plenary Meeting Professionals International CONVENE ON SITE Connecting the Dots at MPI W
hat word connects the fol- lowing three: pine, sauce, and tree?” Jonah Lehrer, author,
academic, and former staff writer for The New Yorker, asked the audience at MPI’s 2012 World Education Congress (WEC). A few people in the front row called out the answer: “Apple!” Impressed, Lehrer, the keynote
speaker for MPI’s opening general ses- sion, said: “You guessed it; we have a cre- ative crowd here.” He went on to explain how the “science of creativity” applies to circumstances in which powerful moments of intuition and hard work connect. Our minds can make some con- nections we’re aware of and others we’re not, and epiphanies can result from seemingly unrelated ideas. But in order to take these moments of inspiration further, Lehrer said, grit and persistence are necessary. He ended with inspiring words: “Meetings are the most vital way to connect and share ideas.” And so it was at 2012 WEC, where
the entire theme was connectivity, and where more than 2,000 attendees con- nected at the America’s Center Conven- tion Complex in St. Louis on July 28–31.
This year, WEC’s “Global Village” included member lounges, the Hive (a hub of audiovisual and interactive meeting tools), cyber cafés, a silent auc- tion, and the two-story MarketSquare trade-show space. Stressed attendees could snuggle up with friendly canine companions saved by the Stray Rescue of St. Louis at a “Puppy Cuddling” sta- tion. At an IT booth, attendees could find assistance with MPI’s event app — in particular, the “Goose Chase,” a photo scavenger hunt that involved tak- ing pictures of particular sites and ses- sions as part of a series of challenges. Throughout the meeting, connec-
tions seemed to be instantaneous. Within minutes of the orientation session, “WEC for Me,” people were introducing themselves to new faces or re-connecting with old friends. Sit- ting to my left was Alexandra Kenyan, lecturer of hospitality and retailing at Leeds Metropolitan University. My connection with her led me to attend her educational session about CSR the following day. She and her colleagues connected planners with a St. Louis nonprofit, fostering conversation about
MPI swung for the fences with an opening reception at Busch Stadium.
how organizations can give back to their meetings’ host cities. To my right at the orientation ses-
sion was Terry Miller, a recently retired meeting professional who is in the process of starting his own consulting firm and looking for new ideas and customers. And next to him was Karen Cartwright, CMP, special events coor- dinator for the Medical College of Wis- consin. “I like to come here to stay on top of industry trends,” she said. “Since my work is so niche, I need to expand outside that bubble.” The opening reception that eve-
ning was held on the field of Busch Stadium, where bars were situated in the dugouts, and where food stations with ribs, crab-filled artichokes, and other local cuisine lined the diamond. I connected with Corbin Ball, founder of Corbin Ball Associates and an expert on meetings technologies, and the next day I attended his educational session, “There’s an App for That,” where I was introduced to a wealth of meetings apps and futuristic technology. (Read more on Convene’s blog, at convn.org/ WhiteFlagofInefficiency.) Closing out 2012 WEC was keynote
speaker Nicholas Christakis, a social- media expert who discussed how important it is to directly appeal to par- ticular subsets of a community in order to strengthen the group as a whole. As I watched attendees sit at separate tables making connections with the people to their left and right, I realized they were really connecting with a much larger group — and partaking in an exchange of ideas that reached far beyond the convention center walls.
. — Sarah Beauchamp For more information: mpiweb.org/wec 32 PCMA CONVENE OCTOBER 2012 PCMA.ORG