JULY
AUG
2019
VOL 41/NUM 4

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

Chri

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Pictured: Pontiac Convention Center

Janesville, Wisconsin’s Great Outside is theideal destination to hold your next meeting,convention or retreat! Janesville offers a variety
of meeting spaces and a wide selection of hotels,
restaurants and attractions including manyaffordable options that provide you with greatvalue. Our team will work with you every stepof the way to ensure the best experience for you
and your group. Janesville is easily accessible right off of I-39/90. Planners - call today andbe sure to ask how you can earn money backwhen you hold your meeting in Janesville!

janesvillecvb.com · (800) 487-2757 FJULY/AUGUST 2019

MPI-WISCONSIN
2019-2020
BOARD OF DIRECTORSPRESIDENT
JOELLEN GRABER
Impact Association Management
joeygraber1@gmail.com
PRESIDENT-ELECTALISON HUTCHINSON
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
ahutchinson@foxcities.org
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTTAMARA JESSWEIN, CMPHID Global
tjesswein@hidglobal.com
VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE
STACEY LUCAS
The Ridge Hotelslucas@palomaresorts.com
VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIPREGGIE DRISCOLL, CMP
State Bar of Wisconsin
rdriscoll@wisbar.org
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONSJASON KAUFFELD, CMP
Green Lake Conference Center
JasonK@glcc.org
VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATIONREBECCA STAATSAAA of Wisconsin
rlstaats@aaawisconsin.com
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTSNICOLE ELLICKSON, CMP
AFCC
nellickson@afccnet.org

VOL 41 / NUM 4

Feature Articles

Meet Your 2019-2020 Board of Directors

8

MPI-WI Trivia Night Recap

10

2018-2019 MPI-Wisconsin Hall of Fame Award

13

MPI-WI 2018-19 Award Nominees

14

Spring Education Day Recap

20

Save the Date for Great Lakes Education Summit!

24

In Every Issue
Editor’s Note

4

President’s Column

6

Community Outreach Evolution

13

New Members & Anniversaries				

18

Who's in the News				

23

Volunteer Spotlight: April Education Event Attendees		

25

Board Member Profile: Jason Kauffeld, CMP, CPP, RPCV

26

CalendarBC

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS & SPONSORSHIPSMELISSA FALENDYSZ, CMP
National Association of Tax Professionals
mfalendysz@naptax.com
DIRECTOR OF MEMBER CARELIZ UNRUH
Wisconsin Center District
eunruh@wcd.org
DIRECTOR OF AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS & RECRUITMENTCATHY CLUFF
Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau
cathy@visitoshkosh.com
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
KATHY READINGThe Scan Group, Inc.
reading@scangroup.net
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONSSHERRY WOLFF
Kohlersherry.wolff@kohler.com
DIRECTOR OF MONTHLY PROGRAMMINGJOSHUA WIMMERRadisson Hotel Milwaukee Westjmwimmer@wi.rr.com
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION PROJECTSKYRA POPP
Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau
kyra@wisdells.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 																	MPI Agenda
July/August 2019| 3

MPI-WISCONSIN CHAPTER

Published bimonthly by
Meeting Professionals International –Wisconsin Chapter
CO-EDITORS
Katie McGinnis
Iron Horse Hotel
kmcginnis@theironhorsehotel.com
Chris Alberti, CMP
Derse
calberti@derse.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Melissa Falendysz, CMP
Kathy Reading
Deana HeinischMaria Peot, CMP
Rebecca Staats

GRAPHIC DESIGNAnn Shultz, AJS Designs

PUBLICATION DEADLINES
September/October 2019
Deadline: July 15, 2019
November/December 2019
Deadline: September 15, 2019

EDITOR'S NOTE
am so excited tosay hello to you, as
your new editor! I
am writing this fromThe Crowne Plaza
Milwaukee Airport
where I started my
MPI career. I was
introduced to MPI
when Spring Education Day washosted in 2013 with our theme:“Your Runway to Success.” I was
the venue liaison and was proud
to be a part of planning that day.
I remember it, as if it were yesterday, due to the great lineup of speakers. We
heard from Shawna Suckow, CMP and a Flashpoint of NSA Speakers. We also
had the privilege to hear from Cindy D'Aoust, Chief Operating Officer of MPI
International at the time.
Since Spring Education Day in 2013, I’ve had the pleasure of being the
Co-Lead for Spring Education Day and went on to become the Director ofMonthly Programming, VP of Education and VP of Membership. I thoroughly
enjoyed the people I worked with on the board. I spent many hours at my deskwith my headphones on, listening to speakers as I really wanted to discover
the next best presenter for our events. I have learned so many skills while
volunteering on the board, including managing an event budget and learning
the event planner prospective during RFP Season. I was honored to receive
the President’s Award from Jennifer Mell in 2017 which I still proudly display on
my desk.
I am looking forward to my new role as editor and work with another group of
great volunteers.
Even though I regret the alternating pink and green round linens I picked forSpring Education Day in 2013 (which clashed with the existing red/brown
carpet) I will never regret the choice I made to be a part of MPI Wisconsin.

January/February 2020
Deadline: November 15, 2019

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

4|

July/August 2019

Katie McGinnis

MPI Agenda																

		

		

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blog.mononaterrace.com©2019 Monona Terrace

20264_MT_Happy_MPI-7.5x9.5.indd 1

1/14/19 4:35 PM

MPI Agenda

July/August 2019|5

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
have been thinking about what I would say in this article, pretty much since the day I
agreed to become president. So much, that I went back and printed out ten years of pastpresidents first Agenda articles to prepare. Most started out with how excited or thrilled
they were, some started with what the theme for the upcoming year, but the one that
resonated most with me is Tami Gilbertson’s first article. Tami talked about the emotions she
was feeling; excited, nervous, and questioning if she was ready. I feel the same way...butcurrently, nervous is winning.

JO ELLEN GRABER
President, MPI-WI Chapter

The things that make me nervous are making sure that we honor past leadership and respect thedecisions that got us to where we are today: one of the best MPI chapters in the world. Gulp! Then,I think about new initiatives and how I don’t want to be remembered as the president who did not
move us forward. I realized something: the president will not sink this ship; our members are too
passionate for that to happen. After all, it is our membership that makes this chapter so successful,the board just clears the road to get us there.
I once heard that MPI is 90% heart and 10% head, I could not agree more. When I was inmembership, our survey talked about cliques and feedback that our chapter is not very welcoming.
My first thought was, “How do we stop this?” Our board worked together with all of our members tocreate a receptive and accessible environment. I want everyone to feel welcome.

Don't miss ourAnnual Gala, on
August 8th at the
Hotel Retlaw. I
hope to see you
all there!

Years ago, a very tenured member and I were having a conversation at a reception. I asked what
she thought of the speaker to which she replied they were "okay." As someone new to meeting
planning, I had learned so much and was perplexed as to why she had not gotten as much outof this great speaker as I had. She then proceeded to tell me that she does not come for theeducation, although if she picks something up or hears someone that inspires her that is great.
She really just shows up to network and see her MPI family. This was mind-blowing. It was my MPI"AHA!" moment. This organization has people that have been in the industry for 40+ years. Whilenot every speaker is going to apply to them, they still show up.
I want to encourage both old and new members alike to “show up” and keep doing what has madeour chapter so successful. If you are a new member, don't be afraid to walk up to a group and starta conversation. We all work, or want to work, in the same industry - there is your opener. Veteranmembers, please continue to be role models and advocates for meetings and events. Keep being
you and keep coming to see your family. Like any family, you are missed when you're not there.
A book that really inspires me is How Full is your Bucket? While I am not an avid reader,
my kids kept coming home with these articles from school about being a “bucket filler.”I finally decided to learn what it was all about. Essentially, everyone has an imaginary
bucket, every day you have an opportunity to fill someone’s bucket or take from thatbucket. It made me realize personally and professionally I had not been a bucket filler.
I wasn’t exactly taking from other buckets, but I was not filling them either. I want to bea bucket filler and I want us all to walk around with full buckets.
Since I really don’t have a theme for the year, I want to inspire you with a throwback tothemes from the past ten years. So “Step up!” “Enthusiastic you,” and “lead where youare.” figure out “How many more miles,” you will have to go to “Bring out the best,” because “It’sgoing to be a great year MPI-WI”!
Don't miss our Annual Gala, on August 8th at the Hotel Retlaw. I hope to see you all there!

JoEllen Graber

6|

July/August 2019 MPI Agenda																	MEET CENTEREDIN THE HEART OF MADISONThe Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club is the largest convention hotel in Madison, Wisconsin.
We offer 373 guest rooms and 27,000 square feet of flexible meeting space--all located steps from the Wisconsin State
Capitol and State Street. Meeting attendees can experience Madison at the top by staying in our Governor’s Club
executive level: The Governor’s Club. With spacious guestrooms and access to a newly-renovated lounge with a capitol
view; meeting attendees will have a place to connect and relax.

1 W Dayton St Madison, WI 53703 | concoursehotel.com | 608 257 6000

MPI Agenda

July/August 2019|7

Meet Your 2019-2020
Board of Directors
At April’s Educational Event, we welcomed our new Board of Directors for 2019-2020. Since then, your new board has alreadymet for an intense planning retreat. This group is energized and ready to serve! Reach out to any of us with ideas, comments,
questions, or to jump in and serve. Our members make us great!
President
JoEllen Graber
Impact Association Management
joeygraber1@gmail.com

Vice President of Communications
Jason Kauffeld, CMP
Green Lake Conference Centerjasonk@glcc.org

President-Elect
Alison Hutchinson
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors
Bureauahutchinson@foxcities.org

Vice President of Education
Rebecca Staats
AAA Of Wisconsin
rlstaats@aaawisconsin.com

Immediate Past President
Tamara Jesswein, CMP
Hid Global
tjesswein@hidglobal.com

Director of Special Events
Nicole Ellickson, CMP
AFCC
nellickson@afccnet.org

Vice President of Finance
Stacey Lucas
The Ridge Hotel
Slucas@Palomaresorts.com

Director of Strategic Partners &Sponsorship
Melissa Falendysz, CMP
National Association of Tax Professionals
mfalendysz@naptax.com

Vice President of Membership
Reggie Driscoll, CMP
State Bar of Wisconsin
rdriscoll@wisbar.org

Director of Member Care
Liz Unruh
Wisconsin Center District
eunruh@wcd.org

8|

Director of Awards, Scholarships &Recruitment
Cathy Cluff
Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau
cathy@visitoshkosh.com
Director of Publications & Social
Responsibility
Kathy Reading
The Scan Group, Inc.
reading@scangroup.net
Director of Digital Communications
Sherry Wolff
Kohler Hospitality
sherry.wolff@kohler.com
Director of Monthly Programming
Joshua Wimmer
Radisson Hotel Milwaukee Westjmwimmer@wi.rr.com
Director of Education Projects
Kyra Popp
Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau
kyra@wisdells.com

July/August 2019 MPI Agenda																	“Monona Terrace and Madison was a perfectvenue for our meeting,” said Carlos Carroll,Ph.D., of the Klamath Center for Conservation
Research. “Attendance was the largest
NACCB ever, and 92% of attendees reported
that the conference was excellent or good.
Net income exceeded our expectations.”

A revolutionary way to do business is making meeting
planning simpler than ever.
One City. One Contract. is an innovative new program thatstreamlines planning in Madison, Wi.
One contract seamlessly unites the city’s hotel
brands in an unprecedented collaboration. A single
set of customer-centric terms across big brands andindependent hotels alike.
“My first reaction to hearing about One City One
Contract was ‘that’s a game changer,’” said Donna
Johnson, Director of Meetings and Events at Capitol Hill
Management Services. “The One City. One Contract.
concept saves our Conference & Meeting Planning Teama tremendous amount of time and energy.”

Some of the terms early-adopters find most exciting are:• Attrition and cancellation fees are based on lost profit,
not lost revenue that also provide inventory resalecontingencies.
• Hotels will mutually indemnify groups.
• Clauses like force majeure, change in management,
bankruptcy, renovation, and remodeling are the sameacross all hotel brands.
Madison also has a strong record of helping meetings thrive
in attendance, attendee satisfaction, and net income.
Meeting professionals rave about increased income
stemming from low food and beverage costs – like coffee
under $40 per gallon – and free Wi-Fi. Madison’s naturalscenery, vibrant culture, and walkable exploration makemeetings unforgettable.

Find out more at visitmadison.com/ococ or contact:
John Leinen, Vice President of Sales, Destination Madison, 608.441.3942, leinen@visitmadison.com
MPI Agenda

July/August 2019|9

MPI-WI Trivia Night Recap
By: Melissa Falendysz, CMP

Wow

WHAT A NIGHT!
MPI-WI’s 1st Annual
Trivia Night was such a
success! We hope thateveryone who came had a great time and those that didn’t
can see what the hype is all about next year.
The evening started out with a reception filled with delicious
food and cocktails by The Ingleside Hotel Culinary Team.
We then kicked off trivia with our Emcee, Tracey Bockhop,
CMP who lead the team through eight rounds of fun andbrain stumping questions. Team “EDI Know it or EDI
Don’t” (Destination Lake Winnebago sponsor table) and
Kelly Pfeiffer with Visit Seattle, as an individual, emerged
victorious as the first-time winners of the night.

10|

July/August 2019

MPI Agenda																

				We’d like to thank and acknowledge thegenerous sponsors of Trivia Night:•

Memphis Tourism for being our trivia
title sponsor.

•

The Ingleside Hotel for hosting our
event and for the amazing food,drinks, décor, and staff service
during the night.

•

Table sponsors: Caesar’s
Entertainment, Destination Lake
Winnebago Region, Explore
LaCrosse, Memphis Tourism,
The Ingleside Hotel, and Visit
Milwaukee.

•

The Scan Group Inc., for graciously
designing and printing the gamematerials.

•

All of our auction donors andstrategic partners for providing
tremendous auction items that
helped raise money for our chapter.

MPI Agenda

July/August 2019|11

Lastly, we’d like to thank all the attendees thatparticipated and added such enthusiasm, making it a
successful event. We are so grateful to those who gave
us feedback. We’ve noted some changes and lookforward to hosting Trivia Night again next year.

12|

July/August 2019

MPI Agenda																

				

2018-2019
MPI-Wisconsin Hall of Fame Award

We are thrilled to announce that our 2018-2019 MPI-WI Hallof Fame Award goes to Dana Ecker, Director of Convention
Sales at La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Dana has been an active and valuable member of MPIWI for over 15 years and has worked in our industry foralmost 20 years. She has served on our board of directors
and has volunteered on several committees including golf,
the gala, sponsorships, and membership. Dana is also
an active member in several other associations including
Wisconsin Society of Association Executives, Associations
North, MPI Minnesota, and serves as a board member for
Toastmasters International – Wisconsin Club.
Dana has worked for the La Crosse Convention and Visitors
Bureau for the past five years. Prior to her current role,

Dana has worked at many familiar locations such as the
Oshkosh CVB, the Radisson Paper Valley, Heidel House,
the Pioneer Inn, and several properties in Minnesota.
Dana and her husband Hans have been married for 36
happy years. Together they have three children and four
grandchildren. Dana and Hans love to spend time with
their family. One activity they enjoy is to sing in their church
praise band together. Dana, in addition to being a talented
vocalist, loves playing piano at home and church.
Dana and Hans currently live in the beautiful Driftless
Region of La Crosse where she loves Zumba, as well as
traveling the world whenever time allows.

Congratulations, Dana!!

MPI Agenda

July/August 2019|13

MPI-WI 2018-19 Award Nominees
This year’s slate of nominees is loaded with exceptional industry professionals. Following our new plan, our sister chapter,
Minnesota, will be reviewing and ultimately selecting award winners from the slate of nominees. The Team of the Year will be voted
on and selected by our Wisconsin Chapter members. Thanks to all you who recommended fellow members for these awards. Eachof these nominees has distinguished themselves as true chapter and industry leaders. Don’t miss the announcement of award
winners at our Annual Gala! Congratulations to all of our nominees:

Industry Advocate
Criteria: Current MPI-Wisconsin member whose actions consistently promote the meetings industry in Wisconsin. The individual also
encourages the growth and image of our industry through education, promotion, or lobbying should be nominated for this award.

Tracey Bockhop, CMP
Meet Meetings

Jodi Goldbeck, CMP
Madison College

Tom Graybill
Tri-Marq Communications

Tracey deserves the Industry AdvocateAward because of her time, dedication,and commitment to the MPI-WI Chapter
and Board and… our industry. She
thinks outside the box, suggests things
that will only help our chapter and others(even if that means lots of extra work forherself). Tracey goes above and beyond
the call of duty … When I think of achampion of this chapter, someone who
is so passionate about this industry andis a leader, I think of Tracey Bockhop
and I know many others do as well.

Jodi is an instructor in the Meeting &Event Management Program at Madison
College. She also teaches the CMP 101
classes the chapter offers. She is always
the first person I think to ask when I
have an industry-related question. She
is happy to share her knowledge, istrustworthy, and honest!

Tom is always inviting people to meetings and is welcoming of new guests.
He is a great advocate for our chapter
and the industry.

14|

July/August 2019

Sarah Lemmers
Destination Madison
Sarah demonstrates exceptional leadership, professionalism and service while
showing dedication to the industry byactively participating in association,community, and industry programs. She
drives our industry every single day tomake it great. She is passionate andcommitted to the community and provides a rare heightened level of care tomeeting planners and industry partners.

MPI Agenda																		

RISING STARNOMINEES
Criteria: Current MPI-Wisconsin member
for a minimum of six months at the timeof nomination, who has been a member
in good standing for a maximum of
two years at the time of nomination.
The member also has demonstrated
an immediate interest in MPI-WI byvolunteering individually, on a team,working on a specialty project, or
leading a committee.

		Beth Schnabel, CUDE
Filene Research InstituteSarah Lemmers
Destination Madison

Beth has recently started to get involved
with MPI-WI Chapter ... and is willing tostep in wherever she is needed. She wason the MPI-WI 1st Annual Trivia Teamand really shined. She has experience
with this type of event through work andbrought great ideas and suggestions
to the table, as well as was an amazing
score keeper to stay ahead of the game.
She was already asking when the next
event is she can help with.

Sarah has been a great addition to MPI
and is always there to help out withanything you need. She is a person you
can ask if she would like to help out andshe says yes.
Sarah did a great job with the summer
social in Madison last year; she wasreally thrown into it. Also, she is great atconnecting our members; she is a great
resource. As a new member, she is very
personable and ready to pitch in where
she can.

Team of the Year
Criteria: Team of the Year can be a special chapter project, fundraising, or monthly meeting team. A successful Team of the Yearis a team that shares in the work together. The team has aligned and accomplished the goals set by the chapter. The team also
must have completed the work between August and June of each year to be considered. The Team of the Year must be made up of
volunteers and cannot be a board team.

Bidding for Good
Online Auction Fundraiser, November 16 – December 4, 2018
Team: Tracey Bockhop, CMP, Nicole Ellickson, CMP, Melissa Falendysz, CMP, Brooke Miller, CMP, Alison Huber, CMP

Gala
September 20, 2018, at the Miller High Life Theatre
Team: Tracey Bockhop, CMP, Nicole Ellickson, CMP, Liz Unruh, Sarah Banach, Wanda Gilles, Cathe Gorski, Casey Neverman,
Jessica Rieflin, Brandon Smith, Shannon Timmerman, CMP, Michelle Tyo-Johnson, and Michael WallMay Education
May 16, 2019, at the Crowne Plaza Milwaukee Airport
Team: Liz Unruh, Josh Wimmer, Judy Keller, Jackie Kuzminski, Greta McCue, and Laura Lutter Cole

TriviaApril 10, 2019, at The Ingleside Hotel
Team: Tracey Bockhop, CMP, Nicole Ellickson, CMP, Melissa Falendysz, CMP, Beth Schnabel, CUDE, Reggie Driscoll, CMP, andLindsey HessMPI Agenda

July/August 2019|15

Outstanding Leader
Criteria: Current MPI Wisconsin member that is involved in teams and has been a team lead. This person is very active in thechapter and cannot be a current board member. Multiple winners in a year are possible.

Melissa Falendysz, CMP, NATP
Melissa deserves the Outstanding
Leader Award because that is what she
is - OUTSTANDING! Melissa took thelead on the Bidding for Good team lastNovember and also was a huge part of
why the MPI-WI 1st annual trivia night
was such a success. She shows dedication, commitment, is eager to learn andgrow with this chapter.

Deana HeinischWaukesha Pewaukee CVB
Deana led the Spring Education Team,
which I was a part of and did a fantastic
job of infusing fun into our group! She isa collaborative leader and always happy
to help or delegate where appropriate.

Michael Wall, PWG
Michael has stepped in and taken initiativewith support from his company anddonations. Through his support the visualappearance of Gala has really stood out.
He is always willing to help out where
needed and does it with a smile!

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

EVOLUTION
By: Kathy Reading

It’s been a fun, furry, and feathered journey with our annual
community outreach partner -- The Wisconsin Humane
Society. At monthly events, our members have been very
generous with donations. At our April Education event, we
worked together to craft 60 fluffy blankets for our furry friends.
And, it looks like a few members and their pets will join theregional Pet Walks. The Wisconsin Humane Society is gratefulfor our help.
As we evaluate our future community outreach strategy, someconcerns linger. We see that our members support a varietyof charitable causes for which you feel personally passionate.
Rather than connecting our chapter with a cause which may
or may not resonate personally with each of you, we’re taking
another approach.

Our continuing social goal is to support our members
and encourage positive change. We recognize that ourmembers are uniquely positioned as leaders in our dynamic
industry. To serve you all best, we will re-focus on social
causes related to our industry. MPI Global, for instance, haschampioned advancements in diversity, sustainability, andthe fight against human trafficking.
For our chapter, this means that you may see fewer calls
for charitable contributions of specific goods or dollars at
educations meetings. Instead, we’ll share specific actions
and improvements that we can all make as meetings andevents leaders.

Remember:“When we meet, we change the world.”
16|

July/August 2019

MPI Agenda																

				

HOME OF THE

FLYINGART MUSEUM
ON THE WATERTHE

BLOODYMARYMETROPOLISHOME BASE OF

HARLEYDAVIDSON

Sometimes random. Always wonderful.
Plan your next meeting in Milwaukee at visitmilwaukee.org/meet
300,000 SQ. FT. CONVENTION CENTER | 17,000 HOTEL ROOMS
170 DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS | 10 MILES OF LAKEFRONTMPI Agenda

July/August 2019|17

MPI WISCONSINNEW MEMBERTESSA AUGUSTJUANITA GUZMAN

Director of Sales
Harbor Shores on Lake Geneva

Meeting Specialist
Northwestern Mutual

SHAUNA BARANCZYKSAMANTHA HOLTZ

Event Manager
Wisconsin Alumni Research
Foundation

Sales Manager
Metropolis Resort

KAYLA BOONE
Group and Meetings Manager
Hotel Indigo Madison Downtown

Meetings Planner
National Funeral Directors
Association

BECKY CRNKOVICHKATRIN MADAYAG-ARD

Director of Events
Metropolitan Builders Association

Business Development Manager
Destination Madison

PEGGY CURTISDAVID NYQUIST

Adminstrative AssistantNational Electrical Contractors
Association

Marketing Manager
The Four Seasons Resort on
Miscauno Island

MARIA DEMCO

JESSICA O'DELL
Sales & Corporate SponsorshipManager
PC/Nametag

ANN FEISTTARA RIPP
Administrative Manager
National Electrical Contractors
Association

18|

1 YEARCYNDIE CERESA
Director of Sales
Fairfield Inn & Suites La Crosse
Downtown

CARLY HANNEY
Sales/Event Manager
Wausau/Central Wisconsin
Convention & Visitors Bureau

TODD I. SCHWARTZ
National Sales Executive
Valley Expo & Displays

Student

LORI A. FUHRMANNALYSSA J. GREIBERBRIAN M. SCHULZ
Director of Business Development
Central WI Convention and Expo
CenterLAURA OLSEN

Sales Manager
Potawatomi Hotel and Casino

Member Services & Events
Coordinator
University of Wisconsin Madison

5 YEARSKRISTI KLEMENS

Corporate Sales Manager
The Abbey Resort & Avani Spa

University Conference Coordinator
University of Wisconsin Madison

ANNIVERSARIESMARIE ZOROMSKI
maZoro Consulting

July/August 2019 MPI Agenda																	L A K E COU N T RY ’ S
GAT H E R I NG PL AC E
Our complete property renovations provide a
simple yet beautifully designed space for businessand leisure travelers. Featuring over 40,000 sq.
ft. of flexible banquet and meeting space, we
invite you to experience contemporary Lake
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2 6 2 . 5 4 7. 0 2 0 12810 Golf Road
Pewaukee, WI 53072
theinglesidehotel.com

MPI Agenda

July/August 2019|19

Spring Education Day Recap
An Amped Up Day of Education and Networking
By: Deana Heinisch and Maria Peot, CMP

e changed things up a bit for this year’s Spring
Education Day by moving the event from May toApril, and the change was very well received!
Although we had the “surprise” April snowstorm,
which threw a few challenges our way, the event
went off without a hitch at the stunning, newly renovatedIngleside Hotel in Pewaukee.

installed in front of the event attendees. We have atalented group of individuals who will be leading us in
the coming year. A special thanks to this group for yourleadership and commitment in the coming year!
Next, we got hands-on to make blankets for the WI
Humane Society, the organization that we have beenOver 150 planners and suppliers joined inon this excellent day of learning. Following
a delicious breakfast by the Ingleside,featuring live chef-made omelet stations, we
had announcements and our first speakerof the day, Corbin Ball, CMP, CSP, DES,
MS. Wow! Does Corbin have a wealth oftechnology knowledge up his sleeve!
Notable was his description of virtual reality
and the impact it is making on the events
industry.
After Corbin’s session, we took a breakto mix and mingle with our sponsors andStrategic Alliance partners in the foyer
outside of the ballroom. This valuable
time allows for planners and suppliers toconnect over upcoming event needs, orjust catch up over a second (or third!) cup
of coffee. Thank you to all of the Partners
who supported us throughout the year,
allowing all planners to attend this event forfree! Thank you also to those organizations
who specifically stepped up to sponsor the2019 Spring Education event.
Following the break, we heard from
replacement keynote speaker AJ Gibson,
who shared his very personal and lifechanging story with our group. His session“Winning the Internal Head Game: How to
MOVE When Life Feels Stagnant” was very
well received. We are lucky that he wasable to step in on short notice when our
original speaker was stranded in Denver.
Thank you, AJ, for making the trip to Wisconsin! I think we
all know it was meant to be to have a Gibson at our event!
Some official business had to take place at the event as
well. The 2019-2020 Board of Directors were officially

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July/August 2019

Thank you to all of the partners
who supported us throughout theyear, allowing all planners to attend
this event at no cost!

MPI Agenda																

				

supporting throughout the 2018-2019 MPI year. Although
there were no dogs in attendance, we all enjoyed making
fleece tie blankets that the pups will be able to use during
their time at the Humane Society.
The Ingleside Hotel served up a delectable lunch – stuffedchicken paired with short ribs, along with a refreshingsalad, fingerling potatoes, and root vegetable hash. Bothbananas foster cheesecake and tiramisu were available fordessert – yum!
After such a filling meal, we had two electrifying breakout
sessions to choose from, and good thing or we all would

have gone into food comas! Attendees could choose tohear from Corbin Ball again, this time on ideas to improveaudience engagement at events, or from Chris Gasbarro,
who was presenting on the attendee experience. Eachsession had great takeaways and kept us alert for theafternoon.
A second break allowed us to check out any exhibitors
we missed during the morning break, and featured anelaborate build-your-own trail mix bar, along with fancy
Wisconsin cheese and an MPI-WI carved watermelon fruitbasket. The Ingleside was really out to impress our group,and they did!

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July/August 2019|21

Chris Gasbarro wrapped up the day with a final keynote,“S H - - T," where he expanded upon ideas from his earlier
breakout session and encouraged us to take calculatedrisks and challenge ourselves when planning our future
meetings. According to Chris, we owe it to our attendees
to be creative in the design and execution of our events.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at this year’s new
and improved Spring Education Day in April! Without
the many attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, partners, andspeakers, the day would not have been as amped as it
was. Great job to everyone who helped plan the day, andspecial thank you to our host property, the Ingleside Hotelfor going above and beyond to electrify our event!

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July/August 2019

MPI Agenda																				

Our MPI President, JoEllen Graber,
has accepted the position of AccountExecutive with Impact Association
Management, which specializes
in the management of homeownerand condominium associations.
This growing company is known forresponsive, effective and proactive customer service.
Sounds like a perfect match, JoEllen!
Cathe Gorski has started a newposition as Event Coordinator with
Diggers Hotline. Cathe will coordinate,
attend and participate in events
throughout the state for this importantsafety company. Congratulations,
Cathe!
Allison Rocca, CMP has joined
Meetings & Incentives Worldwide, asa program manager. This new role will
have multiple responsibilities related
to a variety of events. Your CMP
should serve you well, Allison!
As an Independent meeting planner,
Susan Kainz wears many hats.
She’s added yet another as the new
Executive Director with Shaken Baby
Association. The mission of Shaken
Baby Association is to educate every
single person about the irreversible
effects of shaking a baby. A single
moment of uncontrolled frustration can take a life. A
single hour of education can save one. Thanks for yourdedication, Susan!
Looking for a creative team-building
event for or a fun night with friends?
Kristen Salewski, CMP is offering $15
off a Sun Prairie Board & Brush woodsign-painting workshop for MPI-WI
members. To book a class visit www.
boardandbrush.com/sunprairie anduse code: Kristen15. Thanks, Kristen!

Please let us know of any MPI member news for
future Agenda issues: reading@scangroup.net.

Cheryl Oswald, CMP, supported
a state-wide event by receiving her
first speeding ticket on the Wisconsin
State Patrol’s Blue Day on April 16.
This day is designed to raise publicawareness about highway safety
during construction and high trafficwith increased law enforcement, air, and media presence.
(Cheryl's citation has been reduced to impeding traffic.)
Way to participate, Cheryl!
Lake Geneva
has beencrowned thecountry’s best
small town for outdoor adventure by the readers of USA
Today’s 10Best. The Walworth County city (pop. 7,875) was
nominated by a panel of experts, and readers voted fortheir favorites with Lake Geneva coming out on top. “This is
inspiration to get outside and enjoy our little corner of theworld,” said Stephanie Klett, president and CEO of VISIT
Lake Geneva. We can’t wait for our next adventure in Lake
Geneva!
Destination Madison,
has launched “OneCity. One Contract,” aone-of-a-kind program
allowing planners to sign one master contract covering
multiple brands across Madison. This master contract
outlines common customer-centric terms for attrition,indemnification, force majeure, change in management,
bankruptcy, renovation, and remodeling. Then, hotels
issue a simple addendum to this master contract which
secures rates and concessions. So far, it’s the only
program of its kind in the U.S. We applaud this creative
collaboration, Madison!
DoubleTree by Hilton Appleton opened in April with adedicated team and enhancements made in the newly
redesigned restaurant, rooms and public spaces. The 227room, state-of-the-art, full-service hotel is located minutes
from downtown Appleton. Welcome, DoubleTree!
Wisconsin Department of Tourism reports the ninth
straight year of tourism growth, with direct tourism
spending increased 4.86% to $13.3 billion in 2018.
Sara Meaney, the state’s Tourism Secretary designee, isespecially touting the 4.9% increase in spending per visitor
to $118. “We’re getting more dollars out of each visitor,”
said Meaney, “it’s a fantastic indication that people arefinding more ways to spend time and dollars in Wisconsin.”
Wisconsin proud!

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July/August 2019|23

Save the Date for Great
Lakes Education Summit!
By: Rebecca Staats
The sixth annual Great Lakes Education Summit (GLES) will take place November 3-5, 2019 in Traverse City, Michigan. The Park
Place Hotel & Convention Center will be home to this tri-chapter summit. The MPI Chapters of Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin
are collaboratively planning an exciting offering of educational programs and fun-filled activities. If you’re working towards orrenewing your CMP, this is a terrific opportunity to earn more CE’s. This conference will have something for everyone and is always
a valuable event for each of our chapter members.
Registration will open mid-summer, and there are many opportunities to sponsor or exhibit to this enthusiastic audience. Please
visit www.mpigreatlakes.org or contact Hillary Kraemer at hkraemer@meetings-incentives.com for more information.
Mark your calendars now and be ready for a spectacular experience with our neighbor chapters.

Traverse City, known as a four-season
playground, is now celebrated for
quality cuisine, wine and culture.
Miles of sugar-sand shoreline include
the Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Lakeshore with romantic lighthouses
and coastal villages.

THIS IS TRANSFORMING!

?
g
n
i
h
t
e
m
So
Missing

Wisconsin Meetings magazine is no longer
sent to MPI members automatically.

Sign up now!
It's free!

THIS IS WHY“We’re one of the most technically demanding events inthe world, and we love the versatility and the willingness
of Alliant Energy Center staff to transform their 164-acre
campus into a premier environment for our global fans.”

WisconsinMeetings.com— Justin Bergh, General Manager, CrossFit GamesALLIANTENERGYCENTER.COM
SHIRLEY KALTENBERG
608-267-1549
KALTENBERG@ALLIANTENERGYCENTER.COM

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July/August 2019

MPI Agenda																

		

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

April Education
Event Attendees
We’re thrilled to shine our volunteer spotlight on all of the kindand generous members who helped to make 60 blankets for our
furry friends at the Wisconsin Humane Society.
Fluffy and Fido thank you!

VOLUNTEERSPOTLIGHT

If you’d like to find a volunteer
role that’s just right for you, pleasecontact Reggie Driscoll, CMP,
rdriscoll@wisbar.org. You can also
talk to any board member at our
education events to learn what may
best fit you to serve our chapter.

		

MPI Agenda

July/August 2019|25

BOA R D PROFI LE:

Jason Kauffeld, CMP,
CPP, RPCV Nepal
Position on the MPI WI Board:
Vice President of Communications
Place of employment & location:
I represent the Green Lake Conference Center (celebrating
our 75th year in 2019!) as Director of Group Relationships.
How long in the meeting/event industry?
5 years formally and full-time. However, I also spent 10 years
with federal and state agencies during which time I ‘voluntold’for event committees organizing statewide conferences.
Tell us about yourself:
Most importantly, I married a wonderful woman, Giselle, from
Trinidad and Tobago and we have two children: Ashna (10)and Chancellor (4). My experience includes several years ofinternational development work in some of the world’s poorest
countries including two and half years with the Peace Corps
in Nepal.
From 2003-2006, after finishing an environmental protection
and food security project in Armenia, my wife and I soldeverything we owned and pursued a dream: we would travel
around the world until the money ran out. Over the next
thousand days and fifty countries, we survived an elephantattack in Borneo, played with AIDS orphans in Africa, drank
yak butter tea to make it through a frigid night on Mount
Everest, and hiked forty days and forty nights throughMongolian wilderness to visit the Reindeer People. Since ourtrip ended, I have been engaged in leveraging group wisdom
to create something better. If you want to talk about how tobest pack for a trip around the world or putting together agreat retreat or annual conference, I am a good choice toinvite to the table.
Tell us 2-3 things you are responsible for on the board:
Learning from an established and experienced and awesome
communications committee which oversees putting together
our chapter’s magazine, the Agenda, and leveraging social
media channels to promote MPI’s mission.
What drew you to join the board?
I was personally invited by a current board member and I
have a deep appreciation of how this amazing chapter gives
me so much joy and learning and friendship that I wanted togive back.

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July/August 2019

What is the best advice you can give to someone who isthinking about getting more involved in MPI?
You will get out of it what you are willing to put into it.
What do you like about being on the board?
Continuing a culture of openness and forward thinking.
Favorite musical artist, band, movie or book?
I love it when my children make up songs to sing to me andwhen they put together little books/cartoons for me.
Favorite hobbies or pastimes?
Backpacking the world, mushroom hunting with my children,
ballroom dancing, attending board game conventions, game
mastering.
When not at work, I enjoy staying involved in hospitality byrunning a Bed & Breakfast out of our late period Victorianhome in Ripon, Wisconsin. We call ourselves Wisconsin’s
only B&B&B&B because Giselle and I also provide ballroom
dance and board game lessons to our guests. Hospitality
enriches our lives and that of our children as they haveinteracted with over 250 guests from 10 different countries
over the past four years.

MPI Agenda																

		

		

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MPI Agenda

July/August 2019|27

2820 Walton Commons, Ste 103
Madison, WI 53718
tel: 608.204.9816
fax: 608.204.9818
email: admin@mpiwi.org
web: www.mpiweb.org/wisconsin

DATEBOOK: C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S
2018-19 Community Outreach partner
Wisconsin Human Society
Paws & Claws Gala Saturday, October 19, 2019
Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, WI

2019
8

19
10
3-5

MPI WISCONSIN AWARDS GALA
Hotel Retlaw, Fond du Lac, WI
SEPTEMBER EDUCATION EVENT
Wilderness-Glacier Canyon Lodge
OCTOBER EDUCATION EVENTBest Western Premier Waterfront Hotel
Menomonee Nation Arena
Oshkosh, WIGREAT LAKES EDUCATION SUMMIT
Park Place Hotel & Convention Center
Traverse City, MI