PlanIt Tennessee
President's Message  
 
Hey MPI TN Peeps!!

August is here and we who are parents are pretty stoked as it means our kiddos are back in school!  YEAH!!!  July was a great month as we started out our new year with a bang.  The one and only Judi Holler made a hole in one at our luncheon at Gaylord Springs Golf Links.  Also, Lauren Stout and our special projects committee hit it out of the park with our MIX event at the Sounds game at the end of the month.  Thanks to everyone who made it to our events this month. We appreciate your continued support of our chapter.  This month is going to be another busy one as we have events in both the Central and West regions.  Each program will be great, and you won't want to miss either one. 

Calling all volunteers!!! If you haven't joined a committee I encourage you to do so. You have heard me say it over and over that you get out of your membership what you put into it.  We have a lot of great opportunities to volunteer and if you have any questions please reach out to Kimberly Marlin Bean who is our Director of Leadership & Professional Development.

To our new members, thanks for joining; we are thankful that you are now a part of our crazy MPI TN family!! 

I hope to see everyone later this month. Until then, continue to enjoy this Tennessee heat and humidity!! 

See you all soon!
In This Issue
Our Sponsors
Platinum Partners
 



 








Gold Partners 
The Peabody Memphis
 
Do you want to become an MPI Tennessee Chapter sponsor and partner with the state's largest and most vibrant community of meeting and event professionals?

For more information, contact Jill Kopecky, Director of Strategic Alliances for MPI:TN!



Looking to make a job change or know someone is?  Check out the positions available at mpitn.org.
Upcoming meetings and events....
Central Region
Precautions and Pitfalls of Alcohol
at your Events
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
City Winery
609 Lafayette St, Nashville, TN 37203


CMP Domain: C
 

The open bar at your event is a treat and often expected by your participants, but what happens if something goes wrong?  In this exciting and informative session, learn from Olatayo Atanda and Will Cheek, Attorneys at Law, what the legal implications can be to the planner, the venue, the staff, and more when serving alcohol at your events and meetings. Also discover important information on things you need to know when the event takes a turn for the worst.  How can we take precautions to prevent this before it happens?   

Additionally, enjoy a delicious meal from City Winery. Your lunch will be perfectly paired with their wines and expertly defined by their in-house sommelier.  
West Region
Negotiating Better Meeting Contracts: Balancing Law & Practice 
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Hard Rock Cafe Memphis
126 Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103
 

Join us for an information-packed presentation entitled Negotiating Better Meeting Contracts. Love them or hate them, meeting contracts are an essential part of the business of meetings. It isn't enough to understand the terminology (although that helps). Understanding the purpose, meaning, and practical effect of the legalese is necessary in order to know why you must have certain contract language and when you can afford to lighten up. The potentially big money issues like attrition, cancellation, and force majeure will virtually always have to be addressed. Other issues borne of industry and legal trends such as surcharges and fees, environmental issues, and accommodations for those with special needs require special attention in negotiations and unique contract language. New issues arise all the time. Anticipating how they will affect contracts-and your liability risk-is the mark of a savvy meeting professional.

This educational session is part of a generous grant from the MPI Foundation.
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) 
July Educational Event

Thanks to Judi Holler, our July Educational speaker, who's presentation focused on creating a personal brand and knowing your competitive edge. Through personal stories and improv games, Judi took the participants on an interactive journey of creating the desired perception.
In case you missed it: Here is Judi's formula for crafting your value proposition: 

I am a_____________(insert expertise)
Who helps___________________(target audience)
Understand or do_____________________(unique solution)
So they can____________________(transformation)
When doing this, ask yourself: How do you add value? What can you shamelessly take credit for? And what are you proud of?

Session Survey Score: 9.4 out of 10

"Best speaker so far!"

"Judi was awesome! I got a lot of good nuggets out of her presentation and it's inspired me to find a few new books to read."
2017 Gala Sponsors - RFP  
MPI Tennessee is searching for its 2017 Annual Gala sponsors and would like to invite you to submit a proposal. This is a great marketing opportunity for venues and suppliers to showcase their properties and skills to hundreds of the region's most influential meeting professionals.
Save Money. Buy Meeting Vouchers!  
MPI Tennessee is offering prepaid vouchers for our monthly educational luncheon meetings. This program allows you to pre-pay for six future registrations for monthly luncheon meetings and save money at the same time! Vouchers are valid for meetings July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017, and cost $175 (6 meetings for the price of 5).
Member News   
Congratulations to MPI Tennessee's newest CMP, Ms. Michelle Shaffer-Hiltabidel of Bridgestone. Way to go, Michelle!
Hosts Global Alliance (HGA), a worldwide consortium of select Destination Management Companies, honored Maple Ridge Events with the DMC of the Year Award for the second year in a row. The award is presented to one member DMC which consistently goes above and beyond from exceeding client expectations, to creating unique programs, to supporting the HGA Alliance. Robyn Bass, president of Maple Ridge Events, accepted the award. Congratulations!
WEC Experience   
By: Chelsea Williams

Thanks to the generosity of MPI Tennessee, I was able to attend WEC in Atlantic City on a scholarship. I currently serve as the Director of Communications, so I started the week off at the Chapter Leaders Forum. I attended a breakout session for communications where each chapter shared their best practices. I can't wait to implement some of these practices into our chapter's communication plan!

WEC was such a great conference! The interactive sessions were applicable to both my career and my life outside of the workplace. I met people from all over the world, and I was able to spend quality time with my Tennessee peeps. From a professional standpoint, I met new clients and potential clients. From a personal standpoint, I made life-long friends who support and encourage me every day.

I know you hear it all the time, but our chapter is truly a world-class chapter. I am thankful for each person who volunteers their time to make our chapter so successful. I made the decision to join MPI one year ago, and WEC was an amazing way to end a fabulous year. I left Atlantic City inspired and pumped up about MPI and our Tennessee Chapter.
Recommendations
July Educational Speaker, Judi Holler, recommended 3 books to check out.