Mark Bice, HPN Global, and Donna Wikstrand, CMP, Conference Hotels Unlimited, get ready for their popular "He Said, She Said" breakout session.

Some 140 attendees came out on a beautiful spring day to join the New England Chapter of Meeting Professionals International for “Spring Forward, an MPI New England Educational Institute,” at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center.

The inaugural event, held May 20, replaced NEMICE, the New England Meeting Industry Conference & Expo, the chapter’s traditional spring event. The decision not to hold NEMICE this year was made “due to the economic climate,” said MPI New England President Michael Lynch, general manager, Sebasco Harbor Resort, Sebasco Estates, Me. However, look for the return of NEMICE in 2011. “NEMICE will be reinvented using this Spring Forward event as a model and catalyst,” Lynch said. Details will be posted at the MPI New England Web site as they become available.

New Expo Creates Buzz
The May 20 conference featured breakout sessions, a luncheon keynote—and the Expo Go Round, a new type of trade show experience, based on five-minute appointments, that was well received by attendees, according to Lynch. “The Expo Go Round was extremely popular for both planners and suppliers,” he said. “The planners were able to request appointments with properties and vendors that met the parameters of their upcoming events and learn the ‘elevator pitch’ from the supplier. They also received a rebate on their registration fee for participating in the Expo. The suppliers had the opportunity to present themselves to planners they may not have had the opportunity to meet in the past.” Lynch noted that the five-minute time constraint prompted some suppliers to get very creative to make an impression. “Suppliers commented that they couldn’t believe the leads they received in less than an hour,” he added. “The planners also loved the time commitment—short, precise, and targeted to their needs. This is certainly a format that will be used in the future.”

He Said, She Said
It was standing room only when two longtime industry personalities led the popular “He Said, She Said” breakout session. Mark Bice, regional vice president, HPN Global, and Donna Wikstrand, CMP, vice president, Conference Hotels Unlimited, presented 10 contentious contract clauses, taking turns acting as “hotel” or “planner” to make a case for or against a particular clause, and sparking energetic discussion among audience members on both sides.

Other presenters included Eli Gorin, CMP, of gMeetings, who offered guidance for planners struggling with destination perception issues; Bryan Lavin of the Providence • Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, who covered social media basics and strategies; and luncheon keynoter Marlene Chism, whose presentation (entitled, “Stop the Drama”) offered attendees many valuable nuggets, including this one: “Responsibility is the recognition of choice.”

Next up for the New England Chapter is its Annual Meeting, a dinner program set for June 28 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. MPI President and CEO Bruce MacMillan is the featured speaker at the event, where he will talk about the future of the organization at the international level and how upcoming changes will affect the chapter. Register here.