Shrinking meeting departments and ongoing cost-cutting measures being taken by both corporations and associations can make it tough for meeting planners to focus on the long term and see where they're headed. Meeting Professionals International is trying to ease that process with a new program, MPI Professional Pathways, that it says will help meeting planners assess and map out a plan for their careers.
Professional Pathways is one of three services that MPI will package under an umbrella called MPI Member Solutions. The association announced the initiative at its World Education Congress (WEC) in mid-July.
Through MPI's Web site, planners using Pathways will be able to take a skills assessment survey, rating themselves in various aspects of their careers. At the end of the program participants will receive a ranking—from "student" to "executive"—and a "gap analysis'' showing areas that need improvement.
"One problem with this profession is that people think meeting planners just plan fun parties," says Christine Duffy, newly installed chair of MPI for 2005-2006. "Professional Pathways is the vehicle to help our membership define themselves and what they contribute to their organizations."
One of the other services, MPI Resources, will offer educational tools, both online and over the phone, including career counseling, mentoring, new research in the industry, and more. Planners also will be offered classes and books aimed at closing their specific career gaps.
A third service, called My MPI, will be customizable to the member's ranking, interests, and profile (corporate or association meetings, for example). There will also be a professional conference calendar and the ability to track one's continuing educational units.
MPI Member Solutions is scheduled to launch on January 22 at MPI's Professional Education Conference in Charlotte, NC. MPI is also planning to release versions for suppliers, students, and faculty. An international version is also being considered.
The WEC drew 3,417 registrants, the second most for any event in MPI's history. At the opening general session, Duffy, CEO of Maritz Travel Company, told members, "We all need to be more cognizant of the broader business issues that affect our organizations and our industry, and of the role that meetings play within the context of running a business."
At the same time, Duffy added, "None of this means walking away from the logistical execution side of our business. No one will ever take us seriously if we can't do that well. Those skills are vital to moving to the next level."
Duffy says MPI plans to launch a research project to better understand senior executives' views of the value of meetings.
"We will use this research to identify specific ways to influence their perceptions about meetings, the profession, and the industry overall," she says.
Also at the convention, Glenn Reighart, director of meetings and conventions for the National Community Pharmacists Association, in Alexandria, VA, was named International Planner of the Year; and Coleman, principal of The Conference Works, in Mineral Point, WI, was named International Supplier of the Year.