Meetings and Events Community Embraces Global Marketplace
Meeting Professionals International selects host cities for 2009 and 2010 professional education conferences
Meeting Professionals International (MPI), as part of its global initiative, announced its selections for host cities for the 2009 Professional Education Conference (PEC) in North America and in Europe as well as the host city for the 2010 PEC-Europe.
Atlanta is the host city for the 2009 PEC-North America to be held Feb. 7-10, 2009. Torino, Italy, is the host city for the 2009 PEC-Europe to be held March 1-3, 2009. The 2010 PEC-Europe host city will be Málaga, Spain, and the event is scheduled for Feb. 28-March 2, 2010. The decision was made by MPI’s Board of Directors at its meeting during the World Education Congress à la Montréal.
The selection of all three cities supports MPI’s strategic imperatives to elevate the member experience and conversation, re-imagine the relationship with chapters, and evolve to a global community. Other factors considered by the board include:
* Technology-rich facility
* Extensive space options to allow for creativity and growth
* Eco-friendly facility and plans
* Easy access for a global audience
* Site appeal to a global audience
* Presence of local student/faculty population
* Support by the local chapters
* Marketplace development opportunities
These future educational conferences will be collaborative, providing a fresh and relevant experience in today’s rapidly changing, technology-driven world, and showcase cutting-edge educational concepts. With increased strategic meetings management programs and enhanced community building networking tools, MPI will continue to deliver an unparalleled experience for meetings and events professionals.
“I’m confident the cultural and cosmopolitan allure of these outstanding host cities will attract greater and greater numbers from our global community and offer a wealth of opportunities for them to connect in new and profitable ways,” said Didier Scaillet, Vice-President of Global Development. “Considering the pace of global and socio-economic transformation that is shaped and accelerated by technology, the need for people to connect is more critical than ever. We have nearly 23,000 members in 20 countries, and our profession supports the ROI of corporations and organizations around the world. The diverse and high-value offerings of each host city not only will make these critical human connections a reality for MPI members but also will make them enormously enjoyable.”
Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center will allow for creative programming without space constraints; Hartsfield International Airport provides excellent air service from around the world; and the MPI Georgia Chapter, the fifth largest MPI chapter, has repeatedly won the MPI Chapter of the Year (COTY) Award. The city also has a large university community, which will allow MPI to advance its student initiative and elevate the curriculum for senior planners by accessing local academic leaders.
Torino, Italy is the fourth largest city in Italy and host of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. The city is a full-blown open air museum which offers excellent conference facilities. Also considered was the $1.5 billion investment in its city infrastructure and major sustainability agreement with the United Nations Environment Program. MPI Italia, the first European chapter, is proud to bring the conference back to Italy after 10 years.
Málaga, Spain is the sixth largest metropolitan area in Spain with more than one million people. The excellent infrastructure and the continuous modernization of all services and amenities demonstrate the city’s commitment to the meetings and events community. Its cultural wealth has made it a candidate for the European Capital of Culture in 2016.
Future MPI Conference Locales:
Professional Education Conference-North America
Houston, Feb. 2-5, 2008
Atlanta, Feb. 7-10, 2009
Professional Education Conference-Europe
London: April 18-20, 2008
Torino, Italy: March 1-3, 2009
Málaga, Spain: Feb. 28-March 2, 2010
Professional Education Conference-Middle East
Dubai, UAE: April 5-6, 2008
World Education Congress
Las Vegas: Aug. 10-12, 2008
Salt Lake City: July 11-13, 2009
Vancouver: July 25-27, 2010
For more information on MPI visit www.mpiweb.org
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