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Welcome Shelli Vasser Gilliam, CMP, SEPC!
MPI Potomac Chapter President
2021-2022
Shelli talks about the upcoming year for MPI Potomac members and welcomes everyone to get involved with one of the many volunteer opportunities in our chapter through the #RaiseYourHand campaign.
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This Wednesday! Calling all new members and anyone looking to get more involved in the chapter!
Join MPI Potomac on Zoom on Wednesday, July 14 from 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET to gain a clearer understanding of how the chapter is organized, to network with fellow new members and to hear a lesson in gratitude led by Kathryne Gardette. Our committee leaders will share their gratitude for the chapter and the many ways to get involved during the committee fair immediately following our guest speaker. And if you need another reason to join us: All participants will be entered to win a registration to a free e2 education event. Register today to join us and find out how to get the most of your membership!
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You don't want to miss ...
Brand Forward: Marketing Yourself and Your Organization in Today's Environment
Tuesday July 27, 2021
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
When it comes to personal branding in today’s environment, the question is: “How can I build my brand when I am working in my living room, and everyone I work with seems far away?”
Well, not to worry! In this session, we will provide tips and strategies to brand yourself, engage your target audience and ultimately keep your brand — whether it be yourself, your event or your organization — top-of-mind.
Panelists:
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Don Clark
Millennium Marketing Solutions
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Duane Gibson
Spelled with U
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Shameka Jennings
EventsNoire
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Developing a personal brand is vital as the pandemic increases our digital footprint and reliance on the internet. Of course, the value of branding is not only limited to personal branding. You can also use those same strategies to market your events and organization successfully and effectively.
Learner Takeaways:
- Understand the concept and importance of personal branding.
- Identify strategies to develop a successful brand for yourself and your organization.
- Understand how social media fits into creating and implementing a brand.
- Develop a strong and authentic brand for yourself and your organization.
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Go for gold with MPI Potomac’s On-Demand Plus CMP Prep Course
We may not be Olympic athletes training for Tokyo, but that shouldn’t stop you from going for gold and earning your Certified Meeting Professional designation this summer! MPI Potomac’s On-Demand Plus CMP Prep Course will bring together the top coaches to train you for the exam.
Best of all? You can choose your training plan based on your schedule and study needs. Register for the on-demand content only, the live session only or both for the most support. The on-demand content will include nine+ hours of recorded lectures and 265 practice questions. The main event will be a four-hour live session with a structured review and small group breakout rooms dedicated to each domain.
You’ll gain immediate access to the on-demand content when you register, so start your journey to the winner’s podium today.
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Two Americas – America at a Crossroads
By MPI Potomac Chapter Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
As we wrap up the first year of having a full DE&I Committee at the MPI Potomac Chapter, we, DE&I 2020/2021 Board Director Sheryl Brannon and Committee Co-Chairs Anjali Sanghvi and Joan Aiken, wanted to take a minute to reflect on the year that was.
The defining tagline to this past year has been the COVID-19 pandemic. It has touched every soul on this planet in one way or another. Many lives have been needlessly lost, but on the other hand, wild animals have thrived, and people can now breathe a little easier because of the reduction in air pollution around the globe.
The pandemic changed a lot. It made us all pause. Americans had to face a reckoning that has been brewing for years. We watched the rise in domestic terrorism that has been seething for decades. We sat in horror and witnessed white supremacy at its peak on Jan. 6 — the day an insurrectionist mob stormed our Capitol building.
We also faced a racial awakening. The pandemic forced us to look up from our daily, rushed lives. Americans have taken to the streets in massive numbers for Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Week after week we continue to see the deaths of our Black brothers and sisters at the hand of a racist system. We hear of one murder after another in our transgender community, specifically our Black trans sisters. We see the rise of AAPI hate crimes and physical attacks. And yet, after witnessing all these horrific events, there are still people who say: “This is not the America I know; this is not who we are.”
Let’s be clear. This is exactly who and what America is and has been since its inception. Since then, there have always been two Americas — the first America whose structure was designed by and for white supremacists to exert and preserve their racist ideology. The second America, designed for the racial “others” — Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) — who continue to be oppressed under this system.
So where do we go from here?
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 The most anticipated celebration of the year has come and gone, but the memories will live on! After one and a half years of cloudy skies in our lives and our industry, the skies were clear and all the stars aligned for this evening of awards and style!
We had 208 participants — 48 digital and 160 in person — who joined us on June 24 at the iconic Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. MPI Potomac honored the industry star professionals who have shined the brightest this year and announced the award winners:
Marketplace Excellence Award - MRB Meetings & Management
Rising Star of the Year - Jessica DiBenedetto
President's Award - Shawn Pearsons
Planner of the Year - Cristina Charron, CMP
Supplier of the Year - Rhonda Walker
Galaxy Award - Sheryl Brannon, CMP, DES, MBA
Chapter Leader - Phil Rappoport
Distinguished Leader - Yoko Heukels, CMP
Student Leader of the Year - Krystal Heard, MTA
Click here to see highlights of this fabulous soiree courtesy of our photography sponsor, EPNAC.
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The MPI Potomac Recruitment Committee was pleased to host another installment of the popular ‘Conversation & Cocktails’ event on June 22 to open its arms (virtually!) to meeting professionals looking to engage in a safe, fun, interactive way. The pandemic has demonstrated that staying connected with a professional community is more important than ever! With that in mind, current MPI Potomac members served as roundtable facilitators and led lively conversations with prospective (and newly joined) members to showcase the many great benefits of an MPI Potomac membership.
MPI Potomac President Devin Lewis shared what MPI has meant to her personally and professionally throughout over 20 years of membership, and VP of Membership and past MPI Potomac President Carlos Pelham served as the event’s emcee. To set the tone for the next hour and release the stress of the day, event professional and yoga instructor Carley Vitek led the group of over 25 guests in a guided breathing and chair stretch series. Trivia for prizes, polls and an active chat room kept attendees engaged start to finish. The event was rounded out with closing remarks by Director of Membership Recruitment Lindsay Schattenstein.
Two rounds of 20-minute conversations created an intimate atmosphere for attendees to engage in an open forum with MPI members. Discussion topics included How to Hybrid, Trends in 2022 and Certifications. A big thank you goes out to all of the member facilitators: Derek Suminski, Malene S. Ward, CMP, CEM, DES, Evan Nielson, CMP, and Cristina Charron, CMP.
Whether participating in a member event, expanding a professional network, joining a committee or connecting with event professionals in such a trying time, we hope that the attendees felt like MPI Potomac welcomes them into our community with open arms and look forward to hosting the event again soon. Stay tuned!
Introducing The Voices of MPI Potomac Chapter!
Later this summer, our chapter will be relaunching a podcast, and we want to hear from you. As we build content, we are seeking submissions from our members. Please send your relevant, on-trend topic ideas to nrosenbaum@visitalexva.com for our committee to review. We are also looking for potential speakers and “subject-matter experts” on topics relevant to our industry and, most importantly, YOU.
Thank you, and we look forward to hearing your ideas!
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Reston Herndon 'Summer Camp' Returns in August!
Our colleagues at the Reston Herndon Meeting Planners have announced that the annual one-day Summer Camp retreat makes its return on Thursday, Aug. 5. The most recent camp in 2019 drew nearly 250 attendees from the entire metro DC area. This year, it's a hybrid event: The in-person experience will take place at the Hyatt Regency Dulles, and simultaneously there will be a program devoted to the digital audience, including some live streaming of the in-person education program. Several MPI Potomac members are scheduled to present during the program! Space is limited. Registrations are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Currently registration is open to planners only. Note: Meeting professionals must first register for a free RHMP membership prior to signing up for camp, in which there is a nominal registration fee.
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Congratulations to the MPI Potomac member who earned her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential in May:
Jillian George
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. She demonstrated her comprehensive knowledge of meeting management as well as a commitment to the meeting profession.
MPI Potomac is so proud of your achievements, Jillian!
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Building Rapport
from the MPI Potomac Leadership Committee
“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”
– Sir Richard Branson
Merriam-Webster’s definition of rapport is "a friendly, harmonious relationship characterized by agreement, mutual understanding or empathy that makes communication possible or easy."
The global pandemic has changed us all. So how does building rapport apply to our current environment? Many colleagues and peers are remote, some for the first time. Others have started a new job in the midst of the pandemic and have never met any of their co-workers in person. And then, a large majority are returning to work either full-time or on a "hybrid" schedule. Leaders, and honestly all of us, play a part in getting to know our associates, colleagues and peers.
The MPI Potomac Leadership Committee would like to suggest three ways to build rapport:
1. Challenge yourself to actively engage and really practice building rapport in your daily life.
2. Share a meal. Studies show that "breaking bread" together produces oxytocin, a feel-good hormone that is associated with empathy, trust and relationship-building.
3. Show up in the right way! Don’t let your fears, excitement, anxiety or doubt get in the way. Be fully present and make it an unmatched experience and a relationship where the person feels heard, seen and understood.
For more information on how to build rapport, check out this course from MPI Academy:
If you have leadership stories to share, or want to get involved, please connect with us:
Leila Beltramo, MPI Potomac Board Director, Leadership and DE&I: lbeltramo@visitmontgomery.com
Ronda Keys, MPI Potomac Leadership Committee Co-Chair: rkeys@inspiredeventpro.com
Article edited by Carolyn A. Patterson-Kemper, CMP, DES, MPI Potomac Leadership Committee member.
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