MPI Tennessee Chapter - April 2023 Newsletter

April 2023

Dear Friends,

Are you ready for the most radical, happenin’ event of the year? Our annual Circle of Excellence Awards Gala and Silent Auction is on April 20th, and this year we are extra

excited to throw back to a truly iconic era with our very own 80s prom night. Fast Times at MPI will celebrate our Tennessee chapter’s members, the important work we

have done this year, and all things 80s!

There are loads of totally bodacious reasons to cherish the 80s, but perhaps none are as important as the era’s quintessential music. Just look what that decade gave us:

● Diversity of musical genres. The 80s saw the emergence and popularity of a diverse range of musical genres, so there was something for everyone!

● Legendary musical artists. The 80s produced many iconic artists and bands that continue to be popular today, like Tiffany, Madonna, Prince, Whitney Houston, and

U2, to name just a few.

● Innovations in musical technology. The 80s saw significant advancements in

musical technology, including synthesizers and drum machines, which shaped the

sound of the decade.

There’s still time to register for the Gala – or to donate or be a sponsor (hint, hint!). So don’t be lame. Register today, pull out your hairspray, and get ready to bust some sick moves on the dance floor at this totally awesome event on April 20th!

Finally, we are excited to welcome our new and returning board members at our annual board retreat, April 30th through May 2nd, at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Resort. This will be a lively and engaging experience for MPI Tennessee as we prepare our chapter for the upcoming year. The Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa mixes serene charm and classic elegance, and we are looking forward to spending this invaluable time together in such a lovely setting. Thank you, Ross Bridge, for sponsoring us!

That’s all for now, friends, but I’ll be seeing you all very soon at our Fast Times at MPI Gala!

Warmly,

Michael Farrell

President

FAST TIMES at MPI

Hey you guys! Grab your most excellent prom duds and get ready for the totally tubular MPI Tennessee Presidents Awards, Gala and Auction. Show off your dancing skillz on April 20th at Diamond Creek Farms. I kid you not, this 80’s prom will be bad to the bone. So don’t be lame. Mark your calendar for this epic event. Join us for Fast Times at MPI, and tell your posse, cause knowing is half the battle.

Get ready to busta groove to awesome 80’s hits and radical grub and bevvys. But the thing we are most stoked about is the most triumphant awards.

Yo! For this to be a clutch event, don’t forget to donate an item to our Silent Auction. Send those major goods here!

Gotta motor!

This year, we're bringing back our blind “wine and whiskey pull” — $20 flat rate per wine pull and $30 flat rate per whiskey pull — and there’s not a bad bottle in the bunch!

Silent Auction Details:

The auction will close at 10:00pm EST on THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2023.

Winning bidders will be notified via text immediately upon the close of the auction and prompted to pay through the auction site.
Winning bidders will be able to pick up their winnings after they have paid at the conclusion of the auction.
Please grab your item and confirm with payment with an auction representative.
If you're not present, pick up/shipping options are as follows:
Please Text Tony, at (770) 380-2304, to arrange Shipping.
Shipping will be invoiced separately.
Please read through the Expo Auctions - Auction Policies.
If you have any questions about the online auction platform, please reach out to Tony Rissley via text message at (770) 380-2304.

SUBMIT BIDS!

FEBRUARY ROCKSTAR

Can we just say how AMAZING the entire Connect Committee did! Everyone killed it!

Courtney McGee, CMP

Shannon Jones, CMP

Irina Davidson, CMP

Clayton Kelley

Hilary Wickes

Jeanete Foster, CMP, VEMM

Lisa Wright

MARCH ROCKSTAR

Jason Levassuer:

He offered to host the Price is Right Game show and knocked it out of the park. He always shows up with amazing energy at events and practices what he preaches to be interested versus interesting. He is definitely a rockstar.

APRIL ROCKSTAR

Alexa Roncancio

Alexa has been phenomenal on the Communications Committee this year. She is always eager and willing to jump in to help create some amazing designs!

Allison Witt

Allison is an ongoing sponsor, supporter, and volunteer for MPI Tennessee. She always shows up with a smile.

Mentorship brought them together. Neighbors, Dog Lovers, Friends

Cayce Brasel and Amanda Costello were matched in August 2022 and quickly became friends. Amanda had just moved to Nashville and was overwhelmed; juggling a new job and a new city, but she says that Cayce made the process so much easier. “She’s given me amazing advice and some really cool opportunities while becoming a great friend”.

Cayce recalls, “I feel like I have a new best friend. I’m so grateful that we were paired. I love being a connector and Amanda was new to Nashville and our industry in general. We didn’t know until after we were matched, but we’re next-door neighbors.”

It turns out they both love dogs too. Amanda adds, “Cayce lives in the nicest building ever and I get all the benefits (kidding…kinda). Actually though, it is really cool and it makes it super easy to see each other. Sometimes we’ll just walk our dogs together, other times we’ll work from home together. Being in a new city all alone can be hard, but it is great having Cayce right next door.

Through their relationship, they have grown professionally and personally. Cayce has introduced Amanda to a ton of people, taught her about the industry, life, and herself. Cayce has learned how to create better content on TikTok and she is most appreciative for Amanda’s humor, sarcasm, and honesty.

Their relationship is just one example of the success of the MPI TN Mentorship Program. Over 50 pairs of mentor/mentee have been matched in the program since December 2020. The four-month sessions are offered twice a year. February – May and August – November. Each session is limited to 20 participants to keep the group small and personal and includes virtual and in-person group gatherings. If you would like more information, please visit the website or contact Cindy Tipler, ctipler@cctenn.org or Beci Ruzek, sales@southerngiftingco.com.

We want to know more about you! Our membership is diverse, and we have grown so much over the last few years. We want to recognize each of you and help all of us feel more connected by learning more about each other.

Click on the link below to fill out our Member Spotlight form. We will include your responses in newsletters, social media posts and other MPI Tennessee communications. Don't forget to include your picture!

Complete the Member Spotlight Form here!

Every year, Kroger donates millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations through its Community Rewards Program.

If you already shop at Kroger, please consider registering your Kroger Card for the program and designating MPI Tennessee as your chosen organization. Then every time you shop, you’ll be supporting us!

How to participate:

Go to Kroger Community Rewards.
Log into your Kroger account to enroll (or create an account).
Enter organization number GV197 or Meeting Professionals International - TN Chapter in the search field and click on the Search button.
Select MPI Tennessee by clicking on the circle to the left of the name.
Follow the prompts to complete enrollment.
Be sure to select the Enroll button to complete the process.
Register and send a screenshot of enrollment and you'll receive one $15 discount for an MPI event (excluding CONNECT and Gala)

If your organization is looking for a new team member, click this link to fill out the online job submission form, and we will make sure to include it in our next MPI Tennessee Newsletter and on social media.

We hope everyone in our MPI family is staying safe and healthy as we continue to battle COVID-19 and the affect it is having on our industry and our membership. Our board is here for you if you need anything. We hope the information below is helpful to you as we all navigate the near future. Please reach out to any of us directly if you are struggling, have questions or just need to chat.

MPI Tennessee Registration Support – If you have lost your job or suffering financial hardship during this time and are unable to attend our events, please take a moment to fill out the Registration Support Form. We value you and would love to continue seeing you at our membership events! Click below to fill out a form!

Form for Registration Support

MPI Tennessee Private Facebook: Join our private Facebook page to learn more about these events and to connect with the fun and informative things going on with our MPI Family.

MPI Member Resume Support – Did you know that MPI members have access to complimentary resume critique through our career center? Members will need their MPI username/password to access this service. Click on the following link and follow the path listed to have your resume critiqued: www.mpi.org > Resources > Career Center > Sign In > go to My Account (top left corner) > go to Resume > check mark “Send me my free professional resume critique from TopResume” > click on Upload Resume to, you guessed, upload your resume.

MPI Global Member Assistance Program: We do not want to lose any of you as members. For those whose jobs have been affected by COVID-19, MPI Global has several options to help if you are up for renewal, and they will be reaching out to you. You can also contact MPI Global directly at feedback@mpi.org, call 972-702-3053, or fill out and follow the instructions in this form.

Update Membership Profile: If you or someone you know has new contact information be sure to reach out to us at info@mpitn.org or 615-373-8002 so we can update that information with our chapter and MPI Global. Remember, your membership belongs to you and follows you even when your employer changes (unless you had a specific agreement with your employer where they keep the membership).