DALLAS, March 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has embraced the concept of experience creation and set aside the traditional plan for its signature event, World Education Congress (WEC) this year. WEC18 will feature high energy pep rallies to kick off and wrap up each day, an open-floor, fluid layout with four connected WEC Villages, more innovative technology and WEC Experience Coaches to help attendees plan their experience prior to the event and to assist with exploration onsite.
The vision for the redesign came about in September 2017 with the help of the #EventCanvas methodology and aligns with MPI's practice of taking risks so attendees don't have to with their own meetings. Each WEC Village will bring to life a different theme: Experiential Design, Innovation, Leadership and Social. They will offer customizable networking and business exchange opportunities including supplier showcases and food and beverage relevant to each theme. More than 80 concurrent education sessions will also be delivered throughout the villages to stimulate more intense live learning experiences rather than in meeting rooms located in separate areas.
"We are very proud of how successful WEC has been the past few years. This year, we decided to take a page out of our own playbook and take a big risk by changing the overall look, feel and experience of WEC18. The Indiana Convention Center is the perfect venue for us try our new concept of villages and open space learning," said Darren Temple, chief operations officer of MPI. "We are very excited about WEC18, which promises to be unlike any other event experience, and extend special thanks to our host partner, Visit Indy, for their support and collaboration."
The MPI Academy received and evaluated nearly 600 speaker proposals to find fresh, unique and relevant education for WEC18. The concurrent education sessions will be delivered in 30, 60 and 90-minute mixed formats – covering topics such as virtual reality, event design, food and beverage trends, ethical challenges, safety and security, and leadership – and all are designed to engage and inspire. Attendees can earn up to 10 clock hours from the concurrent education sessions, plus a few more clock hours from the pep rallies.
In addition, MPI will continue leveraging the well-received theme from WEC 2017, "Stop planning meetings, start designing experiences," and bring back some program elements that have been popular among past WEC attendees, including MPI's Hosted Buyer Program, the MPI Foundation Rendezvous networking and fundraising event, headshot stations, Paws for a Break (previously known as puppy cuddling), and corporate social responsibility activities benefitting several local Indianapolis area charities. Michael Cerbelli's The Hot List: 2018 2.0 will return this year as well. The breathtaking session, which made its first appearance at WEC 2017, identifies fresh trends in the ever-changing marketplace and showcases acts and innovations for enhanced experiential marketing.
WEC18 is scheduled to take place June 2 – 5 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. To learn more and register, visit www.mpiweb.org/wec18. Note, the keynote speakers for the pep rallies will be announced soon.
About MPI
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including more than 17,000 engaged members and its Plan Your Meetings audience. It has more than 90 chapters and clubs in 19 countries. "When we meet, we change the world." www.mpiweb.org
CONTACT: Sonya Thorpe Cobb, sthorpe@mpiweb.org
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SOURCE Meeting Professionals International
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