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Although there is general awareness of feminized labor fields and “pink-collar” careers, understanding the historical roots can give attendees of MPI’s 2026 World Education Congress (WEC) a common language for understanding their experiences, according to Keira Solon.

“We hope that attendees take away a strong appreciation for how their industry has evolved over the years,” says Solon, an associate professor and chairperson of the Department of Management at the University of Central Missouri—where she oversees several programs, including the BSBA in Events Marketing and Management—and will be presenting “From Pink Collar to Strategic Powerhouse: The Professionalization of Meetings & Events” at WEC alongside her colleague, Jaclyn Brandhorst.

We caught up with Solon in advance of WEC to discuss advancing professionalization in the meeting and event industry. 

What barriers do fields with feminized labor histories, such as meetings and events, face in terms of better achieving professional status?

One of the biggest barriers that fields with feminized labor histories face is the devaluation of skills and expertise. Many feminized fields rely on durable skills such as communication, emotional intelligence and relationship building. These types of skills are often perceived as innate rather than as expertise built through experience and education.

Additionally, event professionals perform significant emotional labor (managing expectations, crisis management). This labor often occurs behind the scenes and, like durable skills, is not widely recognized or compensated. 

Which markers of professionalism—education, credentialing, influence, compensation—do you think the meeting and event industry has made the most progress on?

Significant progress has been made in event education. Many institutions, such as the University of Central Missouri (our home institution), now offer formal degree programs in event and meeting management. I have attended many MPI events where members say, “I wish I could have studied events when I was in college!” Formal education builds a shared base of knowledge that is (theoretically) important for advancing professionalism. 

Credentialing has also taken huge leaps forward, thanks in large part to MPI.

Where do you think we continue to fall short in achieving full professional status, and why? 

Compensation is an area where the events industry has room to grow on its journey to professionalization. Event professionals are generally underpaid when compared to their counterparts in marketing and operations. Further, studies show that compensation has not kept pace with the evolving complexity and risk of the events industry. Additionally, compensation does not reflect the revenue impact events have on organizations.

How can individual meeting and event professionals and professional organizations such as MPI accelerate the evolution of professionalism?

MPI has been a strong contributor to the industry’s professionalization. The credentialing system demonstrates expertise to employers and can help differentiate credential holders from their noncredentialled peers. Ultimately, working toward a reality where credentials are expected as a professional advances in their career.

Most importantly, organizations like MPI help align practitioners with shared professional standards. While we look at the events and meetings industry as a whole, each individual practitioner makes up its composition. Shared professional standards and expectations for professional behavior and professional expertise elevate the entire industry. As event and meeting professionals collaborate, learn from one another and hold one another accountable, professionalization accelerates.