Greeted by sunny skies and a majestic backdrop of harbor and mountains, more than 2,700 attendees gathered at the Vancouver Convention Center for MPI's annual World Education Congress (WEC) held July 24-27.
At the opening night reception, attendees enjoyed local salmon and scallops on the convention center’s dramatic outdoor plaza where torches designed for last winter's Olympics were lit in their honor.
While falling short of the record 4,000 who attended the 2008 WEC in Las Vegas, the numbers were an encouraging increase over the total of 2,200 attendees at last year's gathering in Salt Lake City.
The improving numbers tied in with the opening sessions remarks by outgoing MPI chairwoman Ann Godi, who noted that MPI’s most recent member survey showed 61 percent of respondents saying that business conditions were on an upswing from the previous year.
“We now have opportunities to speak to a wider audience than ever before," she said.
Godi's address was followed by an emotional keynote speech from John Fulong, CEO of to the 2010 Vancouver Organizing Committee and leader of the team that produced the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in the city. Speaking of the challenges in putting together the events, Fulong moved many in the audience to tears.
“Ten years ago people did not know who were, but today Vancouver is a global city," he said, referring to the ten-year effort to build new infrastructure in preparation for the games.
WEC proved to be a launching pad for several new initiatives, including an online tool to measure sustainability at events as well as an update on its Value of Meetings initiative. Working with Association Insights, MPI will present results from a comprehensive research study on the business value of meetings that will presented next March at AIBTM in Baltimore.
Speaking at a press conference during WEC, MPI president and CEO Bruce McMillan spoke about the organization’s “commitment to content” both online and at live events. Addressing the importance of social media is among the priorities, he said.
“Meetings today are taking place both inside and outside the room," he said. "Increasingly, planners have to think about both audiences."
Speaking about new features on MPI's recently revamped website, McMillan said an important feature is a "whole new career center" that includes job postings.
"It's designed to serve not only those out of work, but for those seeking to make a transition in their careers," he said.
