Meeting Professionals International - Dallas, Texas
Maintaining Human Connections
In this ever-changing, fast paced world of emerging technology, meetings are more vital than ever to maintaining business relationships and bolstering the bottom line. Meetings preserve the human dimension of the marketplace. They are the primary point for people to connect face-to-face for education, communication, and personal development.
Serving as the national body of meeting professionals, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) had done much to support productivity in the meetings industry. However, MPI realized that previous success did not guarantee excellence in the future. They became aware that much more work needed to be done to help meeting professionals keep pace with the demands of the 21st century marketplace. A long-term source of funds necessary to support ongoing and augmented programs needed to be secured. In response to those realities, the MPI Foundation launched the Connections 2000 Campaign with a goal of $3 million in project, endowment, and operating funds.
The success of the Connections 2000 Campaign has been felt across the meetings industry. Research and development projects such as MPINet II, ROI-2 and ROI-3 have been expanded. New initiatives including the Optimal Adult Learning Environment Project have been implemented, and the continued dedication to diversity education, international learning, student internships, and professionalism and ethics has been firmly supported through a strong endowment.
What Made It Happen?
The Connections 2000 Campaign represented a turning point as the MPI Foundation Board of Trustees and the MPI Board of Directors significantly deepened its commitment to expanding the effectiveness and recognition of meeting professionals. With the assistance of Skystone Ryan a development assessment and pre-campaign feasibility study were completed. The firm subsequently guided the MPI Foundation in the development of a multi-faceted campaign plan, and in the recruitment of a steering committee comprised of well-known and respected business leaders. Achieving the Campaign's goal was directly connected to the commitment of all those who benefit from a strong meetings industry. The success of the Campaign enabled the MPI Foundation to support MPI as the pivotal force in positioning meetings as a critical component of any organization's success in the new century.
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