President of the MPI UK and Ireland Chapter, Samme Allen, welcomed 100 guests to the association’s annual summer party, held at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, 17 September.
The event marked the Chapter’s 18th birthday, alongside the international association’s 40th anniversary.
“The event was a great success attended by a host of industry leaders and experts. In particular it provided an opportunity to highlight the Chapter’s plans for the year ahead that will bring even greater benefits to the membership. It was also a great opportunity to celebrate the Chapter’s success over the last 18 years and to thank members of the committee past and present,” Allen told CN.
Peter Haigh, Paul Kennedy MBE, and Paul Cook, were among the past Presidents in attendance, as many members told their personal stories of development in an atmosphere that was reminiscent of a religious revivalist meeting.
Allen, who is also Head of Sales at The Barbican, also outlined the Chapter’s plans for the next 12 months and was confident of increasing the opportunities for members. “We have listened to what our members want from their membership and this has helped form our programme going forward. We are confident that there are elements that will help everybody succeed and I look forward to the impact they will have on their roles and as individuals.”
Educational opportunities being planned, said Allen, would include MPI’s Certification in Meeting Management (CMM) qualification being offered to members in the UK, a programme designed to select, educate, and certify management-level meeting and event professionals. Other education-focussed events include corporate and agency planner forums, technology updates and CSR planner forums.
An expanded diary of networking events will include more ‘MPI and a Pint’, both on a national and local level.
Allen sounded the call to ‘get involved’. “You only get out what you put in, which is why we encourage our members to become involved in the Chapter’s activities as much as possible. It was encouraging that a number of members signed up for volunteer roles within the Chapter on the night as well as enquiries from non-members interested in joining MPI. It makes for a very exciting future for the Chapter,” she added.
MPI membership is comprised of more than 21,000 members belonging to 71 chapters and clubs worldwide. The UK Chapter is currently one of the only major UK meetings industry associations without a full-time member of staff.
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