Carolina Blitz October - November 2017

Carolina Blitz October - November 2017

New Member Spotlight Jamie Walker Page 8

Grandover Resort Greensboro, NC | November 9-10, 2017

in this issue...

features A Tradeshow to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Importance of Customer Service . . . . . . . . 16

in every issue Our Annual Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Our Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Monthly Meeting Planner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 MPI-CC Board & Committee Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 New Member Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Look Who We Spotted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Fundraising News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Purestock/Thinkstock

Board Meeting Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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

Diamond Sponsors:

Gold Sponsors:

Silver Sponsors:

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017

our members Welcome New Members!

Shannon Groff Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau Shannon@durham-cvb.com

Morgan Resnik Align Technology LLC morganeresnik@gmail.com

Marla Davis Vizient Inc. marla.davis@vizientinc.com

Yolanda Diaz ydiaz@brownstonehotel.com

Laura Thomas Madison College – West Campus laura.orie308@gmail.com

Allison Hand allisonhand918@gmail.com

Dawn Shriver shrivedw@wfu.edu

Heather Haigler Switch Four, LLC hhaigler@switchfour.io

Eli Kahan Millennium Hotel Durham eli.kahan@millenniumhotels.com

Terrence Jones Ashworth College tbjones96@gmail.com

Kelli Payne LPL Financial kelliypayne@gmail.com

Kiella Molden Embassy Suites Charlotte Concord Golf Resort & Spa Kiella.Moldne@jqh.com

Tonjameka Turner AvidXchange, Inc. thesassynerdnc@gmail.com

Stephanie Hardy Hilton Charlotte Executive Park stephanie.m.hardy@outlook.com Linda Nelson, CMP To Plan Ahead LLC lnelson@toplanahead.com Sarah Small NC REALTORS® ssmall@ncrealtors.org Katelyn Blair Chartwell Hospitality kblair@chartwellhospitality.com

MPI-CC Anniversaries

Sonja Pasko Sonja@clarkeallen.com

First Timers and New Members at the September Mixer

15 Years Colleen Schwoerke, CMP PlanIt Right 10 Years April Ferguson, CMP, CMM BCD M&E Onsite at Cisco Systems Paula Klinger CommScope, Inc. of North Carolina 5 Years Karen Miller Miller Marketing Communications, Inc.

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

Back – Left to Right: Kiella Molden – Embassy Suites Charlotte/Concord; Erin Babaro – Double Tree by Hilton; Nellie Henigin – Courtyard Marriott Carolina Beach Oceanfront; Donna Socola – BASF Corporation; James Wade Jr. – Maxwell Regional Agricultural and Convention Center; Trudy Singh – NYC & Company; Tom Sullivan – Conference Direct; Hortencia Simmons – Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater CVB Front – Left to Right: Morgan Resnik – Align Technology LLC; Sasha Armour – Hilton North Raleigh Mid-town; Natalie Hoekstra – Hilton Garden Inn Rock Hill; Kerri Furtado – Providence Warwick CVB; Debora Perlini – BASF Corporation; Jamie Walker – NC Rural Water Association; Annette Pennella – Virginia Crossings Hotel; Jessica Grant - BASF Corporation; Stephanie Hardy – Hilton Charlotte Executive Park; Greg Haynes – Pine Needles/Mid Pines Resorts Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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monthly meeting planner November 9-10, 2017

Chapter Meeting Greensboro, NC Grandover Resort & Conference Center

January 18-19, 2018

Chapter Meeting Charlotte, NC Embassy Suites

by Hilton Charlotte Uptown

BrianAJackson/iStock/Thinkstock

World Education Congress Indianapolis, IN

July 19-20, 2018

Chapter Meeting Raleigh, NC The StateView Hotel

May 16 -17, 2018

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

September 20-21, 2018

March 15-16, 2018

June 2-5, 2018

Education & Business Exchange Charlotte, NC The Westin Charlotte

November 8-9, 2018

Chapter Meeting Spartanburg, SC Spartanburg Marriott

Annual Meeting Wilmington, NC Hilton Wilmington Riverside

Reminder: Deadline for submissions for the next Carolina Blitz is Friday, November 17, 2017.

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

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SeaTrail-MPI-August.indd 1

7/25/16 9:31 AM

president’s message Our Wealth of Resources

by Alyce Kelly, CHSP

Just when I think MPI-CC meetings cannot get any better, our education team and hotel partners do it again!

The Raleigh Marriott Crabtree absolutely outdid themselves this year. The food, the location, the staff--everything was warm and welcoming. Our education team also knocked it out of the park with our speaker, Dr. Rick Brinkman. I’m getting kind of paranoid just typing this message.

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

I was so happy to see new planners for the meeting and the business exchange. It’s always great to hear from suppliers that they made some new connections. That is a successful event!

I’m glad we could share the MPI Global message from President of MPI Global, Paul Van Deventer. Remember, you not only have great resources at the chapter level, but as an MPICC member, you also have a wealth of resources through the MPI Global website. I encourage you to take a look.

Jumpeestudio/iStock/Thinkstock

The Grandover Resort & Conference Center will be hosting us in November. It has been a while since MPI-CC has held a chapter meeting there. I am sure this will be an exciting event, so I look forward to seeing you all November 9 & 10 in Greensboro! n

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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

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

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

Director of Marketing Ricardo Hicks American AV 919-361-1151 rhicks@aavevents.com

Marketing Committee Farrah Staub, CMP Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley 919-571-5319 farrah.staub@marriott.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Silent Auction Committee Chair Needed

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

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

Director of Leadership & Volunteer Development Molly Nelson Explore Asheville CVB 828-258-6121 mnelson@exploreasheville.com

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

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

New Member Committee Chair Alicia Miller, CMP State Employees Assoc. of NC 919-833-6436 amiller@seanc.org

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

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017

f Directors and Committees

Advocacy Committee Co-Chair Linda Ilsley, CMP LPI Events 919-322-4996 lpievents@aol.com

Advocacy Committee Co-Chair Molly Johnson, CMP Wilmington & Beaches CVB 910-332-8747 mjohnson@ wilmingtonandbeaches.com

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

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

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

Professional Certifications Committee Co-Chair Farrah Staub, CMP Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley 919-571-5319 farrah.staub@marriott.com

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

Professional Certifications Committee Co-Chair Jennifer Kist, CMP MHI 704-607-1454 jkist@mhi.org

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

Leadership & Volunteer Development Committee Jemeria Lawson

The Durham Hotel 919-768-8837 jlawson@thedurham.com Member Care Committee Chair Needed

Recruitment Committee Chair Needed

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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new member spotlight New Member Spotlight: Jamie Walker

by Selah Bideau, TMP

MPI-CC friends, join me in welcoming Jamie Walker to our chapter! It is so exciting to see our chapter grow everyday!

Where do you currently work and how long have you been there?

Jamie Walker

I work at North Carolina Rural Water Association and I have been here for four years.

Tell me about your job and the organization where you work.

I serve NCRWA as the Member Services Manager. I am responsible for handling a wide range of responsibilities.

Among those responsibilities are member recruitment, engagement, providing networking opportunities for our membership and marketing the association. Our largest event is our Annual Conference & Exhibition.

The planning of this event is a year-long process and I have a fabulous team that assists me in planning, organizing and executing this event. This conference is the largest event of its kind in North Carolina and provides a wide array of networking and educational opportunities for our membership. The second major event that I am responsible for planning is our Annual Leadership Summit which is geared towards the water and wastewater industry decision-makers. This event has brought something new each year to develop the knowledge, skills and abilities of the industries’ emerging leaders. Each day is very different from the next. I enjoy the diversity of my daily tasks and the challenging opportunities each new day brings.

North Carolina Rural Water Association (NCRWA) is a member owned non-profit trade association based in Welcome, NC. We were originally formed to be the collective voice of water and wastewater systems across the state of North Carolina. We play a very active role in federal and state advocacy making regular trips to Washington, DC and Raleigh, NC representing our membership and expressing their needs and concerns to Congress. In addition to advocating on behalf of our member utilities, NCRWA is also a leader in onsite technical assistance, source water and wellhead protection planning, and training for professionals across the industry.

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017

What are your hobbies and what do you do for fun?

My hobbies include spending time with my family and friends along with trying to play the piano. I also enjoy going to the gym and trying healthy new recipes. For fun, I enjoy going to concerts and outdoor festivals, as well as traveling and spending time on the water either boating or kayaking.

Why did you join MPI-CC? I joined MPI-CC for the educational programs along with the networking opportunities. I love to meet new people and learn from their experiences.

If you were able to meet a famous person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

This is a tough question. There are many famous people alive and dead that I would love to have the opportunity to meet. One in particular that stands out in my mind is the late Maya Angelou. She was a strong woman who had many experiences in life, good and bad. Through everything in her life, she remained a kind soul who had a tremendous talent to love all people and was able to say exactly what she meant and do so in a way that was kind and respectful. A quote from her that stays in my mind is, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I would have loved to have met her and learned from her.

What advice would you give someone interested in pursuing a career in our industry?

My advice to anyone new to our industry is to dive in and educate yourself. Educate yourself not only in your organization but also in the association and hospitality industry as a whole. This will allow you to network with others in your industry as well as getting more involved in other professional organizations. The more you educate and network, the more you are able to play an active and vital role in your growing industry as well as yourself professionally. n

Selah Bideau Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte MPI-CC VP of Membership

You may not know us yet, but you will.

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

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

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

800.351.7180 Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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education September Education Recap

by Nicole Filippo, CMP

During the September MPI-CC meeting, held at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley Hotel, attendees gained insights into creating efficient meetings and effective communications. Dr. Rick Brinkman, co-author of the international bestselling book Dealing with People You Can’t Stand: How to Bring Out the Best in People at Their Worst, delivered three sessions with his signature lighthearted touch.

On September 28, Brinkman shared advice on how to facilitate productive meetings that are engaging and not viewed as time-wasters. In the session “Dealing With Meetings, How to Meet Less and Do More,” Brinkman discussed how to create a positive discussion environment for meeting participants. Attendees learned communication techniques to bypass conflict, manage the domination of aggressive meeting participants and encourage the participation of passive participants.

The next day Brinkman demonstrated communication techniques for engaging employees and influencing them to pay attention to safety messages. During “Conscious Communication to Inspire Safety,” Brinkman explained the “conscious communication” concept, which involves learning to separate personality from behavior and turning conflict into cooperation. Attendees learned to apply the “lens of understanding” to minimize misunderstandings and bring out the best in people.

When we realize that personality is just a generalization we make based on the behavior people present in the moment, and that people are simply engaging in different behaviors based on their needs in the moment, stress level, and reactions to us, then we open up the possibility of changing their behavior, Brinkman explained.

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Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017

In his last session, “Process Strategies to Save Time and Cut Losses,” Brinkman encouraged attendees to use the principles of “conscious communication” to improve bottom-line results and to implement time-management approaches to increase meeting efficiency. According to Brinkman, time management is about recovering, focusing and efficiently utilizing the precious resource of time. He noted the need for clarifying priorities, including creating clear values for teams and the behaviors that will fulfill those values. n

Nicole Filippo, CMP Elon University MPI-CC Education Committee Member

Looking Ahead at November 2017 MPI-CC Education

by Alison Flaig

Don’t miss your opportunity to walk away with valuable, practical ways to enhance your role and your organization when you join MPI-CC for its fall education sessions November 9-10, 2017, at beautiful Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro, NC. Between the Thursday afternoon and Friday morning education sessions, you will learn more about the millennial mindset and how change affects association membership and participation.

The Thursday session titled “Millennials, Management & Me: How to Develop a Millennial Management Mindset” will be led by change-management speaker Mike Hourigan. In this session, attendees will learn what it takes to make millennials part of the management team.

How? Mike will discuss the finer points of how to teach millennials the vital communication skills they’ll need for growth while grooming them into world-class leaders.

Attendees will also learn how to translate multiple generational views into a common language to make their organizations thrive and outshine the competition.

On Friday, Mike will kick off the last education session titled “How Change Affects Association Membership &

Participation.” In the past, people joined associations for information, much of which can now be found on the Internet. They joined to network with others like them, but now don’t always have the time away from the office to do so. They joined because their companies paid the fees, but now many do not. With so much change, what does it take to get members to commit? In this session, you’ll learn ways to attract new members, get them involved, address their needs, and make them want to recruit for your association.

From bridging generational gaps and making them work to your advantage, to building strong, more engaging associations, the November MPI-CC meeting will deliver on some timely, relevant issues, all while you enjoy the beautiful Grandover Resort & Conference Center! n

Alison Flaig Genworth Mortgage Insurance MPI-CC Education Co-Chair

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Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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Look Who We Spotted at the...

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017

... September Meeting in Raleigh!

Photography by Mica Parekh – IWP Photography

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

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

Learn more at visitRaleigh.com/smart

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Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017

A Tradeshow to Remember

by Mallory Middleton

At this year’s MPI-CC “Traveling Tradeshow” Business Exchange, the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree hosted over 60 participating individuals to make new contacts and exchange information that leads to more business opportunities. MPI-CC was thrilled with the turnout of both exhibitors and planners. There were new participants that had never taken part in an MPI-CC business exchange. From the smiles and laughter heard throughout the show, we gathered that this was a unique experience of fun and business for all attendees, making this year’s tradeshow one to remember.

with a set amount of time spent in each region. Once each tour group landed in their scheduled regional stop, the participating exhibitors had the opportunity to talk about their properties, organizations, or destinations for one minute, all eyes on them. Then, after introductions, planners could follow up with exhibitors individually to ask specific questions, get business cards for subsequent meetings or to check date availability.

All the information exchanged in this fun, fast-paced, traveling format made for one energizing and productive afternoon, exclusively experienced at the annual MPICC Business Exchange. If you were a part of this year’s show, we’re so glad you came! If you missed it, we hope you’ll join us next year for another impactful business exchange at the Westin in Charlotte, NC, on September 21, 2018. n

A significant amount of time was invested into planning the show by the Special Events Committee, which certainly paid off in the end. At the conclusion of the show, planners were handed a lovely goodie bag filled to the brim with fantastic swag from each participating exhibitor. When handed their bag, planners were asked if they enjoyed the show and if they learned something new about a participating organization. Ninety-nine percent of planners said that they had a blast and learned something they didn’t know about a property, organization, or destination.

Mallory Middleton Cheers Years LLC MPI-CC Director of Special Events – Tradeshow FYV-570 Resize Myron ad 3.5x4.75-v1[10.11.17]bg.pdf

The format of this year’s tradeshow was carried over from 2016, which involved dividing exhibitors into the four geographic “regions”: NC Mountains to Piedmont, Upstate SC, Coastal Carolinas, and MPI-CC Neighbors. There was a healthy representation of leading professional organizations in each of the regions, to every planner’s delight. Tour guides led participating planners in separate “tour groups” from one region to the next,

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Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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1:1

The Importance of Customer Service

by Ricardo Hicks

As an event professional, I find that customer service is often an overlooked attribute. I was fortunate to start my career in hospitality as a front desk agent for a hotel. It was there that the importance of customer service was stressed. I wasn’t necessarily a natural, so I paid close attention to the more experienced crew around me. One of my friends to this day was a van driver named Steve Cook. Steve was great with customers. The thing that was interesting about Steve, is that he knew how to “turn it on” and “turn it off.” In the back of the office, he was laid back with plenty of jokes to keep the mood light. Any problems that he had with the team stayed in the back. As soon as he opened the door from the back office to engage any customers, he was consistent. The customer never knew if Steve was having a bad day, as he had one objective, “consistent customer service.”

It was indeed a blessing that I had five years in customer service experience prior to becoming an audiovisual professional. Once I started my AV career, I’d already achieved this consistency in customer service. Steve and others taught me that customer service was more than being friendly, it was consistency. I was having a good conversation with my friend Michael Mincello, who works for a competing AV company. I was stressing the importance of technicians in our craft to have great

customer service skills. In our profession, we have designations of “A1, V1, and L1.” These designations are Audio Lead Technician, Video Lead Technician and Lighting Lead Technician respectively. I then stated, “we need to designate the position of “C1,” where he stated, “yes CS1.” There is a need for the appreciation of customer service in the eyes of audiovisual professionals. There needs to be an emphasis on every manager and technician to achieve the status of Customer Service Lead Technician.

For the last fourteen years, I’ve focused my attention on the need for starting with customer service. Customer service will make up for the lack of technical acumen almost every time. Most clients want to know that you “own” and “care” about the problem. Once this is recognized, there is grace given by the client to fix the problem. If we start with a CS1, we can take the next several years to groom a technician into becoming an A1, L1, or V1. The foundation must be customer service. n

Ricardo Hicks AE Production Services MPI-CC Director of Marketing

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Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017

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704-687-8900 ContinuingEd.uncc.edu/mep Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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FUN-raiser

Thank You!

by Mica Parekh, CMP

Another meeting is behind us and we are very happy with our fundraising numbers. We had some awesome packages available on Bidding for Good, and we had two wonderful raffle prizes with two books written by the speaker to raffle off as well! A total of $1190 was raised during our September event. We appreciate you so much when you support our raffle by donating or by bidding/purchasing raffle tickets or both ~ we couldn’t put on these events with great speakers and great locations without YOU! YOU make the difference in MPI-CC and you put the FUN in fundraising!

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

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME. Greensboro offers the perfect combination of small town charm and big city appeal. See what’s new in Greensboro!

You will be surprised by all it has to offer.

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017

board meeting highlights Board of Directors Meeting Minutes September 28, 2017 | Raleigh, NC

by Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office

Attendees: Alyce Kelly, CHSP; Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM; Barbara Dragan; Mallory Middleton, CMP; Maureen Donovan; Mica Parekh, CMP; Nicole Keshler; Ricardo Hicks; Molly Nelson; Selah Bideau, TMP; Amelia Hodges, CMP; CMM; Vince Chelena; Christine Irwin, CMP Excused Absences: Deanna House, CMP, GWPgM, CME, PMP, PCM, CMM, Minutes: Alyce Kelly, CHSP, presented the minutes from the July 27, 2017, Board of Directors Meeting and asked for a motion to approve.

Motion: Barbara Dragan made a motion to approve the July 27, 2017, Board of Directors Meeting Minutes as presented. Second: Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM Vote: Approved Financials: Maureen Donovan presented the August P&L statement, Balance Sheet and Aging Report. Alyce Kelly, CHSP, asked for a motion to approve the financials as presented.

Motion: Mallory Middleton, CMP, made a motion to approve the August P&L and Balance Sheet as presented.

Second: Nicole Keshler Vote: Approved Chapter Office: Alyce Kelly, CHSP, welcomed Christine Irwin, CMP, back from maternity leave and commended Sarah Johnson for the great job she did while Christine was out.

Christine Irwin, CMP, reviewed the meeting agenda and locations for all events. She announced that the tradeshow exceeded last year’s revenue, but will fall slightly under budgeted goals. The meeting revenue will more than likely exceed the budgeted number. Christine reviewed the August chapter metrics and explained that there is a new metric they would like us to track. We will now be tracking the conversion rate of which non-member attendees turn into members. We will not be scored on this metric, but it will be good information to have.

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

Motion: Selah Bideau, TMP, made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented.

Second: Alison Harding, CMP, CMM, GTP Vote: Approved Nominations: Alyce Kelly, CHSP, announced that she met with Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM, and Barbara Dragan to discuss candidates for this year’s Nominating Committee and recommended the following: Barbara Dragan – Immediate Past President, Nominating Committee Chair Alison Harding – President-Elect Christian Schroeder Linda Ilsley, CMP Karolyn Stone, CHSP Tim Miron Lori Hedrick, MHA, CMM, CMP, CSEP Motion: Nicole Keshler made a motion to appoint the Nominating Committee as presented.

Second: Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM Vote: Approved Marketing: Nicole Keshler reiterated that all teams need to be turning in a communications form with all the details they want communicated in an e-blast or on social media.

The communications team wants to begin the Midweek Member Minute (MMM) this month. This will be a new way for us to consolidate all of the information going out to the chapter on a monthly basis. We will start sending it every other week and assess the frequency after that It was discussed that the MMM could potentially be another spot to highlight our annual sponsors.

Publications: Ricardo Hicks reminded the Board that all Blitz items are due to Cathy Mauldin no later than Friday, _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Continued from previous page

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Continued from previous page October 6. Please support her in any way that you can by turning in articles and information to be published.

Finance: Mica Parekh, CMP, reported to the board that when asking for donations, she has been receiving some questions as to where the money raised by the chapter is going. Vince Chelena is going to help Mica draft an informative statement to be used when soliciting donations and to educate the chapter on where fundraising money goes. We will use this educational piece to revise the Bidding for Good donation forms to list the benefits of donating silent auction items to the chapter.

Unfinished business: None reported

the survey discussions, the following new items will be implemented effective immediately: • We will list all resort/additional fees for each hotel in the room block section of the appropriate meeting page.

Metric Incentives: Alyce Kelly, CHSP, announced that we received six points towards our metric goal incentives for 2016-2017. TMO and the President will be meeting to discuss the most effective way to use these points as a chapter and will send out a motion via email.

Next Board Meeting: The next board meeting will be held on November 9, 2017, following the mid-year Board Retreat at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro, NC. Meeting Adjourned. n

Helping Hand Award: Molly Nelson announced that the winner of this month’s helping hand award is Lori Hedrick, MHA, CMM, CMP, CSEP, for her continued and unwavering support of the chapter.

July Meeting Survey Results: Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM, reviewed the results from the July Meeting survey and addressed feedback with the Board. From

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

visitgreenvillenc.com 800-537-5564

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017

©2017 Pinehurst, LLC

Meetings were held here long before clubs.

Pinehurst may be known for twosomes and foursomes, but we were welcoming groups of all sizes before our first golf course was ever built. We’ve been hosting successful meetings and events for companies large and small since 1895.

And we’d love to host yours. Consider Pinehurst for your next corporate function.

You’ll find our meetings as legendary as our golf.

Kimberly Bryan, Senior Director of National Accounts Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 844.625.0492 • pinehurst.com

17PNH100.CarolinasMPIAugSept.indd 1

6/23/17 9:58 AM

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2017 |

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

Know a Helping Hand?

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

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

Please send your nomination to April Ferguson at aprilferguson10@gmail.com. Thank you for helping recognize your fellow members!!

November 9-10, 2017 Grandover Resort Greensboro, NC

CALLING ALL WRITERS Do you dream of being a published author? If so, the Blitz is looking for you! While we’re not the Wall Street Journal, getting published in the Blitz is a great way to share your ideas with fellow MPI-CC members and earn points toward your CMP certification. The Blitz is always accepting original articles and great topic ideas.

To submit your articles or ideas, please contact Cathy Mauldin, CMP at CathyMauldin@gmail.com or submit via our website at www.mpi-cc.org.

Contributing Writers Alyce Kelly, CHSP, Inn at Pine Knoll Shores; Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Company; Mallory Middleton, Raleigh Convention Center; Mica Parekh, IWP Photography; Selah Bideau, TMP, Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte; Nicole Filippo, CMP, Elon University; Ricardo Hicks, AE Production Services; Alison Flaig, Genworth Mortgage Insurance Photographer Mica Parekh - IWP Photography Proofreaders Kathy Flowe, CMP, Alabama Theatre; Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office; Teresa Palmieri, Sheraton Imperial; Myron Jones, Fayetteville CVB; Lynn Rich, CMP, American Express Meetings & Events; Nancy Lowe, CMP, NC Medical Society; Ginny Fountain, CMP, CMM, NC Association of Electric Cooperatives; Melinda Mowry, DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern - Riverfront Publisher Vince Chelena • The Management Office 704-377-5648 • Fax 704-333-6927 • staff@themanagementoffice.com Advertising Christine Irwin • The Management Office • 704-377-5648 Design Kistin Creative Studio • 704-724-9188 • kistincreative.com MPI-CC Web Site: www.mpi-cc.org ADVERTISING RATES AND DEADLINES AD SIZE FREQUENCY MEMBER NON-MEMBER

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

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

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

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

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

3X $680/issue $890/issue

6X $640/issue $850/issue (Produced and provided by advertiser) There are six issues of the Blitz published yearly FEB/MAR, APR/MAY, JUNE/JULY, AUG/SEPT, OCT/NOV, DEC/JAN NOTE: Rates are published as of January 2011, and are subject to change without notice. All published rates are net non-commisionable. Any cost incurred by the BLITZ for art that is not fully press ready (e.g. reductions, halftones) will be billed to the advertiser, or art that is not press ready may be refused.

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

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