MPI Potomac FYI
March 2021
 
Special Message
 
In This Issue ...
 
  • Take the MPI Global Survey, Please
  • Four Member Events Coming Up in the Next Month, including ReConEx
  • CMP Virtual Study Course
  • EIC Has a New Accepted Practices Guide
  • Our DEI Monthly Column
  • Spotlight on CMM
... and More!
 
 
Take the MPI Satisfaction Survey Today!
 
River  
   
All members have been sent the survey to give MPI valuable feedback. We need as many colleagues as possible in our chapter to take it.
 
This is a global survey conducted by MPI on your overall satisfaction with the organization.
 
Check your email from MPI from late February for "2021 MPI Member Chapter Satisfaction Survey" in case you missed it the first time.
 
Thanks from the MPI Potomac Board!
Message from the President
 
Watch this month's message from
Devin Lewis, CMP, CEM
MPI Potomac Chapter President
 
 
 
Devin gives an update on ReConEx and other important chapter events.
 
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Upcoming Events
 
ReConEx 2021: Register Today!
 
Early-Bird Rates End March 12
 
 
Got appointments? ReConEx does!
 
ReConEx 2021 is about connections, and this year's conference will offer one-on-one appointments to reconnect with your industry friends and colleagues. 

REGISTER TODAY for MPI Potomac's premier educational event of the year! Early-bird registration ends on March 12, so don't wait — register today!
 
Keynotes and breakouts and networking — oh my!
 
The ReConEx 2021 Planning Committee has been working hard to put together a diverse and comprehensive offering of speakers and education topics. Check out the conference agenda to see what you can learn at ReConEx 2021.
 
Some of the concurrent sessions include:
* Positioning Sponsors as Thought Leaders
* Finding Wellness and Balance in a COVID World
* Budgeting for Hybrid Events
* Multi-Site Hybrid Meetings: Planning and Technical Case Study
* It Takes a Team: How Planners Succeed through Collaboration
* Two Webcams and a Microphone: Essential Virtual Event Technology for Meeting Professionals
* Choosing the Right Tech Partners for Your First Hybrid Meeting
 
Join in live or click — it's your pick!

 
  
Register Now for the Spring CMP Prep Virtual Study Course!
 
March 22 – May 10
Live sessions held Mondays from 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

 
Learn more and register here!
 
Your new 2021 goal: Invest in yourself!
 
The ROI for investing in your professional development is greater than any financial investment you can make. The returns are substantial — from increasing earning potential and opening up new opportunities to protecting yourself from unemployment and that amazing feeling of pride from personal growth.
 
The MPI Potomac Chapter’s CMP Virtual Prep Course is here to help candidates achieve their CMP designation in an eight-week, virtual classroom setting. Register now for the spring 2021 CMP Prep Course facilitated by local, experienced CMPs. The course offers recorded lectures and handouts for each section, complete information about the exam and test-taking tips.
 
Sonjia Simpson-Gardner, CMP, DES, from Infinity Consulting Services Inc. took MPI Potomac’s CMP Virtual Prep Course in the summer of 2020 and shared how the course helped her invest in herself:
 
“The course was very informative, and each instructor took time to not only help me understand, but they also shared their own techniques to pass the exam. I developed my own study style and utilized each module to either read or listen to the live instructors. Learning the formulas and calculations was a little more challenging, but the instructor shared a variety of ways to help me learn and conquer the strategies. The preparation course with MPI Potomac was essential to me passing the exam and understanding the various techniques that were needed to successfully pass.”
 
Learn more and register here for the CMP Virtual Prep Class!
 
     
Road to Recovery: Reset. Rebuild. Reignite.

Date: March 17
Time: 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
 
Join the MPI Potomac Chapter on March 17 for a dynamic discussion on what part we all can play in re-igniting our industry. Our featured speaker, Nan Marchand Beauvois, senior vice president, membership and industry relations of the U.S. Travel Association, will give an overview of the current state of the industry.
 
Register now for what will be an engaging, informative program.

 
MPI Association Professionals Hot Topic Chat: Restart ... Where to Start?
 
Wednesday, March 24
Noon
 
2020 came with a transformation of the hospitality industry, a pivot to virtual events and the rise of Zoom. As we look forward to the return of in-person meetings, we can all agree that events will no longer look the same. As we restart our planning for future meetings post-pandemic, the question arises: Where do we start? In this interactive session, we will discuss the changes we can expect in meetings and events and how it will affect:
  • Attendee expectations
  • Sourcing locations
  • Audio/visual
  • Food & beverage
    ... and more!
 
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
 
“The Stress of Being Black Is Literally Killing Us”
 
By Joan McLaughlin Aiken, co-chair, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
MPI Potomac Chapter
 
The quote in the headline is borrowed from Dr. Steven Kniffley, assistant professor of psychology at Spalding University. 
 
In the United States, many Black people are born into a life of trauma. We have been subject to a long history of brutal inhumanity, oppression, violence and injustice. These experiences create racial trauma or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS). This cumulative effect of racism results in damaging impacts on the mental, emotional and physical health of marginalized people. All racial-ethnic minority groups experience racial discrimination and racial trauma, but the links between experiences of racial discrimination and negative health outcomes are stronger for Black Americans than any other group.
Visit Buffalo Niagara
Visit Colorado Springs
News & Announcements
 
  
February e2 Recap: Moving Forward Equitably
 
The February e2 featured Rhonda Payne, CAE, with Flock Theory and Sylvia Long-Tolbert, Ph.D., MBA, MABA, with Carey School of Business. The webinar started with the following question:
 
 
The answer was straightforward: “Build a race equity culture that debiases worker behavior," but the work is difficult. Rhonda and Sylvia shared a few things to take proactive actions that counteract social inequities and top taboos that impact equity in the workplace as shown in the graph below.
 
 
 
Our presenters kept the audience engaged; attendees were asked to participate in polls and share their own personal experiences. This was perfect because it provided an opportunity for attendees to express themselves as well as gain a greater understanding of ways that we have all been biased in many situations.  
 
In addition, the following question was asked by the presenters for the attendees to understand where they are in their own personal journey. Racial equity work is: _______________.
 
To Rhonda and Sylvia, this work is PERSONAL, INTERPERSONAL, INSTITUTIONAL, STRUCTURAL and DIFFICULT.
 
 
Thanks to Rhonda and Sylvia for sharing with us such eye-opening statistics and information about equity, the challenges and what we, as individuals, can do.
 
Thank you again to our strategic partners: Cvent, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, Halo Branded Solutions, Visit Raleigh, Extraordinary Entertainment, BAV, CVBReps.com, Experience Grand Rapids; and thank you to our event sponsors Site Solutions Worldwide and VisitNorfolk!
 
 CMP Recipient Shout-Out!
 
 
Congratulations to the two members that earned their Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential in January:  
   Anne-Sophie Byers, CMP
   Lauren McIntyre-Gibson, CMP
 
The CMP credential is recognized globally as the badge of excellence in the meeting, convention, exhibition and event industry. The qualifications for certification are based on professional experience, education and a rigorous exam. They demonstrate their comprehensive knowledge of meeting management as well as a commitment to the meeting profession.  
 
MPI Potomac is so proud of your achievements, Lauren and Anne-Sophie.
 
Volunteers Needed for Publications and Marketing
 
We'd love to welcome a few additional member volunteers to assist with editing articles for the monthly FYI newsletter, posting links and graphics to our social media, and our chapter podcast, which started last year.
 
The total time commitment isn't much, and you'll feel way more plugged into what your colleagues are doing and how your industry is evolving. Let's hear from you! Contact Lura today, and she'll provide the details.
 
Thank you!
 
 
Certifications Corner
 
Each month, the Certifications & Career Development Committee will explore a different meeting industry certification, and we will talk to an MPI Potomac member who holds it.
 
Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM)
 
This 15-week course is offered four times per year and culminates in a capstone project focused on solving a real-world, work-based problem. The content capitalizes upon experiential learning opportunities through the inclusion of practical, real-life skill application (scenarios, simulations, case studies, etc.) relevant to the meeting and event industry that will help attendees advance their career.  The goal of the program is to elevate the meeting professional to the C-suite.

 
MPI Member Q&A 

Maurita Williams, CMM
M. Williams Consulting LLC
 
Why did you decide to get your CMM?
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Events Industry Council Releases
Resources for B2B and B2C Exhibitions
Accepted Practices Guide
 
 
The Events Industry Council (EIC) released the Resources for B2B and B2C Exhibitions Accepted Practices Guide. It is the latest guide produced by EIC’s APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force.
 
The EIC B2B and B2C Exhibitions Guide focuses on:
  • The impact of COVID-19 on the exhibitions sector and its stakeholders, including supply chain partners
  • Key questions for show organizers and their partners to ask of each other when considering in-person or virtual events
  • Risk assessment guidance, duty of care responsibilities and considerations for design decisions that minimize risk and promote the development of shared objectives
  • COVID-19 effects on sustainability and social impact considerations for events
  • Best practices for safety and security that are being instituted as in-person exhibitions return
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