Oracle your chapter newsletter
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Happy Spring MPI Friends and Family,
As my presidential year comes to a close, I want to thank each and every one of you who have chosen to continue your MPI Oregon membership. 2021 has brought some positivity and some glimmer of hope for the meetings industry. Our board members were able to continue to meet virtually and were able to attend the Chapter Business Summit last month without leaving their house! It turned out to be a really positive, great event.
Our state continues to offer vaccinations and availability of shots are increasing every day. As I reflect on last year, I am grateful to be where we are now as opposed to this time last year. Some great upcoming events being offered are:
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WEC (World Education Congress) is holding a hybrid event in Las Vegas from June 15th to June 17th
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MPI Oregon Awards Gala and Auction this year at the Salem Convention Center on June 25th – we have selected a beach party this year as our theme which fits a little better than the traditional gala. Hope to see you in person if you can make it!
- Stay tuned to hear some exciting news about how we are meeting with our friends in the Aloha Chapter
- And for those of you that have been following the “Adventures of Thor,” our longtime MPI member and friend, Dawn Rasmussen, just released the book for all of us to read, for many of us who checked in daily over the last year this was a high point of our day.
As always, please reach out if I can be of service, enjoy the beautiful spring weather and summer that is just around the corner.
Cheers!
Tara Thomas, CMP, DMCP, HMCC
MPI Oregon Chapter President 2020 – 2021
504.481.2065
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State of the Industry Educational Program--
In Case You Missed It!
Due to the ongoing pandemic, unemployment, and tight budgets, it was decided to postpone our annual three-day Cascadia Educational Conference until 2022 – but not until the committee had already put together a robust program. Even though the event was cancelled, the work had already been done, and the Cascadia Team wanted to deliver some of the timeliest sessions they’d planned by offering members an enhanced education program on March 17th. Almost 200 attendees joined us for two-and-a-half hours of valuable information from industry leaders and robust conversations with colleagues and peers.
Michael Dominguez, President & CEO, Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), joined us and updated us all on the current situation regarding the global state of COVID-19, industry implementations of standards and protocols as our economy reopens, a review of travel experience changes and expectations, and the current state of the economy and forecasts for 2021. The experience of 2020 was unexpected, uncertain, and devastating in many ways and Michael reminded us that we now face a world, country, economy, and industry navigating a road much less traveled as we begin to restart our global commerce engine and hospitality industry. The short-term post COVID19 environment will require our ability to work together, pivot often and learn as a community through the remainder of 2021 and beyond.
We were also joined by Pacific Northwest Venue Managers: Chelene Potvin-Bird, Vice President of Sales & Servicing for Greater Tacoma Convention Center/Travel Tacoma (Moderator), Sara Blayne, CMP, General Manager for the Lynnwood Convention Center, Sara Waltemire, CMP, CVP, Director of Sales & Events for Meydenbauer Center, Olivia Lofstedt, Senior Event Manager, Oregon Convention Center, and Ali Ribordy, Director of Sales, Boise Centre. These convention center managers shared with us the steps that their facilities have taken to prepare for the return of in person meetings and events. They told us how each state differs in its live event parameters and how each facility is handling COVID safety precautions. Panelist also shared how venues are responding to the pandemic with details highlighting venue upgrades, safety standards, food and beverage policies and physical distancing set-ups. We learned best practices for in-person event design as the world is recovering from the pandemic, understanding what to expect from the venue at our next in-person meeting, and suggestions on what venues want planners to consider when developing their program for their next in-person event.
To wrap up the program, we heard from CEC 2022 Chairs Lisa McHaffie and Janet Denman inviting everyone to Cascadia 2022 where we will Rise Up IN PERSON (pandemic permitting) from the challenges of the last two years at the stunningly beautiful Coeur d’Alene Resort. Watch for more information on this as the chairs get ready to kick off planning in the next couple of months. Volunteer opportunities are available so get in touch if you’d like to help out!
And finally, one more HUGE thank you to CEC 2021 Chairs Amanda Houghton and Angel Hansen. None of this would have happened without them. And, Thank you to our Generous Sponsors, the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau for sponsoring this program and to Snapbar for our virtual photo booth.
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Founder & Principal, Twelve6 Strategies
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Iden was born in Brooklyn, NY to a Southern mother and an Antiguan/Barbuda dad. Currently he lives in Vancouver and loves comic book shops, movies, Netflix, camping and hiking and fishing. He is the proud founder and principal of Twelve6 Strategies. He is also a consultant to non-profit organizations with an outreach to hard-to-reach communities, the BIPOC, LGBTQ and BIPOC youth. He provides services around suicide prevention, Trauma-Informed Care and created social media campaigns around gender identity, safe bathroom usage and suicide prevention.
Iden’s bucket list included learning to fence, rowing, and he also wants to travel by Jeep to Mexico, Belize and El Salvador--plus, spend a month in Africa, Israel, Europe, and India.
Iden’s scariest thing to date is driving across the country during the start of the protest around George Floyd’s murder. All major and small cities were under curfew and he, a black man, was driving across the whitest part of America during a pandemic and protest against police violence with State Troopers at every exit he passed. He did not realize the land mine he was driving through until he was back in the PNW and had an opportunity to reflect on what he witnessed in real time. He realized that he was being given free food and drinks at restaurants probably for that reason.
Iden said his favorite holiday is his birthday because he was born! And if he were to be found on a deserted island, he would have a tarp, tent, two sleeping bags, seeds, books, comics, a solar power charging station, Bose speaker and iPod with music, a hammock and sweetened grape Koolaid. Perhaps that is to celebrate his birthday with.
We cannot wait to meet you in person Iden, you sound like someone with a great story to share. And just look at these two photos that he submitted for your viewing pleasure!
Welcome to MPI Oregon Iden!
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I was able to try on two Green Bay Packer Super Bowl rings. The Giants team doctor did not bring his so I could not try those on, so Green bay was a good second choice. |
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Taking a nap at a White House event in 2016 for men's health. Napping is a favorite activity. |
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It has been an Honor to Serve…..
Cathy M. Mason, CMM, CMP, DES
As Immediate Past President (2020-2021) and departing the MPI Oregon Board at June-end, I am excited to see what Rindi Cerelli, CMP, DES and your 2021-2022 Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, and Committees have in store for us in the next year. It’s that time of year when our Chapter reflects on the hard work, challenges and accomplishments in the past year.
Personally, this journey has been incredibly fulfilling and rewarding for me – I have been an MPI Oregon Chapter member since 2004, and a member in other Chapters since 1991. Our Chapter is a special group, and we collectively have a unique bond as colleagues and friends. It has been a real honor to serve on our Chapter’s Board and as your President.
I will not lie – volunteerism is a lot of work, but the very best kind of work. The ability to see measurable results and engage with members in a personal way has been a real pleasure and so rewarding. I have learned so much from my fellow members. It is gift that has been given to me that I will treasure.
If you are reading this and wondering “should I get involved with volunteering” or if you question “what is my ROI,” I encourage you to take the leap of faith or simply take Nike’s mantra, and “Just Do It”! You will always get more than you give. We owe it to the next generation of leaders so they can keep the Meetings and Events Industry moving forward.
Becoming a volunteer is a great way to meet other MPI members and contribute your talents to the business events community. Volunteering provides so many benefits including personal growth, professional development, building lasting industry contacts and developing relationships with colleagues along the way. I guarantee you – you get more in return than you give – no question.
Again, our membership could not be in better hands with the 2021-2022 Board slate. I am not going anywhere, just moving over to allow for more innovation and growth in all that we offer our Chapter and Membership.
Thank you for allowing me to serve. It was my honor and privilege!
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REMINDER: Update Your Membership Today!
Calling all MPI Oregon members. Many of us are working remotely or have changed our career paths. Please update your current information with MPI Global so that we can reach you. Many
of our emails to you are bouncing and for others we are trying to snail mail pieces to you, but we do not know where to send them. https://www.mpi.org/account-settings Please indicate if you want your work or home address to be your primary, at this time. All assistance that you can provide is greatly appreciate.
If you are needing to renew your current MPI Oregon membership and are needing some financial assistance, please reach out to MPI Global. Contact help@mpi.org or call 866.318.2743. They have received additional funds for membership scholarship assistance. Several of our members have received some assistance in this area – we would like to see more!
And, if you are finding that you have time on your hands or need to add another skill set to your resume please talk to us about volunteer opportunities. We have specific needs with a few upcoming events and there is always something each month that we could use assistance with. So, if you have a few minutes or a few hours, let us know!
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Q1 Anniversary Milestones |
20 years - Dawn Rasmussen
15 years - Susie Schultz
10 years - Susan Bailey
5 years - Laura Gehrke
5 years - Alisha Leonard
5 years - Juanita Metzler
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Like us on Facebook and Twitter!
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We want to be your partner! Have you considered a strategic partnership with MPI Oregon? Look what our current partners are saying –
“Since I joined MPI several years ago I wanted to be as involved as possible to really get as much as I could from my membership. I am blessed with the opportunity to work for a company that shares the same vision. We want to be involved and support our community so we jump at the chances to pitch in and sponsor where we can. Sponsorship with MPI allows us to expand our marketing reach and always provides a positive ROI.”
– Jessica Johnson, The Party Team
We know how important ROI is to your sponsorship budget and we know your target audience. Let us help you make that connection!
Contact Amy Hildahl at amyh@scphospitalty to start the conversation. We can create a custom package to meet your goals and budget or select from one of our current offerings. Don’t wait, become a cash sponsor before December 1st and we will slice pricing in half!
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