Post-Con: MPI WEC
Attendees take a break at The Hub. Photo: MPI
Meeting Professionals International held its annual World Education Congress in St. Louis last week at America’s Center Convention Complex. Keynote speakers included Jonah Lehrer and Nicholas Cristakis, and education sessions covered a range of industry topics. One of the key sessions was “Flash Forward 2030: MPI’s Future of Meetings,” which revealed how the current state of the industry could affect future trends. “The habits you learn during the recession, you maintain afterwards,” said Jackie Mulligan, director of enterprise for the International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality at Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. Although the economy is slowly on the upturn, she says recession lessons will linger long after the bad times are gone. Mulligan suggests several tactics for successful meetings through the next two decades, including using very clear ROI measurements to prove the value of your meetings and investing in crisis and management training.
The event also featured mini education sessions and a networking area dubbed The Hub. The other big news that came from the event was a new partnership between MPI and Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International. MPI also recognized its annual award winners at the Recognizing Industry Success and Excellence program for individuals, MPI communities and organizations. RISE Awards were presented to Amanda Cecil, Ph.D., assistant professor at Indiana University; Ray Bloom, CMM, chairman of the IMEX Group; Jillian Schroeder, event coordinator for Midwest Horse Fair; MPI Tampa Bay Area Chapter; MPI Tennessee Chapter; and Royal DSM.
