(WE)Con Recap

It’s hard to believe that it was just a month ago that MPI Southern California gathered together for the fifth annual (WE)Con Weekend Educational Conference in Santa Barbara. Although the world has changed dramatically since that time, our theme of “Stronger Together” feels more relevant now than ever, and this feels like the perfect opportunity to reflect back on our time together.

On February 20, more than 250 hospitality industry professionals met at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort for a weekend of education and networking. This year, (WE)Con focused on how we, as meeting professionals, must draw on our collective strengths to encourage and support one another as we grow our businesses and careers.

During our time together, we heard from some truly amazing speakers on topics such as leadership, personal development, wellness, meeting design and unity. The agenda included interactive learning sessions, unique networking events, a mobile wellness lounge and a CSR activity designed to strengthen our relationships with one another. Attendees visited an Ugg pop-up store upon arrival and were gifted Ugg slippers and blankets, which are really coming in handy now as we work from home!

Guests who arrived early had the opportunity to volunteer at the Unity Shoppe, a local nonprofit organization that provides education and the necessities of life to families, children, seniors and persons with disabilities during periodic times of crisis for over 100 years. Our members spent the afternoon curating fruits and vegetables, helping at check-out stations, sorting cans, hanging clothing and stocking shelves. 

(WE)Con 2020 featured “A Taste of Santa Barbara” Opening Night Reception overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Attendees enjoyed flavors of Santa Barbara and were serenaded by the amazingly talented band The Replicas Music. Our second evening was hosted by the Four Seasons Santa Barbara, and it included an inspiring discussion with Meena Harris, neice of U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, and head of strategy & leadership at Uber.

With a focus on building meaningful connections, this year’s conference was certainly not your ordinary educational event. The importance of our relationships with one another has really come to light in the past few days as our industry faces such uncertainty. There are still many unknowns ahead, but we’ve also noticed something extremely uplifting amongst our members – the sense of community, engagement and kindness that has emerged. As we reflect on our time together, remember that MPISCC is first and foremost a community and you have resources to support you in whatever you are facing in the coming days.