Board Meeting Highlights

March Meeting Recap

by Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office

The board met virtually on March 22 and had a very productive meeting . A lot has been happening behind the scenes, and we used this time to catch up on each department’s progress .

On March 2, the Office of the President held a SWOT Analysis to determine what we need to focus on for the next 120 days . Our main goal right now is to engage our members and raise funds to sustain the chapter . Like everyone else, our chapter had to “pivot” this year and develop new and creative ways to make money . MPI Global is still limiting our membership rebates, so we’ve had to find new avenues to make up revenue . We want you as the member to understand that this is why we have to charge a fee to attend most of our events . MPI-CC is a business, and we need revenue in order to invest money back into the chapter and our members . We work hard to provide you with quality content that fits your needs as a planner, a supplier, a new member, or a veteran, so we thank you for your support and commitment to the chapter . We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t have members like you!

Just a quick update on our membership demographics because so much has changed in the past 360 days . As many of you in the association world know, sometimes it takes a full year to really see the effects something has on membership numbers . For instance, MPI renewals are based on anniversary dates . So if a member was furloughed in March 2020, it didn’t necessarily impact our membership numbers right away because they might not have had to renew until the following January . On any given day in the past couple of years, we hover around 400+ members . Our membership is split almost 50/50 planner vs . supplier, and we have historically high retention rates, hovering around 77% (and we’re very proud of that!) . Global considers MPI-CC a highperforming chapter in the membership retention metric . Currently, our membership sits around 330+ on any given day, with our ratio trending higher in the planner demographic . As I write this article, we have 175 planners, 127 suppliers, and various other students, faculty, etc . Our retention rate for February was 68%, which is phenomenal in the current climate! MPI Global overall has a retention rate of 61% . We feel very encouraged that hotel jobs are coming back slowly but surely, and we will build our membership numbers up to be better than ever . Thank YOU for your continued support as a member and for sticking with us through these COVID times .

Now on to April and May!

In April, we will be hosting a hybrid event platform tradeshow virtually . I know, most people have to read that twice . We came up with this idea because we heard from so many planners that they are starting to enter the hybrid event world and have no clue how to begin . How do virtual event platforms play into hybrid events? Which platforms have the capabilities that your group needs? To find out, more likely than not, you have to schedule a demo with a platform provider, and there are hundreds of providers out there . It’s a full-time job just to find one that fits your needs! So we are taking this opportunity to line up demos for you as the member to knock out in two days . This isn’t only for planners either! Suppliers will need to know how their hotel integrates with these platform providers for any onsite needs . We’ll incorporate some education on hybrid events to educate both sides, and attendance at this event is FREE . Sign up today! Now on to our Annual Meeting in May . This will be our first-ever hybrid event, and frankly, we cannot wait to be back in person to see your smiling faces (masked up, of course!) . It’s at the perfect venue – The Beaufort Hotel – and the education team is lining up some great speakers for us . In-person attendance will be capped at 60 people to ensure we can accommodate everyone safely in a socially distanced manner . Our number one priority is executing a meeting that will keep our members, attendees, and the hotel staff safe . For those who would like to attend virtually, we have created a schedule that allows you to integrate seamlessly into our in-person event . We will have the wonderful and longtime member, John Cruz, CMM, as our emcee throughout the event to ensure that both the in-person and at-home attendees will feel connected . I can’t wait for you to see what we have in store for you!

Our Annual Meeting will carry a message of “Resilience and Reformation in 2020 .” 2020 was no doubt a challenging year for most, both personally and professionally . We’ve lost loved ones . Our industry has been battered . But I think it’s pretty safe to say that we feel hope for the first time in a long time . We want to use the Annual meeting as a celebration of coming back together, celebrating the obstacles we’ve had to overcome, and celebrating the little wins (did anyone else manage just to keep their kids alive? That’s my win!) . We will not be handing out our typical annual awards this year because we already know the winners . Planner of the Year: YOU! Supplier of the Year: YOU! Tomorrow’s Leader: YOU! Our members are the heartbeat of our chapter, and we want to celebrate each and every one of you for supporting us, our industry, and just for being YOU!

So, with that being said, we look forward to “seeing” YOU soon!

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

PRISTINE by nature

Socially distant but here to ensure your meeting needs and safety are a top priority!

Convention Center & Visitors Bureau

NOW RESERVING WEST BEACH CONFERENCE CENTER

800.576.1585 • KiawahWBCC.com

Volunteers are the heart of our organization.

Help make a difference in our chapter and shape its future. Volunteering on a committee is a great way to elevate your membership, engage with fellow planners and suppliers, develop your leadership skills, and learn new professional skills.

Visit mpi.org/Carolinas or email Rachel Whitten, Leadership & Volunteer Development Chair, at RWhitten@greenvillenc.gov for more information on getting involved.

Nominate a Member Volunteer

Do You Know a Volunteer of the Quarter?

We have so many active members who deserve recognition for their efforts! If you know of someone who is going above and beyond, share their name and volunteer accomplishments with us so we can give them a shout out . This person can be a committee chair or member or even a brand new MPI-CC member who has already started to shine . The Volunteer of the Quarter Award is given four times a year and nominations are accepted all the time! Please send your nomination to Beth Tanner at beth .tanner@duke .edu .

The Carolina Blitz is the official publication of the Carolinas Chapter of Meeting Professionals International and is published every other month . All contributions, articles, and photographs should be submitted to Publications Committee Chair/ Editor one week after the meeting . Send to Cathy Mauldin, CMP - CathyMauldin@gmail .com

EDITORIAL AND NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE VP of Marketing and Communications

Ashelyn Roberts • ConferenceDirect

Editor

Cathy Mauldin, CMP • DESA, Inc . Onsite at CDM Smith

Contributing Writers

Amelia Hodges, CMM, CMP, North Carolina Association of CPAs; Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Company; Mica Parekh, CMP, IWP Photography

Photographer

Mica Parekh, CMP • IWP Photography

Proofreaders

Kathy Flowe, CMP, Alabama Theatre; Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office; Myron Jones, Fayetteville CVB; Nancy Lowe, CMP, NC Medical Society; Ginny Fountain, CMP, CMM, NC Association of Electric Cooperatives; Melinda Mowry, DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern - Riverfront; Peggy Anderson, CMP; Teresa Palmieri, Sheraton Imperial Hotel Raleigh-Durham Airport

Publisher

Christine Irwin, CMP • The Management Office 704-377-5648 • Fax 704-333-6927 • Christine@themanagementoffice .com

Advertising

Christine Irwin, CMP • The Management Office • 704-377-5648

Design

Kistin Creative Studio • 704-724-9188 • kistincreative .com

MPI-CC Web Site: www .mpi .org/carolinas

ADVERTISING RATES AND DEADLINES

AD SIZE FREQUENCY MEMBER NON-MEMBER RATE RATE Quarter Page 1X $220 $290 (3 1/2”W x 4 3/4”H) 3X $200/issue $270/issue 6X $160/issue $230/issue Half Page Horizontal 1X $420 $550 (7 1/4”W x 4 3/4”H) 3X $400/issue $530/issue 6X $360/issue $490/issue Half Page Vertical 1X $420 $550 (3 1/2”W x 9 1/2”H) 3X $400/issue $530/issue 6X $360/issue $490/issue Full Page 1X $640 $840 (8 1/2”W x 11”H) 3X $620/issue $820/issue 6X $580/issue $780/issue Full Page Insert 1X $700/issue $910/issue 3X $680/issue $890/issue 6X $640/issue $850/issue (Produced and provided by advertiser) There are six issues of the Blitz published yearly FEB/MAR, APR/MAY, JUNE/JULY, AUG/SEPT, OCT/NOV, DEC/JAN NOTE: Rates are published as of January 2011, and are subject to change without notice . All published rates are net non-commisionable . Any cost incurred by the BLITZ for art that is not fully press ready (e .g . reductions, halftones) will be billed to the advertiser, or art that is not press ready may be refused . DUE DATE: Due by the 15th of the month prior to publication . Artwork is due to the publisher within 10 days after deadline for space reservations . SEND MATERIALS TO: Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office, 1307 West Morehead St, Suite 207, Charlotte, NC 28208 Christine@TheManagementOffice .com • Fax: 704-333-6927 For more advertising information contact Christine Irwin, CMP, at Christine@TheManagementOffice .com or 704-377-5648 Visit our website at www .mpi .org/carolinas for additional advertising and sponsorship opportunities!