The global meeting and event industry comes together for a historic rally at MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC) in St. Louis, June 18-20.
“This year, we are going to learn a lot, but we are also planning to have a lot of fun—this rally is going to be raucous!” says Jessie States, CMP, CMM, vice president of MPI Consulting. “At WEC St. Louis, our community will find what it needs: inspiration to ignite next-level thinking, connections that will grow and evolve business and the people who will awaken what’s possible. WEC St. Louis will be where people rally—for their events, their business, their community and themselves.”
From Learning Journeys and micro-sessions to deep dives and an expansion of the popular Campfire format, there are a lot of exciting new or enhanced professional education and networking elements at WEC St. Louis.
Earning widespread praise when implemented at MPI’s European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) in Istanbul this February, Learning Journeys make their WEC debut on June 19 as a selection of afternoon field trips around St. Louis through which participants can discover best and next practices in unusual and one-of-a-kind, historic venues.
Sprinkled throughout WEC, 30-minute-long micro-sessions are positioned to help combat post-lunch lethargy. These are then followed by immersive afternoon deep dives offering introvert-friendly learning environments with actionable takeaways and practical application.
While the education tracks on offer at WEC cover key knowledge buckets so as to be applicable to the expansive events community—including tracks for Design/Trends, B2B (logistics, F&B, audiovisual), People (wellness, diversity and inclusion, sustainability), Sales, Executive (leadership, strategy), Tech and Medical—the content and associated discussions will not shy away from the myriad new and evergreen challenges with which event professionals must contend.
“We won’t be afraid to have difficult conversations at WEC St. Louis,” States says. “Look for sessions that take on today’s social, economic and political landscape in safe environments where all voices are lifted. Discussions will include allyship; diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; ethics; artificial intelligence (AI); psychological and physical safety; the law and much more!”
MPI is excited to introduce Bonfires at WEC St. Louis—an approach and vibe similar to that of the Campfire and located within the Marketplace area, but able to accommodate more attendees. Expect a variety of subject-matter experts, product showcases, local legends and more.
With the surge in new and evolving tech options that promise to innovate events and optimize the energy of event professionals, expect a greater selection of related education including, of course, many facets of AI. (You can even earn the AI-Enhanced Event Professional Certificate from the MPI Academy during WEC on June 18.)
In addition, the Tech Zone returns to the WEC show floor for the first time since 2018, in partnership with the Dahlia+ Agency. This avails event professionals the opportunity to explore a wide range of tech tools and services both hands-on and by engaging directly with experts.
