The calendar has turned to May, and we are officially in the middle of spring. This is usually the time that MPI Greater New York shifts its focus to our annual Genie Awards and, my favorite event of the year, the Annual Golf Outing. While we remain cautiously optimistic that these events will still happen this year, we are staying focused on how we can make a positive impact on our members virtually. 

Over the past month, we have orchestrated several events that were well-received by the hospitality community. First, a huge thank you to fellow MPIGNY board member Travis Pham and his team at 360 Destination Group. They went above and beyond for our chapter during last month's virtual Networking Trivia Night. It was a great success, and we can't thank them enough for all their hard work in helping us execute such a great event. 

Second, I hope you were able to join us for our education event on April 21 where we discussed how to pivot from a live meeting to virtual and succeed. Thank you to fellow MPIGNY members Sally Allen and Bill Jones as well as our diverse panel of industry experts for their participation. And while we all share the desire to get back to face-to-face meetings, virtual technology is likely to continue to have an impact on how we do business for the foreseeable future. To that end, another note of thanks to Convene for their sponsorship and flawless execution of the webinar technology utilized for the event. They continue to be wonderful partners for our chapter, and we appreciate their efforts very much. You can re-watch the full broadcast here. Also, outlined below are the key takeaways from the event. It is a valuable document filled with great content so feel free to share with others.

As we all know, these are truly unprecedented times in our nation's history. Many of us are wondering when we'll go back to work, others are concerned about covering the rent next month, and some may not even know how they're going to put food on their family's table next week. In times of uncertainty, let us never forget that every day provides an opportunity to make a positive impact on this world, especially in the darkest of days.

MPIGNY is fortunate to be a fiscally sound chapter because of the valiant efforts of so many over the years. From those individuals who see the value in participating in our events every month to those who graciously donated to MPIGNY following the terrorist attacks of September 11 to the numerous corporations who sponsor our events year after year, you are the reason we are in a position to help our membership in times of need. With this in mind, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our chapter began looking for ways to help ease the financial strain caused by these uncertain times. 

Therefore, I am pleased to officially announce the MPIGNY Community Support Fund. This fund will be dedicated to providing our members with financial aid in the form of monetary grants to assist with monthly bills such as housing, utilities, groceries, healthcare, childcare, etc. The application and review process will be conducted privately. No member of our chapter will be reviewing personal information so, rest assured, your application will be completely confidential. The full details of this initiative are outlined below.   

Finally, I'd like to close on another positive note from our friends at NYC & Company. As we know, our city has been the epicenter of this outbreak. Our first responders and healthcare workers are truly heroes fighting this battle on the front lines every single day. We take pride in the fact that we get to call ourselves New Yorkers because New York City has proven, time and again, our ability to overcome even the worst of predicaments. We are seemingly built with an inherent resiliency that allows us to persevere knowing that we will get through this. Please take a moment to watch their latest video, and take comfort in knowing we are all in this together. Brighter days are ahead, and we will certainly meet again. 

Best regards,

Patrick Colomer
President
MPI Greater New York Chapter

Hello MPIGNY Community! MPIGNY is here to help shake those quarantine blues away with a virtual After Six Mix ... at 5 p.m.! How will we do that? Well, mix up a batch of your favorite Quaran-tini or pour yourself a beverage and join us this Thursday, May 7, for a first of its kind (that we know of!) networking Zoom call. So if you have any burning questions for your industry peers or just want to share what your "office mates" (a.k.a. children and/or fur babies) have been up to in quarantine, now's the time! Click on the link below to register.

REGISTER TO JOIN IN ON THE FUN

During this time of change and uncertainty, increased stress and anxiety levels are a very real concern for many of us. It is crucial to be able to maintain one’s physical, mental and emotional health in order to take care of yourself and your family and remain productive in your professional life. This talk, combined with writing exercises, will teach you the following:

• Importance of positive relationships
• Healthy eating
• Unplugged sleep
• Regular exercise

You will learn the science behind mindfulness and be virtually guided through a variety of mindfulness practices for reducing stress and improving productivity and emotional intelligence, including:

• Breathing – for stress reduction
• Focusing – to improve concentration
• Gratitude – to shift to a more positive mindset
• Appreciation – to develop appreciation for the contributions of our colleagues

Registration is complimentary and open to all hospitality professionals. If you have any colleagues or clients whom you would like to join, please feel free to have them register as well.

REGISTER HERE

As our industry has drawn to a dramatic halt, we would like to ask you to please consider using some of your newfound free time to offer help where it is so desperately needed. Through the direst of circumstances, New Yorkers have always stood by and supported one another, and God’s Love We Deliver has been a major component of that support, providing meals to the sick and homebound since the early days of the AIDS epidemic. 

To that end, God’s Love We Deliver has been deemed an “essential service provider” and is continuing to operate at a time when all nonessential businesses have been shuttered. Unfortunately, as the virus continues to spread across New York, the organization has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of volunteers willing and able to help and, as a result, may be unable to meet the demand of the many clients who rely on them for daily meals.

We at MPIGNY are committed to helping God’s Love maintain the high level of service its clients have come to expect. Now, more than ever, the most vulnerable among us need our help, and those of us who are healthy, willing and able have a duty to do whatever we can to serve our communities. 

Thank you in advance for your generous assistance. We New Yorkers are a resilient bunch, and we will get through this together.

JOIN US ON MAY 27 FROM 4 P.M. - 6 P.M.

Venue details:
Group volunteering at God’s Love We Deliver: Without the help of our amazing volunteers — more than 10,000 strong every year — we simply would not be able to cook and deliver more than 7,000 delicious and nutritious meals each weekday to our neighbors in need. Outnumbering our staff by a ratio of more than 100 to 1, volunteers work in the kitchen, deliver and package meals and work in our office.

Learn more about God's Love We Deliver by viewing this video!

Wow! Thank you to everyone who attended our virtual MPIGNY Education Event — "From the Ballroom to the Zoom Room." Our team has put together a recap of the event via the link below. 

MPIGNY Education Takeaways - From the Ballroom to the Zoom Room

Here are a few key takeaways, but we really suggest reviewing the attached one-sheet via the link above! 

• All roads lead to your objective: Just like a live event, every choice should support what you are trying to accomplish. Knowing your objective still comes first.
• Technology is a tool, not the end game: While incredibly important to successful execution,
  technology supports the objective, so define your objectives before selecting a technology.
• Relevant content fundamental to engaging attendees: You have to be delivering content that
  people need or want. Tools to create an interactive dynamic can heighten engagement too, but
  quality, on-point content is the ante into the game.
• Timing is everything: The lure of the internet is close at hand, so the length of sessions need to be shorter and the pace of change needs to be faster to keep attendees engaged.
• Coach your speakers: You can help your speakers make the transition by giving them guidelines
  that help to prepare for the medium. Be clear about how you'd like them to use the medium.

At MPIGNY, our members are family, and in challenging times, we believe in taking care of our own. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial hardships many are experiencing as a result, MPIGNY has set up a Community Support Fund to provide monetary grants to our colleagues who need it most. If you are in need of assistance during this or any of life's more difficult moments, we may be able to help. 

There is no issue too large or too small. If you need help, please know we are standing by to assist you. Simply submit a confidential Request for Support for review of support in any personal crisis situation. We can offer assistance toward:

• Housing while in quarantine 
• Essential items like groceries, rent, utilities or essential worker child care
• Rebuilding after natural disasters 
• Escaping from domestic violence
• Recovering from a serious accident
• Other support following loss when not otherwise provided by insurance

Submit a confidential request with all supporting documentation to Kathie Stapleton. As this is confidential, please share as much information as you are comfortable sharing. All requests will be reviewed and considered to determine what, if anything, we can do to assist you in your situation.

Additionally, if you are in a position to donate to the fund, MPIGNY is gladly accepting donations at this time. Please contact Kathie Stapleton for more information. 

A key focus for the board moving forward is going to be the engagement of the meeting planner professional. We consider sustained planner participation to be a vital part of this chapter’s success. So, with that in mind, we’re rolling out the red carpet this year with the objective of increasing our planner engagement at all of our events.

Many thanks to the London Convention Bureau for graciously sponsoring several one-year planner scholarship opportunities that will increase our planner base and enhance overall engagement. Interested planners can apply here: London Convention Bureau Planner Scholarship 

We added a new campaign this year called "People of MPIGNY" and want to learn more about our incredible members! If you are interested in being featured, click the links below to read about some of our members and to complete the handful of questions to be considered for our next issue!

People of MPIGNY
People of MPIGNY Application

Are you interested in getting more involved with MPIGNY? Volunteering with a committee is a great way to meet new clients and industry partners! Visit our website or click the link for more information on how to get involved: MPIGNY - Join a Committee

The Power of Two was created to provide a vehicle for enhanced chapter engagement with both new members (and/or new to industry members) as well as longtime members/industry veterans. MPIGNY is committed to supporting our members' career development and has designed this program to provide growth for experienced chapter members in the development of other members and vice versa. 

Happy to share that two of our mentors/mentees are seeing the value of this program!

"Lemi and I have been in touch and [met] at last week’s event in NY! We are continuing to stay in touch and are enjoying the program! Thanks!" - Susanna

"It has been a great experience, and we were able to meet in person at the last event. Susanna has been very generous in giving of her time and provides helpful insight. I am grateful to [be] part of this program and am looking forward to what the future of my career will hold." - Leametrice

Did you know that MPI can help you cover costs for a preferred MPI membership and help fund your MPI Academy courses (including CMM, HMCC, Experiential Event Series, Meetings Essentials, Basics Boot Camp and more)?

Yes, it’s possible. The MPI Foundation provides MPI members professional development and career opportunities through grants and scholarships. MPI Foundation scholarships are awarded on an ongoing basis. Applications received by the end of the month will receive notification by the end of the following month. Conference scholarships do not typically follow the normal application cycle but will be reviewed each month. 

More information can be found here: MPI Foundation Scholarships

If you are studying for your CMP, below are some courses that may be of interest!

CMP Info Session (through MPI Global)
This one-hour, free session will be an overview of CMP, from applying to recertification. This will NOT cover specific material. 

Virtual CMP Class (May 12 to 15)
This is a 16-hour Meetings and Intensive class and counts toward CEs for applying or recertification. If you have ever wanted to attend Joanne Dennison's course in person and couldn’t make it to a class, consider this opportunity! Registration is $600 with two options.

• Pay over a six-month payment plan at no additional cost.
• Pay in full and receive a $100 discount for a total of $500.

Find more information regarding the course via the link above.