MPIKC Times
MPI - Kansas City Chapter
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Greetings KCMPI members,
The 2013-2014 fiscal year is quickly winding down, but momentum is still on the rise. Committees have been on their game, and I want to take a moment to comment on a few of the many Chapter successes.
Have you been to a KCMPI program recently? If your answer is yes, I would believe it. This year, attendance has been soaring. The Programs Team has put together several great programs. The topics have been appealing, speakers have been engaging and the venues have been enticing. In May, our Professional Education Conference is occurring at the Ball Conference Center. Several nationally renowned speakers will participate in the program. In June, we will have our annual meeting at Terrace on Grand. This includes our board installation, chapter awards program and auction. In addition to the silent auction, a live auction will be held for a painting that will be created on-site that evening. Although the registration for June has not yet opened, seating for PEC is filling quickly.
The Membership and Leadership committees have been working diligently to engage more members. Our total membership is increasing. As we focus on student membership, we will see this benefit the industry as a whole. When students seek advanced education and networking experiences, it increases the capabilities of our freshest workforce. This committee has also been presenting the Chapter with scholarship opportunities in the areas of renewing memberships, new memberships, student memberships and CMP scholarships. The Communications Team has been doing an outstanding job of sending informative updates to members through the KCMPI Times, KCMPI Connections and social media outlets. Do you follow KCMPI on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? This committee works hard to keep you up to date with what is going on in the chapter and industry.
The Finance Team has helped to keep the chapter budget in line so that our Chapter can continue for years to come. The After 5 networking events have been successful additions to the Chapter calendar. In addition to providing opportunities for members to connect, these programs are a great fundraising opportunity for our Chapter.
Our CMP study group is expanding their reach as well. They have partnered with the Heartland Chapter of PCMA to reach the meetings industry in Northwest Arkansas.
This year, we have channeled our community service efforts to support Rose Brooks Center. Each month, program attendees have banded together to collect specific items to donate. These items have ranged from pajamas to pet supplies, toiletries to books. If the involvement is any indication, we all possess a strong drive to support those in need and give back to our community.
In looking at next year’s board slate, I strongly believe that the momentum will continue to increase. Do you have any suggestions for topics, speakers and activities? If so, please do not hesitate to let us know. Are you interested in getting involved? Even if you are not able to join a committee, your participation in the Chapter activities impacts the overall Chapter success. Thank you for the role you play in making KCMPI a success.
KCMPI Chapter President, 2013-2014
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"Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it." – Ralph Marston
How many times in a day does one have the opportunity to say "Thank you"? Many times, in my opinion – to someone who sent business your way, helped you with a dilemma, assisted with a project, complimented you with a referral, helped carry a load, gave a kind word, smiled your way, etc. When you read through this newsletter, KCMPI is alive and well
because of all our members who raise their hand to offer their time and talents
– as a board member, a committee chair, a committee member or in any other
capacity that moves our association forward. Have you thanked someone today? Thank you, Maria
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Did you ever stop to think that the hospitality industry has more potential for legal disputes than most other industries? We want each event to be unique, and we draw in many different people doing different jobs, and expectations can change at a moment’s notice. Plus attendees, each with their own needs, are coming from all directions (unless they don’t show up at all), which mean it’s no surprise there is the potential for conflict. Add to this the money involved – sometimes more money than any of us could payback in a life time. Whether we like it or not, when it comes to the myriad of meeting contracts, things have to go right ... or else! "Thank you KCMPI for the terrific program and topic on March 10. I'm looking forward to the Educational Conference even more!" – Gayla Welsh Enter our March speaker, Barbara Dunn. Barbara is not only an attorney, she’s a hospitality industry attorney. Her sole job at the law office of Barnes & Thornburg (one of the 100 largest law firms in the U.S.) is to keep meeting planners and suppliers from going to court. "I thought Barbara was exceptional as always. I could have listened to her for another hour. She always has such good information that is vital to what we do every day." – Debbie Ball, CMP After a terrific lunch at the Sheraton Overland Park, Barbara shared with us how words (even words with friends) can make a difference. Phrases such as "reserve the right to," "tentative," "if available" or "may" can change expectations and can be argued over if not clarified in advance of a disagreement. "Barbara gave us great tips for negotiating with suppliers and planners. She also provided good insight on the hot topics like cancellation clause, indemnification and everyone’s favorite attrition clause. Remember at the end of the day when working with contracts, before you sign the contract you are negotiating, after you sign the contract you are begging." – Rob Wilson Barbara speaks from more than two decades of experience and her engaging style and fast-paced presentation kept what could have been a boring lecture a fun and sometime funny topic that we could all relate to. From my notes:
"It was most enjoyable. It could have gone on longer. Barbara is great! She knows her ‘stuff’!" – Vanessa Kane, CMP, CMM We are all involved in the success of meetings in different ways. Disagreements are inevitable. How we resolve those differences are key to developing lasting partnerships. It all starts with our expectations of each other, putting the details in writing and watching out for our "Words With Friends." "I attended the March event "Words with Friends" and came away with at least two items that made me appreciate this education event. One, as a supplier, I now understand more the complexities of the planners' work. Second, it made me be aware of my words or terminology. Even though I know in my industry what certain terminology is, and I need to make sure my clients understand what I’m saying too. It is always good to think how to make my client’s work easier, and making sure words are not a stumbling block is now at the top of my list." – Phil Allemang, CAS Newsletter
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 KCMPI hosted its second annual Catering and Restaurant Showcase, "Hot Trends in Catering and Events" on Wednesday April 2, at K-State Olathe. This was a project KCMPI decided to host last year after the Town Pavilion in downtown Kansas City was no longer able to host the event. We were hoping to offer members and other business leaders and meeting coordinators an opportunity to meet new caterers, as well as hospitality and event vendors. This year offered an exciting new addition – food truck vendors! More than 30 vendors participated and more than 140 guests were able to network, observe new industry trends and sample some great cuisine. Everyone thought the experience was wonderful and that the event was a huge success!  KCMPI would like to thank the Olathe Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for serving as our partner level sponsor. Another big thank you goes out to K-State Olathe for hosting this year’s event and providing such great facilities and amenities. KCMPI would also like to thank our Friends of the Chapter sponsors who helped make this event possible. Proforma US Marketing, Photo Booths and More, Black Mariah Productions, Making the Mark and George Fern Exposition and Exhibit Services. All of these sponsors donated services or products, which greatly added to the event. Vendors also donated prizes to attendees, so guests had many opportunities to walk away with some great schwag!
The Showcase took place over the lunch hour from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and guests were able to taste great menu samples, such as burnt ends, cupcakes, chips and salsa, paella, bruschetta, bananas foster, gnocci and much, much more. No one went away hungry and many planners had new catering contacts and ideas for their next event. Attendees were also able to connect with other hospitality vendors such as hotels, transportation companies, equipment providers and other helpful organizations.
 A big thank you goes out to all the vendors who participated this year: Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Hilton Garden Inn-Manhattan, Holiday Inn at the Campus, Four Points by Sheraton-Manhattan, Bluemont Hotel, Comfort Suites near KSU, Courtyard by Marriott-Shawnee, The Sweet Nook, Prairie Fire Oven, Zarda Bar-B-Q & Catering Co., Jimmy John’s, Crazy Good Eats, Bread & Butter Concepts, Making the Mark, Inc., The Rub Barbeque, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Crave of Kansas City, Great Wolf Lodge, Beauty of the Bistro, Studio Dan Meiners, KCTG, Arthur Bryant’s BBQ, Hawthorn Suites Overland Park, Freebirds World Burrito, K.C. Hopps, LTD Restaurants & Breweries, Plaza Catering/Cinzettis Restaurant, 39 Bevco Restaurant & Retail Group, Deco Catering KC, Classic Catering, Hampton Inn & Suites Country Club Plaza, Lidia’s, delish! Catering, Hereford House, Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, Above & Beyond Catering and Olathe CVB.
This year, vendors were asked to spice up their displays in keeping with KCMPI’s Ignite the Fire theme! Attendees received three tickets to vote for their favorites by food choice, decor, staff interaction or simply who they liked best. The top vendors won a one-month KCMPI website side banner ad. First place went to Lidia’s, and second place was a tie between delish! Catering and The Sweet Nook.
As everyone was leaving people vendors expressed an interest in exhibiting again next year so they could continue to meet other KCMPI and other potential customers and guests were asking when the event for next year would be held!
The Catering and Showcase Committee comprised of Tony Ballard, Kara Brady, Brandi Brumback, Cheryl Grinter, Corey Ringh, Michelle Lizak, Rob Wilson, Mgan Gialde and Renee Hultgren did a great job putting this event together, and KCMPI would like to commend them for all their innovative ideas and hard work! |
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The Meeting Professionals International – Kansas City Chapter is having our annual Professional Education Conference on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at The Ball Conference Center in Olathe, KS from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
We are anticipating a packed house with more than 5 hours of continuing education hours available for CMP certification. Our sessions will cover Meeting Planning 101, CMP Boot Camp, Event Technology, Un-Conference, Taxes for Small Business, Whole Food Diet, 60 Apps in 60 Minutes, Zombies 2030! and more. Who: Key Speakers include:
Corbin Ball, "Event Technology"
Shawna Suckow, CMP (SPIN), "Zombies 2030!"
James Spellos, "60 Apps in 60 Minutes"
KCMPI is devoted to providing you quality education that enables you to collaborate with peers, learn about new innovations in our industry to help you do your job better and offer continuing education credits to continue your CMP certification. The PEC will offer an un-conference which will allow you to create the agenda, share challenges that you are having in our industry, and begin to create solutions with your peers.
When: Wednesday, May 14 Where: Ball Conference Center, Olathe, KS
21350 W. 153rd St.
Olathe, KS 66061
Time: 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Cost: $99 before April 16/$125 after April 16
Exhibitor (limited spaces available, first-come, first-served): $529
Infomercial (limited number available first-come, first-served): $450 Combo: $899 Register online at http://www.kcmpi.org/edcon. We look forward to seeing you there! |
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KCMPI will be on fire Thursday, June 19 at the beautiful Terrace on Grand, Kansas City’s most exciting event and performance space. Come celebrate with KCMPI as we honor YOU, our members, at the 2014 Annual Meeting
& Awards Banquet. |
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Article: The election results of KCMPI’s 2014-2015 Board and Officers are now official as voting closed at 5 p.m., Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Chapter members confirmed the voting with 30 percent of our membership responding. In order to confirm the vote, the chapter must have at least 15 percent of the membership participate in the election, so thank you to all that responded.
Based on this information it is with great pleasure that I announce the 2014-2015 KCMPI Board of Directors.
Congratulations!
2014-2015 Board of Directors
Be sure to meet and congratulate all of them at KCMPI’s Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on June 19, 2014 at the Terrace on Grand. Registration will open soon!
Thank you to all members for your participation and the members of the Nominating Committee for giving your time to participate in this very important process.
Immediate Past President,
Kara Brady
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Now that the 2014-2015 Board of Directors slate is official, it’s time to recruit committee members to ensure the success of KCMPI in the coming year!
This is a fantastic way to get hands-on experience with the chapter, it’s a stepping stone to serve on the board of directors, it’s a fabulous way to grow your networking circle and, most importantly, it’s rewarding and fun! We have committees for membership, programs, special events, strategic alliance and leadership, to name a few. A complete listing can be found here. Committee meeting dates will be posted in the upcoming issues of Connections, so please stay tuned and consider joining one to get the most value from your membership! Questions? Contact the Director of Leadership at agetchell@drugfreesport.com. |
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The CMP Informational Meeting met last Monday, April 7, 2014, at the Overland Park Convention Center. At this meeting, attendees had the chance to ask questions about the application requirements and set one-on-one meetings with one of our committee members to personally review their application prior to submission. The CMP Study Group will officially start on Monday, April 21 at 5:30 p.m. (location still to be determined).
Contact Lorie Salts, CMP, at 913-735-5073 or via email at lsalts@helmsbriscoe.com in order to find out more or to RSVP to the CMP Informational Meeting. Don’t delay in asking your questions. |
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Event Coordinator Program Coordinator Catering Manager Director of Meetings Sales & Catering Manager Sales and Event Manager Account Executive – Event Planning Sales Coordinator Event Planner and Leader Temporary Part-time Event Professional |
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Missouri State University –
Springfield, MO
University of Missouri –
Columbia, MO
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KCMPI Professional Education Conference on May 14 at the Ball Conference Center will be featuring an un-conference session to allow you to share your ideas, challenges and solutions with your colleagues.
The un-conference is an unstructured session where the topics are defined by YOU, the attendee. Our industry is dynamic, challenges pop up daily that may not have ready solutions. The un-conference is your opportunity to share those challenges and learn from your colleagues how they are finding solutions.
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In this ever changing industry, keeping your contact information up-to-date is paramount!
The KCMPI electronic membership directory was sent out via email from kcmpi@kcmpi.org on April 10. If you have misplaced this information, please contact us at kcmpi@kcmpi.org. |
Rosen Hotels & Resorts Celebrating 40 Years of Exemplary Service with 40% Planner Discounts This year, Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando celebrates 40 years of surpassing expectations as Florida’s largest independent hotel chain. The company is inviting meeting planners to share in this milestone with exclusive "Anniversary Savings" at its three convention properties – the 1,501-room Rosen Shingle Creek, 1,334-room Rosen Centre and 800-room Rosen Plaza. The savings include a 40 percent discount on some of the hotels’ most popular services and benefits for groups who book and meet at one of the participating properties by December 24, 2014. Rosen
Hotels & Resorts’ "Anniversary Savings" program offers a
"What a wonderful occasion to show our appreciation for meeting planners and group customers who have played such an important role in the growth of our convention hotels," said Leslie Menichini, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Rosen Hotels & Resorts. "We look forward to providing our passionate service and commitment to group customers for many more years to come." Orlando, Fla.-based Rosen Hotels & Resorts encompasses seven properties that total more than 6,300 hotel rooms and suites, all of which are located within Orlando’s main tourism corridor including the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) and International Drive. Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ three convention hotels offer a trifecta of convenience with the most rooms, meeting space and closest proximity to the Orange County Convention Center. Combined, they lead the local convention market with more than 3,634 hotel rooms and 700,000 gross square feet of meeting and event space. Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ award-winning convention hotels are also home to some of the destination’s most highly rated leisure diversions. Rosen Shingle Creek’s award-winning championship 18-hole Shingle Creek Golf Course and Brad Brewer Golf Academy are just one mile from the OCCC. Guests of all three hotels receive preferred tee times, as well as complimentary transportation from Rosen Plaza and Rosen Centre. All three hotels offer access to world-class The Spa at Rosen Centre and The Spa at Shingle Creek, state-of-the-art fitness centers at each of the three hotels, a variety of tennis and sport courts and nearly two dozen total dining, entertainment and lounging options. In 2013, the company debuted the Gary Sain Memorial Skybridge, an overhead covered pedestrian walkway that directly connects Rosen Plaza to the OCCC’s West Building for a safe, easy and weatherproof commute. The Rosen Centre Skywalk offers a similar direct connection from the hotel to the opposite side of the OCCC’s West Building. Rosen Centre also recently debuted a new 18,000-square-foot ballroom and a spa with seven treatment suites. A new poolside restaurant – Harry’s Poolside Bar & Grill – is scheduled to open this summer.
For more information: Rosen Hotels
& Resorts |
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Barbara Cartwright
The Aladdin Holiday inn Hotel
Senior Sales Manager
1215 Wyandotte
Kansas City, MO 64155
Morgan Hofmeister
Meeting Planning
Cathy Ewing Event Consulting LLC
9805 W. 144th St.
Overland Park, KS 66221
Katherine Johnson
Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center
Meeting and Event Manager
5704 E. 109th Terrace
Kansas City, MO 64137
Katie Sanford
University of Missouri Kansas City
1252 W. 61st Terrace
Kansas City, MO 64113
Melissa VanBeceelaere
Fishnet Security
6130 Sprint Parkway, Suite 400
Overland Park, KS 66211 Matt Ceule  Manager – Meetings & Events H&R Block One H&R Block Way Kansas City, MO 64105 816-854-5213 matt.ceule@hrblock.com |
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22 Years Ann D’eon – ADI Meetings & Events
19 Years Jill Quinn – Economic Development Corporation
18 Years Stacey Smith, CMP – Onyx Meetings & Events
12 Years Karen Williams, CMP – Silpada Designs
8 Years Michael Garner – Visual Aids Electronics
7 Years Mandy Petzold – CBIZ MHM, LLC
6 Years Pamela Simpson, CMP – Independent Planner
5 Years Andrayana Getchell, CMP – The National Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc.
4 Years Kelly Hatch – Unity
3 Years Heidi Boever, CMP – Sprint
2 Years Tracey Kemper, CMP – HNTB Companies
1 Year Tripp Lewis – Bulova Corporation |
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February 2014 Newsletter Stats:
Top 3 Most Read Links:
1) Job Openings
2) President's Message
3) Event Recap: KCMPI Members and Friends Enjoy Sweet Treats!
Readership:
Recipients: 193
Delivered: 193 (100%)
Bounced: 0
Unique Opens: 82 (42.49%) Total Opens: 315 (163.21%)
Unique Clicks: 50 (25.91%)
Total Clicks: 306 (158.55%)
Total opens is the total number of times newsletter has been opened and visited. If opened three times, it would count each time. Unique opens is our read rate. It only counts each IP once so no duplicates.
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