NEWS

With more than 660 industry professionals at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center for MPI’s signature education event, the president and CEO of MPI acknowledged Tuesday as WEC was about to launch in earnest that attendee safety is the top priority.

“That is the intent this week, to demonstrate how a conference, a live event could be put on in the new normal, a conference with safety and wellness at the forefront of everything we do,” Paul Van Deventer said at a news conference. “Duty of care is the most critical thing we can demonstrate this week. Attendee wellness is our top priority.”

More than 1,700 meeting industry professionals are registered for WEC, with 664 in-person and 1,038 joining via the digital experience. About 60 percent of attendees are planners.

The event, which was moved from June, is believed to be the first fully live, hybrid industry education event—with no pre-recorded content—since March to test the boundaries of a large in-person gathering and is being viewed as a litmus test on how to safely return to face to face.

Attendees to the live event received a registration kit in advance and must go through temperature checks each day. Everyone must wear a mask and all sessions feature social-distanced spacing throughout plus single-serving food and beverage.

MPI made several other announcements at the news conference. Its signature European event, the European Meetings and Events Conference, will align with IMEX Frankfurt in 2021 rather than be held in Brighton, England (where it will go in 2022). MPI has also signed a new five-year agreement with the IMEX Group, its largest strategic partner.

Darren Temple, MPI’s COO, gave an organizational report at the news conference, while chairs Steve O’Malley and Chandra Allison gave updates on the International Board of Directors and MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees, respectively.