Scott Mifsud, CMP Fellow, is president and co-CEO of Just Right! Destination Management, where he leads a nationwide boutique destination management company. In this CMP Spotlight, published in partnership with Events Industry Council (EIC), Mifsud shares with Smart Meetings the career experiences that shaped his professional approach, the value of building lasting professional relationships and why empathy, adaptability and service remain among the industry’s greatest differentiators.
Smart Meetings How did you get your start in the meetings and events industry?
Scott Mifsud I started in hospitality at 16, working at Universal Orlando on the King Kong ride. It was then that I realized I wanted to pursue a career in this amazing field, which led me to get my degree from the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. That’s where my love of meetings and events flourished.
SM Was there an early experience or turning point that shaped your career?
SM I’m part of the generation where we started to job hop a little. That wasn’t originally looked at positively, but early in my career, I learned it became my superpower.
Looking back, gaining experience in hotels and banquets—and my time as an on-site meeting planner—gave me the tools to not only perform my job better, but to understand the industry and the certification with a much better perspective.
SM What year did you earn your CMP and CMP Fellow, and why did you decide to pursue these certifications?
SM I got my CMP in 2011 and my CMP Fellow in 2021. I felt as though it’s important to become part of a network of professionals.
SM What surprised you most about the certification process?
SM I think it was how we all arrived at the answers differently. I joined a study group with industry peers, and I found it interesting how we’d each answer the same question in a similar way, but with vastly different approaches. That taught me to appreciate multiple perspectives when approaching any situation.
SM What roles have you had throughout your career?
SM Early in my career, I was still trying to find myself. I’ve worked for Universal Orlando, Hyatt Hotels, Marriott and smaller event firms. I also spent two years as a travel director traveling the world. I worked in banquets and in sales, then found myself working for a few small DMCs.
SM What lessons or experiences have you carried forward from those roles?
SM To quote Steve Jobs, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
A lot of who I am and what I do goes back to my first job at Universal when I was 16. It taught me a passion and understanding for guest service. I still have clients to this day from almost every one of my previous jobs.
I think the best thing to understand is to never burn a bridge. This is a small industry. Even if you leave a job you don’t love, you never know how the people you worked with might help you further down the line in your career.
SM What’s a favorite career resource that you’d recommend?
SM For me, it’s Meeting Professionals International (MPI). Not just joining, but getting involved. I met people when I was starting Just Right! who helped me more than they know. We wouldn’t have Just Right! if I hadn’t gone to the MPI Orlando president at the time and asked how I could get involved. Her response was, “How involved do you want to get?” Five weeks later, I was on the board. Best decision ever.
SM What’s the most challenging event or project you’ve delivered, and what did you learn from the experience?
SM There are two that come to mind. One was an incentive event that took place in Florida during COVID. Having to rethink seating, cleaning standards and a lot of different procedures was a unique experience.
The second was an event during the first year of F1 in Las Vegas. There were so many things we did not know or expect. The entire city was in this crazy event together.
What I learned from both is to have a great team and trust them. Things will come up that you don’t expect, and as a team, we rolled with the punches together. We learned from each other.
SM What’s the best event advice you’ve ever received?
SM We’re not performing brain surgery. Things may go wrong, and no one’s going to die. You just have to fix the issue and move on.
SM What’s one industry topic you think deserves more attention?
SM Learning how to network and build relationships, especially in a post-COVID digital world.
SM Share a quote that represents your career philosophy.
SM “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou
We’re in a people business. Most of us in this industry offer the same or similar services. How we make people feel is one of the most important differentiators in our industry. It’s how we stand out.
