The Convention Industry Council would first like to thank everyone who helped make the CMP Conclave, hosted in beautiful Spokane, Washington, June 8-10, such a success.
Attended by more than 200 CMPs, including international CMPs from more than seven countries, Conclave provided an opportunity for attendees to network, attend cutting-edge educational sessions designed to aid their professional development, and share their insights, questions and even concerns, among an inviting community of other CMPs. Last month, we gave you a brief overview of the event and in this issue we will follow-up on some of takeaways from the conference in greater detail.
With such a robust educational program, it was difficult for some attendees to decide which sessions they wanted to attend most. And while all of the sessions addressed a relevant interest to CMPs, the top two attended sessions were "Ditching the Notebook" and "Top Technology Tools and How to Actually Use Them," lending credence to the importance of focusing on technology for CMPs in the ever-changing meetings and events industry.
Speaking of technology, this year, CIC decided to make better use of technological advances and step further into the digital age in a couple of ways. For the first time ever, we had a Conclave app, designed by EventMobi, to help organize all Conclave-related items (schedule, maps, speakers, presentations, photos, social media, attendee list, etc.) in one convenient online location. Attendees could download the app for free to any mobile device and have instant access to up-to-date Conclave details. This year, we also moved away from stamp cards and opted, instead, to use QR codes that could be scanned with a smartphone to increase interaction between attendees and exhibitors. The resulting product, SCANvenger Hunt, which tested attendees’ knowledge of the CMP Program, exhibitor information and learning outcomes from the sessions and events was a major success.
It also was announced at Conclave that CIC is launching a new Advocacy Hub, where supporters of the industry can register online as advocates. In this issue you will find out more about that effort and how to join.
Read on for greetings from the new chair of the CMP Board of Directors Melody Kebe, insight into what one international CMP thought of Conclave, news about the new healthcare subspecialty, and to see the impact that the Conclave Corporate Responsibility (CSR) project had on a local organization in Spokane.
To see photos from the event, provided to us by Christie’s Photography Studio, please visit our revamped Facebook page – www.facebook.com/ConventionIndustryCouncil – in the coming days. Be sure to "like" us and share your comments.
We would like to offer another sincere thank you to Spokane Convention Center and Visit Spokane the for all of their efforts in making this event a success.
– Convention Industry Council
Events Industry Council