|
 |
| THCC Welcomes Our Newest Members!
| Karen Duncan, MS, CTC, DS Owner Peeks Cruises & Tours Pflugerville Della Guidry President/Owner PRA DMC San Antonio San Antonio | Pamela Paz Meeting Planner/Owner Pflugerville Andres Salas Director of Sales PSAV Presentation Services San Antonio | Linsae Snider Executive Director Texas School Public Relations Association Austin | | | Welcome our new members and find old friends in the Membership Directory |
|
 4 Ways to Build a Better Event This month, two of our local board members take their place in the national spotlight. MPI’s The Pulse e-newsletter recently interviewed Mandy Begley, CMP and Paulina Van Eeden Hill, co-chairs of MPI THCC’s 2012 Texas Education Conference, regarding the innovative approach they used to plan TEC 2012 and the refreshing creativity that was apparent in every aspect of the event. Click here to read the article, and save the date for the 2013 event, November 21-22 at Omni La Mansion del Rio in San Antonio!  Have you been looking for MPI-THCC Chapter Meetings? They’re easy to find on www.mpithcc.org/meetings. Just look for the new name “ Educational Sessions” and grab those CEU’s! Have you heard?
The 30th Annual MPI-THCC Banquet will be held at THE W HOTEL on Friday, May 31!
 | You will not want to miss this MAD MEN themed event. We are encouraging everyone to dress MAD MEN or 1960s style and have arranged for a 10 percent discount on rentals from Lucy in Disguise when you mention the “MPI Banquet” at checkout! The official invitation hit your email boxes early this week and we hope to have a record attendance at the W! For now, mark your calendars for May 31. The silent auction will be held from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., and dinner and the awards banquet will immediately follow at 7:30. We have successfully negotiated a courtesy block of rooms (room rate $229) at the W
Register Now!
|
 - Texas Education Conference (TEC): November 21-22, 2013 at the Omni La Mansion in San Antonio
- Southwest Showcase on January 23, 2014 at the Austin Convention Center
The 2013 MPI-THCC Silent Auction is coming up and we need your donation!The 2013 MPI-THCC Silent Auction is coming up and we need your donation! Participating as an auction donor in this event is a prime opportunity to showcase your product and services to key meeting professionals. It not only demonstrates your support for our chapter, but also for our industry. Proceeds directly benefit MPI-THCC members and the association, through industry scholarships, educational opportunities, professional speakers and much more. Your company will be recognized on this web site and in the Spotlight as well as the auction program and bid sheets. The 2013 Silent Auction Committee asks you to consider a donation of a special item that represents you or your organization. Any worthwhile product or service will be gratefully accepted. Some of the most popular items auctioned in past years include: - Weekend hotel stays with sporting tickets, spa packages or a restaurant gift certificates
- Speaker, tour, transportation or entertainment packages for meeting planners
- Themed baskets with wine, theater tickets, bath/beauty products and other specialty items, etc.
- Service Certificates – printing, photography, technical support, etc.
Please join the partnership and the fun by supporting this exceptional MPI Chapter! Download the 2013 donation form here. We already have some great auction items that have been donated by:Around Austin, Inc. Austin Convention Center Department Austin Marriott North Austin's Park Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau Courtyard & Residence Inn Marriott Austin Downtown Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau Dart Bowl DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Houston Intercontinental Airport Embassy Hotel Austin Central Embassy Suites Austin Downtown Embassy Suites Hotel, Spa & Conference Center San Marcos Esther's Follies Flemings Steakhouse Four Seasons Hotel Austin Fredericksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau Hampton Inn Downtown Austin | Hilton Austin Airport Hyatt Place North Hyatt Regency Austin Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board La Quinta Inn & Suites San Antonio Convention Center La Torretta Lake Resort and Spa Lowes Hollywood Hotel
Marriott Dallas/Plano at Legacy Town Center Marriott Rivercenter/River Walk in San Antonio Marriott Waterway in the Woodlands Omni Austin Hotel Downtown Onion Creek Country Club Perry's Steakhouse Austin Downtown Plano Convention & Visitors Bureau Port Royale - Port Aransas PSAV Pure Barre Austin | Radisson Hotel & Suites Austin Renaissance Austin Hotel Reunion Ranch Rodney Strong Wine Estates Round Rock Express San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau Shell Personal Styling + Closet Therapy Sheraton Hotel Austin Snap Kitchen SuperShuttle and ExecuCar of Austin The Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center Truluck's Seafood, Steak, & Crab House United Airlines Westin Galleria Dallas Westin La Cantera Resort |
 Leadership Day set for July 19 The second annual Leadership Day, a full-day leadership program designed for meeting professionals, is scheduled for Friday, July 19. Special thanks to our Venue Sponsor, the Renaissance Austin Hotel, where the event will be held. Leadership Day is a joint program presented by the Texas Hill Country Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI-THCC), and the Central Texas Chapter of the International Association for Events and Expositions (IAEE-CTC). Lunch speaker for this year’s event will be Richard Bowen, a former VP of Citigroup who tried repeatedly to warn executive management about risky business practices and potential losses related to mortgage lending. Bowen testified before Congress and his experiences were part of the 60 Minutes story, “Prosecuting Wall Street.” He will speak on Leadership and Ethics.
Also on tap for 2013 are Opening and Closing General Session presentations from topic experts, targeted concurrent sessions to enhance and reinforce the knowledge gained and the chance to network with industry leaders. Approximately 120 attendees are expected to attend this year’s event.
The first joint Leadership Day program was held last summer at the Bastrop Convention Center in Bastrop, Texas, and earned enthusiastic reviews from attendees. This day of learning and community will be a great opportunity to fine tune your leadership skills, map your career path, and learn from and enjoy fellowship with members of the top two industry organizations devoted to meeting & conference planning.
Online registration and additional information can be found at www.leadershipdaytx.com. Sponsorships for organizations that support the meetings industry are available. For information on sponsoring, contact Charles Gallatin, CAE, CEM at charles@expotexllc.com or Lynn Fisher, CMP at lynn@taa.org. Back to Top  
A Thank You to Remember Thanks for this contribution to our 30th year anniversary archives from our member Tricia Hall, CAE, CMP, who recently moved back into MPI THCC country, “This is a letter written by Chilton Roberts as MPI President for his outgoing banquet in 1996 at the Wildflower Center (when the Center was very new). We had a lovely outdoor banquet that evening and many awards were given out (Did I say many? It was “over the top” and typical Chilton! We miss you dear friend!). The board members each received a lovely gift, and inside the box was Chilton's letter. I think this letter captured the spirit of a very hard-working and dedicated board who, in the infancy of our chapter, accomplished so many wonderful things. There was an incredible team behind the huge scope of work--many, many of the team members who are still active today. I think it is a testament to how strong our chapter has been and how strong it continues to be. I love these memories and hope you do too.” . . . (link to Chilton Roberts letter.pdf) Dallas Convention Center Renamed for Retired Senator The Dallas City Council has voted to rename the Dallas Convention Center after retired U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has 1,018,942 square feet of exhibit space and 88 meeting rooms. From Meetings and Conventions Waco Meetings Market Place Scheduled for May 22 The 2 nd Annual Waco Meetings Marketplace will take place on Wednesday, May 22 from 10 AM – 2 PM in the Brazos Ballroom of the Waco Convention Center. This is a free tradeshow aimed at bringing together meeting and event planners with the vendors they need for a successful event. Anyone who plans a meeting is invited to attend including those who plan conferences, weddings, quinceañeras, workshops, or sporting events. For more information, contact Carla Pendergraft, CMP at 254-750-5806, e-mail at carlap@ci.waco.tx.us, or visit wacocc.com/meetings-marketplace. 
Travelers spending less on hotel services, according to new PKF report Hotel guests are paying higher prices for their rooms in the U.S. But hotel operators are having a tougher time convincing their guests to spend additional money for extra services and amenities, according to a new report from PKF Hospitality Research LLC. Click here read more. ISES Austin Presents Event Alchemy – Bringing to Life the Creative Event David Merrell is an award-winning designer and owner of A00 Events. By combining creative design with sales savvy, he has found great success in the special events industry. David Merrell has earned a reputation as designing some of the most innovative, cutting-edge events in the business. He has worked with clients such as ABC, NBC, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, Paramount and Sony pictures. Click here to learn more and register. Industry Needs Less Talk and More Action By Jason Hensel April 22, 2013 The following is a guest blog entry originally published in MPI’s The Pulse written by MPI Chicago Area Chapter member Kyle Hillman, CMP, who recently participated in the U.S. Travel Association advocacy fly-in to Washington, D.C. Since the bailout event backlash and the government meeting scandals that include the now legendary US$16 muffin, our industry has been scrambling to put together a cohesive advocacy message to mixed results. So it was with great interest that I found the most recent U.S. Travel Association advocacy fly-in to Washington, D.C., April 10-11. I am probably not like most MPI member planners in that half of my job consists of legislative tracking and organizing advocacy/educational event efforts for the social work association I work for. I see first-hand every day the power of a vocal and active membership, and it is likely why our industry’s timid approach to advocacy irks me so much. Click herefor more.
Red Coat Direct
Marriott International unveiled an app that allows meeting organizers to request onsite services at Marriott-branded properties, according to the hotel company. "Available for all Internet-enabled devices including iPhone, iPad, Android phones, Kindle Fire and laptops," Red Coat Direct "is personalized to each organizer's specific meeting," according to Marriott. Requests submitted through the app are routed to the appropriate event manager "and the department that can fulfill the request." Users can submit requests within three days of a meeting and throughout the event. Red Coat Direct currently is applicable for events at 10 U.S. Marriott-branded hotels. By the end of 2014, it will be expanded to "the brand's entire global portfolio of 500 hotels," and made available in 19 languages, according to the company. From Business Travel NewsHoliday Inn Austin Midtown is proud to announce two new sales managers to their team. Yvette Eddleton will be handling the corporate and business travel markets, and Shelly Staff will be handling SMERF. Zachry Hospitality has made two announcements of new personnel. Tonya Settles is the new Director of Human Resources for Hilton Palacio del Rio hotel and Staybridge Suites Downtown Convention Center in San Antonio and Jennifer Navarro is the new General Manager of Staybridge Suites Downtown Convention Center hotel. Emily Mathews, CMP is now the part-time, Austin-based convention sales manager for the McAllen CVB! Emily can be reached at emat1971@austin.com or 512/217.6650. Congratulations, Emily! 
Have breaking news? MPI-THCC is eager to spread all the good news about our members and our industry. We want to hear from you! Send your news to commteam@mpithcc.org. If you’d like to send a press release, there is an easy form available on the web. Reach out! If you are interested in advertising in the Spotlight or on the MPI-THCC web site, click here for information or call Jeff Rasco at 512-847-1122.
| | | 
MPITHCC PO Box 49135 Austin, TX 78765-9154
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
