Letters: Oh, Brother! Sister Org Not Playing Nice

Meeting Professionals International chairman Hugh Lee claims that MPI is "the only association out there that has both suppliers and meeting professionals as full members" (Meetings Today, Jan. 17). The Society of Government Meeting Professionals, a highly respected association of more than 3,500 members in 26 chapters, has proudly included suppliers and meeting professionals as full members since its inception in 1981. While SGMP may be relatively small by comparison, its contributions to the meetings industry are as credible and as meaningful as MPI's. Moreover, I and many other SGMP members have repeatedly been recruited by MPI to lead its CMP study group sessions, under a partnership arrangement. We have always regarded MPI as a sister organization.

Mr. Lee further claims that "MPI really is the meeting professionals' association." While understandably proud of MPI, Mr. Lee has no reason to denigrate SGMP and other industry associations that offer first-rate educational opportunities and resources for their members. I appeal to Mr. Lee to encourage collaboration, rather than competition, within our industry. As a veteran of the meetings industry for almost three decades, I value every nugget of education I have gained, regardless of the teacher. The meetings industry is a big pie, and MPI members aren't the only ones who know the ingredients.

Mark Brown
MasiMax Resources Inc.
National Capital Chapter, SGMP

Certification Not The Whole Story
Regarding the article by Jay Boehmer on Gelco and Concur completing a SAS 70 project (BTN, Feb. 7), certification of completion of a SAS 70 Type II does not necessarily give your readers the information they are looking for. Without stating whether they received a "clean" or "unqualified" report does not give the entire story. The number of findings and the areas to which they relate may give readers additional helpful information.

Valerie Bunnis
Controller
Interplx Technologies Inc.