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Chapter Education and Networking
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Marriott Madison West
Middleton, WI
Brett Sterenson: The Planner Supplier Relationship
Nora Burns: Using Speakers to Amplify Event Impact and Reduce Planner Workload
Brett Sterenson
Nora Burns
#MPIWI
This month we have two amazing speakers lined up that are full of knowledge, hard work, and LOTS of energy! Come early for fun and networking with a Lasagna Give Back and MPI Foundation event!
Our first speaker is Brett Sterenson who brings 27 years of supplier-side experience to the meetings industry, including roles in hotel government sales and the last 18 years as a small business owner. Since founding his firm, Hotel Lobbyists, in 2007, he has helped place nearly 500 meetings annually worldwide and is a frequent contributor and speaker at industry events.
This engaging session will dig deep into the planner-supplier relationship. Attendees will dive into topics like effective communication, negotiation strategies, ROI improvement, and handling delicate situations. The session also covers industry pet peeves, external sales influences, customer engagement tips, and predictions for the near future of the meetings industry.
Next up will be Nora Burns who brings a rare blend of keynote expertise and firsthand event planning experience, offering powerful insights in her groundbreaking workplace research, including The Undercover Project™. As founder of The Leadership Experts, she understands planners’ challenges and partners with them to deliver impactful, seamless, and unforgettable event experiences.
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and rethink how you partner with speakers to boost event impact and lighten your workload. This hands-on session will explore creative ways speakers can contribute beyond the stage. Through live polling, group brainstorming, and real-world examples, you’ll learn how to transform speaker relationships into strategic assets, helping you deliver high-impact events even with limited resources.
Wednesday Night Lasagna Give Back and MPI Foundation Chairman's Challenge!
Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine, or two, with your MPI friends and colleagues for a reception with appetizers followed by fun in the kitchen! Attendees will work in groups along with a Frostwood Farms chef to make pans of lasagna for local charities and pantries. The event will also be a fundraiser for our MPI Foundation supporting education and scholarships for meeting professionals.
Additional $25 registration fee required.
Agenda
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Frostwood Farms Kitchen - same parking lot as Marriott Madison West
| — PM — | |||
| 6:00 - 8:00 | Lasagna Give Back and MPI Foundation Chairman's Challenge Join MPI friends and colleagues for a reception with drinks and appetizers followed by fun in the kitchen! Attendees will work in groups along with a Frostwood Farms chef to make pans of lasagna for local charities and pantries. The event will also be a fundraiser for our MPI Foundation supporting education and scholarships for meeting professionals. Additional $25 registration fee required. | ||
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Marriott Madison West
| — AM — | |||
| 9:00 - 11:00 | Board of Directors | ||
| 11:30 | Registration | ||
| — PM — | |||
| 12:00 - 1:00 | Lunch and Networking | ||
| 1:00 - 4:00 | Announcements and Program The Planner Supplier Relationship Using Speakers to Amplify Event Impact and Reduce Planner Workload | ||
| 4:00 - 4:45 | Reception and Raffle | Cushing Room | |
Event Pricing
| Member: | $65 ($75 after 10/17/2025) | |
| Non-Member: | $95 ($115 after 10/17/2025) | |
| Student Member: | $40 ($40 after 10/17/2025) |
Pay it Forward Rate: $0 - Available for registration to any current member that is currently "in between gigs" and without industry employment. Please contact the chapter office to request this rate.
The Planner Supplier Relationship
This entertaining yet informative session will dig deep into the nuances that affect the planner-supplier relationship. Attendees will discuss communication methods, enhance their negotiation techniques, increase their returns on investment, discuss their pet peeves, learn how to best handle or avoid delicate situations, understand external influences in the sales process, how to best engage with customers, and prognosticate about the immediate future of our industry.
Using Speakers to Amplify Event Impact and Reduce Planner Workload
Meeting planners are juggling an increasing number of responsibilities with fewer resources. Leveraging external strategic partners isn’t just a "nice to have"—it’s a necessity for thriving in today’s workplace. This session will empower planners to think differently about speaker engagement, driving more value from every partnership and creating exceptional events even under resource constraints.
By the end of this session, participants will:
Session Features
Video Message From Nora Burns!
Speaker Bios:
Brett Sterenson is a familiar name to meetings industry audiences. In total, Brett brings twenty seven years of supplier side experience both from the hotel side and the last 18 years as a small business owner. Brett worked in government sales for both Millennium Hotels and Resorts out of Boston and Kimpton Hotels out of Washington, DC. His firm, Hotel Lobbyists, was founded in April 2007 and is responsible for placing nearly 500 meetings each year around the globe. He is a frequent contributor to industry publications and is a recognized speaker at both regional and national events. He lives outside Washington, DC, is married and has a 11yr old son and 9yr old daughter.
Location, Map & Lodging
Marriott Madison West
1313 John Q Hammons Dr, Middleton, WI 53562
Room Rate: $119
Room block Cut-Off: 10/15/2025
Reservations by Phone - 608-831-2000
