Meeting Professionals International has acquired the EVENT, a Canadian meetings show.
Meeting Professionals international has acquired a Canadian
experiential show, The Event. The design conference was launched in 2018 by
three Canadian MPI chapters and three cofounders, Ryan Young, Tim Whalen and
Marie-France Watson. The announcement of the acquisition was made during
IMEX America, the industry trade show that took place last week in Las Vegas. The first
show under MPI ownership will be held in fall 2024.
With this strategic
acquisition, the organization said it is poised “to harness its Canadian community and
industry insights, and place emphasis on the innovative approaches, connections
and creativity that The Event has proven since its inception.”
“We are excited to bring The Event into our MPI portfolio of
global signature events,” said Drew Holmgreen, MPI’s chief brand officer.
“Paired with our Canadian chapters and their exceptional leadership, who have
driven this experience for a number of years, this acquisition is a testament
to MPI’s commitment in creating a strong global presence for face-to-face
professional development.”
3 New Event Professional Certificates
Other initiatives MPI announced during IMEX America included the launch of three
new MPI Academy certificates.
The AI for Events certificate, a partnership between MPI
and event technology platform Reposite, aims to equip meetings professionals with the
knowledge and practical skills needed to harness AI’s potential for designing
meaningful and immersive experiences. The certificate program will launch in
January 2023.
The Encore AV Fundamentals certificate — a partnership
between group's education arm, the MPI Academy, and Encore and the International Council on Hotel,
Restaurant and Institutional Education — will offer Encore’s
internal employee-training programs to the MPI community, helping meeting
professionals speak and understand the language of their A/V technicians.
On-demand courses will include audio, lighting, projection and video
fundamentals; microphone basics; lighting; entertainment rigging; and power
distribution.
MPI also plans to partner with the Neu Project and EventWell in
2024 to offer the Event Welfare Champion certificate to help meetings
professionals identify and respond to participants' signs of
distress, and to provide appropriate support and make a positive impact on the overall
attendee experience.
Additionally, MPI has partnered with Visit Detroit to
create a career-exploration guide, brochure and
presentation for use at local high schools to showcase careers in the meetings industry.
The partnership also includes education for high school students to learn more
about the fundamental skills needed to become a meeting planner.