been emulated by other chapters many times over. That’s when the members back then realized how influential Nancy truly was.

The Bronze Bust Who has a bronze bust of themselves? Nancy does. She received it in 1993 when the Convention Industry Council (CIC) inducted her into the Hall of Leaders. She was described as a pioneer in establishing meeting planning as a respected, full-time profession. At the time, Nancy had served on 18 advisory boards, which included every major hotel chain.

Nancy received recognition from several other organizations, including MPI, when she was awarded Planner of the Year in 1986. About a dozen chapter members made the trip with her and we all went wild when Nancy’s name was announced.

“We may be the smallest chapter, but we’re going to be the best,” Nancy declared from the podium.

But her induction into the CIC Hall of Leaders touched her in a way that she couldn’t imagine. It was the pinnacle.

There’s a bronze bust of Nancy somewhere in CIC’s offices.

They made two. The other one was given to Nancy and it’s stored in a box under her bed. She doesn’t know what to do with it and says her grandchildren can fight over it one day when she’s gone.

The Nancy B. Holder We Know Nancy was an industry giant when she decided to organize our chapter. Local educational sessions were important, but how could a “pioneer in establishing meeting planning as a respected profession” learn from anybody else? Don’t ever ask her that question unless you’ve got some time and want an earful.

32

| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

Nancy believed back then and continues to believe now that we learn from each other. Education was her motive from the very start. It’s the fundamental reason we offer three-hour sessions while other chapters dedicate much less time. The two-day meeting format provided networking opportunities and that was an important part of a planner’s education. Spending time with suppliers was more than establishing a contact. She scoffs at the suggestion that planners today don’t have time to attend meetings.

Anyone who worked for Nancy will tell you that upon returning from an MPICC meeting, it was required that each employee write a report about what they learned and who they met.

All reports where kept in files for future reference.

The folders became a library and a resource for others in the office. But Nancy had other motives. She would take these reports and send them to her CEO along with a note - this is what the people in my department are learning. Her CEO often wondered why other departments were not spending this much time on education. Who else would you name the education scholarship after?

Yes, CIC got it right. Nancy was a pioneer. She broke the glass ceiling, not just for women but for anyone who calls themselves a meeting professional. So if you appreciate your career and respect those who made it possible, turn toward Winston-Salem and blow Nancy a kiss.

Of course Nancy would discount any suggestion that she made that much of a difference. Decades of service has a way of conditioning one to humility. Here’s the truth. She set the benchmark for an industry, a profession and a small little chapter in the Carolinas, and we are still trying to live up to her expectations.

A note from Vince: Nancy Holder is 84 years young and still manages a few high-profile meetings. She operates under her company name, Nancy B. Holder & Associates. She shares an office with her sister and best friend, Claudette Weston, who owns Weston & Associates. Her mind is as sharp as the day I met her in 1983 and she looks terrific.

Notes to Nancy can be sent to: Nancy Holder Nancy B. Holder & Associates 110 Thomas Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101

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Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015 |

33

Back to My Roots: The “I” in MPI

by Christian Savelli

When I moved to the U.S. from France in 1985, the European Union was just a concept. We still had two Germanys, different currencies and a lot of borders to cross when traveling across the continent.

The European contingent was pleased to have a peer (me) on the Dallas headquarters leadership team, someone who understood the complexity of the culture in that region and the challenges of implementing a U.S.-based concept there.

Sometimes this was advantageous, when, for example, my American girlfriend needed a tourist visa extension. We just drove a couple of hours to Italy and had the French Border Patrol stamp her passport. (Somehow, the agents didn’t have an issue granting extensions to Americans.) Fortunately, it got easier when we decided to get married, and, on a happy side note, we just celebrated our 26th anniversary.

Since then, I have worked a lot with the European team; right after the event, I took a lead role in adjusting and simplifying the chapter model to ensure it would be accepted and implemented to support chapter growth.

I also work closely with the new management team in Europe, and I’m glad to see a recovery taking place in the region.

I got a glimpse of what Europe could look like in my late teens, when I vacationed in Spain—where all of Western Europe’s youth holidayed. Kids from Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Austria, West Germany, England, Italy and Spain mingled, creating a real sense of European identity.

I cherish the “I” in MPI. It is what makes us different than so many other organizations in our industry. And I am lucky to have the opportunity to meet and assist so many interesting industry leaders in Europe. It is nice to reconnect with my roots and experience first-hand the community that was just a concept when I was a kid in France. n

Twenty-seven years later, I joined MPI just in time for the 2012 Chapter Business Summit and spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning with the European leaders. I was ecstatic to see how much Europe had evolved, as demonstrated by these leaders working together. We even had Poland represented, a country that was difficult to visit all those years ago from France.

Christian Savelli Sr. Director Business Intelligence & Research Meeting Professionals International (MPI)

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| Carolina Blitz | December 2014 - January 2015

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Durham Convention Center

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My Durham, NC is a creative, diverse, colorful, and entrepreneurial destination that is easily accessible with an international airport just 11 minutes from Downtown, an affordable selection of over 7,500 hotel rooms, and the home of the world-famous Research Triangle Park.

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Come see what My Durham is all about!

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March 18, 2015

January Chapter Meeting

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March Chapter Meeting Charlotte, NC

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Johnson & Wales University May 18, 2015

February 11, 2015

February Breakfast Meeting

Charleston, SC

Spartanburg, SC

May Annual Meeting

Charleston Marriott

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Reminder: Deadline for submissions for the next Carolina Blitz is January 28, 2015. Please submit any articles or photographs to be considered for publication to Editor-In-Chief Ginny Fountain

73426

at Ginny.Fountain@ncemcs.com

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