MPI Redesigns Membership Model, Offers Special Promotion to New Members

DALLAS, June 13, 2016 -- Meeting Professionals International (MPI) recently announced it has restructured its membership model to offer three different levels for both planners and suppliers. In addition, the association will soon introduce a new e-subscription for select MPI digital resources. The announcement was shared yesterday during a media briefing event at MPI's 2016 World Education Congress (WEC) in Atlantic City.

"We have been working to grow and evolve our association over the past few years in order to better serve the global community and this new membership model is a significant component of our overall transformation," said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI. "Our redesigned model has more flexibility and choices, which allows us to better meet the needs of our membership and will attract a broader audience including emerging professionals who need a more affordable option for their budgets."
 
MPI's new membership levels for planners and suppliers include the following:

Essential Membership – Provides access to MPI's online tools and resources, including free education webinars, recorded event sessions, membership directory, job board, MyMPI Online Community, industry research, member discounts, e-newsletters, The Meeting Professional magazine, and more.

Preferred Membership – Includes all of the Essential Membership benefits plus chapter affiliation, special member rates to chapter events, and CMP application assistance.

Premier Membership – Designed for highly active members, this level provides all of the benefits offered with the Essential and Preferred memberships as well as direct marketing lists, VIP passes to MPI global signature events, advanced previews of MPI's Meetings Outlook quarterly research report, one-on-one career and academic counseling, and the Concierge Line, which provides immediate access to MPI Member Services.
 
For a limited time, MPI is offering new members the opportunity to receive a complimentary membership upgrade. New members can become a Premier Member for the price of a Preferred Membership or a Preferred Member for the price of an Essential Membership. This special promotion is valid for new members that join MPI between June 12 through July 31, 2016, and may be redeemed by completing the following steps: (1) fill out the online application at www.mpiweb.org/join; (2) select the desired membership upgrade level; and (3) enter the promotional code NewMPI16.
 
The path to redesigning MPI's membership model began in early 2015. The association engaged an independent consultant for assistance with conducting an in-depth analysis of its membership history as well as market research and testing. A soft launch of the model was implemented in October 2015 and then it was formally introduced to MPI's volunteer leadership at its annual Chapter Business Summit this past April. Member feedback has been very positive since the rollout, with more than 400 new members joining MPI.
 
Scheduled to formally launch this August, MPI's new e-subscription offering includes the digital edition of The Meeting Professional magazine, the MPI NewsBrief e-newsletter, read-only access to the MyMPI Online Community and select live education webinars. Meeting professionals who are exploring the meeting and event industry or are new to MPI may find this offer a valuable introductory option.
 
For more information on MPI's new membership levels and pricing and to join, visit www.mpiweb.org/join. Details about the e-subscription offering will be published online in August 2016.
 
About MPI

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including more than 17,000 engaged members and its Plan Your Meetings audience. It has more than 90 chapters and clubs in 24 countries. For additional information or to join, visit www.mpiweb.org. 

CONTACT: Sonya Thorpe Cobb
         MPI Manager of Communications
         [email protected]