Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has announced the 2012 Recognizing Industry Success and Excellence (RISE) Award winners. Six recipients will be recognized for exceptional achievements related to individual, community and organizational initiatives. Award winners will be acknowledged at the RISE Awards presentation and lunch on July 29, 2012, hosted during MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC) in St. Louis, Miss.
“Each year, the RISE awards offer a glimpse at the possible,” said Brian Palmer, chair, RISE Awards Judging Panel. “MPI articulates what these people and organizations have done in ways that inspire our members and the industry to new heights.”
The RISE award for Young Professional Achievement will be presented to Jillian Schroeder for her leadership and encouragement of student involvement in industry‐related programs. Schroeder led the way in gaining student participation, helping develop the “MENTOR Me” program and creating the “Student Involvement” webpage for the MPI Wisconsin Chapter. She actively speaks at her alma mater on student‐life topics and serves on the Madison College Alumni Advisory Board.
The RISE award for Meeting Industry Leadership will be presented to Ray Bloom, CMM, for his lasting impact in changing the way the meetings and events industry conducts business at tradeshows. In the late 1980s, Bloom pioneered the hosted buyer program, a concept of inviting the right buyers to attend a tradeshow and matched to meet the business needs of exhibitors. Bloom also focuses on the future of the industry through the Future Leaders Forum, which has engaged 5,000 student participants since its launch in 2003.
The RISE award for Member of the Year will be presented to Amanda Cecil, PhD, for her volunteer leadership in the creation of the Meeting and Business Event Competency Standards (MBECS). Amanda chaired the MPI Body of Knowledge Task Force, has served on the MPI Indiana Chapter’s Board of Directors, and volunteered on international committees and task forces focused on students and knowledge.
The RISE award for Community Achievement in Knowledge and Ideas will be presented to the Tennessee Chapter for the “Let MPI Rock Your World Road Trip.” Taking place over three days and touring 440 miles of the state’s three regions, chapter leaders collaborated with supplier members to host duplicate events for the purpose of advocating its “One State, One Chapter” philosophy. The events incorporated live entertainment with progressive education and business networking opportunities. The program is now considered a MPI Chapter Best Practice and has been translated into five languages.
The RISE award for Community Achievement in Marketplace Excellence will recognize the Tampa Bay Area Chapter for its Connections Campaign, implemented in 2010-11. This ongoing campaign created more than 260 connections in its first year with a value of more than $6 million of member‐to‐member business within the chapter. The program exceeded goals and is attributed to increasing member satisfaction within the chapter.
The RISE award for Organizational Achievement will be presented to Royal DSM for its strategic and successful use of meetings and events to launch its new brand identity in February 2011. To engage stakeholders, specifically internal, the company created the “Bright Launch” event. This took place across the globe and comprised a total of 149 events in two days. The leadership within Royal DSM has grown its corporate meetings and events capability to advance strategy, drive engagement, and enable change.
The RISE Award presentation will take place at the American’s Center Convention Complex on July 29, 2012.
