MAY
JUN
2024
VOL 46/NUM 3

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

TWOTWO PROPERTIES,PROPERTIES,ENDLESSPOSSIBILITIESENDLESSPOSSIBILITIESBook your meeting at The Madison Concourse Hotel or The Ingleside Hotel!
Book your meeting at The Madison Concourse Hotel or The Ingleside Hotel!

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1 W Dayton St, Madison WI • 800 356 8293 • concoursehotel.com
1 W Dayton St, Madison WI • 800 356 8293 • concoursehotel.com

With over 40,000 square feet of meeting space, 20 private event
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2810 Golf Rd, Pewaukee WI • 800 247 6640 • theinglesidehotel.com
2810 Golf Rd, Pewaukee WI • 800 247 6640 • theinglesidehotel.com
May/June 2024|

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MAY/JUNE 2024

MPI-WISCONSIN
2023-2024
BOARD OF DIRECTORSVOL 46 / NUM 3

PRESIDENTREGGIE DRISCOLL, CMP
State Bar of Wisconsin
rdriscoll@wisbar.org

Feature Articles

PRESIDENT-ELECTLIZ UNRUH
Positively Pewaukee
liz@positivelypewaukee.com

August Event Preview		

8

WEC Preview

11

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTREBECCA STAATS
Residence Inn & Fairfield by Marriott Eau Claire
rebecca.l.staats@gmail.com

March Education Event Recap

13

Spring Spectacular & Education Day Recap

16

Rise Award

21

VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIPELIZABETH POH
La Crosse Center
epoh@lacrossecenter.com

In Every Issue

VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE
SARA BEUTHIEN
WEDC
sara.beuthien@wedc.org
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONSKORTNEE CARROLL
Kalahari Resorts
kocarroll@kalahariresorts.com
VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATIONAMY QUALMANN
Wisconsin Association of School Boards
aqualmann@wasb.org

Editor’s Note		4

President’s Message

6

Food for Thought: Chef Jenny Hochschild9

Who’s in the News

22

Anniversaries / New Members				

23

Board Member Profile: Lindsey Hess, CMP

25

Planner Profile: Tyler Priefer

26

Supplier Profile: Terri Bain

27

Volunteer Spotlights: Greta McCue, Cheryl Oswald, 		

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROJECTSJACOB ADAMSKI
Stevens Point Area CVB
jacob@stevenspointarea.com

Tyler Priefer, Maria Peot, CMP		

Save the Date

28
29

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTSCARRIE BERGER
National Fluid Power Associationcberger@nfpa.com
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS & SPONSORSHIPSED BUCHNER
Majic Productions
ebuchner@majicpro.com
DIRECTOR OF MEMBER CAREJODY ROOS
Wisconsin Bankers Association
jroos@wisbank.com
DIRECTOR OF AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS & RECRUITMENT
KATHY READINGThe SCAN Groupreading@scangroup.net
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
CHERYL OSWALD
CNH Industrial
cheryl.oswald@cnhind.com

Experience MPI Wisconsin
Print: Agenda Magazine
5 Different Ways
Web: mpiweb.org/Wisconsin
Facebook: facebook.com/mpiwi
LinkedIn: MPI-WI Chapter
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mpi_wi_chapter 																	DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONSGRETA MCCUEHyatt Regency Milwaukee
greta.mccue@hyatt.com
DIRECTOR OF MONTHLY PROGRAMMING
LINDSEY HESS, CMPUW-Madison
lhess@highroad.wisc.edu

May/June 2024

4075 Vilas Road

fax: 608.204.9818

Cottage Grove, WI 53527

email: admin@mpiwi.org

tel: 608.204.9816

web: www.mpiweb.org/wisconsin|

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Editor’s Note
Published bimonthly by
Meeting Professionals International –Wisconsin Chapter

Where do sheep go on vacation?
The Baaa-hamas!
A corny summer dad joke is needed
to brighten the day. Do you haveany vacations planned? Any family
trips? Kid sports tournaments? I findtraveling with your partner, family,or friends to be so important foryour mental health. It is necessary
to escape reality and enjoy a trip oflaughs and memories with those you
love. Life is too short to not explore
the world!

EDITORSTyler Priefer
Generac Power Systems
tyler.priefer@generac.com
Maria Peot, CMP
Zywavemaria.peot@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Caley Mutrie, CAE, IOM
Cheryl Oswald, CMP
Lindsey Hess, CMP
Terri Bain
Shannon Timmerman, CMP

GRAPHIC DESIGNAnn Shultz, AJS Designs

PUBLICATION DEADLINES
July/August 2024
Deadline: June 15, 2024
September/October 2024
Deadline: August 15, 2024
November/December 2024
Deadline: October 15, 2024

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

I am so excited for the warm weather, outdoor events, and lake days to
begin! At Generac, our summers are busy with several company events,
but we have a blast putting them together. We host our golf outing,company picnic, and spend a lot of time on our stage at Summerfest. It
turns into a busy summer, but it is always a good time seeing everyone.
If you attend Summerfest, make sure to stop by the Generac stage. We
always enjoy seeing and spending time with familiar MPI faces. In otherwords, see you there… POWER ON!
MPI has a lot to offer for the remainder of this year. We have WEC taking
place in Louisville, a gathering in August, the awards gala in September,and a relaxing event in October at the Abbey Resort! I look forward toseeing what the planning committees put on for each event, and who the
speaker team pulls in to be a part of our days. We have amazing andtalented teams within MPI-WI. We are one lucky chapter.
As always make sure to reach out if you are interested in volunteering.
MPI-WI has so many teams that are willing to take on new volunteers. It
is a great opportunity to meet others, make connections, and create newfriendships. If you don’t know where to start, just ask!
Have a great summer!

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Tyler Priefer
Reggie Driscoll, CMP

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L E T’S C R E A T E
YO U R V I S I O N
We know just the place. Our world-class meeting and event centerin the heart of Madison, Wisconsin, is home to 250,000 square feet ofFrank Lloyd Wright-designed space – and every inch of it is customizable
right down to the last detail. From award-winning catering to custom AV
and staging setups, walkable restaurants and nightlife to breathtaking views,

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if you can imagine it, we can help orchestrate your incredible.

Madison, WI

May/June 2024|

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5

Connect with us at MononaTerrace.com© 2024 Monona Terrace

President’s Message
together. Let me know if you areplanning on attending but have notjoined the Messenger group yet.
There may be carpooling options
also, so ask around and see who
else is planning on attending.We
hope that with the WEC in the
Midwest for the next two years,
our members will make an extra
effort to attend this event. Meetings
Michigan and Visit Canton will
be hosting a GLES Reception on
Tuesday night, May 21, at 5:15 p.m.
at the Hilton Garden Inn Rooftop.
See you there. Let me know if
you want the RSVP link for thisevent. The invitation has been sentout to MI, WI, IN, OH, IL, and PA
attendees.

WEC in Louisville, we will havean in-person education event
again in August. This will be a nicebreak for us, but we also want tomake sure we keep motivated andinvolved. One way to do this is tojoin one of the committees that will
be working on our future events.
Your involvement is crucial to our
success. Contact Lindsey Hess, ourDirector of Monthly Programming,
at lhess@highroad.wisc.edu tosee what volunteer positions areavailable. We’d love to see newfaces on the committees.

Our recent Spring Spectacularand Spring Education Day were
not just successful, they wereunique experiences that brought
our members together in a special
way. The fantastic turnout was a
testament to the value of these
events, and it was a pleasure tosee both familiar and new faces in
the crowd. As we look ahead, I’m
excited to share that you’ll receive
three additional columns from methis year. Consider it a bonus!
This year has been fantastic; we
had a great autumn and a busy
spring season. Due to the MPIWorld Education Congress (WEC)
schedule change, we rearranged
our education sessions. We havenever had events four months ina row, then WEC in May. I know
it’s a lot to ask of ourselves, ouremployers, and our families. We
appreciate everyone’s time andeffort to make each event run
smoothly and successfully. After

During May and June, let’s takesome time to show some love andrespect by celebrating Mother’s Day
and Father’s Day. Give the kids anextra hug and celebrate if you’re amother or father yourself. And, yes,
fur babies count.
Check out the event calendar on
the back page for our upcoming
education events. We finish thecalendar year with August in
Milwaukee, The Awards Gala in
September at the Heidel House,
and October at The Abbey Resort.
Be sure to get these all on yourcalendars.
Looking forward to seeing you
soon!!

I am personally looking forward
to seeing a great Wisconsin turnout at WEC in Louisville. If you
are planning on going, we have a
Facebook Messenger group set
up so we can all communicate

May/June 2024|

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Hello to all MPI-WI members,

There is a quote from Booker T.
Washington that says, “If you wantto lift yourself up, lift up someone
else.” This quote has lifted mefrom time to time. It makes me
realize there is more to focus onthan what is happening to me atany specific time. This makes melook at others and see what I can
do to help. During the months wedon’t meet in person (June/July),please reach out to another industry
professional to share a smile orjust let them know you’re thinking
about them. It can do wonders foryour attitude. If they are a member,that’s wonderful. If they are not amember, this could be the first stepin offering them the opportunity to
become members. Remember theexcitement when you first joinedand came to your first event. It is
worth sharing with friends.

6

EVERYONE’SCHOICE

YOUR CHOICE

THE CHOICE IS CLEAR
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When it comes to what you need for a convention,
we’ve got the numbers you’re looking for, like 5,600
meetings a year, 500,000 square feet of meeting
space, and over 900 guest rooms. More importantly,
we have what you want. Shopping, golf, waterparks,
restaurants, family fun, and so much more –all because we’re in the business of having fun.
MeetInTheDells.com | sales@wisdells.com | (608) 253-5217
May/June 2024|

MPI Agenda|

7August Event Preview
SAVE THE DATE!!!
August 15, 2024 we will be holding our next education event! We will be at
AMPED in Milwaukee with a hotel room block at the Brewhouse Inn & Suites.
Mark your calendar and get ready for some education and fun in Milwaukee!!!

CHECK OUT FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON PAGE 9

Meet in the Middle
Middleton, Wisconsin, is anything but ordinary.
Choose from one of nine hotels, including the area’s
largest convention hotel, and enjoy one of our 80 cafésand restaurants, two shopping districts, award-winning brewery, local cidery, quirky attractions, andbeautiful scenic spaces. Come discover why
it’s the middle things that will make your meeting
memorable.

meetinmiddleton.com

WMPI_halfpg May-June-2024.indd 1

4/1/2024 11:02:42 AM

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8

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Ask About Our Grant Program!

JENNY
FOOD for thought: CHEF
HOCHSCHILD
Bars & Recreation is the parent company for six Milwaukee
entertainment brands: Amped, AXE MKE, The New Fashioned,
NorthSouth Club, Nine Below, Splash Studio and Head Space Trivia.

BARS & RECREATION

hef Jenny boasts over 40
years of experience in thefood service industry, withdiverse roles that have honed
her culinary expertise.
Her journey has seen her excel inpositions in Madison, Racine, and
Milwaukee. One of her fondest
memories includes catering
extravagant boat parties on Lake
Michigan, showcasing her culinary
prowess in unique settings.
Beyond the kitchen, she is anaccomplished artist, participating inplein air festivals and local art fairs.
An avid reader and member of the
Milwaukee Art Museum, her interests
extend to literature, art history, andpoetry.
Despite her culinary talents, she
humbly admits to indulging in simple
pleasures like peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches and hearty soups.
Driven by her love for food and artistry,
Chef Jenny’s journey is a testament toher dedication to culinary excellence
and lifelong learning.

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CHECK OUT CHEF JENNY’S
CHICKEN MULLIGATAWNY SOUP
RECIPE ON PAGE 10

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9Chef Jenny’s Chicken
Mulligatawny Soup
DIRECTIONS
prefer to use a rice cooker, so I don’t have towatch the pot cook.)
2. If you time this right, you can start cooking
the rice and have the soup finished just as
the rice finishes cooking.
3. In a large pot or soup kettle, sauté the onions
in about 1T of oil until soft.
4. Add the carrots, celery, and apples. Cook forjust a few minutes. Add the chopped garlic,salt, black pepper, curry, and Marrakesh
seasoning. If you can’t find the Marrakesh
mix, you can substitute more of the currypowder.
5. I recommend spices from one of the local
spice houses. The flavors are far superior to
any you’ll find in a grocery store, they have a
far greater variety of mixes, and you will needless of each spice you use. Plus, it’s local!
6. Add the chicken, parsley, and raisins. Stirand let the flavors mingle for a few minutes,
then add the chicken stock. Cover and bring
the soup to a boil then turn down the heat
down to simmer. Let it cook until the carrots
are just done, about 5 minutes, then add thecoconut milk.
7. Again, bring it to boil then keep it on a low
simmer until the rice is finished cooking.
8. Try a little taste and adjust the seasonings as
you desire. This is a sweeter soup, and somepeople like to add a bit of zip by a dash of
cayenne or tabasco.
9. Add the cooked rice. You’ll think you needmore than you do but avoid the temptation to
add it all! The rice will expand after you add
it to the soup and the rice and coconut milk
will thicken it just enough and give the soup acreamy texture.
10. Serve as soon as possible as this doesn’thold as well as other soups. If for somereason you have leftovers, add a little stockor water to thin out the soup for reheating.

INGREDIENTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

1 cup onion, small dice
1 ½ cup chopped carrots
1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2-3/4 cup)
1 large granny smith apple, skin on, cored, chopped
1 ½ cup cooked chicken½ cup dark raisins (I like jumbo)
1 T minced fresh garlic
1-2 T flat leaf parsley, chopped loosely
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper¼ tsp curry powder (I prefer the Spice House sweet
yellow blend for this recipe)
1 tsp Marrakesh Blend also from Spice House (I use
this often!)
2 cups chicken stock
8 oz coconut milk, unsweetened (canned, not thecoffee house variety. I also suggest avoiding the“Lite” version)
1 cup cooked rice, Jasmine or Basmati

Makes about 5½ cups of soup

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1. Rinse the rice well in cold water. Strain. (I

C W
E
W VIE
E
R
P

All members attending
WEC, don’t miss the
MPI Great Lakes Reception at WEC!
Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Rooftop
350 W. Chestnut St., Louisville, KY 40202
May 21, 2024
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
Join MPI Great Lakes at the Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Rooftop for a dazzling networking reception during MPI
WEC! Savor cocktails, appetizers, and panoramic views while reconnecting with your industry friends. Celebrate
togetherness in style, and don’t miss this unforgettable soirée. Our venue is a short walk from the convention centerand right after Tuesday’s general session. RSVP now to secure your spot and be sure to share with all your friends!

Invited chapters: MI, IN, WI, OH, IL, & PA (and others wanting to join us!)REGISTER HERE

This event is sponsored by Meetings Michigan and Visit Canton

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Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Rooftop

May/June 2024|

MPI Agenda|

11

WISCONSIN DELLS, WI

UNPARALLELED MEETINGS WITHUNIQUE OPTIONS FOR ALL
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is the perfect place to hold yourmeeting. Big or small, we’ll make sure your attendees are taken careof. Our talented culinary team is ready to create a tailored dining
experience to delight. With a full-service spa, a piano bar and worldclass dining options, Kalahari has everything you need to ensure
your event is successful.

› 212,000 square feet of flexible event space› Two hours or less from major cities› Diverse team-building options available on-site› Eight food & beverage options› 794 guest rooms & suites| ©2024 Kalahari Management Co. LLC
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KalahariMeetings.com | Call 855-411-4605 to learn more | Follow Us:

May/June 2024|

MPI Agenda|

12

MARCH EDUCATION EVENT RECAP

Uh-Ohs and Hot Topics!
By: Caley Mutrie, CAE, IOM

Hosted by the Monona Terrace
Community and Convention Center
along with Hilton Madison, withsponsorship from Destination
Madison, Embassy Suites by Hilton
Madison Downtown, Kalahari
Resorts & Conventions, and Tri-Marq
Communications, the event provided
a day of outstanding education andnetworking in a beautiful venue.
Before our general sessions got
underway, MPI-WI Past President
Naomi Tucker, CMP, founder ofPlanners on Purpose, again offered andfacilitated the CMP 101 program. As a
CMP hopeful, I attended this orientationand came away with my questions
answered about the CMP program anda much better understanding of theprocess overall. The program is offeredperiodically at monthly events, and I

highly recommend it to those thinking
about pursuing the CMP credential.
Then it was time for our first sessionof the day, Addressing Those “Uh-Oh”
Situations in Your Contracts. Tyraorganized the discussion of contract
and liability issues contextually, using
several real-world scenarios to explore
variations on force majeure, including

Lunch was held on the Community
Terrace, where we enjoyed a fabulous
Mediterranean-themed menu set
against the beautiful backdrop of Lake
Monona. Excellent food, views, andgreat company served as a welcome
break between sessions.

situations where weather, construction,
hot-button legislative and culturalissues, and groups overlapping at avenue with conflicting ideologies. She
delineated cancellation versus force
majeure, which is often confusing, andsuggested essential clauses to include
in our contracts.

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The March Education event offered
not one but two terrific sessions fromspeaker Tyra Warner, PhD, JD, CMP,
Chair of the Department of Hospitality,
Tourism, and Culinary Arts, College ofCoastal Carolina.

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13

MARCH EDUCATION EVENT RECAP

The afternoon session topic was
The Lawyer is In – Hot Topics andYour Questions. Tyra shared her
wisdom and experience on the issues
audience attendees are dealing with.
We discussed and received advice oninternational incentives and service,data protection law, venue services,
disabilities where the need exceeds
venue capability, service animals,
construction, food allergies, codes ofconduct, food donation, indemnification,
COVID and force majeure, and attrition
and reselling of rooms. We named it,
and Tyra covered it with us.
Our day concluded with a reception,raffle, and happy hour. We returnedto the Community Terrace to networkand reexperience the Terrace and ourview of Lake Monona as the sun was
beginning to set before making our way
over to the Hilton Madison for a hosted
happy hour and networking.

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Thank you to Tyra, Monona Terrace,
Hilton Madison, our sponsors, and theplanning committee for a great event—
my first and definitely not my last MPIWI event!

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ANYTHING
BUT BUSINESSAS USUAL
Recognized as a hidden gem in Lake Country, the Delafield Hotel effortlessly
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combines cool, contemporary sophistication with the tools to get the job done.
If you’re in pursuit of a venue that seamlessly integrates modern amenities witha storied history, your perfect destination is none other than Red Circle Inn.

RED CIRCLE INN N44W33013 WATERTOWN PLANK RD, NASHOTAH • REDCIRCLEINN.COM
DELAFIELD HOTEL 415 GENESEE ST, DELAFIELD • DELAFIELDHOTEL.COM

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SPRING SPECTACULAR & EDUCATION EVENT RECAP

Great Scott! What an event!
By: Shannon Timmerman, CMP
Kalahari went above and beyond to create a memorable experience for our Chapter. They were a great host and really leaned into
the theme. They saw it as a chance to show off some of the creative things they can do with set-up and with their culinary team!

SPRING SPECTACULAR
pulled ran away with the Gold medal.
Congratulations to Rebecca Staats,
Tom Graybill, JoEllen Graber, andShelley Lauer! These competitive stars
were closely followed by Team #2 andTeam #3 with the Silver and Bronze.
In the spirit of the Olympics, we wereencouraged to dress in our Olympic
best. Congratulations to Kim Casey forbeing the best dressed for the evening!
I knew when I heard an announcement
for a missing Speedo Swim cap, thatsomeone had nailed it on the theme!

The event kicked off Wednesday
evening with the Spring Spectacular.
The Pub Olympics in Kalahari’s
Volcano Lounge showed how we could
incorporate games into our networking
and executive retreats. After fueling up

There was a closing ceremony andmedal presentation at Redd’s Piano
Bar, where we had more delicious foodand hydration offerings to replenish ourenergy. We sang the night away with
Jeremy, who entertained us with his solo
piano man/singing show. Jeremy dazzled
audiences across Carnival and Royal
Caribbean Cruise lines for decades, andhe most certainly entertained our group
into the evening hours.
Continued on page 17

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with some tasty appetizers, the groups
were assembled to begin the festivities.
Ed Buchner and Kortnee Carroll
coached us, as we made our way
through a variety of games, including
a golf simulator, duckpin bowling,pool, darts, shuffleboard, basketball,actual bowling, and axe throwing! The
competition was fierce, but Team #4

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SPRING SPECTACULAR & EDUCATION EVENT RECAPEDUCATION DAY
Our first round of breakouts waswith Michael, this time for a supplierfocused session on Leadership andhow to “Calm the Fear.” There was alsoa planner-focused session with Jim
Spellos, which went through tech tools
to enhance productivity.

and opening keynote from the one andonly Michael Dominguez. He filled us
in on the latest trends and projections
in our industry. As always, Michael
Dominguez had the crowd mesmerizedwith his wealth of knowledge.

Our guests gathered to complete theCommunity Outreach project, painting
watercolors for a splash of color andcompassion! MPI-Wisconsin teamed
up with Kalahari & Charity Water tobring clean water to ONE MILLION
lives in Africa. This was followed by afantastic lunch, which was on theme,of course! Down to the servers wearing
the iconic “puffy vests” from Back to
the Future.
Continued on page 18
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17

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Education Day began bright and earlyon Thursday morning and was a fullday of amazing speakers. As weentered the Ballroom through a Backto the Future journey entrance (which
was totally awesome), we kicked off
the morning with a delicious breakfast

SPRING SPECTACULAR & EDUCATION EVENT RECAP
Afternoon breakouts highlighted twoof our very own MPI-WI Chapter
members. Naomi Tucker, CMP,
from Planners on Purpose, andWe ended our day with Jim Spellos andthe fascinating conversation on artificial
intelligence. Coming from someone
who has very little knowledge on AI, it
was mind blowing!

A huge shout out to our 2024 StrategicPartners! Because of your support,
we were able to have 60 MPI planners
attend at no charge.

According to Chapter
Administrator Christopher
Dyer, “Usually with a freeregistration, we see someno-shows. This year, we
had 140 register, and 136
showed up!” This was thelargest program attendance
that we have had since2019, which is amazing!
Thank you also to our Registration
sponsor, PC/nametag, for thethemed badges. PC/nametag was agreat partner with the on-site badge
technology they brought. We worked
with them through the planning
process to develop a badge templateand how to thank our partners on
the back side of the badges. And to
our Breakfast Sponsor, Wisconsin
Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau,
Continued on page 19

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18

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Geoffrey Sandler with Celebrations
Entertainment, Voice of Geoffrey,
shared their expertise on meeting andevent planning stress, how to ease theburn, and working with nonprofits andassociations.

and Keynote Sponsor Meet Chicago
Northwest, thank you! And to all thatvolunteered, donated silent auction
items and Sprecher Brewing Co. fortheir donated root beer showing theircustom label program, and the Outlets
at the Dells for providing everyone
with a coupon and Vera Bradley
keychain as they left. Last, but notleast, thank you to our Host, Kalahari
Resorts and Conventions. I’ll say it
again, they went completely above andbeyond to make our Back to the Future
theme come to life. I mean, c’mon….
we had a DeLorean in the room! Doc
would be proud!

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SPRING SPECTACULAR & EDUCATION EVENT RECAP

May/June 2024|

MPI Agenda|

19SeamlessEvents fromStart to Finish
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Skip the set up, order
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pcnametag.com/name-badges-to-go.

May/June 2024

pcnametag.com • 800.369.8622|

MPI Agenda|

20

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No minimums, expires 12/31/24. Online and Phone Orders.

MPI- Wisconsin Chapter
awarded the 2024 RISE Award
for Marketplace Excellence!
By: Reggie Driscoll, CMP

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) launched the Recognize Industry Success andExcellence (RISE) Award Program in 2009. This annual program recognizes chaptersand individual members from the MPI community based on their work’s influence,transferability, and innovation within the MPI Community and/or the industry at large.
This is an opportunity to show off our best practices to

We looked at the way this program has helped ourBest practices are documented andshare this program with other chapters. No lie, it was achapter become financially stable and how we could

other chapters to help them learn and grow themselves.

great opportunity to brag about how well our program is.

presented to chapter leadershipThis is also an excellent retention

for easy implementation intoand growth tool. The revenue

chapter planning.

from this program is how we

For this year’s award we submitted

can offer Education Day free to

our Strategic Partnership Program forplanners and offer seven otherconsideration.

education events per year.

This also helps us afford the

Our team was Christopher Dyer,

high quality of speakers that our

Alison Huber (Past President), Tom Graybill,chapter expects. It allows the(Past President) and Reggie Driscoll, CMP. The

education committees to spend

program began in 2013 and has been growing

more time on content and events than fundraising foralmost every year since (curse you COVID!!). The

each individual educational program.

success of the program is due to the work of every

member supporting the chapter, every board member,

We started meeting and looking into this award in July ofand every President.

2023. We had to have our application in by December 10,
2023 and were notified that we were finalists on February

15th. We had our interview on February 23, 2024 and justfound out on April 17th that we were the winners! We will beSpecial thanks to Christopher and Heather for theirformally presented with this award at the World Educationconsistency and perseverance each year to get theThank you to our current board of directors and everyone involved!

May/June 2024|

MPI Agenda|

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Congress (WEC) in Louisville May 20-22, 2024.

information updated and out to the partners.

Compiled by Cheryl Oswald, CMP
Liz Unruh wasrecognized at the Villageof Pewaukee Police
Department 2024 Police
Merit Awards with theCommunity Letter ofCommendation award.

1

4

Congrats, Liz!

2

Naomi Tucker, CMP,
was recently featured
as a panelist on global
certifications at CMP
Advance in Toronto.
You can also catch
Naomi as a speaker at
WEC. Catch her breakout
on Event Industry Burnout – We’re Putting it ALL on the
Table on May 22nd!
Way to go, Naomi!

5

Tracy Bockhop, CMP, recently
received the Smart Women
Entrepreneur Award from Smart
Meetings Magazine!
Congrats, Tracey!

6
Cheryl Oswald, CMM, CMP, CEM, recently received
the Smart Women Innovator Award from Smart
Meetings Magazine. Cheryl also received her Certified
Meeting Professional certification!

Kalahari Resorts - Cafe Mirage
opened! Great grab-and-go lunch
spot and you must try their Kuku’s
chicken with all of the different
sauces!

Congrats, Cheryl!

3

Carrie Berger, CMP,
recently received her
Certified in Meeting
Professions certification!

Amy Qualmann, CMP, wasrecently promoted to Director of
Conferences & Events at the WIAssociation of School Boards.

7

Congrats, Carrie!

NOTE: if you have any news to share inthis column, please contact Cheryl Oswald,
Director - Publications & Community Outreach,cheryLoswald@cnh.com.

May/June 2024

8|

Jen Mell, CMP’s company is now
YES (Your Event Solutions) LTDAltour combined forces with Travel
Leaders Corporate On Tempo tocreate YES, an ALTOUR Company.

MPI Agenda|

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Congrats, Amy!

MPI WISCONSINNEW MEMBERS

ANNIVERSARIESCongratulations to those members celebrating
a milestone anniversary in May/June!
1 YEAR
Pamela Barritt
Ashworth College

Becky Koch
Impact Association Management

Natalie Boyce
Baird

Shandi WhiteGreat Wolf Resorts

Claire DeLancey
Baird
Juliet Webb
Baird
Holly Willams, CMP
Advanced Textiles Association
Pam Wojcik
Rexnord

5 YEARS
Shauna Baranczyk
UW-Madison
Juanita Guzman
ROME

10 YEARS
Lindsey Hess, CMPHigh Road Strategy Center
Leigha Schatzman
MRA

15 YEARS

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Christopher Dyer
MDS

May/June 2024|

MPI Agenda|23

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Unlock exclusive savings by mentioning MPI WI
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May/June 2024|

MPI Agenda|

24

High Road Strategy Center
Madison, WI

What do I like most about being amember of MPI?
I love the networking and being able
to talk to people in my industry. I havebeen part of MPI for 10 years andI have learned so much from othermembers. I know if I have a plannerquestion, there will be another plannerto help me out. I also really appreciate
being able to build relationships with
suppliers so when I don’t understandsomething, I can ask questions, evendumb questions, and know they will
help me to understand. We are in this
together and always supporting eachother. MPI is my family!
The person I admire and why?
My dad. He is one of the kindest and friendliest people I know. He is the guy who
is looking after those who don’t have family, needs company, or a hot meal. I
don’t know how many times growing up we would have someone we didn’t know
at our Thanksgiving dinner. He always said everyone needs somewhere to go on
the holidays. He has never been one to ask for anything in return, which drives
everyone crazy, but he doesn’t do it for the money or attention, he does it because
he truly cares. He has the biggest heart and is always being goofy and making
people laugh. He is now retired, still volunteering, playing music, helping those inneed and continues to smile and laugh, because why not!
Words to live by:
The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.
Audrey Hepburn

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LINDSEY HESS, CMP

Board Member Profile:

LINDSEY HESS, CMP

May/June 2024|

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TYLERPRIEFER__________________________________
Generac Power Systems

Tell us about your company and/or position: I workfor Generac Power Systems located in Waukesha, WI!
We manufacture generators that help restore powerin industrial, residential, and commercial buildings. My
position consists of internal and external events, we
complete about 70 events a year that range between
20 people - 3,600 people! It is safe to say we staypretty busy.
How long have you been in the meetingsindustry? Almost a year and a half. I was inhealthcare for six years prior to starting at Generac.
What drew you to become a planner? Prior to Generac, I worked as an activities
assistant in a Dementia Unit and it was an absolute blast. As I was planning, organizing,and implementing events for the residents, I began to realize how much I enjoyeddoing it! I loved being able to plan all these fun events for the residents and getting theopportunity to enjoy the events with them. Life is way too short to not have fun withothers. (My dementia residents will always hold a special place in my heart.)
What do you like most about being a member of MPI? THE CONNECTIONS! Every
MPI event I always meet someone new and create a connection with them in one
way or another (linked, mutual friend, mutual interest, etc.). Even in public, I will meet
individuals who are or previously were a part of MPI and we get to chatting... this is asign I talk too much. MPI is such an awesome opportunity Generac has given me and I
am beyond grateful for the people within MPI.
What was your favorite team or project you have worked on for MPI, or what areaof the Chapter do you hope to become involved with? I have enjoyed being a part of
the Agenda Magazine team. The team is great to work with and editing the magazine isalways a fun thing to do.
What are your hobbies and interests? I have been dancing for 25 years and teachingfor 12 years! Dancing is a passion and I enjoy working out.
Favorite artist: This is a tie between Dave Matthew and Mumford & Sons!
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TYLER PRIEFER

Planner Profile:

Waukesha, WI

May/June 2024|

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TERRI
BAIN_____________________________________
Lake Lawn Resort

Delavan, WI in the Lake Geneva area

1-3 things unique to your company: Lake Lawn Resort is a historic property with it’s
beginning in 1878 and is located on two miles of shoreline along Delavan Lake. It’s aregular occurrence to hear stories from guests about visiting when they were children andnow bringing their grandchildren.
One of two places in the U.S. with a string of Prairie style homes designed by Frank
Lloyd Wright. Only a short walk out to the lakefront, guests can board the Lake Lawn
Queen which accommodates up to 70 passengers and can be chartered privately or
guests are able to join a public boat cruise to spend time on the lake. We have “manyoptions” available to visitors with a wide variety of room types ranging from king rooms
for couples and loft rooms for families along with lake homes. Unique event space andamenities also offer visitors “many options” both inside and outside depending upon thetime of year.
What drew you to join the hospitality industry: I found working at a resort fun andit felt like a natural fit for me. The hospitality industry gave this small town girl many
new experiences including my first airplane ride and gave me a chance to grow a
career. Along with wonderful mentors, MPI education and networking was an importantpart of my journey.   
Tell us about the person you admire most and why: My angel mother who raised
seven children followed closely by my two sisters. Both loving and kind mixed withstrength and dedication to family and whatever goals they want to achieve.
Any words to live by or favorite quotes you would like to share with someone
wanting to join hospitality? I always remember back to when, as an impressionable
first time manager, a General Manager gave me advice that has kept my feet on the
ground. Hospitality can be simple, it is like welcoming someone to your home. Think
about all the preparations you make for people who visit you - cleanliness, good food,welcoming smile… and it goes on. They were simple words but they left a lasting
impression.

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Supplier Profile:

Terri Bain

How long have you been in the industry: Over 30
years in the hospitality industry and still loving it. I
started in hospitality as an administrative assistantto the sales team and fell in love with the hospitality
industry.

In every organization, there are unsung
heroes whose dedication and hard work
behind the scenes often go unnoticed.
Today, we shine a spotlight on two
remarkable individuals whose contributions
have truly made a difference: Greta McCue
and Cheryl Oswald.

Have you ever marveled at the seamlessproduction of our bi-monthly magazines
and wondered about the secret behind
their success? Look no further than the
exceptional dedication of two remarkable
volunteers who work tirelessly behind thescenes: Tyler Priefer and Maria Peot.

Greta McCue is the creative force behind oursocial media presence and website edits.
If you’ve ever marveled at a catchy social
media post or appreciated the seamlessnavigation on our website, you have Greta
to thank. Her keen eye for detail and knackfor crafting engaging content have taken our
online platforms to new heights. But it’s notjust about aesthetics; Greta’s commitment
ensures that our organization stays
connected with our audience, amplifying ourreach and impact. Without her tireless efforts,
our digital footprint would not be as vibrant oreffective. Greta, I am immensely grateful foryour invaluable contributions to our team.

Editing is a meticulous task that requires
precision, attention to detail, and acommitment to excellence. Tyler and Maria
embody these qualities wholeheartedly,
serving as the backbone of our publication
team. Every other month, they devote
countless hours to review, refine, andperfect each page, ensuring that every “i”
is dotted and every “t” is crossed. Their
unwavering dedication and unwaveringcommitment to quality are the driving forces
behind our ability to consistently deliver six
magazines a year.
Tyler & Maria, thank you for yourunwavering commitment to the
AGENDA Magazine!

Equally deserving of recognition is Cheryl
Oswald, the mastermind behind ourcaptivating AGENDA Magazine. From
inception to publication, Cheryl invests
countless hours into curating content,
coordinating with contributors, and refining
every detail to perfection. Her dedication
to excellence is evident in each issue, as
she meticulously crafts a publication that
informs, entertains, and inspires. Cheryl’s
unwavering commitment to producing
top-notch work sets the standard for ourorganization and elevates our collective
efforts. Cheryl, your passion, andprofessionalism are truly commendable, andI am privileged to have you as an integral
part of our team.

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GRETA MCCUE, CHERYL OSWALD
TYLER PRIEFER, MARIA PEOT

Volunteer Spotlights:

If you’re interested
in volunteering,reach out to us atadmin@mpiwi.org

The Unsung Heroes Behind Our
Bi-Monthly Magazines:
Tyler Priefer and Maria Peot

Celebrating Outstanding Volunteers:
Greta McCue and Cheryl Oswald

Thank you both for all you do!

May/June 2024|

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Enhance your meeting planning career with the

MPI ACADEMYWith 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 andin-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

SAVE THE DATE
2024 CHAPTER EVENTS
MAY 20 – 22, 2024
WECLouisville, KY
AUGUST 15, 2024
AUGUST EDUCATION
Bars & Rec
The Best Place at Historic Pabst Brewery &Brewhouse Inn & Suites, Milwaukee
SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
MPI AWARDS GALA
Heidel House, Green Lake

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OCTOBER 14, 2024
OCTOBER EDUCATIONThe Abbey Resort, Fontana

May/June 2024|

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