Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the meeting and event industry’s largest
global community, helps members thrive by providing human connections to
knowledge and ideas, relationships, and marketplaces. MPI membership is comprised
of more than 21,000 members belonging to 71 chapters and clubs in over 81 countries.
MPI’s vision is to make our members successful by building a rich global meeting and
event industry community.
MPI History:
In late 1970, a group of meeting planners began discussion s about the need for an
organization that would provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas and
information among those who planned meetings and those who provided the facilities
and services for those meetings.
At the same time, a Chicago entrepreneur named Jay Lurye, who had a trade show
production company called Impact, had the same idea. He created an organization,
Meeting Planners Congress, Inc., to develop a trade show to provide hotels, resorts, and
affiliated meetings industry businesses an opportunity to exhibit for individuals
involved in the planning and execution of meetings.
Discussions among the two groups led to the idea that the meeting planning group
could meet during Jay’s first exhibition, the World Meeting Planners Congress &
Exhibition in Chicago on February 11-15, 1972.
That April, Jay Lurye changed the name of his organization to World Meeting Planners
Congress & Exposition, Inc., and released the name Meeting Planners International to
the newly formed group.
The association’s first Executive Vice President was Robert E. “Buzz” Bartow. He is
considered to be the “primary moving force” in the association’s formation.
Marion Kershner, CAE, was the association’s first elected president. He maintained
MPI’s headquarters from his basement for five years in Middletown, Ohio.
MPI’s first member newsletter was created in 1973 and aptly named, News Letter.
The first “free-standing” MPI Fall conference was held December 3-6, 1976, at the Hyatt
House, Orlando, Fl. That February, the name of News Letter was changed to NewsData.
On June 22, 1977, charters were presented to MPI’s first seven chapters: Rocky Mountain
Area, Greater New York Area, Chicago Area, Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex, Ohio Valley,
Southern California, and Wisconsin.
The MPI Comfort Calculator was introduced in 1980. This unique slide rule could be
used to determine how many people could be accommodated in various size rooms and
in a variety of seating setups.
In 1981, NewsData changed its name to Meeting Place. It was now a magazine with
advertising instead of the one color folded brochure of the past. Also, the first MPI
Annual Conference was held outside the United States in Toronto, Canada.
January 21-24, 1982, marked MPI’s first International Symposium. The United
Kingdom’s Association of Congress Executives joined in conducting the event at the
Loews Monte Carlo Hotel, Monaco. The symposium was attended by representatives of
ten nations.
On June 8th, 1982, the board met to discuss the formation of a Foundation Committee “to
solicit contributions from corporations and associations who want to contribute to an
educational fund, special projects, or for the promotion of MPI.”
The official launch of the MPI Foundation was in 1983. The MPI Education foundation
received $7,195 as of March 31st. The Board would hold its first meeting shortly after to
elect officers and discuss means of encouraging contributors.
In July of 1983 a new concept for MPI’s two major meetings was announced. The fall
meeting would in the future be called a Professional Education Conference (PEC) and
would concentrate on developing meeting planning skills. The June meeting would be
the Annual Conference (AC) with more general sessions devoted to career development
and industry trends.
MPI established its first European Bureau in November 1983 with Geoffrey V. Smith,
O.B.E. as director.
In 1984, the Board of Trustees of the MPI Educational Research Foundation officially
established the Foundation. Its purpose is “to generate funding for the educational
purposes, to develop packages and implement educational programs to meet immediate
and long-term member and industry needs.” It was renamed the MPI Foundation in
1994.
In July of 1984, the Meeting Place was renamed Meeting Manager.
MPI’s offices in Middletown, Ohio, were closed on July 28, 1986 and the new offices in
Dallas’ INFOMART building officially opened August 11 th.
In 1987, MPI’s Board elected its first female president, Marta L. Hayden, CMP. That year
also marked the first original research conducted by the Foundation, Achieving
Exceellence in Meetings and Meetings Managem ent is published.
MeetingInfo was MPI’s first official trade show and was held at the 1988 Annual
Conference in Seattle, Washington.
In 1990 MPI reached its 10,000-member milestone with 68 chapters worldwide.
The first European MPI Chapter was the Italy Chapter founded in 1991.
MPI’s first Web site, MPIWeb.org, was developed in 1992.
In 1994 Meeting Planners International changes its name to Meeting Professionals
International.
Meetings and Conventions: A Planning Guide was produced in 1997. This 455-page
handbook for front-line meeting planners was published with funding from the MPI
Foundation.
The Platinum Program was originally created in 1999. It was conceived and delivered as
an education enhancement to accent programming at the chapter level, to drive chapter
meeting attendance, make a dramatic statement about MPI’s commitment to education
and chapters and to assist with improved membership recruitment and retention.
In 2001, MPI created a “Women’s Leadership Initiative” (WLI) to begin to research, plan
and implement programs and services to help women advance in their careers.
In 2005 MPI reached the 20,000-member mark.
In 2006, the MPI Foundation funded the Culture-Active Tool – offering members the
opportunity to improve their ability to communicate with other cultures.
In 2007 the MPI Foundation focused on the four pillars within the industry: Corporate
Social Responsibility, Workforce of Tomorrow, Marketplace and Meeting Design,
Communications and Outreach.
On July 25th, 2007 MPI signed the United Nations Global Compact on Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) - the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative with more
than 3,700 participants and stakeholders from more than 100 countries.
In August of 2008 MPI renamed it magazine formally The Meeting Professional to One +.
In 2009, the MPI Foundation celebrated its 25 th anniversary and the RISE awards,
recognizing industry excellence, were introduced at the World Education Congress in
Salt Lake City.
In 2010, Eric Rozenberg is the first European to be named as chair of MPI’s International
Board of Directors. The industry’s first Sustainable Event Measurement Tool is launched
by MPI.
In 2011, MPI in conjunction with a consortium released the “The Econom ic Significance of
Meetings to the US Econom y.”
On June 21st, 2011 MPI releases the 1st Business Value of Meetings study to support
industry professionals in measuring, understanding and communicating the
effectiveness of meetings.
In 2012, MPI celebrates its 40th year of leadership and community in the meetings and
events industry.
In February 2012, the MPI International Board of Directors undertook a mission to the
People's Republic of China to support the continued business success of the Chinese
MICE industry, receiving presentations from senior government officials, noted
academics, as well as local meeting industry executives.
In July 2012, MPI announced an agreement with Global Business Travel Association to
co-create best in class management educational programs for travel and meetings
professionals.