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TABLE OF CONTENTS

President's Corner

Upcoming Events

Missed the Meeting

Member Spotlights

Cocktail of the Season

MPI Anniversaries

Thank You to Our Sponsors

In-Kind Sponsorships

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Hello MPI New England!

This is a bittersweet moment for me as it’s my final installment in the newsletter’s President’s Corner. As my 7^th year serving on the Board of Directors is coming to a close, I’m so thankful for the many amazing people I have met and built relationships with, the opportunity to learn and grow, and all of the accomplishments we’ve achieved and challenges we’ve confronted together as community and also as chapter leadership.

But there’s still a lot of year ahead of us (yay!) and lots to celebrate (double yay!). Here are the quick hits:

· 2023-2024 Board of Directors slate is official having been approved by MPINE membership!

· GMID is coming up on March 30. Register here!

· MPINE Annual Award nominations are now open. Peer or self-nominate here!

Reflecting on my tenure as a Board Member brings me a lot of joy, but I’m equally excited, if not more, by the future. The 2023-2024 Board of Directors is an incredible group with lots of ideas, passion, and commitment. Please join me in giving a round of applause to the individuals below. And maybe even give them another hand by raising yours to volunteer with any of these committees! Want to know more? Email us at president@mpine.org

Hollie Herrick – President

Taylor Grinnell – President Elect

Marjorie Lane, VEMM – Immediate Past President

Johnice Veals, HMCC – Vice President, Finance & Administration

Susanna Flores – Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Linda Robson, PhD – Vice President, Education

Ana Carolina Villar de Jimenez, MS, CMP, VEMM – Vice President, Educational Institute

Kara Bishop – Vice President, Special Projects

Theresa Fitzpatrick – Vice President, Membership

Erin O’Brien, CMP – Director, In-Kind Partnerships

Jackie Tattersall, MBA – Director, Chapter Advancement

Aram Orchanian – Director, Marketing & Communications

Katie Butler, CMP – Director, Education

Melanie Walton, CMP, MBA – Director, Educational Institute

Patricia Figuereo – Director, Special Projects

Joseph Souza – Director, Membership

March 30 is Global Meetings Industry Day. GMID is an international day of advocacy showcasing the undeniable value that business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions, conferences and conventions bring to people, businesses, and communities. Register now and join MPINE and PCMANE at the Encore Boston Harbor to celebrate the theme “Meetings Matter”. We’ll laugh, we’ll connect, we’ll eat, and we’ll learn with an incredible speaker, Kyle Jordan, Ed.M, MS, CAE, CMM, CMP, and “The Importance of Data to Demonstrate the Value of Meetings”. So appropriate, don’t you love when a plan comes together?! ��

Let the celebrations continue as we’re getting ready to spotlight our brilliant, talented, dedicated, enthusiastic MPINE volunteers! They are the fuel that keeps this chapter running and contribute throughout the year including planning education and events, posting on social, welcoming new members, organizing auctions, collaborating with partners and sponsors, the list goes on… much like all of the accolades I could say about our volunteers, but I’m sure there’s a word count limit I’m about to reach. Please help us recognize these all-stars by peer- or self- nominating here. We have 5 honors to award (shown below) and the nominations application process is open through April 21.

Kathy Keegan-Cummings Professional Development Scholarship Award

Sam Dame Chapter Leader of the Year

Dayna Brunelli Tomorrow’s Leader

Meeting Professional of the Year – Planner

Meeting Professional of the Year – Supplier

See? There’s so much to look forward to; the 2022-2023 year is not over yet! Ok, yes, I’m teetering on full denial. But I also know the MPI Family is forever and I thank you all for being a part of it and the impact MPI has had on me. If it hasn’t been clear, I’ve 100% drank the MPI Kool-Aid and let me tell you, it’s great. And I’m still drinking: my next step with MPI is as a member of the MPI Foundation US Council! I also look forward to continuing to see everyone and meet new members at our MPINE events!

Cheers (with my MPI Kool-Aid)!

Kate Page, CMP, CMM

MPINE Immediate Past President

Outgoing Immediate Past President, Kate Page, CMP, CMM with Incoming President, Hollie Herrick

Kate with her new friends once her Board of Directors service comes to a close

UPCOMING EVENTS: GLOBAL MEETINGS INDUSTRY DAY: MARCH 30

Join members from MPI New England and PCMA New England at Encore Boston Harbor for Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID). We will be celebrating, learning and networking at the breathtaking Encore Boston Harbor! Register today at the link below:

https://loom.ly/Uo5k_eE

MISSED THE FANTASTIC FEBRUARY EDUCATION EVENT ON DIVERSITY, EDUCATION, AND INCLUSION? HERE'S A RECAP FROM A FUTURE MPI MEMBER, ANA MAR MOLINA.

The following was written by Endicott College student, Ana Mar Molina, a sophomore in the School of Business with a major in Events Management. She is from Texas and is a member of their winning Tennis Team. Mar went to an MPI meeting while on her internship over the winter break and loved it, so wanted to try a New England chapter meeting.

On February 15, 2023, I attended my first MPI meeting in the New England Chapter at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge. The Regency Cambridge hosted a wonderful event that allowed the attendees to be surrounded by the skyline of the city of Boston. The theme for the month of February was “DEI Pulse Check” which touched on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the hospitality industry. This was very interesting to hear about especially from the perspective of working in the hospitality industry.

The event had a panel discussion in which three women of color and a CIS identifying woman of all ages and different careers within the hospitality industry were asked questions about their experiences. The questions included asking about when they feel welcomed or uncomfortable at different events. There were surprisingly blunt answers, especially from the young lady who is a sophomore who attends Boston College and had eye opening points about her experience at school events. It was fascinating comparing my experiences in hospitality as a white passing female in college whereas someone my same age shares the same passion for hospitality but has experiences that are completely different.

It was fascinating to listen to these different women's experiences at different events and how they have learned to overcome other people's bias towards them. This experience was definitely something that I am glad I did not miss. I got in depth experiences of how DEI is a large part of the hospitality industry and needs to be incorporated more into the education of events. After driving back from the event I had a new grasp on how to better and check myself for my future career in the hospitality industry. This event was like no other I have been to before and I am very glad I was able to attend.

MEMBERS SPOTLIGHT:

We are thrilled to give a shout out to Melanie Rich with VDA for outstanding contribution to our chapter through her work on the Membership Committee! Melanie is always ready to offer a helping hand and find unique ways to drive membership our chapter. She did great work in her orchestration of our Mix & Mingle in the Fall. It is members like Melanie that make our chapter great! Thank you, Melanie!

Join us as we celebrate outstanding MPINE Member, Gail Paul with Next Level Promotions! Gail has been a dedicated supporter of our chapter for 14 years! We love seeing her smiling face at our meetings and appreciate all she does to promote our chapter to new members!

COCKTAIL OF THE SEASON: LIMONCELLO SPRITZER