MPI’s 2007 World Education Congress-North America (WEC-NA), which was held July 28-31 in Montreal and drew approximately 3,700 attendees, featured the usual pomp and circumstance associated with the annual event—including a spell-binding performance by locally based Cirque du Soleil—but also heralded the official expansion of the association into the Asia-Pacific region with the announcement of the opening of a Singapore office.
“Our first goal is to evolve from an association to a global community,” said Bruce MacMillan, MPI’s president and CEO, at the opening general session of the event, which focused on collaboration and making connections.
The theme will filter down through the membership experience, according to 2007-2008 MPI Chairwoman Angie Pfeifer, CMM, and will hinge on collaboration between members.
“It’s not MPI telling you, ‘Here are the rules for you,” but ‘What is success to you?’” Pfeifer said, “Because success is different for everyone.”
Pfeifer said the association has set up a “community model” with five communities that will allow meeting planner members at different skill and experience levels to collaborate via wikis, blogs and other online networking channels.
During her tenure, Pfeifer said she wants to make sure the association has “complete clarity” on its updated vision, which focuses on globalization and members seeing tangible results. An emphasis will also be placed on forming industry alliances for research and other projects, and engaging members at all levels, especially senior members.
Other major happenings at the WEC included the announcement that the MPI Board of Directors gave unanimous approval to the United Nationals Global Compact on Corporate Social Responsibility.
“It’s really a great opportunity, and a great risk if we don’t respond,” Pfeifer said of the decision.
MPI also announced the host destinations for its upcoming annual events. Las Vegas will host MPI’s 2008 WEC Aug. 9-12. Atlanta was chosen as the host city for the 2009 PEC-North America, to be held Feb. 7-10, 2009. Torino, Italy, will host the 2009 PEC-Europe March 1-3, 2009, and the 2010 PEC-Europe host city will be Malaga, Spain, scheduled for Feb. 28-March 2, 2010.
