MPIOC eNEWS - SPRING 2019

In this issue: 

•  President's Message
•  Leadership Update:  MPIOC 20219-2020 Slate
• It's Time for Spring Social
• Newsmakers
• Education Update
• Anniversaries & New Members
• Shining Stars
• MPIOC is Looking for Students to Support
• Volunteer for IPW this June
• Advertise or Sponsor with MPIOC
• Volunteer Opportunities

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Brian Gilman, SpringHill Suites Huntington Beach
MPIOC Chapter President

This term, I’ve been sharing my story as an MPIOC member who’s gone from being uninvolved to the role of president for this dynamic chapter, talking about how we are “Raising Our Game” individually and as a chapter.

I have had some reflection time and focused that on what we’ve done more recently and where we are going. Over the past three months, the MPIOC has had over 300 attendees at our events. We continue to reach more industry peers each month and are looking to continue to increase our reach during the next 3 months as we have some exciting events lined up, including:

• Annual Spring Social and Auction at Time Night Club at the Triangle in Costa Mesa on Wednesday April 3, 2019. This is also MPIOC’s Global Meetings Industry Day(#GMID19) celebration.
• SIPS* at Sea on Wednesday April 10, 2019 at Hornblower Cruises and Events, Newport Beach.
• MPIOC Education Mini-Summit and CVB Fair where you can get 2 CEU’s and learn all aspects of Event Safety.

In June, our Annual Awards And Installation Gala will finish off this 2018-2019 term on Wednesday, June 12th as we showcase all our successes and hear from the President-Elect Pawntra Shadab on her “2020 Vision” for our chapter.

What does this mean to you, the members of MPIOC? It means you are a part of a dynamic chapter that is growing, getting stronger, increasing educational offerings and expanding our reach and buying power. Join us as we continue to journey together to Raise Our Game.

Respectfully,

Brian 

LEADERSHIP UPDATE
By Heather Even, CMP, MA, Maple Street Management Inc.
MPIOC Immediate Past President

It is my honor to announce the MPIOC 2019-2020 Board of Directors, which has been approved by the membership.  Please join me in congratulating the incoming team!

President: Pawntra Shadab, CTA, of Elite Productions International
President Elect: Bruno Duarte, CTA, of Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
Immediate Past President: Brian Gilman of SpringHill Suites Huntington Beach
VP, Communications: Deanne Figueras, CMP, CMM, of California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues
VP, Education: Beth Hoffman, CDS, of ConferenceDirect
VP, Finance: Jon Trask, CMP, CMM, of Strategic Meeting Tech
VP, Membership: Mark Stewart of Cli-Worldwide Transportation
Director, MarComm: Nicole Hickey of All About You (AAY) Corporate Events
Director, Educational Events: Christina Domino-Philpott, CMP, CTA, of Hornblower Cruises and Events
Director, Special Events: Alivia Kimotho, CMP, of Doubletree by Hilton Santa Ana-Orange County Airport
Director, Supplier Partnerships: Kelly Feeney, of The Walt Disney Company
Director, Member Recruitment: AnaLaura Becerra, of CMP, CTA of Destination Irvine
Director, Member Retention: Nancy Garvey, CTA, of Sonoma County Tourism

Thank you to the Nominating Committee of Jhoanna Belfer, CMP, of Ayres Hotels; David Jacob, CMP, of Marriott International; Lisa Meller, CMP, CIS, CED, of Meller Performance Events; and Pawntra Shadab, CTA of Elite Productions International for their work in putting together a stellar slate of directors to lead MPI Orange County Chapter into 2020.

SPRING SOCIAL
by Alivia Kimotho, CMP CTA, DoubleTree by Hilton Santa Ana-Orange County Airport
MPIOC Director of Special Events

It’s Time for our Annual Spring Social and Auction

MPIOC’s Annual Spring Social and Auction event is rapidly approaching on Wednesday, April 3^rd. We hope that everyone can find the “Time” to join us at 6:00 pm at one of the Orange County’s hottest venues: TIME Nightclub at the Triangle in Costa Mesa. Part of the excitement for this year’s event is that we will be hosting our first-ever food and beverage fair: “A Taste of MPIOC,” featuring sample small plates served from restaurants including Maggiano’s, La Vida Cantina, Joe’s Crab Shack, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, Ruth’s CHRIS Steak House, and more. You won’t miss out on custom espresso beverages and unique desserts from Jedidiah Coffee and Sweetest Perfection Cakes — all included in your ticket price!

We will have dozens of items up for auction from our valued industry partners, including top-notch hotels like Terranea Resort, Delano Las Vegas, AC Hotel by Marriott Phoenix Tempe/Downtown, Loews Coronado Bay Resort, and Red Rock Casino Resort & Spahave all generously provided multi-night stays for your bidding pleasure. We have tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood, City National Grove of Anaheim and the House of Blues Anaheim, as well as bowling parties at Lucky Strike Orange County and Splitsville Luxury Lanes. This short list only touches on a few of the great items that you can bid on! Our Annual Auction is one of the main avenues that raise the funds that allow us to keep providing great educational and networking events each year for our membership. So bid generously, and help your chapter maintain a year-round slate of the relevant, cutting-edge programs to benefit our Orange County hospitality community.

Visit our auction website at BIDmpi.com to see the items available and start bidding NOW — you don’t have to be an MPI Member or attend the Annual Spring Social event to win!

FINALLY, we will have VIP Tables with exclusive bottle service available to wow those potential customers or reward your team. For more info on this opportunity, please contact specialevents@mpioc.com. There will be a guest DJ providing entertainment for the whole evening. We will also be counting down the Global Meetings Industry Day(held the next day) by offering photo booth #GMID19 hashtags.

Check our Facebook page for specials to register non-industry guests at a discount. And, as always you can register here to join us at MPIOC’s Annual Spring Social and Auction 2019.

See you next week!

NEWSMAKERS
By Donna Mulgrew, CIS, CTA
MPIOC Communications Committee Chair
 
Former MPI Orange County Chapter Presidents Robyn Mietkiewicz and Cheryl Payne announced the launch of their professional global meetings management organization, INNOV8 Meetings + Events Robyn and Cheryl say that “In today’s fast-paced world, it is critical to have an experienced and knowledgeable partner.  Our team prides themselves on delivering a customized and innovative approach to meetings management.” Visit them on Facebook @innov8meetings or Instagram at @innov8_meetings.

MPIOC President-Elect Pawntra Shadab is a recipient of the Smart Meetings “Industry Leader” Award and was featured in the March issue of Smart Meetings magazine: she will receive on-stage honors at the Fourth Annual Smart Women In Meetings Awards Gala on May 8 at the Smart Woman Summit in Las Vegas. 

As VP of Events and Marketing for Elite Productions International, Pawntra’s watch words are Passion, Respect, and Empowerment. “My approach has always been to talk less and listen more,” says Pawntra. “Being open and genuinely interested in others allows me to connect with people in an authentic way. I value relationships and fostering unity by bringing people together, whether that’s as part of MPI or Elite Productions International, or in my personal life.”

We congratulate ALL the 2019 honorees, including Stellar Performer Award winner Jessica Rienecker Martini of Visit Anaheim (former MPIOC board member who is speaking at our April “SIPS* at Sea” event); Industry Leader winner (and our biannual MPI EdCon collaborator) Erin Scholes, President of SD Meetings & Events from the MPI San Diego Chapter; and independent planner Michelle Thornton from MPI Southern California Chapter.

EDUCATION UPDATE
by Shannel Crane, Visit Anaheim
MPIOC VP of Education

SIPS* AT SEA
Please join us Wednesday April 10, 2019, at Hornblower Cruises & Events as Jessica Martini helps us understand how social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter can be used to develop our own personal brand. Jessica Martini, CMM, CTA, CTP, HMCC is Meeting Sales Director, Pacific Northwest Region for Visit Anaheim.  

Your personal brand is just as important as your company’s brand, and we will share best practices on how to make a memorable impact on those channels that will help you throughout your career.  Space is limited so reserve your spot today!

*SIPS stands for Social & Informational PRO Sessions: Open to event planners and suppliers alike, SIPS* events are for senior level meeting professionals who want to explore important topics in our industry. These are intimate group settings, intentionally kept smaller in group size to promote in-depth interaction and sharing of ideas. We will be capping event attendance at 40 people with a waiting list.

MPIOC Education Mini-Summit and CVB Fair

Let’s end our term with a bang! Join us on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 from 2:30 to 8:30 PM for our May Education Mini-Summit and CVB Fair with our fabulous speakers:

• First Session: Managing Risk at Your Event: A guide for Meeting Planners and Suppliers with Kevin Coffey.
• Second Session: The Champion’s Code: Building Relationships Through Life Lessons of Integrity and Accountability with Ross Bernstein.

February “Annual State of the Industry” Recap

This year, we welcomed back Michael Dominguez to our Annual State of the Industryevent hosted at the beautiful City National Grove of Anaheim. MPIOC members and guests caught up with how our industry is changing and growing as he “connected the dots, showing us What All The Disruption means from a strategic view — and we enjoyed a little rock’n’roll! A big thank you to our sponsors: City National Grove of Anaheim, Happy Photos, Cli-Worldwide Transportation and Absolutely Fabulous for helping us make that a night members will never forget! A complete online event photo gallery is available from Happy Photos — use the password  “Anaheim2019.”

March “Average to AWESOME” Education Event

Motivational Speaker Scott Greenberg led members on a motivational journey as we learned why it is that in the same industry, some people thrive while others struggle, and how to go one step above our competition. Hosted at the unique location Fête the Venue and catered by TGIS Catering, members were truly in for a treat! As always, a big thank you to our sponsors: Fête the Venue, TGIS Catering, Vario Productions, Absolutely Fabulous and Joan Fuller Photography. A complete online event photo gallery is available from Joan Fuller Photography by CLICKING HERE.

MEMBERSHIP NEWS
By Mark Stewart, Cli-Worldwide Transportation
MPIOC VP of Membership

ANNIVERSARIES

25 Years 
Celeste Taylor, Newport Pacific Capital
Jon Trask, CMP, CMM, Strategic Meeting Tech

15 Years
Peggy Lamberton, CMP, InterAct. Events
Victoria Love, CMP

5 Years
Dawn Petran, CMP, CTA, Five Star Events, LLC
Todd Szilagyi, BEST-VIP ChauffeuredWorldwide

Welcome New Members!
Jerilyn Branco, Homewood Suites by Hilton
Nicole Choe, Pacific Palms Resort
Victor Guiseppe, Visions Entertainment
Teresa Huber
Linda Jones, Liveyon LLC
Lisa Kotlar, WCG Hotels
Jacquelyn Kuniyoshi, UCI Student Center & Event Services
Michele Larkin, The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe
Julie Mathews, The Peninsula Hotels
Eric Morales, Extreme DJ Service
Dennisse Naval, DoubleTree by Hilton Irvine Spectrum
Mayelin Perez
Jenny Poland, Hotel PASEO
Andrea Romo
Rudy Ruettiger, Rudy International
Ashley Stites
Jared Young, The Beach Bus Photo Booth

SAVE ON NEW AND RENEWAL MEMBERSHIPS IN APRIL
To Celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day, MPI Global is we are offering $100 OFF A NEW PREMIER OR PREFERRED MEMBERSHIP — just use code “MPIGMID19” throughout the month of April! Already an MPI member? Use the same code to save $50 off your renewal. (Offer excludes Essential, Faculty, Student and Retired Member categories)

MPIOC SHINING STARS

Robert Gesell-Flores
Corporate Sales Manager for the Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel

With a solid professional trajectory in the Hospitality world, Robert is strongly skilled in providing outstanding customer service. His genuine interest in reaching out to our membership makes him a great resource for our chapter as he’s living example of how to take advantages of all the opportunities MPI provides.  Thank you, Robert!

.

Evan Erickson
Sales and Events Manager for Splitsville Luxury Lanes

Evan Erickson has been a dedicated MPIOC volunteer for the Special Events team for well over a year now and is always open to making herself available to jump in wherever needed. Since recently joining MPI and moving from Florida, MPIOC has given Evan the opportunity to meet a lot of genuine people in the meeting and events industry who have been beneficial in her everyday work life. She enjoys helping co-chair MPIOC Special Events and learning new practices outside of her job. Her go-getter attitude and zest for event planning has helped produce memorable MPIOC events for our membership and we are lucky to have her as a part of our chapter!

MPIOC CHAPTER IS LOOKING FOR STUDENTS TO SUPPORT!

MPIOC launched of the Arlene Sheff Student Scholarship Program this past year in honor of Arlene Sheff, the first member of our MPI Orange County over 30 years ago. Meeting Planner, Educator, Board and Advisory Council Member, and Mentor: Arlene was an instrumental “leading lady” of the meetings world, defining not only business excellence but also how to professionally lead in this industry.

Arlene Sheff Scholarships are awarded to student applicants who demonstrate a desire to learn, grow and develop event skills, while contributing to the chapter’s success. MPIOC will provide funds to offset membership and event registration fees based on merit and active participation.

Sheff Student Scholarship recipients receive the following:

• An Annual New Or Renewing Student Membership In MPI as a member of the Orange County (MPIOC) Chapter, awarded once during the term.
• Complimentary Early-Bird Student Registration (or value thereof) for Up To 3 Educational Events And 1 Social Event During The Term Year. Additional events are available at student rate.
• Direct Engagement Opportunities and Mentorship by Select Committee Members to actively volunteer in multiple committees and projects as a means of enhancing student applied learning, building of skills, and networking.
• A Certificate Of Recognition For Volunteer Service and an invitation to the Volunteer VIP Reception at the close of the term.
• Letters of Recommendation, based on earned merit, for future employees.

Additionally, MPIOC Recognizes Top Performing Students with a “Shining Star Student Award” annually at the Annual Awards and Installation Gala in June.

For more details and to apply, CLICK HERE.

BRINGING THE WORLD TO AMERICA: VOLUNTEER FOR IPW IN ANAHEIM THIS JUNE!
By AnaLaura Becerra, CMP, CTA, Destination Irvine
2018-2019 MPIOC Director of Member Retention

U.S. Travel Association’s IPW is the leading international inbound travel trade show, driving $4.7 billion in future travel to the United States. It is a national showcase of America, where U.S. travel exhibitors connect with travel buyers and media from more than 70 countries to promote their product, negotiate future business and build relationships. IPW secures America’s position as a foremost global travel destination by increasing international visitation and showing up the world the best of what the U.S. has to offer.

Volunteers will welcome IPW 2019 attendees at LAX and SNA airports, the Anaheim Convention Center, and many different events around Anaheim. This is a great opportunity to get first-hand exposure to the massive effort required to put together an event like this. And does not cost your company anything!

What do you get in return? Experiential education, fun, and amazing incentives: Sign Up to Volunteer HERE!

See you at IPW!

ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
By Jon Trask, CMM, CMP, Strategic Meeting Tech
2018-2019 MPIOC VP, Finance

Did you know the chapter has numerous and flexible opportunities for sponsorship and to increase the visibility of your business to our membership?

Visit the Sponsorship Opportunities section of our MPIOC website; once there you can download Event and In-Kind Advertising Opportunities that the chapter has available. You can also have a Rotating Ad On Our MPIOC Website for a very modest price with frequency discounts to run it for six months or a full year.

Has your property done a recent remodel or added new features? Event Sponsorships allow you to present yourself, your property or business and products directly to attendees at one of our monthly educational or social events held throughout the year. Remember, Our Chapter Membership Has Over 168 Million Dollars In Spending Power, planning events all over Southern California as well as across the country and internationally. Nearly 25% of the chapter membership hold a CMP or CMM, making it a great place to meet and interact with experienced industry professionals who are doing real and significant business with properties, suppliers, and vendors throughout the year.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
By Pawntra Shadab, Elite Productions International
2018-2019 MPIOC President-Elect

Now accepting volunteers! Come join the fun, learn new skills, give back to the community and advance your career by being a volunteer with Meeting Professionals International, Orange County.

Whether it is a single event or a more long-term commitment, your help makes a difference.

For more information, you can reach out to Pawntra Shadab pawntra@eliteproductions.com. A description of positions can be found here.

Volunteer Opportunities: Audit Assistance

The finance team has a couple of very specific volunteer needs that could be a great fit for a member who’d like to be more involved:

• A couple of short-term projects that will position us for even greater things in the coming years.
• Computer and Database Experience, specifically CRMs or Hubspot
• Importing and Merging Records
• Audit of Chapter Financial Records

If you are able to assist with a few hours of time on either of these projects, please contact Jon Trask, the chapter VP of Finance at 714-757-9281 or at jon@strategicmeetingtech.com