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©Meeting Professionals International 2006

MPI Member Solutions

The Path to Building a Profession

January 2006

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Today’s Agenda

• Understand how MPI Member Solutions will revolutionize the way we and others such as CEOs, HR professionals, governments, faculty and students think about meetings and those who produce them

• Get a sneak peek of the most important feature of MPI Member Solutions ... MPI Professional Pathways, which will help build a personal growth plan for your career based on based on the first-ever skills self-assessment, standardized job descriptions and core competencies for our industry

• Learn how your MPI membership experience will be personalized with a new website and career resources customized to your needs

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History and Mission of MPI Member Solutions

• MPI’s strategic plan, Pathways to Excellence, developed in 2002 to elevate the role of meetings in business

• Focus on industry transformation and building a profession

• Logistics and execution of meetings will remain important but to evolve, we must define meeting planning as a profession with specialized skills and a lifelong career path

• We must work at a more strategic level and influence senior executives’ view of our contribution to the business planning process

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History and Mission of MPI Member Solutions

• The most exciting example of the strategic plan becoming reality is MPI Member Solutions

• January 2006 is a launch, a starting point only• Just as our profession evolves, so will MPI Member

Solutions and the value it delivers to you• Building a profession will not happen overnight• MPI will lead the changes and define the profession

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A Massive Investment

• More than $500,000 for technology infrastructure• Thousands of members worldwide surveyed• More than 160 core skills and competencies identified• Hundreds of use cases built for the new website• Members volunteered more than 4,200 hours of time• Staff has spent more than 6,000 hours in program and technology

development• For the personalization to work, every article MPI has published,

every book in the MPI bookstore, every session description, every white paper must be classified by level such as novice or expert, and type such as independent or association planner

• Research and development of job descriptions, standard skills and a reporting tool to evaluate skill gaps and match members with specific opportunities that match their career plan

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MPI Member Solutions – Special Thanks

• Fusion Productions

• Leadership Synergies

• InterContinental Hotels

• MPI Foundation

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MPI’s Vision for Your Industry’s Future• Think about the HR profession (personnel): they used to

be in a back room filing resumes• Think about procurement (purchasing): they used to be

supply order-takers and invoice processors• Both now have seats at the table contributing to

business decisions and driving organizational success

It is MPI’s vision to build a recognized profession that will ensure meeting

professionals have this same seat at the table

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My MPIMy MPI

MPIMPIResource CenterResource Center

MPI MPI ProfessionalProfessional

PathwaysPathways

MPI MemberSolutions

How Do We Build a

Profession?

The key is MPI

Professional Pathways

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How Do We Get There?• My Professional Pathways

• Industry-first standardized job descriptions for each category: corporate, association and independent planners

• 13 defined skills families and more than160 skills to be successful as a meeting professional driven by the job descriptions

• A self-assessment tool to evaluate against all skills and then compare those skills to a job description that best matches your current job or against a job you aspire to in the future

• A planner style survey for those interested in a career as a meeting planner

• Standardized job descriptions and skill levels plus a defined path and lifelong learning that starts at the university/college level will help build a profession

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Analysis/ Process/Decisions Marketing

Business Management Meetings Management

Communication Project Management/ Work Planning

Education and Content Development

Strategy

Financial Management People Management

International Relations

Technology Interpersonal Relations / Relationships

Skill Families: Not Just About Logistics

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A Peek into the Details of One Skill Family …• Communication: Refers to the technical and social skills

required to exchange information effectively with others, whether verbally or in writing, one-on-one or within a group. Skill includes:– Active listening/questioning– Grammar/punctuation– Manners– Public speaking– Non-verbal communication– Social etiquette– Summarization– Verbal skills– Written communication

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Deep Job Descriptions Add to the Equation

• You will be able to rate yourself against a job title similar to what you do today, or against the level you aspire to be at tomorrow

• Sample Corporate Meeting Planner (Manager): Acts as meeting lead for small to medium-sized meetings, assisting internal clients with planning procedures from site selection and contract negotiation to on-site meeting management. Assists internal clients, senior planner, or manager, in support of large and multi-faceted meetings. Meeting results must meet multiple objectives as well as demonstrate consistent application of company standards. 

Plus clearly defined job responsibilities and job specifications

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Building Your Career Path

After completing the skills assessment, you will immediately receive three report options:

• My Gap Report – an analysis of where you are, compared to the industry standard for a particular job you are interested in

• My Skills Assessment Recommended Resources – a report with suggested events, books, articles, news and white papers that address needs identified in the Gap Report

• My Job Best Fit - will take all responses from the skills assessment and compare it to all jobs in the MPI system, and provide a report of how you match up against all jobs

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Sample My Gap Report

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Sample My Skills Assessment

Recommended Resources

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Sample My Job Best Fit

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Chapter Benefits

• Chapter leaders can research chapter-wide where members fit in terms of level and skillset

• Prioritize learning for the majority• Plan chapter education more effectively, provide a

more relevant experience for members, increase member satisfaction and retention

• Based on aggregate data so confidentiality will be maintained

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MPI Resource CenterCentralized Member Services and Career Resources

• Membership Services   – Membership assistance (join or renew) – General information about MPI (FAQs) – Conference/event registration – Chapter information support and reports – Mailing list rentals– Retail sales (bookstore) – Access to general industry research

Online and via phone

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MPI Resource Center• Career Resources

– MPI Peer-to-Peer Assistance:  linking members to qualified volunteer industry experts for valuable, practical “how to” assistance to achieve performance excellence in the meetings profession

– MPI Employment Assistance:  helping members find career opportunities and/or qualified candidates for career openings.  Resources will include a job search and posting bank, sample resumes and cover letters, tips on interviewing techniques and career development articles

– MPI Skills Assessment Assistance: providing members with support in completing, updating or viewing results of their assessments 

Online and viaphone

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A Brand New Look for MPIWeb

New home page targeted for non-members and those unfamiliar with MPI or meetings industry

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A Brand New Look for MPIWeb

Personalized Member Websites through My MPI with your content and career roadmap

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But What About Suppliers?

Personalized career paths for planners = more planner members = more business opportunities for suppliers

Suppliers can take the skills assessment to learn to better relate to planner clients or if they are considering a career change

Supplier members also will benefit from My MPI and the MPI Resource Center

If the profession flourishes, so will all members of that profession

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Available January 23, 2006

New MPIWeb (New home page with a brand new look) My MPI (personal sign on Web page for all members)• Some personalized content will be available based on what we know

about you – so please update your profile information• Books and news that apply to you• Articles from The Meeting Professional that fit your profile• Research applicable to you• Industry calendar• MPI’s body of knowledge only available to members for free; non-

members will have to pay for research, The Meeting Professional articles, one-time skills assessment usage, white papers, etc.

MPI Resource Center: Membership Services and Career ResourcesSkills Assessment: MPI Professional PathwaysMPI Employment AssistanceMPI Peer-to-Peer Assistance

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Coming After January 2006

• Collaboration with other associations/organizations to enhance content beyond MPI offerings – starting in January; more robust by end of 2006

• Planner style survey for those interested in a career as a meeting planner

• Preferences coming in July (you pick what you want to see: news applicable to you only, or pick other topics you might be interested in)

• More features and benefits well into 2007 and beyond!– The more we know about you, the more robust your experience

will be

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Possibilities for the Future: Picture This

• MPI members have a defined career path and resources from college through retirement

• HR professionals use MPI’s skills assessment tool to plan education and training for entire meeting planning departments and use MPI’s job descriptions when hiring new planners

• High school students say, “I want to be a meeting planner when I grow up” and become active in MPI in college

• Governments recognize meeting planning as a profession just like accounting, law or nursing

• CEOs and business leaders will look to meeting professionals as strategic contributors to organizational success, not just as logistics managers

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YOUR NEXT STEPS FOR MPI MEMBER SOLUTIONS

EVERY MEMBER SHOULD COMPLETE A PROFILE

EVERY PLANNER SHOULD COMPLETE A SKILLS ASSESSMENT

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It All Starts January 23

• January 2006 is a launch, a starting point only• Just as our profession evolves, so will MPI Member Solutions and

the value it delivers to you• It all starts with the debut of MPI Professional Pathways at the

Professional Education Conference-North America, Jan. 22 – 24, 2006 in Charlotte, North Carolina

• Chapters have many opportunities and tools to get members engaged, there will be incentives for chapters and individuals (incentives are ideas based on feedback from chapter leaders)

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Thank you for your time today.

For more information about MPI Member Solutions, visit www.mpiweb.org or contact

Kelly Schulzat kschulz@mpiweb.org.