KCMPI Meets with Mizzou HRM Students

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By Julie A. Hosmer

Last April 29, 2009, KCMPI members traveled to the University of Missouri in Columbia to present to students specializing in Hotel and Restaurant Management with emphasis on Special Event Management. These students are members of MPI, ISES, and Mizzou Student Planning Club - Event Management.

The Special Events Management Class at the University of Missouri is more knowledgeable about the career of an event planner thanks to four members of KCMPI. Andrea Foulkes (KC Regional Sales Manager The Resort and Yacht Club at Toad Cove), Lagina Fitzpatrick (Director of Sales for The Resort and Yacht Club at Toad Cove), Diane Wolfe (President of KDW) and Donna Breedlove (Event Planner for State Farm Insurance) held a panel discussion for the class about the benefits of joining an organization such as MPI and the "life" of an event planner.

Students left class that day knowing the value of networking, continuing education, and meeting vendors. They also heard the message of paying dues when you are new to the profession — be prepared to work when others are playing. The satisfaction is seeing the event succeed after  many hours of dedication and work.

The speakers from KCMPI were very valuable to the class. What these women brought to us cannot be obtained from the book. "The guest speakers are a great help." Amy Fisher of St. Joseph, MO said, "This class moved learning outside the classroom into the real world."

In the Special Events Management class, students coordinated and conducted live events. There were 11 total events that the class did during the semester. Some of the events included a sand volleyball tournament that raised over $1,200 for the Ronald McDonald House; a sexual assault awareness and prevention program that raised nearly $2,000 for a local women's shelter; an event that collected gently used prom dresses and sold them to local high school students; coordinating and hosting the founder of Jimmy John's sandwiches, Jimmy Liautaud; and of course, a couple pub crawls. Afterall, these are still college students but they are well on their way to becoming experienced event planners.

The Hotel & Restaurant Management Program at the University of Missouri - Columbia has developed an event planning emphasis area. Students selecting this track of study will take classes in Conference & Meeting Management, Special Events Management, Destination Management, and a class on future trends in event planning. We look forward to partnering with KCMPI in the future. I encourage students to join MPI as I believe professional associations offer valuable learning that compliments their university learning.
  
(Julie is a Resident Instruction Assistant Professor for the Hotel & Restaurant Management Program / College of Agriculture for the University of Missouri in Columbia. She can be reached at hosmerj@missouri.edu)