BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 METHOD:PUBLISH PRODID:-//Telerik Inc.//Sitefinity CMS 15.3//EN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Central Standard Time BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251102T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYHOUR=2;BYMINUTE=0;BYMONTH=11 TZNAME:Central Standard Time TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250301T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=2SU;BYHOUR=2;BYMINUTE=0;BYMONTH=3 TZNAME:Central Daylight Time TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Meeting and event professionals have navigated a distinct profe ssional identity&mdash\;evolving from \;&ldquo\;pink-collar&rdquo\; ad ministrative support roles into a global discipline centered on ROI\, expe rience \;design\, and organizational strategy. Yet even as the field&r squo\;s business impact has grown\, many \;practitioners still encount er persistent occupational challenges\, including:&bull\; \;  \; & nbsp\;  \; Underestimation of their expertise&bull\; \;  \; &n bsp\;  \; Burnout tied to emotional and invisible labor&bull\; \;  \;  \;  \; Role ambiguity and scope creep&bull\; \;   \;  \;  \; Compensation misalignment \;These issues are charac teristic of occupations still progressing toward full professionalization& mdash\;the broader process through which fields gain societal recognition and legitimacy. Classic \;theories outline the steps by which occupati ons become professions\, but newer scholarship \;highlights how fields with feminized labor histories often face additional barriers along this path.This interactive session will explore the history of the meetings and events industry and \;demonstrate how roles within it have advanced t oward greater professionalization. We will also \;examine how MPI and professional organizations have accelerated this evolution. Finally\, the& nbsp\;session will identify strategies the industry can adopt to more full y support its highly skilled \;workforce on the journey toward full pr ofessional status. \;EVENT DETAILSCezanne2016 Main Street\, Kansas Cit y\, Missouri 641085:00 - 7:00 p.m.Members: FREENon-Members: $38Meet our Sp eakers \;Keira Solon is an Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Management at the \;University of Central Missouri\, whe re she oversees several programs\, including the BSBA in Events \;Mark eting and Management. Before assuming the role of Chair\, she served as a professor in the \;department\, teaching Events Management\, Advanced Events Management\, Leadership\, Strategic \;Organizational Communicat ion\, and Business Communication. She holds a doctoral degree from the&nbs p\;University of Missouri and also holds degrees from Kansas State Univers ity and Oklahoma State \;University. She is an active member of the MP I Kansas City Chapter and was awarded the Industry \;Advocate of the Y ear in 2023.Dr. Jaclyn Brandhorst is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of Central Missouri. \;She teaches courses focused o n strategic organizational communication and management of \;organizat ions. Her teaching and research focus on organizational communication\, em ployee well-being\, and gender and professional identity in workplace cont exts. Her work examines how \;professional norms\, communication pract ices\, and identity expectations shape careers in people-centered industri es. Dr. Brandhorst&rsquo\;s scholarship has been published in leading jour nals\, including \;the Journal of Professions and Organization\, Nonpr ofit Leadership &\; Management\, Gender\, Work &\; \;Organizatio n\, and Human Resource Development Review.CMP Eligible: 1.0 Credit Hour DTEND:20261030T000000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T065727Z DTSTART:20261029T220000Z LOCATION:MO\,United States\,Kansas City\,2016 Main St. SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Making the Invisible Visible: From Invisible Labor to Recognized Pr ofession UID:RFCALITEM639238246478746951 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Meet ing and event professionals have navigated a distinct professional identit y&mdash\;evolving from \;&ldquo\;pink-collar&rdquo\; a dministrative support roles into a global discipline centered on ROI\, exp erience \;design\, and organizational strategy.

Yet even as the fiel d&rsquo\;s business impact has grown\, many \;p ractitioners still encounter persistent occupational challenges\, includin g:

&bull\; \;  \;  \;  \; Underestima tion of their expertise
&bull\; \;  \;  \;  \; B urnout tied to emotional and invisible labor
&bull\; \; &nbs p\;  \;  \; Role ambiguity and scope creep
&bull\; \ ;  \;  \;  \; Compensation misalignment

 \;

These issues are characteristic of occupations still progressing towa rd full professionalization&mdash\;the broader process thr ough which fields gain societal recognition and legitimacy. Classic \; theories outline the steps by which occupations bec ome professions\, but newer scholarship \;highl ights how fields with feminized labor histories often face additional barr iers along this path.

This interactive session will explore the history of the meetings and even ts industry and \;demonstrate how roles within it have advanced toward greater professionalization. We will also \;examine how MPI and professional organizations have a ccelerated this evolution.

Finally\, the&nbs p\;session will identify strategies the industry ca n adopt to more fully support its highly skilled \;workforce on the journey toward full professional status.


 \;

EVENT DETAILS

Cezanne

5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Members: FREE
Non-Mem bers: $38

Meet o ur Speakers

 \;

Keira Solon is an Associate Professor and Chairperson of th e Department of Management at the \;University of Cent ral Missouri\, where she oversees several programs\, including the BSBA in Events \;Marketing and Management. Before assu ming the role of Chair\, she served as a professor in the \;department\, teaching Events Management\, Advanced Events Man agement\, Leadership\, Strategic \;Organization al Communication\, and Business Communication. She holds a doctoral degree from the \;University of Missouri and also hol ds degrees from Kansas State University and Oklahoma State \;University. She is an active member of the MPI Kansas City C hapter and was awarded the Industry \;Advocate of the Year in 2023.

Dr. Jaclyn Brandhorst is an Associate Professor of Management at the Univers ity of Central Missouri. \;She teaches courses focused on strategic organizational communication and management of \; organizations. Her teaching and research focus on organiza tional communication\, employee well-being\, and ge nder and professional identity in workplace contexts. Her work examines ho w \;professional norms\, communication practice s\, and identity expectations shape careers in people-centered industries. Dr. Brandhorst&rsquo\;s scholarship has been publi shed in leading journals\, including \;the Jour nal of Professions and Organization\, Nonprofit Leadership &\; Manageme nt\, Gender\, Work &\; \;Organization\, and Human Resource Development Review.

CMP Eligible: 1.0 Cre dit Hour

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