Meetings Strategies
MPI's New International Chairman
Eric Rozenberg may be the first MPI chair from outside North America, but he plans to keep his focus on the group’s largely US-based membership
By Leo Jakobson
July 30, 2010
This year, for the first time, the chairman of the board of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) hails from outside North America.
Eric Rozenberg, CMP, CMM, is president of Brussels, Belgium-based Swantegy, a strategic performance services firm. Rozenberg, whose term began on July 1, likes to quote his predecessor as saying his election puts “the Capital “I” in MPI.”
Still, 2010-2011 is not going to be a normal year. Speaking at the MPI World Education Congress in Vancouver last week, Rozenberg was quick to make clear that his focus will remain largely on MPI’s current members—85 percent of whom hail from North America.
While it is important for planners to know how people do business in other countries—whether they are bringing groups to North America or sending groups from North America abroad—Rozenberg says, “The focus now is helping people be secure in their jobs, helping them create and prove the value these meetings and events bring. And helping those without jobs.”
Nor does this mean ignoring international concerns, he says. “We’ve done global strategy in the past,” Rozenberg says. “Every year the board looks over the next two to three years at what will be the most important thing for the members—what is the environment and how can we help them.”
“I will be in North America every month visiting member chapters," he adds. "At the end of this year, members won’t see a difference in what MPI does for them. We want to be known as a provider of skills.”
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