Natalie Wilson named MPI Foundation’s Canadian Council Board Member representing British Columbia
On January 1, 2017, MPI BC Chapter’s Immediate Past President, Natalie Wilson, CMP CMM became BC’s regional board member on the MPI Foundation Canadian Council. We sat down and spoke with Natalie about her new role and what’s in store for MPI members.
What motivated you to step up and represent the Foundation?
I follow in the footsteps of my dear friend, Fiona Marshall-White, who recently lost her battle with ALS to both her legacy to give back to the Foundation.
The Foundation does so many wonderful things for our community, for our MPI members and prospective members. It’s important to me that we help share information about the Foundation and how it is helping shape our industry, and to also let people know there are hundreds of grants and scholarships available to take advantage of.
What’s available for members and local industry professionals who want to get involved with MPI?
What surprised me the most is how few people are taking advantage of this funding for conferences, professional development, membership, etc… So often, I’ll meet an industry professional who so desperately wants to become a member, but they may not yet sit in a position at work which supports a paid membership. The MPI Foundation has memberships available every month for people to apply for. There are also paid scholarships for MPI’s World Education Congress and other such programs. I encourage those that are interested in developing their careers and their networks to look into these opportunities. All the information is available and often takes just a few minutes to apply.
How have you recently seen the MPI Foundation give back to the MPI BC Chapter?
Twice a year, Chapters across Canada can apply for what we refer to as Chapter Grants provided by the MPI Foundation in partnership with different organizations. This year, the MPI BC Chapter was awarded two Chapter Grants. At Global Meetings Industry Day on April 6, 2017, the MPI BC Chapter used it’s Disney Institute Chapter Grant to help host a phenomenal morning of training. Disney’s training programs are highly rated, and they did not disappoint! The MPI BC Chapter was able to provide professional development for close to 200 participants, learning about employee engagement and brand experience. The takeaways from the morning were hugely valuable and could be taken back to the office and applied to recruitment, event architecture and marketing teams across our industry.
How can businesses and individuals get involved and give back to their industry?
The MPI Foundation is made possible by the generous donations and partnerships forged with organizations, and individuals both within and outside of the meetings and events community. We are able to work with these stakeholders to help them align their business objectives, purpose and/or philanthropy with MPI Foundation offerings.
MPI will be hosting Rendezvous at Incentive Works, formerly Canada Rocks, on August 21 in Toronto. Join us for an evening of live music, silent auctions, and a VIP reception.
What is in store for MPI Members?
In May 2017, the MPI BC Chapter will be using the MPI Foundation in partnership with FMAV’s grant to offer Event Canvas training. Ruud Janssen and Roel Frissen, from the Netherlands, first launched the Event Canvas methodology at WEC in Minneapolis as a strategic management template for rethinking events and conference models. The Canvas model essentially works off of an illustrative model and uses creativity and innovative approaches to help organizations align their program objectives.
For more information on the MPI Foundation, please visit out .
mpiweb.org/foundation
If you’re interested in sponsoring an MPI Foundation scholarship or and would like more information, please reach out to Natalie Wilson