The MPI Greater New York Chapter received the 2021 MPI RISE Award for Marketplace Excellence. This award recognizes an MPI chapter or club for providing exceptional business exchange.
We spoke with 2020-2021 chapter president Patrick Colomer about the award.
What does this mean for your chapter to receive this RISE Award?
To win a MPI RISE Award for Marketplace Excellence validates all of the incredible hard work our board of directors has put in over the last couple of years. We have worked tirelessly to enhance the product we produce for our membership and to be awarded this distinguished award will keep us motivated to continue to excel well into the future.
What has inspired your chapter to this high level of engagement?
Simply put, our membership inspires us every single day. The history of our chapter dates back to 1977 and we respect that dearly. We have had countless hospitality professionals involved in our chapter over the decades and it is not lost on us to uphold the values and reputation that our predecessors have set over the years. We aspire to inspire our members with every single event we create. If you keep that mentality top of mind, good things happen.
How has the success of the chapter inspired and motived members going forward?
By winning this award, we have set the bar high for our incoming board of directors. We all realize how important it was for us to win a RISE Award and once you attain a certain level of achievement you want to keep moving the needle in a positive direction. We will not rest on our laurels and will continue to find creative ways to innovate so that we continue to make a positive impact on our member’s professional development.
How has the chapter’s commitment to education and programming helped raise the profile of your chapter and MPI with meeting professionals in your community?
Two words: Elaine Morena. As our vice president of education, she raised the bar across all facets of our educational programming. She and I worked closely together, alongside the rest of the Education Committee, to ensure that each and every event we created accomplished our goals and objectives. We start every year by conducting a planner-based focus group where we hear, first-hand, from a wide net of meeting professionals about what matters to them in terms of industry-leading education. In my mind, what sets MPI apart from many other professional trade associations is the education. We keep that top of mind as we plan out our year.
What was the best lesson learned from this experience?
When you truly work as a team, everyone will stay motivated for the greater good. I tried to manage the chapter over the last few years with three things in mind: think like a business, know your audience and leverage relationships. By implementing those perspectives into our overall management of the chapter, we were able to achieve so many goals, and the best part of that is that we did it together as ONE TEAM.
What are the values that inspire your chapter?
Humility, loyalty, honesty, mutual respect, authenticity, responsibility and curiosity
What’s next for your chapter?
Well, just like every other chapter, we are starting a new year. It’s exciting to bring together a new board and begin to create a new vibe for the coming year. Our new president, Laura Mulholland, will do a fantastic job leading all of us this year. She has paid her dues and understands the inner workings of this chapter as well as anyone. We will continue to produce top-level education and focus on providing outlets for our membership to aid in their professional development. So, with Laura at the helm, our new board of directors will focus on continuing the great work we have done over these past few years.
How has the chapter coped with the COVID crisis?
I made it a focus for our chapter over this past year to collaborate with other chapters and industry associations. I think it’s vitally important to stay connected with your peers in times of crisis and there is strength in numbers, so we put together some great educational programming along with some fun, casual networking events during the pandemic. I think our members and the rest of the industry truly appreciated that.
Who were the key members who were involved in this initiative that resulted in the MPI RISE Award for Marketplace Excellence?
Elaine Morena, Lauren Gilbert, Carly Roncaglio-Marotta, John Sklencar, Colleen Jasinski and David Hughes.
Learn more about all of the RISE Awards recipients: Kate Copeland (Member of the Year), Greg Elam (Meeting Industry Leadership), Zaman Ishaad (Young Professional Achievement), Italia Chapter (two awards: Membership Achievement, Industry Advocate), Caribe Mexicano Chapter (Innovative Educational Programming), Greater New York Chapter (Marketplace Excellence).
