STORY IDEAS/TOPICS
EVENT/ONSITE
WEC – Creating the New Connectivity
How do planners foster human connection? Why is it important?
This is the story for WEC and a question we seek answer. The most important quest in business
today is how we create and manage human connections. In a hyper-connected world planners
no longer just plan meetings and events; planners design and manage human connectivity. This
is how planners impact an organization and even change the world.
WEC’s 40th Anniversary
What has MPI accomplished over the past 40 years? What do they hope to accomplish in the
next 40?
MPI is celebrating 40 years as a strong and diverse community of meeting and business event
professionals. As the industry has grown and gained prominence, MPI has been at the forefront
of providing content, research and business connections enhancing the performance of its
members.
2012 RISE Award Winners
MPI will present the RISE Awards for achievements made by individuals, MPI communities, and
organizations. These are the people who make an impact on the meetings and events industry.
The winners and categories are below:
Young Professional Achievement: Jillian Schroeder
Meeting Industry Leadership: Ray Bloom, CMM
Member of the Year: Amanda Cecil, PhD, CMP
Community Achievement in Knowledge and Ideas: Tennessee Chapter for the Let MPI Rock Your
World Road Trip.
Community Achievement in Marketplace Excellence: Tampa Bay Area Chapter for its Connections
Campaign
Organizational Achievement: Royal DSM
WEC Your Way
WEC Your Way is about conference customization. Attendees have the opportunity to select
education tracks that are tailored specifically for them.
WEC: Your Way breaks out the industry’s sectors and focuses in on cutting edge education
aimed at offering all attendees topics that pertain to their specific niche.
Available Sectors
 Association Planners
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Corporate Planners
Independent/3rd Party Planners
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International Planners
Highly Regulated Planners (Pharma and Government)
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Suppliers – The Event Marketing Institute
The Knowledge Hub
In The Knowledge Hub, MPI members will find resources to strengthen their careers expand their
knowledge and improve their health. A series of curated discussions with MPI's researchers,
partners, staff, and career experts will prepare delegates for the road ahead.
At the Knowledge Hub, delegates can identify job opportunities, enhance their résumés, enjoy
healthy snacks and discover how research funded by the MPI Foundation through its partners
can change the way they do business and lead to future success.
PUBLICATIONS
One + Award Winning Magazine
Want to know what it takes to produce and industry leading magazine? Why not ask David
Basler, the Director of Publications for MPI.
MPI publications, including One+, was the recipient of the most prestigious award presented by
Association Media & Publishing—the 2012 EXCEL Award for Magazine General Excellence. Along
with this top honor, MPI publications were also awarded three ASBPE AZBEE Awards for
excellence in research writing and magazine feature design. These recognitions bring the total
number of awards in the past four years to 38—the most in the industry!
WEC Live Online Experience at WEC
Event “connectivity” in action!
The virtual experience of WEC is a conference-to-desktop functionality that will transform the
MPI home page and WEC conference site for off-site professionals to watch and experience
different parts of WEC.
SOCIAL MEDIA/ENGAGEMENT
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest
How is MPI using social media to become a more social organization?
Chat with social media gurus and MPI experts in social media. Have a discussion about the role
of social media in a membership organization and what “engagement” means to MPI
NEW PARTNERSHIPS
HSMAI
MPI and HSMAI are entering into a strategic agreement to add remarkable member value to
both HSMAI and MPI membership programs. MPI and HSMAI will leverage their own core
competencies and share their unique knowledge, training, professional development and
marketplace opportunities to enhance member value and industry relevancy of each
organization.
EMI
EMI is a full-day workshop, presented in partnership with MPI, the Event Marketing Institute
and Event Marketer magazine. EMI will introduce the red-hot event marketing trend that is
sweeping the meetings industry: face to face marketing. Face to face marketing is one of the
fastest growing and most powerful areas of marketing.
HSMAI, EMI
Why is MPI entering into so many “partnerships and agreements”? Is this part of a larger
strategy? What is the impact on the industry? What is the impact to membership?
INDUSTRY LEADING INITIATIVES
Hybrid Meetings: Meeting Pros Are from Mars, Attendees Are from Venus, Monday, July 30, 9-10am
What role do hybrid events and sessions play in the future of meetings?
This session will be streamed live and be available to an audience not attending WEC.
You can join the session by going to this link:
http://www.mpiweb.org/events/wec2012/hybridevent
Researcher Samuel J. Smith and vice president of marketing for Sonic Foundry, Erica St. Angel,
share key insights from the most comprehensive research study ever conducted on hybrid
meetings.
Business Value of Meetings Research
In June 2012, MPI completed its robust toolkit. The toolkit arms and empowers planners with a
range of resources for measuring, understanding and communicating the effectiveness of
meetings including articles, how-to guides, webinars, workbooks, tutorials and videos. (See
press release for more details)
Corporate Social Responsibility (Investor IHG)
(May 21) MPI Foundation announced a substantial upgrade of its Sustainable Event
Measurement Tool (SEMT). The enhanced functionality of SEMT 2.0 will help meeting and event
professionals save money, reduce resources and elevate their sustainability credentials. (See
press release for more details)
(May 1) MPI Foundation announced the industry’s first standards-based reporting that everyone
in the industry – no matter how large or small the event – can use to benchmark their own
reporting programs. This report is based on new CSR reporting standards and details
performance of WEC 2011 evaluated against the Global Reporting Initiative™ (GRI) Event
Organizer Sector Supplement (EOSS). MPI members can use the report to create their own
reporting mechanisms and reports. (See press release for more details)
The first year’s findings of MPI’s three-year CSR study is expected to announce in Fall 2012. The
study explores levels of engagement within industry and identifies future drivers of demand
both from consumers and external agencies so that businesses can be better prepared to meet
those demands in the future.
Future of Meetings (Investors: PSAV, Jumeirah, Omni Hotels)
(April 2012) MPI released Part 1 Report: A top line analysis of the industry’s opportunities and
study on Technology - the most significant area of change facing the industry.
Hybrid Study The Hybrid Meetings and Events Pioneer Research Project study focuses on the strategies, goals
and objectives for why one should implement online components with face-to-face events. Also
looks at the varieties of options for “taking your event online” and the different platforms, tools,
vendors and subject matter experts engaged with hybrid meetings.
Canadian Economic Impact Study (CEIS) –
MPI Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of Maritz Research Canada, in partnership
with the Conference Board of Canada, in producing the Canadian Economic Impact Study 3.0.
CEIS 3.0 builds on the success of the original 2008 CEIS national study, the first to utilize new
economic measurement methodology developed by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO),
aimed at calculating business activity that contributes to jobs and tax revenues (GDP). The CEIS
3.0 evolves by extending it downward and transforming it in a "meetings-specific" local model to
aid meetings related business decisions at localized destination levels.
The Canadian Economic Impact Study 3.0 is being produced by the MPI Foundation, in
partnership with funding led by the Canadian Tourism Commission and IHG Hotels Canada, with
additional support from Travel Alberta, Tourism Montreal, Meetings & Conventions Calgary,
Coast Hotels, Caesars Windsor, Ottawa Tourism, and the Vancouver Hotel
Association/Tourism/Convention Centre.
UK EIS –
The first-ever United Kingdom economic impact study is underway
The study, which is being overseen by the MPI Foundation, will provide a coherent and precise
overview of the meetings industry in the UK – its size, value and importance to the UK
commercial landscape and economy.
Following the selection of Leeds Metropolitan University as the research team for the project,
the MPI Foundation has confirmed that the study has been activated and research will
commence over the summer of 2012, with initial findings to be announced in spring 2013.
MPI and the Meeting & Business Events Competency Standards (MBECS) / MBECS Curriculum
Guide
MBECS are the metrics by which our industry will measure itself and the basis for the CMP
International Standards. Created through collaboration between MPI and several boards, bodies
and task forces, the Standards provide a detailed catalogue of the essential skills for meeting
professionals, along with a detailed assessment on the number of years needed to master the
skill.