Statement by President & CEO Paul Van Deventer

from Carolina Blitz February-March 2020

Dear MPI Friends,

The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has touched the lives and businesses of our friends and colleagues across the globe in the meetings and events industry. Our industry has been impacted by recent cancellations of conferences, sporting events and large gatherings. My deepest sympathy goes out to those affected.

As the global situation evolves daily, safety is our utmost concern for our community, industry and our MPI employees. MPI has long-established processes to ensure our daily membership and chapter operations will operate business as usual. We can assure our community that we will continue to provide high-quality resources and up-to-date information.

And, as the largest and most relied-upon association within the meeting and events industry, we at Meeting Professionals International know it’s our duty to serve as a trusted resource for this important community. Whether through providing education and connections in advance of, during and after situations like this or disseminating current information as occurrences unfold, we will ensure our community is prepared, informed and in-tune with ongoing developments. Of equal importance, we will be at the front lines to spur global economic growth and stability as the current crisis ends and we shift our attention towards recovery.

Keeping in line with our mission to learn, innovate, collaborate and advocate, the MPI Academy has launched a series of webinars and educational offerings that build on the existing fundamentals to overcome these sometimes-challenging scenarios. From ongoing conversations on ensuring business continuity to providing the tools to make business decisions at the right time, the webinars will be informative and make an immediate and lasting impact.

Additionally, at WEC Grapevine, which takes place on June 6-9, 2020 and currently has no plans for cancelation or postponement, we have added programming specific to managing the complications associated with this current scenario, as well as recovery. WEC Grapevine may be the first large-scale gathering for our community as recovery begins, making this a key opportunity for our industry to band together and rally behind the positive impact we can make on our world.

With so much information currently available publicly about Coronavirus, it’s our responsibility to make certain our community remains adequately, properly and responsibly informed on Coronavirus. With that in mind, we are keeping our community informed on Coronavirus through MPI’s social channels, newsletters (MPI Pulse and MPI NewsBrief) and on our current Coronavirus page. This online resource provides you with up-to-date industry news, research and information about ongoing resources being provided by MPI, such as our education series and newly launched podcast series.

As we have done for nearly fifty years, MPI will continue to provide the leadership, knowledge, and connections that facilitate positive impact. Because when we meet, we do change the world.

Sincerely,

Paul Van Deventer Meeting Professionals International President and Chief Executive Officer

MPI COVID-19 RESOURCES Updates Education Industry News

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MPI CORONAVIRUS DIALOGUE SERIES

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January Education Recap

by Maureen Donovan

A huge thank you to The Graylyn Estate and Visit WinstonSalem for their fabulous hospitality at our January Meeting. Starting out with a tour of the property and learning its history made it just that much more interesting as we experienced Mr. and Mrs. Gray’s visions. Did you know when it was finished in 1932, it was the second largest home in America with 60 rooms, second only to the Biltmore? I know many of us feel extra close to Mrs. Gray after enjoying unlimited amounts of ice cream because of her love of the treat!

After fabulous food, fun photos, and a competitive trivia match on Thursday evening, Friday brought some great information from Mary Tribble, associate vice president and senior advisor for engagement services at Wake Forest University. For those who don’t know Mary, she is a wellknown and respected meeting planner from the Charlotte area. Director of Leadership and Volunteer Development Brandon Crumpton introduced Mary citing the impact that she has had on his career. What was the takeaway for the attendees of her session? Every event, every meeting, every person at some time needs a refresh or a reboot. In Mary’s current position, several alumnae experiences were refreshed and/or initiated to increase the financial support of the University Alumni. Mary claims many “self-reboots” over the years including selling her Charlotte based Event Marketing Firm for an extended walk in the desert. Was it the Mojave Desert?

The beginning of the year is a great time to refresh and reboot… Identify the Why, Collect the Data, Identify Stakeholders, Float the Ideas, Adopt a Plan, Execute and Evaluate; all so simple, yet hard to accomplish. n

Maureen Donovan Holiday Inn Resort Wrightsville Beach VP of Education

Mary Tribble and Brandon Crumpton

MEET IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL.

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Find Your Center in Winston-Salem

• Conveniently and centrally located in North Carolina • Voted as one of Forbes' Top 10 Best Downtowns • $2 billion invested in downtown development • Recently renovated 105,000-square-foot Benton Convention Center • More than 5,000 hotel rooms—including 1,200 downtown within walking distance of the Benton • Over 120 downtown restaurants and shops • Travel Back Rewards Incentive Program to help offset meeting expenses