Meeting Professionals International, the premier global association community for meeting and event professionals, believes in the unequalled power of events and human connections to advance organizational objectives.

Attack of the Podcasts

By Jessie States

A San Diego government representative explains to me what the city is doing to help businesses protect and preserve the environment. But she can’t see or hear me. In fact, she spoke months ago as part of the MPI San Diego Chapter’s CSR education program, which was released as a three-part series of video podcasts.

The chapter offers a unique online experience that includes video podcasts of events in addition to direct communication models: the president’s letter, press releases, quarterly magazine Compass and the e-Com newsletter. Any of the services can be subscribed to, so that members receive new information the day it is uploaded.

The system appears to be working. According to Chapter President Virginia Mergener, CMP, more than 17,000 visitors have accessed a podcast, including a massive 6,824 unique clicks to educational materials. The staggering numbers can be attributed to ease of use; the podcast channels are accessible 24/7, disseminating valuable information to members, all of which can be download to a computer or mobile media device.

“We have members in Las Vegas and all over the Southwest who cannot attend all of our educational meetings,” Mergener said. “We want them to have the same opportunities that our other members have, so we give them the same education online that our people received here locally.”