Meeting Professionals International is implementing new membership categories, dividing members into five specific groups that, according to MPI Chairwoman and Maritz Travel Co. CEO Christine Duffy, are “reflective of where our membership is today.”
The new categories announced this week, and approved by the MPI International Board of Directors back in February, include those of corporate meeting professional, association/non-profit meeting professional, government meeting professional, supplier meeting professional, and meeting management professional. The new categories become effective September 15.
In an interview with Corporate Meetings and Incentives, MPI’s interim head Mark Andrew said the move to create new membership categories “will really help us address our different members in a more personalized manner.”
As such, Andrew said, the move goes hand in hand with MPI’s recent launch of the Member Solutions program, with components such as My MPI, with its personalized Web page, and Professional Pathways, with its individual skills assessment and career development plan.
“MPI has a great history of education, and as a resource for knowledge,” said Andrew, adding that in determining these membership categories, MPI will be further defining the kinds of resources it can make available for different members. “An association planner, for example, doesn’t need a lot of material on Sarbanes-Oxley,” explained Andrews. “But they do look for material on association governance. Let’s make sure they have this information at their fingertips.
“We’re making sure that we are a good resource for our members,” Andrew said, “and that planners and suppliers are getting good value from their memberships.”