"As we are dedicated to creating the premier meeting, entertainment and gaming destination on the East Coast, Mohegan Sun is deeply committed to building a strategic partnership that transcends the traditional buyer - seller relationship by setting the standard for a stronger, more active union between the meetings industry and those who serve it," said David Casey, vice president of hotel sales and marketing of Mohegan Sun. "Providing strong roots for future generations is part of the Mohegan way of life, and we're integrating that philosophy into the way we do business through investments in the long-term, positive growth of the meetings industry."
 

Professional Convention Management Education Foundation Established in 1985, the PCMA Education Foundation has played a major role in the development of university-level meeting management curricula and reference books. Thousands of industry professionals have benefited from its variety of self-study courses, workshops, seminars and distance learning programs. Mohegan Sun's contribution will assist PCMA with the further development and production of educational, training, and research products and services for the meetings industry. "We thank Mohegan Sun for its sincere effort to enhance the effectiveness of meetings,

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Gina Rodigou, Mohegan Sun's National Sales Manager presented a $100,000 check to Roy B. Evans Jr., CAE. President and CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association during PCMA's recent conference in San Francisco. Mohegan Sun's donation will assist PCMA with the further development and production of educational, training, and research products and services the the meetings industry

Starting with the 2001 annual convention, and for the preceding four years, Mohegan Sun will be the exclusively named sponsor of its annual Silent Auction.

Meeting Professionals International

MPI is the world's largest association of meetings industry professionals with more than 17,000 members in 58 chapters across 64 countries, providing quality education and networking events, industry resources and advocacy programs that serve the needs of industry members and non-members alike. Mohegan Sun's donation will assist the MPI Foundation in its research and education projects directly targeting the meetings, event and incentive industry.

The MPI Foundation is the future-oriented research and development institution serving the industry and Meeting Professionals International. The Foundation funds ground-breaking research on industry trends, sponsors global education to improve the communication value of meetings, supports professional certification, and publishes specialized works that advance the art and science of meeting and event planning.

"Mohegan Sun's actions demonstrate a milestone in the role of properties as active participants in a collective effort toward the education and prosperity of the industry," stated David DuBois, CAE, CMP, executive vice president of MPI Foundation. "We are honored by their interest in MPI as a guiding light for professional development, and the MPI Foundation which helps to prepare meeting professionals for the future."

Mohegan Sun will be the lead sponsor of the annual Silent Auction conducted at the PEC -- North America Conference starting in 2001 for the next four years. For its generous support, MPI is providing the legendary destination with a $2,000 - $2,500 hospitality education scholarship to be administered through a Native American foundation selected by the Mohegan Tribe.

American Society of Association Executives

Mohegan Sun's $100,000 donation put the ASAE Foundation's capital campaign, Partners for the Future, over the top of its minimum fundraising goal of $5.5 million. Bach year the foundation invests a portion of the endowment earnings in its dynamic new program of comprehensive biennial environmental scanning and targeted, commissioned research.

Since 1920, ASAE has provided members of the association management field with the resources needed to enhance performance and ensure continued growth and success. The organization represents those who manage trade associations, individual membership societies, voluntary organizations, and not-for-profit associations, as well as those who provide products and services to the association community.

"We have received a tremendous amount of support from the association community. But this campaign is far from over. I hope that all ASAE members will partner with the foundation in this extraordinary effort," said Michael S. Olson, CAE, ASAE president. "We are facing tough challenges that will make or break associations in the coming years. Like Mohegan Sun and the other donors who carried us to our first goal, we all need to heed the call to invest in associations for the long term."
 

The Mohegan Sun name has been synonymous with growth since its opening in 1996. The legendary gaming destination is currently in the midst of an $800-million expansion that will make Mohegan Sun the premier meetings, entertainment and gaming destination on the East Coast.

Owned by the Mohegan Tribal Nation, Mohegan Sun is one of the most distinctive destinations in the United States. It is situated in scenic Southeastern Connecticut on 240 acres along the Thames River in the town of Uncasville. It is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence, as well as a wealth of popular activities and attractions. Already renowned as a legendary gaming and entertainment center. Mohegan Sun is now evolving into a multidimensional complex ideally suited for discerning meeting and event planners.