Photo courtesy of TNOC (http://tnoc.ch)
In the lead up to the inaugural AIBTM exhibition in Baltimore, MPI headquarters were full of anticipation for the reveal of Business Value of Meetings research. At the end of three days, our expectations were met and exceeded by the sheer volume of connections that were made and the feedback from the industry on the results of the groundbreaking study.
The crowd of more than 60 professionals, who included both media and planners eager to find out the latest news on meeting measurement, listened as Bill Voegeli of Association Insights explained the detailed report, how it affects business and the next steps. The buzz on the report, which was available free specially for AIBTM attendees, extended beyond the floor of the Convention Center, as media, bloggers and experts broke down the results and discussed what this means for our industry.
Upcoming deliverables from the BVOM research include webinars (June 30 and July 6) as well as a toolkit for planners and suppliers in September 2011.
While on the exhibit floor, MPI team members Randy Crabtree, Amanda Miller, and Miranda Van Bruck were able to make connections with hundreds of attendees, signing up new members, renewing the connection with previous members and sharing the value of MPI with all. On-site professionals were able to experience Professional Development On Demand, the 24/7 content library where members have unlimited and free access to audio and video from conferences as well as the weekly queue of webinars from some of the top subject matter experts in the industry.
MPI education, Global Training on the Road, brought together a diverse group to learn from the GCMBE III program, part of the education that prepares professionals for industry certification. Ruud Janssen facilitated the program, which included several accredited Global Trainers both in person and via satellite, and the three hours of training were a success. Not only does the information presented help professionals gain the skills necessary for CMM, but it is based on the recently release Meeting & Business Events Competency Standards, which MPI had a central role in developing.
You can view photos of Randy, Miranda and Amanda with attendees, as well as Ruud's Global Training education group on the MPI Flickr account. Thank you to everyone who attended the BVOM global debut, interacted at the MPI booth and attended the Global Training session!