MPI MN Up-Close Profile Planner: Kammi Debes
- Why did you join MPI?
I joined MPI to meet others in the industry as well as to learn and grow in my career.
How long have you been in the meetings/hospitality industry?
15+ years
- How did you decide to get involved in this business?What influenced you?
During college in my pursuit of a business degree, I took a tourism course from a professor who inspired me to pursue a minor in tourism management. After college, he helped me get my first job with an incentive travel company. Since that time, many mentors have influenced my career.
- What’s the most valuable advice you’ve received about working with meetings?
Ask the questions nobody thinks to ask. My job is to view the event at ten feet, not 30,000 feet. Walk through the days minute by minute and make sure all the bases are covered. Details are everything!
- What is one piece of advice about meeting planning you would share?
Meeting planning can be stressful at times and the one thing that seems certain is that something will not go as planned. Always seeking to maintain a calm and professional demeanor to all stakeholders and being respectful of those working with and for you can be key to getting through the tough situations.
- What is one thing about this industry that you love?
With the project nature of meeting planning, I love the opportunity to continually meet and collaborate with new people on new projects, while helping my company build their brand and their business.
-
What is one thing about the industry you would like to see changed? An improved capability to connect investment dollars in meetings with direct and/or indirect results and outcomes for the businesses we are supporting.
- What do you do outside of work?
Outside of work I love to travel, play tennis, run and read.
