Carolina Blitz October - November 2016

Carolina Blitz October - November 2016

New Member Spotlight Julie Drazdik Page 8

Great Wolf Lodge, Charlotte/Concord, NC November 3-4, 2016

TRADITIONALIST & TRAILBLAZER

WILLIAM LEWIS William Lewis dances to the beat of his own banjo. In his role as the executive director of PineCone in Raleigh, N.C., William preserves and protects blues, bluegrass and other forms of traditional music. And that’s not all. He helps nonprofits like the International Bluegrass Music Association make the most out of meetings and events.

“ There is great collaboration and

partnership that is the nature of this city. Everybody is talking and thinking out loud. That always leads to great things.”

Raleigh’s passionate locals maximize resources to create events that hit all the right notes, helping draw more than 140,000 fans to World of Bluegrass. Think Raleigh.

Learn more at visitRaleigh.com/meet

in this issue...

features MPI-CC Loves Our Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Stuff Happens: Anticipating & Adapting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12, 16 Look Who We Spotted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 See MPI!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

fotojog/iStock/Thinkstock

Board Meeting Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

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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 2016

our members Welcome New Members!

Tya Bolton Exceptional Business Solutions tya@exceptionalbizsolutions.com

Catherine George Aladdin Travel & Meeting Planners catherine.george@aladdintravel.com

David Montgomery VisitGreenvilleSC dmontgomery@visitgreenvillesc.com

Melissa Cade Melissa Cade Events MelissaCade@gmail.com

Tara Hicks CITE Shows, LLC tara@citeshows.com

Jessica Parris MicroMass Communications jessica.parris@micromass.com

Jennifer Carlin MicroMass Communications jennifer.carlin@micromass.com

Shannon Ilsley MicroMass Communications shannon.ilsley@micromass.com

Lisa Swett, CMP VectorVest, Inc. lisas@vectorvest.com

Katherine Christie Student - Appalachian State University christiekc@appstate.edu

Wendy Johnson Siggins Travel Planners, Inc. wendy@tvlplnrs.com

Olivia Turner Student - Appalachian State University turnerok@appstate.edu

Lisa Cox FMI Corporation lcox@fminet.com

Chris King Focus Incentives chrisking@focusincentives.com

Christine Damschroder The Village Inns of Blowing Rock cmdamschroder@gmail.com

Alyssa Koontz Actively Seeking Position ajkoontz55@gmail.com

Kathleen Van Geluwe Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes kathleen.vangeluwe@ marriottsales.com

Alison Flaig Genworth Mortgage Insurance alison.flaig@genworth.com

MPI-CC Anniversaries 20 years

5 years

Karen McElroy

Lucena Benson

RCI, Inc.

Grant Thornton LLP

15 years

Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM

Michele Schilling, CGMP

North Carolina

American Express

Association of CPAs

Global Business Travel Terri Nier

10 years Tammy McCoy, CMP

Donna Rabon

Bon Appetit

Sea Trail Golf Resort

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

Erin White FMI Corporation ewhite@fminet.com

First Timers and New Members at the September Mixer

Back left to right: David Montgomery - VisitGreenvilleSC; Freida Mitchell The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel; Ron Bower - Haywood County Tourism Development Authority; Paige McGeorge - Diplomat Resort & Spa; Michelle Devine - Visit Newport Beach; Heather Dwyer - Island Hotel Newport Beach Front left to right: Alison Flaig - Genworth Mortgage Insurance; Julie Drazdik LPL Financial; Jennifer Bolling - DoubleTree by Hilton Columbia, S.C.; Tara Hicks - CITE Shows; Rita Matthews - Visit Norfolk; Dee Gause - HelmsBriscoe Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

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monthly meeting planner November 3-4, 2016

Concord, NC

Great Wolf Lodge – Charlotte/Concord

May 10-11, 2017 Annual Meeting

New Bern, NC

DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern – Riverfront

January 19-20, 2017

Raleigh, NC

DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh

June 19-22, 2017

Brownstone-University

MPI WEC

Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand

March 16-17, 2017

Myrtle Beach, SC

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton

Winston-Salem, NC

Myrtle Beach Oceanfront

Graylyn International Conference Center

July 27-28, 2017

April 6, 2017

Reminder: Deadline for submissions for the next Carolina Blitz is November 11, 2016. Please submit any articles or photographs to be considered for publication to Editor-In-Chief Ginny Fountain, CMP, CMM, at Ginny.Fountain@ncemcs.com.

Global Meetings Industry Day

FYV-514s MYRON-AD-3.5x4.75-v3[10.12.16]-ms.pdf

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LET US HELP PLAN YOUR NEXT HOMETOWN EVENT

The Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (FACVB) would love to help plan your next event.

From start to finish, our team will work with you to gather and present proposals according to your needs, arrange site visits and assist with promotional items and other resources, ensuring that your event goes off without a hitch.

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT: Myron Jones FACVB Director of Sales mjones@visitfayettevillenc.com 910.483.5311

V I S I T FAY E T T E V I L L E N C. C O M

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

10/12/16

1:44 PM

president’s message

Volunteers with Benefits!

by Barbara Dragan

At our September meeting, we celebrated and said thank you to our MPI Carolinas Chapter member volunteers.

As I look over the past 15 years of my membership with MPI-CC, I started as a member who only attended meetings. Then one day at a meeting, someone asked if I would serve on her committee. I could not think of one reason not to serve on that committee.

After that, I was asked to serve on other committees, to chair committees, and eventually asked to serve on the board. Today, I still volunteer with MPI-CC and serve as your President.

Barbara Dragan Visit Greenville SC 2016-2017 MPI-CC President

As a volunteer with MPI-CC, I have received much more in return than what I expected.

Volunteering made me a better leader, taught me how to mentor, provided better training skills, and I found new strengths and weaknesses in my professional and personal life. The new people that I met then are now my friends and mentors.

Benefits of volunteering: •

Connects you to others as you make new friends and contacts

•

Strengthens relationships

•

Increases social skills

•

Exercises your mind and body

•

Advances your career

•

Provides education for job skills

•

Fulfills your life and adds fun

Please think about what you would like to achieve as a volunteer with the MPI Carolinas Chapter and what you would like to learn. Where do you want to go and who do you want to meet? Let our Leadership and Volunteer Development team find the right spot for you whether you have five minutes or two hours of your time to give.

On behalf of the MPI Carolinas Chapter Board of Directors, “Will you volunteer to serve on one of our many committees?”

Thank you to our 108 chapter volunteers and welcome to our new upcoming volunteers! n

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

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MPI-CC 2016-2017 Board of Administration President Barbara Dragan Visit Greenville SC 864-421-0000 bdragan@visitgreenvillesc.com

President-Elect Alyce Kelly, CHSP Clam Digger Inn 252-241-8402 gm@theinnatpks.com

Immediate Past President Christian Schroeder Visit Winston-Salem 336-728-4218 Christian@ visitwinstonsalem.com

Director of Marketing Brittany O’Shaughnessy Francis Marion Hotel 843-937-8690 Brittany.OShaughnessy@ thefrancismarion.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 Mallory Middleton Raleigh Convention Center 919-996-8514 mallory.middleton@ raleighconvention.com

Director of Strategic Partnerships Maureen Donovan Holiday Inn Resort Wrightsville Beach 910-256-2231 mdonovan@ wrightsville.holidayinnresorts.com

Strategic Partnerships Committee Chair Needed

Director of Fundraising Molly Nelson Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau 828-258-6121 mnelson@exploreasheville.com

Business Exchange Committee Co-Chair John Cruz, CMM Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC 919-765-1334 John.Cruz@bcbsnc.com

Director of Leadership & Volunteer Development Ricardo Hicks American AV 919-361-1151 rhicks@aavevents.com

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

Director of Membership Selah Havard Cabarrus County CVB 704-456-7970 Selah@visitcabarrus.com

Hospitality Committee Karen Knox, CMP, CMM Visit Winston-Salem 336-728-4213 KKnox@visitwinstonsalem.com

Communications VP of Communications Lori Hedrick, MHA, CMP, CMM, CSEP Burroughs Wellcome Fund 919-991-5105 lhedrick@bwfund.org

Education VP of Education Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM North Carolina Association of CPAs 919-469-1040, ext. 8 ahodges@NCACPA.org

Finance VP of Finance Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM Global Knowledge 919-461-8698 Alison.Harding@ globalknowledge.com

Membership VP of Membership Nicole Robinson Greater Raleigh CVB 919-645-2682 nrobinson@visitraleigh.com

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

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 Ginny Fountain, CMP, CMM NC Association of Electric Cooperatives 919-875-3050 ginny.fountain@ncemcs.com

Social Media Committee Mica Parekh IWP Photography 919-270-2510 mica@iwpphotography.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

Business Exchange Committee Co-Chair

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

Kathleen Van Geluwe Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes 843-692-3712 kathleen.vangeluwe@ marriottsales.com

Awards Committee Co-Chair Lindsay Myers Caesars Entertainment 919-628-8836 lmyers1@caesars.com

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

Professional Certifications Committee Co-Chair Jennifer Kist, CMP VROOMZ 704-607-1454 jkist@vroomz.com

Leadership & Volunteer Development Committee Christy Marcinkowski, CMP

Member Care Committee Alex Oates PSAV 919-439-6214 aoates@PSAV.COM Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

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new member spotlight New Member Spotlight: Julie Drazdik

by Selah Havard, TMP

What makes our chapter such a wonderful community? Our members, of course!!! Getting to know new members is truly a joy for me. I love seeing people that join our chapter who have enthusiasm to get involved and make an impact.

hotels for my next top producer event. The sales team I work with is small, but mighty. Every year we do more with less, and every year I’m amazed at how much we’ve accomplished. It is rare to work with a group of people who strive for excellence each and every day. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

What are your hobbies and interests?

Julie Drazdik

Julie Drazdik just recently joined our chapter and is already signed up to volunteer! I hope each of you has the opportunity to meet Julie in person and give her a warm welcome to our MPICC family.

How long have you been in the industry?

Nineteen years in financial services with a focus on marketing, communications and event planning for financial advisors throughout the years.

Tell me about your family life.

Assistant Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Events for seven years.

I married my husband Doug on the beach in Mexico seven and a half years ago. We live in South Charlotte, NC – or the little Northeast as some like to call it. All our neighbors are from the Northeast, so it feels a lot like Pittsburgh without the snow and cold. I put in a pool at my house in March of this year, so I spent my summer having pool parties in my backyard and enjoying it.

Tell me about your job and the company you work for?

Why did you join MPI-CC?

I work for LPL Financial, the largest independent broker dealer in the United States. For the past seven years I’ve supported our largest institutional client, AXA Advisors LLC, supporting financial advisors with all their marketing, communications and event planning needs. I accepted this opportunity because it gave me the freedom to make the role what I wanted it to be. Creating events for advisors was just an idea in 2009 when I started with LPL Financial. I thought how great would it be to develop a series of recognition events and training workshops. Then I could watch financial advisors implement the education and new skills they gained into their practices. Over the years, I’ve not only had the privilege of getting to know a lot of smart, gracious, and successful advisors, but I’ve also watched them use the content to deliver first-in-class presentations and win the hearts and minds of their clients.

I joined MPI to extend my event network and work toward obtaining my CMP. I have been a member for two years now and I am dedicated to sitting for the CMP exam in 2017. I was happy to connect with the CMP study group at the Raleigh meeting back in September and learn that they have a 100% pass rate.

What is your current position and how long have you worked there?

Like many, I wear several different hats in my job. It keeps things interesting and never gets boring. On any given day I could be preparing communications for an upcoming technology release, training advisors on the latest product enhancements, or be on the road sourcing

8

I am a huge football fan. Being from Pittsburgh, I love my Steelers. Every year my girlfriends and I travel back to West Virginia University for the homecoming football game to relive our college years. I also love the beach.

I work to travel. Last year over Christmas I went to Fiji.

WOW, that’s a long flight.

| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

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

One of my besties works as a personal assistant in Hollywood, so I’ve met a few famous people along the way and even stayed at their houses. It is a different life, so I choose to cultivate the relationships with my “true” friends and new MPI colleagues.

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

Take advantage of the resources MPI members (planners and suppliers) offer you. I am constantly amazed at how ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Continued on page 22

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

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PLANNING FOR YOUR FUTURE Meeting & Event Planning Certificate Program

Spring Program Begins February 10, 2017 Complete the Meeting & Event Planning Certificate Program in 4 weekends!

▪ February 10 & 11 ▪ February 24 & 25

▪ March 3 & 4 ▪ March 17 & 18

Free Info Session:

January 11 ▪ 6-7 p.m.

UNC Charlotte Center City 320 E. 9th St. ▪ Charlotte, NC 28202 UNC Charlotte is a CMP Preferred Provider.

The Meeting & Event Planning Program meets the requirements to receive continuing education (CE) credit for the CMP credential.

704-687-8900 ContinuingEd.uncc.edu/mep 10 |

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

education Recap of September Meeting’s Education with Deborah Gardner, CMP

by Liz Guertin

At the MPI-Carolinas Chapter meeting in September Deborah Gardner, CMP, one of MPI’s most sought after speakers, provided a spirited program designed to improve sales skills for all.

To be “On the Money,” Deborah offered Persuasive Tips To Win More Business.

You’ve got personality – show it! What makes you unique and how do you differentiate? Show your personality and let your personality shine through in communications.

Be cognitive of technology and how it will help.

Key points included:

Hey bosses, unleash your people! If you are in a leadership role, be more supportive and encouraging to team members rather than controlling and micro-managing.

Selling is out – Persuasion is in. Selling forces others through barriers while persuasion removes those barriers.

SWOT Analysis – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This can help determine where the areas of abilities and challenges lie.

Know Your Worth – Understanding the worth of your meeting/event or property/service and effectively communicating.

Embrace your flaws, it’s the truth. Be candid and upfront with others when communicating and do not overpromise what cannot be delivered. Highlight abilities and values with honesty.

It’s all about trust – Telling someone “I trust you” then saying nothing else (keeping silent) is powerful.

Tapping into the emotional aspect of selling. If you aren’t happy with a response to your presentation, it’s OK to show a little emotion, a slight flinch is even OK. On the other hand, if you are happy, it’s OK to show appreciation or approval here too. We need to express ourselves more.

Under no circumstances should you become a mobile jerk. Most people agree that using your mobile device in the middle of a meal, conversation, or meeting is disrespectful and against proper mobile etiquette. Yet 80% still do this.

Want vs. need – Attempt to uncover what is needed to achieve the objective then determine the wants and how this aligns.

How does gender play a role? Yes, males communicate differently than females, so tailor your approach differently for each.

Men prefer to be direct—facts, quotes, and items of interest. Body language is very telling. Try to close the shoulders towards the other person when in conversation. Don’t stand beside the person you are addressing. That posture doesn’t show engagement or interest in the conversation.

Women are emotionally charged. They like compliments and to feel appreciated and understood.

Work within your center of influence on the things you can control/work on and it will likely spread into other areas.

Write, write, write. Writing sharpens your thinking and adds value to your portfolio.

Let it go; don’t hang on to lost business or opportunities for longer than you should. Move on to other areas of focus.

Learning is sexy. Continue learning how to be more persuasive in selling or meeting/event planning. Be an investment, not an expense!

During the second educational session, Deborah presented: Naked Negotiating: Revealing Advanced “Win Win” Negotiations for Success.

Naked negotiating refers to stripping away tactics that weren’t successful in the past—cutting through the noise and details that don’t matter to find what the need/ problem is and finding the most appropriate solution.

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” – John F. Kennedy Fear of negotiating comes from deep feelings of fear, starting from when we were all young. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Continued on next page Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

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education __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Continued from previous page An effective way to create value is with knowledge.

Know the options and risks. If you want experience, get knowledge. Ask the right questions.

The worst question that comes up frequently when negotiating and immediately places negativity on the discussion is “What’s your budget?” Instead, why not use the word “investment?”

Using the word “investment” vs. “budget” communicates a more positive-feeling conversation, i.e., “What is your investment for this meeting?”

Negotia-Dating – Each participant in a negotiation is spending time getting to know each other to see if they are the right fit.

Stay in the moment. Slowing down the relationship; building to speed up the negotiating effectiveness.

Three things to achieve positive negotiations: • What are the must-haves?

• What are the would-likes?

• What is tradeable?

Conduct face-to-face negotiations instead of emailing back and forth. Negotiations over a meal almost always builds trust.

You must find the first answer to move to the next. What are the must-haves? Once those are uncovered, then move to the would-likes, then the tradeables. These are uncovered through asking the right questions.

Suggestion: If the other participant cannot feasibly attend a breakfast or lunch meeting, why not have the meal ordered at their favorite take-out or deli nearby, have it delivered to their office, then have a virtual lunch over a platform like Skype?

In negotiations, we MOON others. MOON stands for Multiple Offers Of Negotiations. Instead of saying “no” to a certain requested item (either in person or on an RFP), offer an additional item that wasn’t specifically requested, but still adds value.

Negotiation is not about price and should not be the first thing discussed. Instead, get to know the mission and purpose of the event and how it aligns with the organization as a whole.

In conclusion, don’t be afraid to negotiate. Take the time to get to know the other person and the goals for their meeting/event and organization. Put a positive spin on the negotiation by spending time with the other negotiating party (preferably over a meal) and finding out the “investment.” Ask the right questions to uncover their needs and wants and how to best find solutions to provide the best possible offer. n

There are three levels of negotiating. Basic, intermediate and advanced.

• Basic – We first learn to negotiate when we are young children.

• Intermediate – Learning to master strategies and techniques then applying them in real life scenarios.

• Advanced – Accumulating a tactical toolbox at a higherlevel of negotiating over a long period of time.

Liz Guertin Visit Winston-Salem Education Committee Member

news you can use Special congratulations to Kathy Flowe!

Jackson Michael Sprouse born on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at 8:12 PM 7th Grandchild to Kathy & Mike Flowe | Weight: 6 lbs. 2 ozs. | Length: 19” Mother (Angela Sprouse), daddy (Dan Sprouse) and big sister, Brooklyn Rebecca Sprouse, are all doing well.

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

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Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

That’s when the unicorn showed up asking about a vegan menu.

As the consummate professional, you imagine and prepare for anything and everything. You have a plan B, C, D and even yes, a unicorn plan. If there is a surprise, it’s because you planned it. And that’s where we come in.

You got into this business to create remarkable moments and give people experiences they never expected in places they will never forget. Ready to work your magic in an unexpected destination that’s taking everyone by surprise? Plan your next meeting in Greenville, SC. Yeah, THAT Greenville. (Unicorns welcome.)

Plan your next meeting in the place where meeting magic happens. #yeahTHATgreenville

800.351.7180

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

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Look Who We Spotted at the...

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

... September Meeting in Raleigh!

Photography by Mica Parekh – IWP Photography

education Looking ahead: Education sessions to focus on emergency preparedness

by Nicole Filippo, CMP

planning and management process to ensure your organization is prepared for crises. Hilliard will address the key items to include in your RFP, the additional questions you should ask during the site inspection and practical tips for on-site management.

During the upcoming MPI-CC meeting, November 3-4 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, N.C., attendees will explore the important issue of emergency preparedness and strategic crisis planning.

On Thursday afternoon, Floyd Yoder, founder and president of Survival Tactical Concepts, Inc., will explain how to manage a situation that involves an active shooter in the same location as your meeting. In “Active Shooter: Challenge and Concerns for Convention Centers,” Yoder will address policies and procedures for handling the situation, as well as provide suggestions on developing your organization’s crisis management plan. Key discussion points include defining an active shooter, the profile and characteristics of shooters, and what to do when there is a shooter on premise. Yoder, who is also a special operations coordinator for the N.C. Department of Justice, will share methods on how to make a facility a harder target, how to work with responding law enforcement and how to proactively work with local law enforcement.

Floyd Yoder

Tyra Hilliard

Hilliard’s professional experience, which has included management roles in hotels, travel, meetings and events, law, catering and academia, have culminated in a passion for educating the meetings and hospitality industries on crisis preparedness and liability issues. A published author on legal and crisis management issues in academic and industry publications, Hilliard has been honored for professional achievement as an educator by the Professional Convention Management Association, and received national recognition for her contributions to best practices initiatives with the Convention Industry Council and Meeting Professionals International. She is one of only two people in the world to have a law degree, a PhD in Hospitality and a CMP. n

The following day’s educational session focuses on the little things you can do to safeguard your organization and attendees. In “Meeting Safety and Security – Little Things Add Up,” Tyra Hilliard, CMP, will present practical, timely, simple solutions that can be implemented in your

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

MPI-CC Loves Our Volunteers

by Nicole Robinson

Did you know that our entire chapter is run by volunteers, with the exception of The Management Office? We wouldn’t be where we are today as a chapter without the constant support and passion from our valued volunteers. Whether you are a committee member, committee chair, board member, or previous volunteer, we THANK YOU for the impact you have made and will continue to make on our chapter. Want to get more out of your membership? Consider volunteering!

Think you don’t have enough time to volunteer? Wrong!

Our Leadership & Volunteer Development Committee

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

will work with you to find the right position for you.

Contact Ricardo Hicks (rhicks@aavevents.com) or Nicole Robinson (nrobinson@visitRaleigh.com) to find out how you can get involved today. Thank you again to all of our dedicated volunteers! n

Nicole Robinson Greater Raleigh CVB MPI-CC Vice President of Membership

See MPI!

by Jean Travers

The purpose of the MPI’s IMEX America Hosted Buyer Program is to give qualified meeting industry buyers the opportunity to do business with suppliers from around the U.S. and the world in a fun and efficient environment; at the same time learning from the best in the industry and networking with peers. Most hosted buyers experience the show in a small group, which gives the added opportunity of developing peer relationships. Best of all, once qualified, IMEX America picks up the cost (and can also arrange) for flights and hotel accommodations for hosted buyers.

MPI puts the power in the buyers’ hands: there’s no match making – hosted buyers choose over 90% of their appointments with exhibitors including the day and time.

We all believe in a balanced approach: time to do business – time for education and time for networking – you’ll get it all at IMEX America.

If you are taking advantage of IMEX America this year, you will not be alone. Several MPI-CC members attend annually and can share with you how informative it is. Among the reasons for attending is to earn more continuing education hours which you need to apply for the CMP exam or recertification. Each eligible session is aligned by CIC (Convention Industry Council) with one of 10 CMP International Standard domains and has

10,732

OVERALL BOOTH SPACE INCREASED BY

5%

2015

at a glance

OVER 2014

10,935

total show visitors

NUMBER OF HOSTED BUYERS 3,030 from 54 countries

HOSTED BUYERS

BY DESTINATION

74%

U.S. and Canada

AC R O S S T H R E E DAYS

U.S. Canada Brazil UK China Mexico Germany India Argentina Australia Other

26%

International

4% INCREASE OVER 2014

HOSTED BUYERS by nature of business 9%

Association Corporate

21%

Incentive House/Agency

62%

2,053

U.S. Mexico Canada UK Brazil Other

TRADE ATTENDEES from 69 countries

LONG HAUL BUYERS CAME FROM 51 COUNTRIES

brazil, china, germany, india, argentina, australia, switzerland, poland, russia, france, israel, italy, netherlands, spain, belgium and more

69% 5% 5% 3.5% 3% 2.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 6%

57,000

85% 3% 2.5% 1.5% 1% 7%

International

7%

INCREASE OVER 2014

9,700 buyers in

plus

group appointments

BUYER ATTENDEES by nature of business

7%

Association

INCREASE OVER 2014

11%

Corporate

32%

Incentive House/Agency

38%

Independent Planners

11%

Other

8%

NUMBER OF PRESS 99 from 10 countries U.S. press

PRESCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS

(one-on-one and booth presentations)

8%

Independent Planners

If you require show photography in support of your report, please download from our 2015 Show Photo File >

4%

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS (including exhibitors)

OVER 2014

IMEX AMERICA

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS INCREASED BY

84% 16%

a specified number of CE hours.

Another reason is to attend forums like the Future Leaders Forum, jointly run by IMEX, MPI, and MCI. The Forums offer packed educational programs including inspirational sessions from industry experts on key topics, insightful international and regional overviews of the meetings industry, round table discussions, and opportunities to make valuable industry contacts. If you attend, you’ll meet and learn from meetings industry leaders on topics including: • The future of the meetings industry • Strategies for success in a global, culturally diverse economy • Tactics to establish and advance a professional career in today’s competitive environment Social media plays an important part in helping us to offer students a network of peers from around the world, as well as continued career guidance and exciting new opportunities. Go to LinkedIn, FaceBook, and Twitter to start meeting the other attendees and reach out to each other. Follow IMEX@_Group to join conversations with fellow planners and suppliers and get yourself a headstart on networking! There is even an IMEX blog started by a CMP and you can join in.

So if you are going to IMEX in Las Vegas this year, start preparing for it NOW. If you are not, I encourage you to watch this year’s online activity, and then talk to the MPI-CC attendees who went. You may find a special place that you too can learn, imagine, and connect within the meetings industry!

IMEX AMERICA October 18-20, 2016 Las Vegas Contact the IMEX America Sales Team +44 (0) 1273 224955 sales@imexexhibitions.com

NUMBER OF EXHIBITORS 3,100 representing 150 countries with 80 new booths in 2015

BREAKDOWN OF BOOTH SPACE TAKEN by region or type Asia Pacific

9%

Caribbean

5%

51%

U.S.

49%

International

6% INCREASE OVER 2014

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Footnote: All IMEX info taken from the IMEX 2016 website. n

2%

Cruise Lines Europe

13%

Hotels

22%

Latin America

9%

Middle East & Africa Private Sector & Representation U.S. & Canada

3%

Technology

3%

Other

5%

8%

Jean Travers Helms Briscoe MPI-CC Social Media Committee Member

21%

OF THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY.

IMEXAMERICA.COM

Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

Rawpixel Ltd/iStock/Thinkstock

Stuff Happens Anticipating & Adapting

by David Gabri

I once heard the statement, “The key to success is how well you adapt to Plan B.” While this can apply to life, it also is relevant to the meetings, incentives, and hospitality marketplaces. After all, one of the greatest challenges many of us face is the need to be prepared for the unexpected, and to handle it with anticipated clarity. This includes environmental, weather-related and natural disaster events, and manmade threats and security issues.

So meeting professionals, association executives, incentive specialists, and hoteliers need to be prepared with contingency plans. This certainly applies to “big” items (i.e., a change of venue if that is mandated), but also to smaller tasks on your checklist.

So, where do you start? I suggest you build your resources.

Partnering + Preparation = Success In other words, work with your Global Sales Organizations (GSOs) and hotel contacts to provide a strong “three-legged stool” base relationship structure, building valuable alliances and a support system for when “stuff” happens. Generate a fair contract development process, vet issues to help build trust prior to your program, and identify contingency options on major issues should the need arise.

Topics to address include: options if changes to the logistics or timing of the program are needed; discussing medical emergency procedures, and identifying the closest medical facility; outlining weather-related contingency plans (be it a minor weather occurrence like rain or a more intrusive weather incident like a tornado or earthquake); learning evacuation options and procedures; and identifying sources for CPR and other first aid.

Developing a partnership and a plan with your global sales contacts and those at the property prior to arrival can later prove invaluable in maneuvering a challenging situation.

As you discuss the possible venues for your program with your GSO professional, keep in mind that the second or third option could be an alternative site should something major occur which would necessitate a change of venue. Your GSO professional also has your “specs” and can immediately provide open options that fit your needs to aid in the process even more.

In addition, require that your suppliers have contingency plans for products and services that they provide. This includes your speakers too.

Effective Communication Communication within a crisis is vital. Before the program begins, identify a centralized real-time mode of communication for relaying critical information, using available technology. This could include a Twitter link; individual cell and text access to your attendees, suppliers, venue contacts and/or executives; a special code access site on your own website; or otherwise, so participants can be reached before, on their way to, and during the program.

The hope, obviously, is that your program will proceed as you planned without any major issues, and that you will not need to go to Plan B. But the benefits of creating a contingency action plan, developing the “what ifs,” and establishing a reliable network of allies, will pay off when needed. Even if you don’t ever utilize or implement any of these plans, your preparedness will showcase your management aptitude to senior leadership, and can serve as a very welcome reassurance for attendees as they prepare for your event. n

David Gabri is CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), the leading independent Global Sales Organization serving the North American Meetings & Incentive marketplace for its membership of over 250 luxury-level hotels and resorts around the world.

ALHI’s portfolio also features Destination Management Companies (DMCs) in more than 100 locations worldwide, plus 23 luxury-level cruise ships. Contact your nearest ALHI Global Sales Office, or call the “ALHI Group Desk” toll-free at 866-303-2544, and visit alhi.com Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

19

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| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

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board meeting highlights Board of Directors Meeting Minutes September 15, 2016 | Raleigh, NC

by Christine Irwin, CMP

Attendees: Barbara Dragan, Christine Irwin, CMP, Sarah Johnson, Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM, Deanna GriffithHouse, CMP, GWPgM, CME, PMP, PCM, CMM, Lori Hedrick, MHA, CMP, CMM, CSEP, Nicole Robinson, Alyce Kelly, CHSP, Christian Schroeder, Maureen Donovan, Molly Nelson, Allison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM, Selah Havard, TMP, Brittany O’Shaughnessy, Ricardo Hicks Minutes: Christian Schroeder presented the minutes from the July 14, 2016 Board of Directors Meeting and made a motion to approve.

Motion: Christian Schroeder made a motion to approve the July 14, 2016 Board of Directors Meeting Minutes as presented.

Second: Deanna Griffith-House, CMP, GWPgM, CME, PMP, PCM, CMM Vote: Approved Financials: Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM presented the August P&L statement and Balance Sheet.

Motion: Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM made a motion to approve the August P&L and Balance Sheet as presented.

Second: Selah Havard, TMP Vote: Approved Alison Harding, CMP, GTP, CMM reviewed the August 31, 2016 Aging Report.

Barbara Dragan announced that the chapter received a Chapter Development Grant for the “Meeting Planners ‘Real-Time, Talk-Back’ Interactive Program” at the September 2016 Meeting.

Chapter Office: Christine Irwin, CMP introduced a new staff member, Sarah Johnson, and reviewed the August Metric Report. The Leadership & Volunteer Development team is finalizing the current volunteer list. Please make sure to send all remaining updates to them. Once those updates have been made, TMO will do an audit to all committee member listings on the website. Christine reviewed the meeting app and locations for all meeting rooms on the agenda.

Consent Agenda: Barbara Dragan asked for a motion to approve the consent agenda.

Motion: Alyce Kelly, CHSP made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented.

Second: Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM Vote: Approved Nominations: Christian Schroeder reminded the Board that we approved a new Policy Manual, with recommended and required policy changes from Global, in June. With the new policies, the nominations process has changed. The Immediate Past President will chair the committee and the President-Elect is a committee member. The President will select the rest of the members of the committee to appoint and submit to the Board for a vote. Earlier this month Barbara Dragan had discussed the Nominating Committee members with Christian Schroeder and Alyce Kelly, CHSP to present to the board at this meeting.

Motion: Christian Schroeder made a motion to appoint the following individuals to the 2016-2017 Nominating Committee that will recommend the 2017-2018 Board Candidates for vote.

Malinda Harrell, CMP, CASE – Greater Raleigh CVB Karolyn Stone, CHSP, CMP – Marriott Columbia Christy Marcinkowski, CMP – NC Sustainable Energy Assoc.

Timothy Miron – The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte Second: Brittany O’Shaughnessy Vote: Approved Christian Schroeder is awaiting confirmation from one more individual and will present that individual’s name to the Board for a vote once the individual has committed.

The committee will be reviewing the application in the next 30 days and posting the application in the next 6090 days. The goal is to wrap up the nominations process and interviews by the Christmas holiday since the slate has to be presented to the membership 30 days prior to submission to Global by March 1.

Publications: Brittany O’Shaughnessy reminded the Board that all Blitz items are due to Ginny Fountain, CMP, CMM no later than Friday, September 23. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Continued on the next page Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

21

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Continued from previous page Business Plan Revisions: Barbara Dragan reviewed our current business plan and announced that we needed to set our Education Satisfaction Survey Score goal based on the metric goal program.

It was decided to update our goal to read: “Achieve an Education Satisfaction Survey score of at least 5.17 to 5.43.”

July Meeting Survey Results: Amelia Hodges, CMP, CMM reviewed the results from the July Meeting survey and addressed feedback with the Board. From the survey discussions, the following new items will be implemented effective immediately: •

The membership team will begin assigning “buddies” to new members prior to each meeting. Their responsibility will be to bring them to the new member mixer and keep in contact throughout the entire first year.

•

Nicole Robinson will contact past Presidents and past Board members to see if they would like to volunteer to be in the “buddy” program.

•

•

Lori Hedrick would like to implement a new program where someone takes a picture of everyone who attends the meeting and places their headshots and names in the Blitz. This would help people recognize new members and attendees moving forward. The communications team will look into this idea and how much it will cost to add two pages to the Blitz.

The communications team is going to work with Christine to see if CrowdCompass can transfer attendee profiles from meeting to meeting so attendees do not have to update their profile for each meeting.

Chapter Needs Assessment Survey: Alyce Kelly, CHSP reminded everyone that Christine Irwin sent out last year’s Chapter Needs Assessment survey questions for review. We will be sending out this survey to the membership in October so that we can compile results and review during our mid-year retreat. Alyce requested that all revisions are due back to her no later than Friday,

New Member Spotlight: Julie Drazdik __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Continued from page 8 people you meet for the first time will go out of their way to help. Also, never stop educating yourself as the industry continues to evolve. MPI offers a great online forum to ask questions and get suggestions from others who may have experienced the same issue in the past.

22

| Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016

September 23. The survey will launch on October 3, close on October 17 and answers will be compiled and sent to the Board no later than October 21.

Metric Incentives Update for 2015-2016: Barbara Dragan announced that we received seven metric points for the 2015-2016 year. After evaluating the list of incentives the Chapter could choose from, it was decided that using the points for a complimentary WEC registration would help our chapter financially since there will now be two WECs in one fiscal year. When creating and approving the 20162017 budget, there was only one WEC scheduled for the 2016-2017 year.

Mid-Year Retreat Update: Barbara Dragan reminded the Board that the mid-year retreat will be held November 2-3, 2016 at the Great Wolf Lodge Charlotte/Concord prior to the bi-monthly chapter meeting. The final agenda will be sent out soon, but we are currently looking at a 9 a.m. start time on the first day. At the end of the retreat, committee chairs will be asked to join the Board for business plan review and a succession planning exercise.

Tara Liaschenko will be facilitating the retreat.

2017-2018 Annual Board Retreat Dates: Alyce Kelly, CHSP announced that the Annual Board Retreat for the 20172018 Board of Directors will be held on April 20-21, 2017.

The location is still being finalized.

MPI-CC Thank You Notes: Barbara Dragan announced that we had MPI-CC Thank You notes made. These will be sent to planners and new members/first timers from each meeting. We will be able to use these for any future needs that may arise.

Next Board Meeting: The next board meeting will be held on November 3, 2016 following the mid-year Board Retreat at the Great Wolf Lodge Charlotte/Concord in Concord, NC. Meeting Adjourned. n

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

Congratulations!! I know you are going to be a fantastic addition to our MPI-CC family. n

Selah Havard, TMP Cabarrus County CVB MPI-CC Director of Membership

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Carolina Blitz | October - November 2016 |

23

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 Ginny Fountain, CMP, CMM Ginny.Fountain@ncemcs.com EDITORIAL AND NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Director of Marketing Brittany O’Shaughnessy • Francis Marion Hotel

Know a Helping Hand?

Know anyone that has lent a helping hand?

Committee Chairs, please nominate one of your members who 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

Editor Ginny Fountain, CMP, CMM • North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives Contributing Writers Barbara Dragan, Visit Greenville SC; Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Company; Selah Havard, Cabarrus County CVB; Jean Travers, HelmsBriscoe; Liz Guertin, Visit Winston-Salem; Nicole Filippo, CMP, Elon University; Nicole Robinson, Greater Raleigh CVB; David Gabri, ALHI Photographer Micah Parekh - IWP Photography Proofreaders Kathy Flowe, CMP, Alabama Theatre; Christine Irwin, CMP, The Management Office; Cathy Mauldin, CMP, DESA, Inc.; Teresa Palmieri, Sheraton Imperial; Myron Jones, Fayetteville CVB; Lynn Rich, CMP, American Express Meetings & Events; Nancy Lowe, CMP, NC Medical Society Publisher Vince Chelena • The Management Office 704-377-5648 • Fax 704-333-6927 • staff@themanagementoffice.com Advertising Maureen Donovan • Holiday Inn Resort Wrightsville Beach • 910-256-2231 Design Kistin Creative Studio • 704-724-9188 • kistincreative.com MPI-CC Web Site: www.mpi-cc.org

November 3-4, 2016 Great Wolf Lodge Charlotte/Concord

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 Ginny Fountain, CMP, CMM at Ginny.Fountain@ncemcs.com or submit via our website at 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 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 Maureen Donovan at mdonovan@wrightsville.holidayinnresorts.com or 910-256-2231.

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