My first business trip with MPI was nearly 20 years ago. It was a meeting planner and media FAM to Reno, Nev.
I had just started at MPI a few months prior as an assistant editor for The Meeting Professional magazine (yes, this one!). My first weeks were primarily occupied by collating “career moves,” short news stories and destination updates…and I was ready for my first “real” assignment. (Ask me about the time I put an April Fool’s joke in the news section by mistake.)
Before I joined MPI, my professional “meeting” experience looked…different. My background is in journalism, and in my early 20s, I was a cub reporter covering school board, planning and zoning and city council meetings for suburban newspapers. I learned far more than I ever expected about extraterritorial jurisdiction, municipal utility districts, local political infighting and one particularly contentious change in garbage collection providers (and subsequent series of “Trash Talk” headlines). I walked away with a lifetime understanding of Robert’s Rules of Order. The world of business events was entirely unknown.
In Reno, I dipped my toes in.
We did typical FAM activities. We toured hotel properties, explored the area and even went whitewater rafting (we flipped). We visited Thunderbird Lodge and spent time with local stakeholders who were proud of their community and invested in sharing its story.
It was likely routine for the 50 or so participants, but for me, experiencing all this firsthand made two things click:
- place matters and
- immersive in-person experiences build and deepen relationships.
These lessons have only grown more relevant. MPI’s Meetings Outlook and other research consistently reinforces the enduring value of face to face connection, even as technology reshapes how and where we meet. Across economic cycles, global disruptions and evolving workforce expectations, the data tell a clear story: People continue to prioritize in person experiences when those experiences are designed with purpose. Being together allows for trust building, idea exchange and perspective shifting in ways that are difficult to replicate in digital environments.
In Reno, I wasn’t just observing a meaningful experience—the FAM planted a seed, a desire to play a greater role. I didn’t just want to write about connection and engagement; I wanted to help design it.
MPI Consulting helps meeting and event planners design experiences that are intentional, data‑informed and aligned with meaningful business outcomes. Through event strategy development, attendee research, audience journey mapping and data analysis, we support planners in moving beyond logistics to create purposeful, measurable meetings. Backed by industry research and real‑world expertise, MPI Consulting delivers practical guidance for today’s planning challenges. Ready to elevate your meeting strategy? Learn more and connect with our team.
Some few years later, I would find myself on the editing side of millions of dollars in research around intentional meeting design, sustainability and the future of events followed by a jump to the MPI education team (because what are you going to do with all that research if not create education and job aids with it?).
Today, nearly two decades after that first business trip, I have the privilege of leading design and strategy work not only for some of MPI’s signature events, but for clients as well. That work includes attendee focus groups, data analysis, event strategy consulting and aligning meetings to critical business goals—always with measurement in mind. I am mindful of how those early lessons in Reno on engagement still play a role in how we approach experience design: Purpose and place, intentional design.
I’ll be sharing some of my lessons from the last 20 years regularly here in The Meeting Professional magazine, and I’d love to carry on the conversation on LinkedIn or our MPI Community Forums.
Looking back, Reno wasn’t just my first MPI trip, it was the starting point of my journey into understanding the power of bringing people together—strategically and thoughtfully. Two decades later, the core lesson remains the same: When we design experiences that truly engage, the impact lasts a lifetime.
(And thank you, Reno.)
Jessie States, CMP, CMM, is Vice President of Consulting for MPI, offering event design and strategy services for planners and client intelligence for partners/suppliers. Prior to this, Jessie led the MPI Academy team, delivering education for MPI, its community and partners. Jessie has earned the Pacesetter Award from the EIC and the Award of Excellence from IACC, among other honors.
