Al Sears—one of MPI’s 50th anniversary “Legacy Contributors,” a past MPI president and an industry veteran of 45 years—shares, some of his MPI history.
Back then [around the time I first got involved with MPI] ASAE ran a program called The College of Convention Knowledge. There I met Doug Heath. Doug told me about MPI and said I should join. Once I joined, 12 of us formed the MPI New England Chapter.
I served as international director representing the New England Chapter and eventually was elected MPI international president [a role roughly equivalent to chairman of the International Board of Directors nowadays]. My year as MPI president [was exciting.
We relocated MPI headquarters from Middletown, Ohio, to the Infomart in Dallas, Texas, giving MPI a new image. That was a proud day for us all.
When I started as a meeting planner there were not many places for us to get education. I discovered MPI and it became a big factor for my industry education. Networking was especially important to me. I was able to learn from some of the best in the industry. I will never forget how the people in the industry contributed to my success.
