MIC of Colorado
March 12, 2026 - March 13, 2026
Make sure to select MPIRMC as you register
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MEET MPI after MIC
March 12, 2026 - March 12, 2026
After Day One of MIC, slide into the MPI Après MIC Snowcial
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Top Performing Chapter Award

 

 

MPI Rocky Mountain Chapter

The MPI Rocky Mountain chapter strives to provide its 300+ members across the meetings and events community with relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges. Founded in 1973, MPIRMC was MPI’s first recognized chapter, and today it remains a leader in the development of unique member programming and events.

When you join MPIRMC, you become part of an organization dedicated to your personal and career success. You’ll connect with the innovative learning, passionate people and big ideas that will empower you to become an agent of change and reinvent the world.


MPI Vision Statement: Lead the business events community in changing the world.

MPI Mission Statement: Be the premiere, inclusive business events association for professional development.

Key Words: Innovate, Educate and Connect


Four Years to 2030: Catching Hospitality Talent Before They Choose Another Career

April 16, 2026
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
MSU Denver | School of Hospitality
1190 Auraria Pkwy B
Denver, CO, 80204
United States
Organizer
Freddie Templeton
Phone: 720-733-8000

What if the solution to hospitality's workforce challenges started in 9th grade? In four short years, we'll hit 2030—and the talent pipeline is already being rebuilt from the bottom up. This session takes you inside the proactive strategies reshaping how we attract, educate, and launch hospitality professionals. First, discover how ProStart is revolutionizing early career exposure by connecting with high schoolers years before college applications, creating a foundation of passion and skill that traditional recruiting can't match. Next, hear from a university hospitality Director of Career Services on what's actually happening when graduates enter the job market—are graduates finding opportunities, or is the market oversaturated? What do employers actually want that universities aren't teaching? Finally, a Colorado workforce analyst presents the data on 2030 projections—which hospitality sectors are expanding, where the talent gaps exist, and what emerging trends should be on your radar now. Three fifteen-minute deep-dives into how we're actively shaping the next generation of hospitality professionals. Register to see the roadmap.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Identify at least three proactive recruitment strategies used by high school hospitality programs that can be adapted to attract and retain talent at the entry and mid-career professional levels.

    Evaluate the current skills gap between hospitality graduates and employer expectations to improve hiring criteria, job descriptions, and onboarding processes for meeting and event professionals.

  • Apply 2030 workforce trend data to anticipate staffing challenges, vendor availability, and talent shortages that will impact event planning and execution over the next four years.

Venue Details

Not Your Average Classroom

MSU Denver's School of Hospitality is built on the belief that great experiences are crafted by passionate, skilled professionals — and that the best way to develop them is through more than a traditional lecture hall. With a working teaching kitchen, a beverage lab, and dedicated event spaces, students are immersed in environments that feel more like industry venues than classrooms. It's where future event planners coordinate real programs, hospitality students practice real guest interactions, and culinary students work in a professional kitchen setting — all before they ever step into their first job. Rooted in Denver's vibrant hospitality scene, MSU Denver didn't just build a school that teaches the industry — they built a space that lets students experience it firsthand, producing professionals who are ready to bring the best of themselves from day one.

Congratulations to the 2026 MPI Rocky Mountain Chapter Board of Directors

2026 BOD

President - Viveca McDonald, MBA, DES
President Elect -  Jeanette Stensgaard, MBA, CMP, HMCC
Immediate Past President - Matthew Kalb, CMP CEM-AP
Vice President of Communication - Hayley Harmon
Vice President of Education - Meghan Keelean, CMP
Vice President of Finance - Iliana Ruminski
Vice President of Membership - Brooke Eder, MS, DES

Director of Leadership Development - Resa Meagher
Director of Education - Jennifer Hinton, CMP
Director of Member Care - Pablo Zacarias
Director of Recruitment - Ben Wood
Director of Outreach - Rachel Milligan
Director of Marketing - Jared Bunn
Director of Publications - Meg Caldwell
Director of Special Events and Partnerships - Richelle Kemper
Director of Fundraising - Eric Holmes
Director of Fulfillment - Meaghan Ellis

The outgoing and incoming Boards have been working together closely to ensure a smooth transition into the new year. 

 

- Angela "Fig" Wirkler, CMP, MPI Rocky Mountain Chapter, Past President


MPI Chapter Membership Population

Planners: 123
Suppliers: 184
Students: 18
Faculty: 3
Other: 5

 

 

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