Did You Attend? World Education Conference (WEC) Perspective

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Lynda Hoff, CMM, CMP and 1st time WEC attendee, LNH Strategic Event Management

Timing finally worked! After years as an MPI member I was finally able to go. Just needed to register, get my hotel and airline ticket and I was set. St. Louis, Missouri here I come!

But what to expect? Having never been to a WEC (World Education Conference) before, what would it be like? So many planning professionals together in one place - what great ideas and fantastic conversations could I be a part of? How many different people from around the globe would I meet and get to know? What new information or practices could I find? Only time would tell.

So off I ventured with approximately 30 other MPI Toronto Chapter members to MPI's WEC held July 28 - July 31, 2012. Approximately 3000 MPI members and non-members gathered together at the America's Center for education sessions, conversation and learning.

There were lots of great education opportunities for all levels of planners and suppliers. Sessions ranged from "Collaborating in the connected world" to "The importance of face to face connection" to "Global business". There were also educational sessions on "how to incorporate values from all your stakeholders"; "the look of meetings in the future"; "strategic meetings management programs" ; and finally "diverse and dynamic association meeting design".

General sessions on both days afforded attendees the opportunity to hear from the incoming International Board President Kevin Hinton and the interim CEO Cindy D'Aoust. They each gave their view on the direction of the association moving forward - very interesting and very exciting!

Attending these sessions gave me some great learning opportunities and I was able to come home with new ideas that I can incorporate into my business immediately.

The marketplace was also a great source to familiarize myself with new properties. The Hive allowed me to ask technology experts for advice and see demonstrations of new applications. And finally, the HUB had career development information and MPI experts to answer any of my questions.

It wasn't just about education either - the networking opportunities were fantastic! Events were held at Busch Stadium, home of the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. MPI and the Cardinal organization hosted a great party on the field with fantastic live music and interactive food stations. The closing night was held at the St. Louis Botanical Gardens complete with a Chinese lantern festival, full moon, great food and lots of heat (103 degrees Farenheit that evening). Networking events gave me the opportunity to meet people from around the globe, share ideas and have great conversations.

WEC was a great learning experience for me and more importantly it reinforced my enthusiasm for this industry and my desire to ensure that I continue to learn and explore new ideas, technologies and opportunities to enrich my personal development. I also had some great time getting to know members of my own chapter better by connecting in a different environment. It is never easy going to something new but a group of very passionate professionals made sure my experience was a good one. I never felt alone or out of place - thanks for making my first WEC an awesome one!

Consider your education and development as one of the best building blocks for your career - take control and ensure you are getting the most out of your education opportunities by attending all that come your way. Timing might not always be perfect and cost sometimes will be a factor (MPI has lots of scholarship opportunities so check them out!) but the best thing you can give yourself is the opportunity to connect with new ideas and new people. Hope to see you all in Las Vegas for WEC 2013!