Meetings Professional International (MPI) continues to show its commitment to women in the era of #TimesUp and #MeToo, with the recent launch of MPICares, a reporting tool for confidential harassment complaints and concerns.
Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI, sent a letter to the MPI community last month stating that the new MPICares system should help to improve transparency, enhance communication and empower people to raise issues and concerns at meetings.
The tool acts in part with the organization’s Principles of Professionalism (updated in January) that are essentially guidelines for conducting business with the highest standards of ethics. If a meeting planner or attendee experiences behavior that violates any of the principles, he or she can report it through the online portal, hosted by third-party hotline provider, EthicsPoint. The tool can even be used for guidance or clarity in relation to MPI’s policies and procedure. Once a report is made, feedback will be given in five to six business days.
The rollout of MPICares comes after a slew of commitments made by MPI in the past year. In May, the organization formed a coalition (dubbed the Events Industry Sexual Harassment Task Force) with other community partners to stop sexual harassment, using the #StrongerTogether slogan. Then, in June, it published “The Essential Guide to Safety and Security: Best Practices for Meeting and Event Planning 2018,” featuring 400 best practices to help planners mitigate risk and develop sufficient safety and security plans.
On Sept. 26, the Events Industry Sexual Harassment Task Force hosted its first webinar, sponsored by MPI, and you better believe the issue is being discussed at IMEX America this week. Our very own Barbara Scofidio spoke at an education session on Oct. 17, titled “Women in Meeting Planning: Their Struggles and Successes.”
