JAN
FEB
2021
VOL 43/NUM 1

C H A P T E R“MPI-WI Chapter is the bridge to knowledge, compelling ideas, andrelationships to create a voice in the meetings and events industry.”A W A R D

You can do a lot with 27,000 square feetof meeting space.
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Read about our Safe Promise Plan attheinglesidehotel.com
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

MPI-WISCONSIN
2020-2021
BOARD OF DIRECTORSPRESIDENTALISON HUTCHINSON
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
ahutchinson@foxcities.org
PRESIDENT-ELECTSHANNON TIMMERMAN, CMP
Glacier Canyon Conference Center
stimmerman@wildernessresort.com
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTJOELLEN GRABER
Impact Association Management
joeygraber1@gmail.com
VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIPREGGIE DRISCOLL, CMP
State Bar of Wisconsin
rdriscoll@wisbar.org

VOL 43 / NUM 1

Feature Articles
MPI-WI Bidding for Good Success

7

MPI World Education Congress - A Hybrid Event

8

Who Wants to Make the Most of Their MPI Membership

17

Seven Habits of Inclusive Leaders

18

Leftover Materials? Turn them to Treasure!

20

In Every Issue
Editor’s Note

4

President’s Column

6

Who’s in the News

14

VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONSJASON KAUFFELD, CMP
jasonkauffeld@hotmail.com

Board Member Profile

16

New Members & Anniversaries				

19

VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATIONKYRA POPP
Kahalari Resorts
kpopp@kalahariresorts.com

Calendar

21

VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCEREBECCA STAATS
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
rebecca.l.staats@gmail.com

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTSBETH SCHNABEL, CMPFilene Research Institutebeths@filene.org
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS & SPONSORSHIPSMELISSA FALENDYSZ, CMP
National Association of Tax Professionals
mfalendysz@naptax.com
DIRECTOR OF MEMBER CARELIZ UNRUH
lizherrmann555@hotmail.com
DIRECTOR OF AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS & RECRUITMENTWANDA GILLES
wanda.gilles@yahoo.com

Experience MPI Wisconsin
Print: Agenda Magazine
6 Different Ways
Web: mpiweb.org/Wisconsin

Facebook: facebook.com/mpiwi
Twitter: twitter.com/mpiwisconsin
LinkedIn: MPI-WI Chapter
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mpi_wi_chapter 																	DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYMARIA PEOT, CMP
maria.peot@gmail.com
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONSSHERRY WOLFF
Kohlersherry.wolff@kohler.com
DIRECTOR OF MONTHLY PROGRAMMINGJOSHUA WIMMER
Premier Choice Association Management
jmwimmer@wi.rr.com

2820 Walton Commons, Ste 103

fax: 608.204.9818

Madison, WI 53718

email: admin@mpiwi.org

tel: 608.204.9816

web: www.mpiweb.org/wisconsin

MPI-WISCONSIN CHAPTER

Editor’s Note
2021, Welcome!

Published bimonthly by
Meeting Professionals
International –Wisconsin Chapter

Enduring the past year has pushed
everyone to adapt. Yet, we know thatprofessionals in the meetings andevents industry have always thrived
on change. We all expect an exciting
rebound with a mix of adaptations.
How our industry delivers in 2021 andbeyond will continue to inspire andmove our world forward.

CO-EDITORS
Kathy Reading
The Scan Group, Inc.
reading@scangroup.net
Maria Peot, CMP
maria.peot@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kathy Reading
Maria Peot, CMP
Lindsey Hess, CMP
JoEllen Graber
Jodi Fisher
Shannon Timmerman, CMP
Liz Unruh
Melissa Falendysz, CMPTom Graybill

GRAPHIC DESIGNAnn Shultz, AJS Designs

I am personally and professionally thrilled to be working withseveral clients on 2021 events. These meeting planners arereviewing every aspect of their events. Many of you have taken
advantage of MPI’s education and achieved additional certifications thisyear. As a humble supplier, I continue to be inspired by your diligence,creativity and brilliance. KUDOS to you!
As you’re dealing with new expectations and demands, please reachout to your MPI suppliers.

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PUBLICATION DEADLINESMarch/April 2021
Deadline: February 15, 2021
May/June 2021
Deadline: March 15, 2021
July/August 2021
Deadline: May 15, 2021

Our chapter CVB representatives can help with expert local
guidance.
Our MPI-WI venue connections will offer many new options for
safe, successful events.
Our AV and technology partners are creating exceptional
experiences for in-person and virtual attendees.
MPI rental partners have implemented health and safety
protocols and options.
Our promo partners can point you to timely gifts that willconnect with your attendees.

Even my own team can offer permanent antimicrobial coating for printmaterials, pre-shipped materials for attendees and cleanable signage.
If you’re looking for reliable partners committed to our industry, start with
MPI-WI supplier members.
I’m looking forward to where all of the meeting and events industry willlead us in 2021 and beyond.
Best to you all!

PERMISSIONS
Material in this publication may not be
reproduced in any form without permission.
Statements of fact and opinion within
Agenda are the responsibility of theauthor(s) and do not imply an opinion of
the officers or members of MPI or MPIWisconsin Chapter.

“Change is the only
constant in life.”— Heraclitus
Kathy

The annual business dinner was billed as“The Next Big Thing.” And the organizer
wanted us to make it a can’t-miss experience.
Inspire d by our panoramic views of the lakeand state capitol, our AV team createdan all-new 180° of amazing.
Cue the surround sound.

Let us orchestrate your incredible.
Connect with us at MononaTerrace.com
Madison, WI© 2021 Monona Terrace

President’s Column
Happy New Year!!
2020 was certainly a trying year for ALL of us. As we come together in solidarity to put
the negative effects of 2020 behind us, we are excited to forge ahead into 2021 witheven greater wisdom, lessons learned and a new perspective!
Let me tell you a little bit about how my 2020 ended...
Like many people spending lots of time inside their homes, this past year has driven
us to home improvements. In the last quarter of the year, my husband and I decided
to remodel our home. We made a budget, looked at paint, tile, and carpet samples,and reviewed quotes from contractors and furniture vendors. I was able to sell
unwanted items on Facebook Marketplace. Now that we have finished our project andI’ve had time to reflect, I notice a correlation to leadership.

● After selecting our contractors, a flooring constructor was unresponsive from

ALISON HUTCHINSON●

2020-2021 President, MPI-WI Chapter●

Most importantly, we allneed patience. It canbe stressful at times but
rewarding in the end.
Our industry depends
upon our leadership,
and I know that MPI-WI
members continue tolisten, learn and grow.”●●

the start, and we pivoted to other options. Let’s get our plan in order, wethought.
Our painters arrived December 7-9 and recommended transitioning a color in
our “open-floor concept.” After some thought, we took their recommendation,
triggering a “Christmas tree location” discussion. We settled on our traditional
prime spot in the living room, with minimal additional holiday decor. Who
decided to do renovations in December?!
The day after we trimmed our tree, we learned that our carpet was in andready for installation the week of December 27...four weeks earlier thanplanned! 2020’s solution? Leave our Christmas tree and decor up for just over
two weeks.
We found our perfect furniture, which was available for a minimal time. We
needed to quickly decide how to store the new pieces, and what to do with
our old furniture. Jumping onto Facebook Marketplace, we were fortunate
to sell most of our old items. We temporarily stored the new set in our
garage. Don’t get me started on “some assembly required.”
The last piece of the project was tile work. As I was reconfirming thecontractor’s dates, he asked if he could begin three days earlier thanscheduled. We were glad to accommodate this request. While his work took
twice as long as expected, it turned out great. Sometimes things happen for areason!

I’m now able to enjoy the new perspective of my home. I recognized that homerenovations require many of the leadership skills that our industry asks of us everyday. You start with an idea and develop your plan and schedule. You look for
inspiration from outside sources. You interview those that you think would be good forthe project, Then, you move forward.
As you’re leading any project or cause, your life will be disrupted. As a leader, you
should always be happy with the results and/or communicate accordingly. You’ll
need to follow up with project partners and remain open-minded to suggestions andbe flexible with changes.
Most importantly, we all need patience. It can be stressful at times but rewarding
in the end. Our industry depends upon our leadership, and I know that MPI-WI
members continue to listen, learn and grow.

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January/February 2021

MPI Agenda																

		

		

MPI-WI Bidding for Good Success!
by Lindsey Hess, CMP
We had a great turn out for the MPI-WI Bidding for Good fundraiser this year. Bidding for Good is a live online auction
website that helps raise money, reaches thousands of supporters and promotes an organization with their donation.This
fundraiser reaches our MPI-WI membership along with other bidders throughout the world.
We didn’t have as many items as we have had in the past, but vendors, friends, and family all did what they could todonate to our great organization. We had some wonderful items including the following:

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Gift certificates for hotel overnight stays (with water park admissions, golf packages, tasty and convenient
breakfasts, and delicious dinners!)
Packer Pro Shop certificates
Zyia workout gear
Comedy Club tickets
Certificates for keynote speakers and webinars
And a very special day at the Dyer’s cabin and on their pontoon!

We raised a grand total of $4,597, which is impressive, especially under the circumstances of 2020. We are truly
blessed to have such a supportive Chapter - whether you bid on something yourself or shared the auction with yournetwork, thank you for making this event such a great success!

THURSDAYFEB 18, 2021
This is a virtual,collaborative eventwith our fellow MPI
chapter in Indiana.

WAKE UP
WITH

Stay tuned formore event andregistration details
by visiting mpiwi.org.

MPI Agenda

January/February 2021|

7

By JoEllen Graber & Jodi Fisher

World Education
Congress —A Hybrid Event

MPI GLOBAL HELD THE 2020 WORLD EDUCATION CONGRESS (WEC) AS A
HYBRID EVENT. MPI-WI PAST-PRESIDENT, JOELLEN GRABER AND HER BOSS,JODI FISHER ATTENDED IN PERSON AND SHARE THEIR IMPRESSIONS.

8|January/February 2021

MPI Agenda																

				

What was your overall impression of the hybrid event experience?
Jodi

JoEllen
You would have never known this was a hybrid
event. The speakers did separate live sessions
and virtual presentations. This procedure made thesessions run a little smoother, but we missed out onsome of the online audience’s great conversations.
I think the hybrid portion was most noticeable during
the general sessions when our fantastic emcee involved
everyone - both virtually and in-person.
In the leadership breakout, we used a new technology
called “weframe One.” It is the size of a blackboard,
with a screen, camera, whiteboard and monitor all-inone. A significant benefit is that after the meeting, themeeting presenters could send us everything on theboard in an email (no more taking photos of flipcharts).
We were able to Zoom with a speaker on the board,and those who were participating remotely were alsoable to send notes and questions for the board fromtheir phones the same way the people in the room werecommunicating. This new technology was great!

As you can imagine, it was wonderful toexperience once again the energy, networking,and - really - other-ness (of food, surroundings,
environment, people, weather, scenery, etc.)! I’ve done
a lot of virtual education and networking since March,and - as most of us know - you can’t replicate thefeeling you get when meeting in person.
I also have a hard time concentrating on Zoom calls,
especially when the video feed is off. Email is rightthere; family is generally somewhere in the background;
I can change a load of laundry; my phone is begging
for me to text someone. It takes a LOT to keep myattention for an hour when I’m just sitting in front of mymonitor.
I was anxious to get into an environment where I could
truly focus. MPI did a fabulous job of bringing in thevirtual audience during all aspects of the generalsessions. A few ways they kept all of us engaged were
the following:● Periodically showing video streams of the virtual
audience listening in, clapping, etc.

● Emcee Dena Blizzard introduced and chatted●●●

with four virtual attendees on a large screen at
the beginning of each session.
Live polls were utilized for both in-person andvirtual attendees.
Dena, the speakers and anyone on stage
generally directed their content to include thewords “virtual audience,” “for those of you athome,” etc., so that the virtual audience didn’t
feel like they were creeping in on a presentation
for a live audience only.
Use of a live chat for virtual attendees only thatthe emcee addressed consistently.

MPI Agenda

January/February 2021|

9

What health and safety measures were put into place?
Did you feel they were adequate?
JoEllen

Jodi

This was my fourth time attending WEC, and it
is one of my favorite annual events. This event
usually has around 2,500 people attending from all over
the world. When I registered in February, I had no clue
the twist and turns this event would go through. At first,
MPI was adamant about holding the event in June. I
was admittedly nervous, particularly because of theinternational attendance. Finally in April the event was
postponed. While still leery, my love for the meetingsindustry compelled me to attend with the move to
November. I wanted to give all my travel and meeting
industry colleagues hope that we could meet again safely.
The safety measures began way before the conference.
The team started communicating expectations months
in advance. Our swag bags, including our badge, mask,
and program, all arrived before the event. (This avoided
the crowds congregating around registration.) The
event app was released early to plan our conference
experience, even though it was ever-changing. (Moreabout that later.)
The day we got in, we had to download a second app tocheck-in and answer a few questions about our recent
travel and how we were currently feeling. Every day we
had to check in on the app and show the travel nurses inattendance our thumbs up for the day, and then they took
our temperature. With the event size reduced from 2,300
to 600, we had a lot of room to spread out. Only four
people sat at each 8-foot round. Everyone wore masks,
and if you had your mask down to eat or drink, you wereimmediately reminded to pull it up or put it back on.
Education was well attended; after hour-events were not.
It seemed some people chose not to take the chanceon the full event experience. The event venues could
have held ten times the amount of people that were inattendance. Those who declined after-hours events
missed great food and drink experiences served in areasonably safe fashion. I say “reasonably safe” becauseof a conversation about many single-serve plates with
finger food as an interesting choice. I should mention
hand sanitizer was available at every turn. Those withgreen concerns about the single-serve plates were met
with the argument that health and safety concerns needed
to be addressed. There are several things to take into
consideration while planning events. In the end, you may
not be able to check all of the boxes you would like.

10|

January/February 2021

I went into the event knowing I was taking a risk
for the sake of experience and education.
To minimize that risk, I quarantined the week before andthe week after. I wore my mask the entire time. I didn’t hug
or shake hands, and I tried to maintain social distancing
as much as I could.
I knew there was still a risk, and I accepted that. All
attendees need to make sure they’re comfortable andtake personal responsibility for following the guidelines
or don’t go.
I will say that MPI did a great job of enforcing theguidelines:

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They provided clear communication leading up
to the event outlining attendee protocols andexpectations.
Duty of Care needed to be read and signed
before the event
Daily temperature checks required before entry
into any event area
The emcee and just about every speakerreinforced “wear your mask the entire time!” allday, every day.
Every volunteer kept an eye on attendees, andthey weren’t afraid to say something if you didn’t
weren’t wearing your mask. They were diligent,kind, but firm.
Signage -- EVERYWHERE.
Hand sanitizer all over the place.

They also took extra precautions in general:

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Our badges and masks were mailed to us
ahead of time to reduce lines at registration
Exhibitors were placed throughout the entire
event space instead of in one area
Seating at each table was minimal (forexample, four chairs at a round instead of eightor ten)Grab and go food, with only one plated meal.

I felt like they did everything they could to minimize risk
and exposure and enforce the rules they had in place,which made me feel secure.

MPI Agenda																

				

What do you feel was the biggest challenge for the event?
What went exceptionally well?
JoEllen:
The education and speaker changes were themost significant challenges. Speakers weresecured months in advance, then ten days leading up to
the event, many had to drop out due to travel restriction,
exposure, and illness. The education for me was a bit
lackluster this year. Many of the programs on my originalschedule were moved and changed. I needed to change
my plans on-the-spot.
I think the venue itself was an exceptional location. The
490,000 square feet of meeting space at the Gaylord
Texan made it possible to create a socially distanced
event. I felt comfortable eating and sitting with small
groups of people, although I tried to stay with my small
pod of people from my home region.
Attendees were always conscious of others giving plentyof space and many elbow-bumping instead of hugging
or shaking hands when they saw their friends. It wasinteresting to watch attendees at a touch-free event
measure each other’s comfort level.

Jodi:
The networking was a challenge – all events were
outdoors (or at the very least indoor/outdoor) withlots of extra space. This was great for social distancing,but we’re still trying to figure out how to meet new people
and network while keeping 6-feet apart successfully. Thiswas where I saw the most rule-breaking (myself included.)I met plenty of new people (although not as many as
pre-COVID networking), but between the masks and theplexiglass for speed networking, I was closer than 6 feetto hear what the other person said. Again, weigh the risk/
reward and minimize risk as much as possible. I think inperson networking will be the biggest challenge for theforeseeable future.
In terms of what went exceptionally well, I think the clear
and consistent communications were excellent.
Emails, printed newsletters on site, push notifications on
the app all helped with messaging for risk minimization
reminders, conference logistics (changes, maps,
upcoming speakers, exhibitor offerings, etc.) The
speakers all had the same consistent language regarding
taking personal responsibility for minimizing risk.
The one exception to this would be the post-conference
email. Organizers were great about providing a link to takethe event survey and made it very convenient (“click here
to take the survey”). However, the email said we needed
to self-report if we tested positive for COVID but gave
no indication of who to report to or how to do it. Beingtransparent that a post-event positive test is possible andproviding a link to the email/web page would have been
the right thing.

MPI Agenda

January/February 2021|

11

What do you envision events will look like moving forward?
Jodi:

JoEllen:I think hybrid events are not going anywhere.
I also think sitting through a six to eight-hour
virtual event will go by the wayside. There is a reason
TED talks are so popular; people want shorter bite-sizedpresentations. I can see presentations being available
individually or giving people the ability to purchase all thesessions but watch them at their leisure.
I also think that many extroverted people that need humaninteraction won’t feel connected through a computer
screen. In the future, there will be a choice to suiteveryone’s needs. It’s often said that attendees learn fromthe networking and after-hours events than from formal
sessions.

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I think hybrid events will be our new normal. There
are so many great things about this structure!
It allows for more attendees.
Those who can’t travel or don’t have the financial
ability to travel can now attend.
Allows for more exhibitors/sponsors.
They have access to even more people.
Greater variety in sponsorship levels
Provides more funds for A/V to make it an excellent
experience for those attending virtually.
Take advantage of the virtual aspect – you can now
have speakers that were perhaps out of your budget
if they were to come in person. Have them present
virtually, saving on travel and time costs. It will also
give your virtual attendees the feeling of inclusion ifsome speakers are also virtual.
Incorporate “micro-events” or viewing opportunities.
Small groups of people meet together in a sociallydistanced smaller space, hotel meeting space, etc., toview the event together.
This offers the in-person environment on a muchsmaller scale along with the virtual attendance of theconference.
Offering mini-networking / viewing events for smaller
additional fees can generate additional revenue.

We will get better at the technical aspect, the networking
aspect, and the inclusion aspect as we gain experience inthe hybrid model. I think it opens up so many opportunities,
and I am excited to see how it develops!

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January/February 2021

MPI Agenda																

				

What was your biggest educational takeaway from the event?
JoEllen:
My biggest takeaway was that we can still meetsafely. Of course, some situations are safer thanothers. With this pandemic and other challenges, we will
have to learn how to adapt and improve our events. The
days of the candy walls and self-serve buffets may beover, but perhaps they never should have been there.

Jodi:
My biggest takeaway, educationally speaking, isthat we need to update our crisis communicationplans. How do we keep people informed (pre-, during-,
and post-event)? What cybersecurity do we need withmore online education and mass video distribution during
conferences? How do we protect reputations with PRplanning? How do we address COVID and similar threats?
Now is the perfect time to update those plans and ensure
we’re continuing to look at them and keep them relevant.

MPI Agenda

January/February 2021|

13

Compiled by Maria Peot, CMP & Kathy Reading

JENNIFER MELL, CMP is the new Director - Business
Development at Made Ya Look, Inc & NorthCoast
Productions. Jen will help the team with event-related
projects and work to grow new business overall. In thisnew role, Jen will be working with long-time MPI-WI
member and NorthCoast VP, Michelle Tyo Johnson.
MPI-WI members looking to network: talk to Jen.
She’s winning the connections game with our MPI-WI
membership. Go, Jen!

Event Essentials recently acquired and re-launched
A LA CRATE RENTALS as a boutique division of A to Z
RentAll’s Event Essentials. Book with both Event Essentials+ A LA CRATE and receive 10% off new reservations!**Standard terms + conditions apply. Offer good thru
March 31, 2021.

14|

January/February 2021

MELISSA FALENDYSZ and her family of three are now
legally so. After 964 days and nights filled with love,
countless fostering forms, legal hoops, and court dates,
Melissa, John, and Nolan are forever Falendyszing as afamily. Continued love and family fun to all, Melissa!

ED BUCHNER’S colleagues at Majic Productions
have voted him as having the “Spirit of Majic” in 2020.
Through this challenging year, Ed’s team appreciated his
exhausting work and glimmers of hope. Ed, your wizardry
always delivers Maj(g)ic!

MPI Agenda																

				Congratulations to BETH SCHNABEL, KELLY GUSLOFF
and ERICA DEQUAINE, MPI-WI Chapter members
who earned their Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
designation in December 2020. Congratulations on
this prestigious accomplishment, especially in such atumultuous year!

DENISE HUMPHREY, Senior Destination Sales Manager
at the Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau
and her family welcomed baby Flynn this past summer.
Congrats on your “pandemic baby” Humphrey Family!

JOSH WIMMER has rejoined Premier Choice
Association Management in a new role as Event
Producer & Technology Coordinator. Continuing toadvance, Josh is excited to take on new responsibilities
in IT along with event planning and management. Keepgrowing, Josh!

The brand new RESCH EXPO celebrated their grandopening on Thursday, January 21st with a ribbon cutting
ceremony by Brown County. The facility boasts a 125,000
square foot column-free exposition center and is locatedadjacent to the Resch Center and not far from Lambeau
Field. Congrats on this “touchdown” of an addition to yourcity, Green Bay!

WANDA GILLES is the new corporate Administrative
Office Manager at DuPont. This growing position
will keep Wanda involved in meetings, events, andcorporate administration. You're a stalwart asset toany team, Wanda!

MPI Agenda

January/February 2021|

15

BoardMemberProfile:Shannon
Timmerman, CMPWhat have you learned most from being on the board?
I would have to say the last year has taught me a great
deal about adapting to change and the unknown. With
everything that 2020 has brought, it presented a lot of
tough decisions that we as a team had to make. And
then make again…and again! Being flexible and thinking
outside of the box during such a devastating time was achallenge, but I feel only made us stronger.

Position on the MPI WI Board:
President-Elect
Place of employment & location:
Wilderness Resort and the Glacier Canyon ConferenceCenter in the Wisconsin Dells

Where do you currently live?
I live in the Wisconsin Dells with my boyfriend Steve andour three dogs. We live on three acres outside of town,
which has been the perfect oasis for a year of “staying in”!

What is your role with your employer?
Director of Sales
How long in the meeting/event industry?
21 Years
What drew you to join the board?
I served on the Board from 2010-2013, and was thenasked to rejoin in 2019.
What do you like about being on the board?
I love the relationships that I have built throughout
my years on the Board. By far that has been the mostrewarding, as these relationships last forever. I also
love being a part of the team that gets to represent ouramazing chapter.

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January/February 2021

What is the best advice you can give to someone who
is thinking about getting more involved in MPI?
Do it now! Don’t wait until the time is perfect, or be
intimidated. Taking that first volunteer role when I firstjoined was the best thing I ever did. I made so many
connections, both personally and professionally that
I don’t think I would have made watching from thesidelines.

Favorite hobbies or pastimes?
Spending time with family and friends, boating in thesummer, working on home renovations and a newfoundhobby of organizing everything!
Favorite musical artist, band, movie or book?
Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts has been my favorite“local” band that I have gotten to know over the last few
years. I’m not much of a reader, but I love curling up in
front of the fireplace watching murder/crime thriller showsand movies. Seven is my all-time favorite movie…”What’s
in the boooxxx??”MPI Agenda																

				

WHO wants to make the mostof their MPI membership?
by Liz Unruh

WHO WANTS TO BE A VOLUNTEER? DO YOU HAVE EXTRA TIMEON YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW? ARE YOU LOOKING TO GETINVOLVED IN SOMETHING BUT NOT SURE WHAT? MPI IS
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS. AND BEING
AN MPI VOLUNTEER CAN BE ALMOST ANYTHING
YOU WISH! YOU CAN HELP WRITE ARTICLES, SENDOUT EMAILS, CONNECT WITH MEMBERS, HELP
WITH LIVE, VIRTUAL, AND HYBRID EVENTS, AND SO
MUCH MORE. JUST GET INVOLVED!

V

olunteering with MPI is a great way to try
something new in your career, learn new skills,
and meet new people. Serving your chapter will
also help keep up your network and meet newconnections during this crazy time.
When I joined MPI a few years ago, I immediately
joined a committee and met many new people.
By stepping outside my comfort zone, I learned
how much I enjoyed helping to plan events,
not just booking them. It also helped me
study both sides of events.
WHOever you are, whatever you like to
do or want to try, there is a volunteer
position for you. Just let me know what
you're interested in, and I'll find yourfit. I look forward to hearing from allof you.

MPI Agenda

January/February 2021|

17

Seven Habitsof Inclusive Leaders
by Tom Graybill“Don’t make resolutions...build habits.”
This strong advice for a new year is courtesy of Melissa
Majors, who shared “The Seven Habits of Inclusive Leaders”
for MPI-WI’s January Education and Networking event.
Melissa prompted much introspection as she shared stories
and strategies to build inclusion into our workplaces. The
advantages of varied opinions and perspectives wereconveyed in Melissa’s comfortable presentation style as she
addressed topics that are often uncomfortable to discuss.
Attendees learned that innovation often comes out of
conflicting views, and leaders need to empathize andencourage those who have different experiences to craft thebest solutions.

Inclusion needs to be a mindset, with a conscious
understanding that all of us have our biases that can cloud
our judgement. Valuing others and their opinions builds
strong teams and strong results.
The virtual event was conducted on the Remo platform,
which offered a unique networking experience that was bothvisual and engaging. The platform looks like an overhead
view of a ballroom, with tables and chairs just like an inperson event (see included image). Attendees were able tovideo chat with others at their table and then easily go toother tables to greet more friends. The networking was a big
hit with attendees eager to get back to in-person events.
The Remo platform was provided courtesy of Tri-Marq
Communications, one of MPI-WI’s Tech Avengers.

A powerful video example – using hamburgers! – helped
illustrate why leaders need to step up and step in when theysee injustice and voices being subdued.

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January/February 2021

MPI Agenda																				

MPI WISCONSIN
ANNIVERSARIESCongratulations to all thosemembers celebrating a milestone
anniversary in December, January
or February!

5 YEAR
TINA JACOBSEN, CMPThe Edgewater Hotel

JENELLE THURNBAUER

Trek Bicycle

10 YEAR
FAITH ELFORD

Wisconsin Municipal Clerks
Association (WMCA)

BRANDON SMITH

Brookfield Conference Center,North Central GroupNEW MEMBER
Welcome to our new members!
DAWN BUGALSKI

Latitude Travel Group
Planner

TRACI GAYDOSUW-Madison School of Medicine &Public Health
Planner

CONNIE KOPEKYVISIT Milwaukee
Supplier

JANINE WACHTER, CMP

Exact Sciences
Planner

VALERIE WEST

Compeer Financial
Planner

VINA XIONG

Hmong American Women’s
Association
Student

25 YEARRENATA PRELLWITZ, CMP

Chula Vista Resort & ConferenceCenter

Refer afriend to
MPI.

When a new member joins, tell them to use the
MyFriendMPI promo code, and to list you on theapplication as the referring member. The new member
will receive $50 off their membership and you’ll receivea $25 credit to apply toward your next renewal.

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January/February 2021|

19

Leftover Materials?
Turn them to Treasure!

A

by Melissa Falendysz, CMP

ll of us love thefeeling that a simple
act of kindness
provides. Whether
that is giving or receiving, there’s always a guaranteed
smile. As you’re graciously thinking of ways to makesomeone’s day, please consider donating your excess
event materials or services to those in need. Consider
binders, pens, notepads, tote bags, water bottles,
charging devices, etc.

YOU MAY BE SURPRISED THAT YOURYEAR OR EVENT-SPECIFIC, BRANDED“LEFTOVERS” CAN BE SOMEONE’STREASURE.
One year my employer, the National Association of Tax
Professionals (NATP), ended up with an abundance of20|

January/February 2021

leftover tote bags from our conference. We were able
to donate these to Outagamie & Fond du Lac County
foster care programs. Whether they’re used by social
workers lugging around their files, a child moving to
a new home, or a teenager moving their belongings
to their first apartment, there’s always a use forhandy totes.
As another generous option, The Scan Group has
used its resources to help clients donate old event
banners and signs to schools. The schools can use
the back (blank) side of signage for class projects.
How cool is that?
So next time you have to clean out that event storage
space (that all of us try to pretend is not here),consider searching for a non-profit in your area.
Take the time to call to check if a local group canuse your items. Repurposing and helping your local
community is as easy as that!

MPI Agenda																

		

Enhance your meeting planningcareer with the MPI Academy
With hundreds of hours of free education for MPI members, the MPI Academy is your one-stop
shop for meeting planning and event industry skills training, CE credits and certificate courses.
Featuring online and in-person classes and webinars, it's the perfect resource for the job you
have - or the job you want.
CERTIFICATE COURSES: https://www.mpi.org/education

DATEBOOK: C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S
BY POPULAR DEMAND

2021

Upcoming Dates

APRILJoin your MPI Wisconsin friends and bring the week to a
happy close with some wine and whine. The struggle is realand its always good to see friendly faces that understand.

FEBRUARYJANUARY

Friday Whine & Cheese
Zoom gatherings return!

FEBRUARY 26 | MARCH 26

14

CHAPTER EDUCATION(Virtual Meeting)18

CHAPTER EDUCATION(Virtual Breakfast Meetingwith MPI Indianapolis)

7-8

TRIVIA NIGHT &SPRING EDUCATION(Kahalari Resort &Convention Center)

Register on our chapter website or bit.ly/whineandcheese.
(Your member email will give you access). Zoom link will be
provided in your confirmation.

		

MPI Agenda

January/February 2021|

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