Meetings Move Us Forward

MPI is launching our Meetings Move Us ForwardSM grassroots effort this week, which includes the unveiling of a new section of our website and resources for promoting our industry. Our goal with this effort is to help teach members how to talk about the meeting and event industry in a consistent and meaningful way using a common language.

As you may recall, the grassroots communications effort began in July 2012 when MPI formed a task force to explore ways to tell our industry's story and promote the value it delivers in the U.S. That group determined it was critical to define our industry and show the diversity, breadth and impact, as well as the important role it plays in our economy. So, a core message platform was created, validated, refined and put into action by the MPI Marketing & Communications Team. Over the past year, we have integrated this core message platform into MPI publications, marketing and communications – all in an effort to tell our industry’s story.

Now, we are launching the Meetings Move Us ForwardSM grassroots effort so members can tell their own story and help garner recognition for our industry and the work we do. As part of this effort, conceptualized in late 2012, we have created a number of resources for our members and the broader meeting and event community, including the following:

MPI invested $25,000 towards the production and distribution of the documentary and commercial, which will reach 60 million and 84 million households, respectively. An edited version of the documentary will be aired on public television in January 2014, with introductory and closing segments featuring award-winning actor Martin Sheen. The television commercial will air nationwide starting in January as well. We’ll share more details on the timing of these television appearances in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, we encourage you to check out the different Meetings Move Us ForwardSM resources online at www.mpiweb.org/forward. Also, we have created a presentation to help you promote the Meetings Move Us ForwardSM grassroots effort among our membership during chapter meetings. You can find this presentation as well as supporting talking points on the Chapter Leader Resources page in the Marketing & Communication section. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at (972) 702-3044 or cjohnson@mpiweb.org. As always, thank you for your support.

Caroline Johnson
Senior Director, Marketing & Communications
Meeting Professionals International

MPI's Meetings Move Us Forward educational commercial, designed to increase awareness for the meeting and event industry, will air nationwide on TV this week. The one-minute commercial is scheduled to make its U.S. national television debut on Fox Business Network.

The commercial spot aired twice between 9 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. EST on January 23 and the evening of January 24. It also ran regionally in the top 200 direct marketing areas on various major cable networks including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News and more last January 20-31 during the prime time viewing hours of 6 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. EST.

For more information about Meetings Move Us Forward, visit www.mpiweb.org/Forward.