Speaking of that, are you on Facebook? Do you Tweet? Are you Linked-In? Are you a blogger? As early as two years ago, many of us had not heard of these terms. Social Media is all the rage right now. I joined Facebook earlier this year when I learned my mother was on it. My first thought was, "Why is she on Facebook?" Isn’t this another platform for young high school and college age students? Boy, was I wrong! Within that next week I had four other requests from old friends to get an account…and the rest, as they say, is history. How do you use it, if at all? This month’s program will help each of us uncover the “mysteries” of Social Media and help each of you use it effectively and efficiently. Besides Facebook, I am also on Linked-In. I am not blogging and I just began tweeting on Twitter. This is another mystery that will be solved at our upcoming monthly meeting!The world has become a much smaller place since the arrival of the internet and social media, and it is evolving daily. You will not want to miss this topic presented by the amazing Jennifer Kane as she uncovers all there is to know about Social Media and how you can use it for your events. The other thing you will not want to miss is the great “Taste of the Mall.” The Mall of America has put together a group of 24 venues that have come together to give us an all around flavor and experience of the Mall prior to the start of our program in the Great Hall. Who knows, maybe we can all ride the roller coaster when we are done with the program! I look forward to seeing you all at the Mall of America on September 16th, but even before that I look forward to seeing you at the First Annual MPI MN 5K Run/Walk on September 12th. A portion of the proceeds help to benefit the American Heart Institute Foundation. Please join us as we continue our year of Meeting On Purpose. BE BOLD, BE BRAVE, BE BRILLIANT!!!
I want to again welcome new members to the MPI MN family who are receiving the MOTM newsletter for the first time. I can say without hesitancy that you are now connected to a vibrant, energetic and very professional organization. As with most things in life, you will get out of MPI what you put in to it. To this point, I would like to recommend that all members (both rookie and veteran) use this newsletter as a forum to share their own particular stories, thoughts and ideas with their fellow members. Additional outlets are available to receive information through our chapter Facebook, Twitter and Linked In accounts. From the Communications committee’s perspective, we are excited about next month's meeting where social media will be highlighted. The August Event at the beautiful Brackett’s Crossing Country Club in Lakeville was our big kick-off event and was a great start to our new year. It was a great opportunity for our membership to become involved with a committee, and I am I am very excited to say that overall the enthusiasm to become involved was on show in a very big way. If you are in need of a jolt of enthusiasm or you want a reminder of what it means to be in this wonderful industry as well as this organization, you will find it in the submission from student member Nancy Rotramel, who outlines her journey to becoming a fully fledged professional meeting planner. We also have details on our Leadership program, news on renewing your membership and an up close profile of Jean Riegelman. All ideas and contributions are welcome, and I look forward to adding them to the next edition of Meeting of the Minds. Have a great month of September! Slán for now.
2. What is your current job description? 3. What has been your greatest professional challenge? 4. In your past history, has anything happened that was unexpected? 5. How long have you been in MPI and what have you learned since becoming a member? 6. What is something you would like to share with us about your personal life?
I may never be able to cook like Julia Child did, but I can learn valuable leadership lessons from the iconic chef. As depicted in this year’s movie “Julie & Julia,” the inimitable Child didn’t know how to cook or speak a lick of French when she arrived in Paris. Her spirit and sense of adventure; however, led her to cooking school and new friends, and together they brought French cuisine to everyday American kitchens. She wanted American cooks—and therefore, fellow citizens—to be fearless in their pursuit of new things. Julia Child encouraged her fans to keep learning and never apologize for little mistakes along the learning process. In the meetings industry, we have to be fearless in our pursuit of new ways to meet our events’ goals and objectives. If some of those ways don’t work out after thoroughly researching and developing them, c’est la vie. No apologies. Just move on and continue the pursuit of excellence, always mindful of the lessons. Merci beaucoup, Julia! “Lessons in Leadership” is provided by the chapter’s Leadership Development Committee, which works to improve members’ leadership skills and to develop future chapter leaders. More information can be found here.
It’s easy: Pick up a supply of our New Membership brochures to distribute to potential meeting industry peers. Refer interested prospects to the Membership Committee by filling out a new member referral form. For each form you fill out, you will be eligible to win monthly prizes and a Grand Prize drawing for a Weekend Concert/Entertainment Package from Treasure Island Resort and Casino! Referral Forms are available online. In addition, for each referral you submit that joins MPI as a full member, you will receive a $25.00 credit toward your own membership dues! Take advantage of these great savings. Details and brochures are also available from the Membership Team at our monthly meetings.
September 9, 2009, 3:30PM All Team meetings are open to all active committee members and Board of Directors. This is a benefit for continued education extended to you, our valuable volunteer! You have four opportunities a year to apply for a scholarship through the International MPI Foundation Scholarship Program. When is the next deadline? Learn the answer to this question and many more! In this interactive presentation, you will have the opportunity to improve your team building skills and learn to navigate the MPI websites. You will also learn:
Facilitators Venue Valet Parking will be available at the discounted rate of $5.00. Valet Parking is available in front of the main doors – which is on the corner of 11th street and 2nd Avenue. CEUs will be given to everyone who attends the speaker presentation. Click here for more information.
Saturday, September 12, 2009 8:00 AM Registration $20.00 Early Bird Registration (Up to one day prior) $5.00 of each registration will be donated to the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Please register now at www.mpimn.org. Registration is open to the public.
1. Your schedule includes lunch with a guest speaker. This event should be allotted a minimum of:
2. To assure smooth service at a continental breakfast buffet, there should be:
Congratulations to the following members who have been recognized for their continued commitment to MPI Minnesota and who celebrated their monumental anniversary. Thank you for your continued involvement and commitment within our chapter. 5 Years:
Meeting Professionals International is the association for the global meetings industry and is committed to delivering success for its 21,000 worldwide members by providing innovative professional development, generating industry awareness and creating business development opportunities. Founded in 1972, the Dallas-based organization delivers success through its 68 chapters and clubs in 20 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.mpiweb.org. Minnesota Chapter Office International Headquarters
Meeting of the Minds is the official publication of the Meeting Professionals International Minnesota chapter and is published 11 times yearly. Statements of fact and opinion within this newsletter are the responsibility of individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the officers or members of MPI. Articles submitted are subject to editorial revisions. Articles for Meeting of the Minds are always due on the third Wednesday of the month prior to distribution, and articles for News Notes are always due on the first Thursday of the distribution month. |
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Ah, Fall. My favorite time of year. Fresh mornings, the smell of fireplaces and fire pits. Now that our summer vacations are complete, everyone’s life may start to have some normalcy again. It has been great keeping up with many of you over the summer on 
Welcome to the September Edition of the Meeting of the Minds.
1. How did you get to your current position?
