The calendar has officially turned, and I am sure everyone can agree that we deserve to have higher hopes for 2021. We are starting to see positive signs coming from the much-needed vaccine distribution all across the country, and while we realize that we still have a long way to go before we return to a sense of normalcy, things are trending in the right direction. I hope all of you share in the excitement that brighter days are coming.  

A new year brings new opportunities for MPIGNY, and we are excited to hit the ground running. Our first event of 2021 is another volunteer opportunity at God's Love We Deliver scheduled for next Thursday, Jan. 14. Last year we stepped up our commitment to God’s Love offering monthly volunteer opportunities to our membership. As we move into the new year, we are continuing the tradition and would love your support. The full details and link to register are below.

We are closing out the first month of the new year with an outstanding education event on leadership during times of change. "Leading on Your Feet - Vital Leadership Values for a Constantly Changing World" will take place Thursday, Jan. 21, from 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. This virtual program will be led by guest speaker Andrew Tarvin, CEO of Humor That Works. His TEDxTAMU Talk on "The Skill of Humor" has been viewed almost 9 million times!   

At the end of this leadership program, you will be able to identify the gap between intention and action while learning to spot it. You will also be prepared to mitigate the challenges that come from unleadership by following the five vital values of leadership that will help you become the leader you want to be. And, finally, you will be able to elevate your leadership style whether your team is remote, on the go or somewhere in between. As we have done since the start of the pandemic, registration will be complimentary and open to all hospitality professionals. The program details and link to register are also below. 

Do you want to get involved with MPIGNY but are not exactly sure how you can make an impact while not committing too much time? Well, The Power of Two - Mentorship Program is your solution. This is an extremely easy way to get involved in our community with minimal time commitment while also being truly impactful. We are always looking to add more mentees and mentors to the program, so please consider signing up. If you have any questions, please reach out to Marisa Wilkes or Judi McLaughlin to discuss further.

And, if you are not yet following us on social media, please be sure to do so. Our marketing and communications team is doing a fabulous job keeping our followers up to date on all things MPIGNY as well as a variety of important industry topics. 

Facebook     Twitter     LinkedIn     Instagram

Wishing all of you a very Happy New Year! 

Best,

Patrick Colomer
MPIGNY President
patrick.colomer1@gmail.com

MPIGNY is starting the new year off right with another volunteer session at God's Love We Deliver, once again providing help in the kitchen.

Thursday, January 14, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

*Please note the time change.* Due to scheduling changes at GLWD, the session is extended by one hour. In addition, please note, volunteer shifts are now limited to six people. Gloves and masks will be provided to all volunteers.

Due to social distancing guidelines, our assistance is needed now more than ever. God’s Love has had to minimize the number of people in the building overall and in the kitchen area especially. Yet they are still committed to serving over 10,000 meals per day. If you have not yet had a chance to join us, please consider signing up for this or a future upcoming session.

REGISTER HERE

If this session time is not convenient for you, check out the God's Love volunteer calendar for more volunteer opportunities. With numerous sessions scheduled each day, you are bound to find one or two that fit your schedule!

If you are not able to volunteer, there are still several ways you can help!

The Cards of Caring campaign offers an opportunity to share a message of caring to brighten someone’s day. Many of GLWD’s clients are homebound senior citizens who, in this climate, are unable to have visitors of any kind. A cheerful note to let them know they are not forgotten can be a welcome reprieve from their solitude. The website provides guidelines on creating the cards, but feel free to be as creative as you would like. And if you have children at home, this is a perfect activity to help pass the time in quarantine!

In addition, God’s Love has two additional giving opportunities to donate much-needed funds.

• COVID-19 Emergency Fund for clients of God’s Love: $54 funds a shelf-stable meal bag, and $100 funds a week of meals for a client living with serious illness. Please give what you can. Any amount helps!
• Birthday Bake Sale: God’s Love bakes and personalizes birthday cakes for their clients living with serious illness. Your donation contributes toward the purchase of ingredients, baking, decorating and packaging of these special cakes.

MPI Greater New York is a proud marketing partner for the upcoming event! Don’t miss out on the Virtual Meeting/Event Intensive CMP Class by @Joanne Dennison.

The class will be held Jan. 21-24 (Thursday and Friday, 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. EST; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. EST). It is a four-hour day, 16 hours in total – these hours qualify as CE hours toward CMP application/recertification! Dive into the world of meetings and events, earn 16 CE hours, get useful tips for the CMP exam and a real-life knowledge that you can start applying to your work right away.

Enroll once and get:

• A take-again option: Enroll once and come back to Joanne’s class as many times as you need!
• Three answers afterwards sessions: Three weeks after the class, once a week, join Joanne and your classmates for a follow-up discussion with your questions!

Check out www.themeetguide.com for more information!

Bring on 2021!!! With this new year comes a new way of doing events, and we are excited to host our Auction this coming April 2021. As we are nailing down the details of when, where and how (virtual or hybrid), we wanted to ask for your help!

- Mark your calendars for the week of April 26 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) starting at 5:30 p.m.
- Make your auction item donation today! 

We will be hosting the majority of our auction items online this year, so we are hoping to have a wonderful assortment of items up for auction by March 1. Please donate if you can, as we would love hotel stays, dining certificates, airline tickets, spa and salon certificates, future show tickets, gift baskets and give-aways of any kind. We know 2020 has been a doozy … but we ask that you give what you can to support our amazing MPIGNY chapter! If you would like to donate an item for the auction, please click here to fill out the simple online donation form. 

Feeling competitive? If you would like to sponsor one of the Mixology Tables serving up cocktails all night, or if you're interested in joining us as a cash or in-kind sponsor, please email Michelle Marie Adams at madams@ovationtravel.com.

P.S. We are still looking for a physical venue, so please email Michelle Marie if you are interested in hosting!!!

P.S.S. We are #inthistogether and we will only get out of this together, so please help your MPIGNY chapter with a donation, Mixology Table, sponsor or attendee participant as the road to recovery will be rocky, but we will get there stronger than ever if we support each other along the way!

#liveevents #eventsNYC #MPIGNY

On Dec. 9, 2020, over 100 industry colleagues gathered together virtually for fun and games during the annual Industry Holiday event. Hosted by Video Game Chat Shows, folks from MPIGNY, HSMAI, ILEA and PCMA joined in the interactive friendly competition. Simply by scanning a QR code on their phones, participants were able to “buzz” in their answers to holiday-themed trivia for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card. It was an enjoyable and lighthearted way to end what was a difficult year for many in our industry.

A key focus for the board moving forward is 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.

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. 

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

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

Our chapter has a bright future ahead, and we want you to be a part of it. If you are interested in growing your own career and maximizing your return on investment within MPI, please consider joining our mentorship program, either as a mentor or mentee. In this initiative, we will pair up a select few of our newer members of the industry (10 years or less) with some of our veteran chapter members for mutual growth and career development. 

The Power of Two: MPIGNY Mentorship Program is a yearlong endeavor that, in its inaugural year, was highly rewarding to those who participated, and we are happy to announce that the application process for our second mentorship cohort is now open! This is a minimal time commitment and something you’ll truly feel proud of! 

"Overall I thought the mentorship program was a great experience and a good use of my time. I knew my mentee prior to starting the program so we already had somewhat of a rapport. We usually planned to speak once a week or every other week, and I enjoyed getting to know her and her business a bit more. We even ended up partnering on a project that she needed some help with, which was nice. We ... are still in touch and chat occasionally when we can." - Colleen Jasinski (Mentor, 2019-2020)

Please apply for the Power of Two: MPIGNY Mentorship Program here:

Mentee Application | Mentor Application

Free live webinars are available to all members on the MPI Academy web page. New webinars are being added on a regular basis, so please keep checking this link for more information and to register: MPI Academy Live Webinars

Upcoming webinars this month include:

January 8 – Striving for Sustainable Excellence? Case Study of EAIE 2019 Conference

January 15 – Ready to Get Back on the Road? Get Your Company there Faster with Hybrid Meeting Solutions

January 29 – Digital Body Language: The New Rules of Trust and Collaboration

February 12 – Med Up-Meet Up | Medical Meeting Series

The MPI Foundation is focused on helping as many current members as possible retain their professional affiliation and the opportunity to continue to have access to all our resources. For more information, please contact help@mpi.org.