In This Issue....

       
            Nothin' But Net
          Membership
          Volunteerism
          CMP Study Group
          Website Feedback Survey
          Table Top Special Offer
          WEC Registration
          President's Message

Events

6TH ANNUAL SUMMER HOSPITLITY INDUSTRY PARTY - August 3rd

Connect with the Cream of the Crop in the San Diego Meeting & Hospitality Industries

On Tuesday August 3rd, you will have the unique opportunity to get inspired while networking with the industry leaders, the movers and shakers, the people who make it happen in the meeting and hospitality industries in San Diego, including:

San Diego Meeting Professionals International (SDMPI)
International Special Events Society (ISES)
Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
National Association of Catering Executives (NACE)
                                             National Speakers Association (NSA)
                                             Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC)
                                             San Diego Business Travel Association (SDBTA)
                                             Hotel Motel Association (HMA)
                                             Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP)

All while enjoying a cruise on a Hornblower Yacht on spectacular San Diego Bay.  This spectacular event will include an arrival glass of champagne, two premium drink tickets, scrumptious and fun California hors d'oeuvres and food stations, a live band on the Sky Deck and Networking, Networking and more Networking!

CLICK HERE to register today!

"BOARD" MEETING at Wave House - August 24

Celebrate the end of summer with the San Diego Chapter of Meeting Professionals International. We will be waxing up our surfboards and heading to the Wave House in Historic Belmont Park on August 24, 2010, for the first Nothin’ But Net event of the year.  Join us from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for hosted hors d’oeuvres and great drink specials. With four unique restaurants, multiple bars, and their famous FlowRider® wave machines, you won’t find a better beach party around!

The Wave House is located at 3125 Ocean Front Walk, San Diego, CA 92109.

$30.00 Members
$35.00 Non Members
$20.00 Students

Registration coming soon...

Membership

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS

MEMBERSHIP NEWS...by Steve Levin

As Director of Recruitment, I am very excited to get the year started with incredible committees. Peggy Jewell is Chair of Recruitment with Jim Tolbert and Katie McCasey as committee members. Kristen Jones is our Student Recruitment Chair. Recruitment is something that can be done by any chapter member, not just our committee.

BTW, anyone you refer to join MPI entitles you to a $25 discount off of your membership renewal. Make sure to have them enter your name on the membership application to receive your credit.

CLICK HERE

MEMBER CARE - WE CARE...by Michael Sabina

As chair of the Member Care committee, I am honored to have such an amazing opportunity to share my time and talents for the advancement of SDMPI! My sincere thanks to Steve Levin, Director of Recruitment, for his continued support as mentor, as well as to Michael McCafferty for his continued dedication to the overall success of the Member Care.

With this year’s motto of “Embrace the Journey” in mind, I look forward to doing all that I can to assist each and every member of our chapter in taking full advantage of their membership.  Let me know if I can help msabina@doubletreesandiego.net

GROW AS A LEADER & BENEFIT FROM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

The 2010/11 SDMPI year has officially begun!  If you’re not already involved on a committee, this is the year to commit to getting involved.  Serving on a committee  allows you to:

~ Grow your network of contacts & show people what it’s like to do business with you
~ Learn about industry trends that are affecting your clients
~ Gain new skills and contribute your expertise
~ Earn recommendations from Directors and Board Members to add to your resume or LinkedIn profile


For most members, the only thing that holds them back from volunteering is the time commitment.  There are positions that require as little as one hour per month though!  Or if you’d like to be on the “fast track” to chapter leadership, jump right into a committee chair position.  


If you’re interested in growing as a leader, download a Committee Interest Form on the Volunteer Opportunities page of the website and someone from our team will contact you within two business days to help place you on a committee.  Or if you have any questions about getting more involved with SDMPI, feel free to contact Michele Rubino at michele@speakersoffice.com or (760) 603-8110.



WHY I VOLUNTER...by Amy Flock, Freeman
 
My first year in SDMPI I was so eager to get involved that I instantly volunteered to be a Co-Committee Chair for the 5K Run/ Walk event. It was a lot of work but the rewarding feeling was worth it. I met a lot of other SDMPI members; on a professional level developed leads and on a personal level developed friendships that are still alive and strong.
 
Life happens and I had a baby (exciting!) and then getting back to work after being gone on maternity leave, I was overwhelmed and couldn’t afford to give any extra time to our industry or volunteer for that matter. After several months I began to gain control of my life again and thought I really miss my MPI chapter…so what next…I called SDMPI and said I’m ready to come back and volunteer.
 
I talked with the Director of Volunteer Recruitment (Tina Sanchez-Alvarez) and she was fantastic because she took the time to find out what my strengths were, what I was interested in, and found out how much time I had to commit to MPI. From there we found the perfect committee for me and now I’m the Committee Chair for the Expo at the All Day Education Summit. Because I’m doing something I’m passionate about; I’m excited to be involved in SDMPI again. I think volunteering is a great way of giving back and helps you develop both professionally and personally.
 
I want SDMPI to be great and I want to get the most out of my membership. What do I want to gain from my SDMPI membership? I want contacts and partnerships. How do I achieve that? It’s simple, by volunteering...

CLICK HERE for more info

News & Services

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS: A DIAMOND IN THE MAKING...by Maria Garcia Kamon

2010-2011 will prove to be an exciting time for the San Diego Meeting Planners International; our website is getting a face lift.  This is just one of the many changes that we will be making to provide a service for our clients who deserve the best.  Our new website will be for our members who want the most for their money in an economy where making a dollar last means making smart choices.  MPI volunteers make smart choices.  Volunteers are given so much more then we give.  We are blessed with friendships, knowledge, understanding and the ability to apply what we learned to our own profession.

STUDYING FOR THE CMP EXAM?

Use a course with a proven track record. The SDMPI CMP Study Group will commence on July 28th with a FREE informational meeting.  At this session, you will learn about CIC’s new application process, review study options, and connect and meet other industry professionals.

Date: Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m. (5:45 p.m. Meet and Greet with Refreshments)
Location: TBA
Please RSVP by July 23rd to oferrell@medikinetics.net

What your colleagues have to say…
I think the Study Group was a great help in preparing for the exam.     --Wendy David, CMP
It was a huge help and kept me on track.     --Jennifer McMahon, CMP

RENEWING your CMP Certification?  Contact mschneider@avidcenter.org for information on CIC’s new CMP Recertification application.

CLICK HERE for more info

COMPASS WANTS YOUR NEWS

San Diego’s future award-winning quarterly magazine is accepting last-minute news briefs from its members and committees. Job changes, awards, new hires etc. are just some of the many items we will accept.

Deadline is  this Friday July 9 so don’t delay! Contact Victor Goodpasture at 760-603-0778 or email at prodigital@me.com. The issue comes out mid-July.

CLICK HERE for more info

YOUR SDMPI WEBSITE IS GETTING RE-VAMPED...HELP US HELP YOU

Yes, your SDMPI website is undergoing an extreme makeover and we’d like your input.

How do you currently use the chapter website?  How could the SDMPI website deliver more value to your daily life? Please help us help you by providing some feedback. Please take some ownership in this process and complete this very brief 5-question survey. Your feedback will help express your needs and guild the process.

Click here to take the survey


If you’d like to contribute more to the website, please contact SDMPI’s Website Chair, Nick Caston at 877.925.8375 x807 or email Nick at ncaston@blueskybroadcast.com.  

Get excited about a new and improved SDMPI website this fall!

Golden Opportunities

CATCH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND WEC 2010

WEC 2010 July 24 - 27, 2010 
Vancouver, Canada
MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC) serves as a forum where ideas, marketplaces, and people all intersect to explore concepts and share perspectives from around the globe. With an expected attendance of more than 3,000 meeting professionals – over 40 percent of which are projected to be meeting planners – WEC is an extraordinary opportunity to tap into the energy of the meeting and event industry’s fast-paced decision-makers. CLICK HERE to register.

The City
Vancouver was voted the "Best City in the Americas" for 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Condé Nast Traveler magazine, based on the categories of ambience, friendliness, culture and sites, restaurants, lodging, and shopping. This is just one of the City's many awards and accolades that clearly demonstrate the variety of reasons to visit Vancouver.

SDMPI Has WEC Opportunity Drawing Tickets!
You have the chance to receive a $625.00 supplement from SDMPI off your registration to attend the WEC.  Tickets are available online with each Cvent monthly program registration and also available for purchase at each meeting.  Come visit the Membership table at the April meeting and acquire your tickets (available for $5.00 each or 6 for $25.00).  The WEC drawing will be held at the June Gala.  CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets and get ready to win!

ONE TABLE, TWO TABLES, THREE TABLES....MORE...

We are listening to YOU, and what we're hearing is that it's a tough economy and we need to do more with less – less advertising dollars that is! SDMPI has decided to make networking more affordable so you can showcase your products and services, and get great face time.
 
This year, we’ve dropped our Table Top rates by over $100!
 
Purchase a Table Top Exhibit for $80.00 and make a $25 donation for the SDMPI Raffle Prize Drawing.
 
We will help motivate our members to visit the table tops by creating an incentive drawing, we will mention your company at the podium and direct people to your table top! We'll bring the  people to you and it will be your job to capture their attention, network and get the business!
 
The first four companies that register for a table top at our next event will win the book "Exhibitions and Trade Shows, the step by step guide to making a profit from exhibiting" by S. Ivan Jurisevic.
 
For more information and customized multiple advertising buy opportunities, please contact Advertising Chair, Kelley Howard at k.howard@accessdmc.com to set up an SDMPI advertising consultation.

CLICK HERE for more info

President's Message

HOW WILL YOU EMBRACE YOUR JOURNEY WITH SDMPI THIS YEAR?

July marks the beginning of a new year for the chapter and I am excited to have the opportunity to serve as your chapter president.  During my tenure in the industry, MPI has been a big part of my journey as a meeting professional.   Over the years, the chapter has provided me with endless opportunities for career advancement, continuing education and many personal and professional relationships.   I place great value on my membership and am now valuing the chance to lead the chapter through another successful year.

I challenge each of you to do the same and consciously use MPI in your professional journey.  Your particular desires and needs from SDMPI may be different, but I am confident that we have the resources to guide you along the path.

• Maybe you are a new member looking to get involved in one of our many volunteer opportunities through our Leadership Development Team.
• Maybe you are a long-term member looking for advanced education and innovative ideas through our Education Events and Annual Education Summit
• Maybe you are a supplier looking to increase exposure in our marketplace through advertising, networking or our Annual Expo.
• Maybe you are a meeting planner looking to broaden your professinalism with our CMP Study Group.
• Maybe you are a writer and want to publish an article in the Compass or ONE+ Magazine.
• Maybe you are a student looking for a job or a mentor.

Wherever you are on the journey, San Diego MPI can help you make the most of your membership and get a strong return on your investment.   I invite you all to Embrace the Journey this upcoming year and to enjoy yourself along the way.

I promise you it’s going to be a fulfilling adventure……….

Erin Scholes, CMP, CSEP
SDMPI 2010-2011 Chapter President