APRIL 2023 MEMBER MINUTES
INDUSTRY VIBES
What's Hot in Meetings and Events
As seen in North American Meeting Magazine
As you’re noticing in your planning, meetings have returned as people come together for engagement and
connection. However, many challenges persist, such as onsite staffing shortages; new, inexperienced, or a lack
of meeting planners; food shortages and cost increases; and short lead times. These challenges have resulted in
a metamorphosis of the industry as teams from sales, catering, and operations unite to create new, engaging,
and memorable events. Top trends identified in the report include:
- The “No Barriers” agenda. Meetings and social events have changed. Gone are the days of theater style or shoulder-to-shoulder classroom meeting spaces. Regardless of the structure, it is clear today’s meeting planners, and their customers, are looking for no-barrier agendas to enhance educational events, stimulate the senses, and provide memorable moments.
- “Tag and Post” Instagrammable moments. Social media and cooking shows have inspired today’s meeting planners so food service, menus, catering, and operations teams must be more creative with an eye on providing those one or two sparkler moments—and do it in much shorter timeframes.
- The Pop-Up board room – bringing remote teams together. Remote work is the new normal as more physical offices close or downsize, which means there is a growing desire to bring employees together for face-to-face interactions. Sales and catering teams are leveraging this trend by converting spaces (often restaurant spaces, outdoor patios, etc.) into meeting spaces for local businesses.
- Team building is back, but different. The 2020s are re-inventing the 1980s team-building phenomenon in new innovative ways. Instead of traditional reception-based networking, what is meaningful to today’s organization has shifted, and team-building activities are more engaging and creative.
- Feel-good agendas. Wellness and sustainability are emerging as desired elements of a successful meeting. New titles such as “Chief Wellness Officer” are appearing more often in corporate org charts, aiming to ensure employee safety and well-being through education and enrichment. Groups are holding the meeting planner accountable for building agendas that are healthy both physically in the space, but also mentally.
UPCOMING EVENTS
‣ Brown Bag Lunch Roundtable Event: May 3, 2023, 12:00 PM at The Willows at Ashcombe Mansion; exclusive members only event. Register here.
‣ Mix and Mingle: May 18, 2023, 5:00 PM at SpringGate Vineyard; members and non-members welcome. More information here.
‣ End of Year Celebration and Awards Reception: May 25, 2023, 5:00 PM at the Wyndham Gettysburg. Plan now to attend to celebrate 15 years! Click here for more information.
Are you interested in donating a silent auction item for the End of the Year Celebration? Click here.
WRAP UP OF THE ANNUAL BOWLING CELEBRATION
On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, we hosted the Annual Bowling Celebration that benefits the Scholarship Fund. We had just over 60 participants that took over 14 lanes at ABC East Bowling Lanes in Harrisburg, PA. Not only did our members and their guests compete for top bowler, but also in a trivia contest with featured questions surrounding St. Patrick’s Day, bowling, and MPI.
Best Dressed: Visit Hershey & Harrisburg Team
Top Female Bowler: Cyndy Cosner, Hershey Team #1
Top Male Bowler: Todd Beasley, Hershey Team #2
Trivia Winner: Hershey Team #1
We’d like to thank our bowling sponsors:
· Destination Gettysburg
· Discover Lehigh Valley
· DoubleTree by Hiton Reading
· Hershey Resorts
· High Hotels Ltd
· Hilton Harrisburg
· Kalahari Resorts
· Spooky Nook Sports
· Lancaster Marriott
· Vail Resorts
· Visit Hershey & Harrisburg
· Wyndham Gettysburg
· Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board
We raised $2,100 to support the MPIMP Scholarship Fund.
Click here for photos!
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OUR SPONSOR - MOHEGAN PENNSYLVANIA
![IMG_1555_MoheganPenn_1080x1080[42]](https://custom.cvent.com/2B757FDA1D714B689F4B6E058F4D82ED/pix/9dc6b6a21d854e14a72cf35d5ef698fd.jpg)
Make your next event shine a little brighter at Mohegan Pennsylvania. Featuring state-of-the-art event facilities, our accommodations are built to host groups, meetings, banquets, and functions ranging from 10 to 1,600. With 20,000 square feet of flexible indoor/outdoor meeting space and customizable catering menus, our experienced event service experts have all the tools to help you craft an event that surpasses your expectations.
MEMBERSHIP PROMO
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2023/2024 HOST VENUES
Would you like to showcase your property/venue to PA’s Meeting Professionals? Then we need you! MPIMP is now accepting proposals for our '23/24 Educational Programs. For more information click here.
SPEAKER REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) 2023/2024
Are you interested in learning about a specific education topic? Have you recently attended another trade organization or conference with an outstanding topic and/or speaker? Please complete the RFP found here.
TECH UPDATE: VIRTUAL BACKGROUNDS
April 2023: Microsoft Teams now has a green screen feature to make virtual backgrounds better. This new green
screen feature will improve the sharpness of a virtual background around your face so it’s not blurry.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn here.
Want to Strengthen a Friendship and an Industry?
Refer a friend to MPIMP.
Afterall, what are friends for?
On-Demand Content is Free for MPI Members
MPI Academy – Live webinars are being added on a regular basis! Click here to check out the latest webinars now.
MPI Foundation Scholarships
Did You Know that MPI Foundation offers scholarships not only to students but also rewards industry grants to members?
In Case You’re Searching…
· Join or Renew your MPI Membership
· MPIMP Scholarships
· MPIMP Upcoming Events
· MPIMP Sponsorships
· Get Involved!
o MPIMP Committees
o MPIMP Board Roles with Descriptions
Thank You!
Thanks for reading through our newsletter! Have something you'd like to include in our next issue? Reach out to Krissy Voss by email.
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