Before coming into the meeting and event industry, I was in travel, and before that in healthcare.  And in each iteration of my career I thought - wow we speak in a lot of acronyms.  But I have to say, so far in my experience this industry takes the C-A-K-E.  So as we collaborated with partner associations on developing the Sustainable Event Measurement Tool (released at WEC 2010) we had some fun poking fun at ourselves and all the acronyms we've grown to develop a love/hate relationship with.

So without further ado, I present to you our Engage readers, the debut of the SEMT brought to you by MPI and GMIC - asap.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Krzysztof Celuch prior to WEC 2010 regarding his RISE Award nomination process. Believe me, it took awhile to pronounce Krzysztof's name and after multiple attempts the cubicle mates started to take notice of my inability to pronounce the Polish language... But, I think we produced something pretty insightful.

Since we've almost come full circle - yes, we are prepping for WEC 2011 already - I thought it would be timely to post Celuch's podcast in order to encourage others to nominate a peer for the RISE Awards. 

Not sure what to do? Here is all the information you need. Nominations open on November 1.

Congratulations (again) to Krzysztof and the community of honorees. 

As someone who attended WEC in Vancouver, yet did not make a single educational session (yes, we can get that busy on site), I'm pumped to watch some of our high profile presenters through the WEC virtual experience over the next couple of weeks (no rush MPI members, it's all free and available 24/7).

To use an analogy that makes me want to take my lunch break, WEC content is like a luscious layered cake. Yes, you know the top layer of what you're supposed to glean from conference, "what starts here, changes the world." But did you take time to enjoy the other multi-faceted educational sessions below the surface? Enjoy some of these noteworthy presenters with a discerning palate. (I could make cake references all day long.)

How do I know which ones are the tastiest? The buzz at WEC was palpable, on the ground and virtually via Twitter. Press came in raving about Seth Mattison, James Spellos, Jeremy Gustche, Corbin Ball and Tim Sanders. Which will be your favorite? Well do you like chocolate or caramel more? I'm the type to try them all!

Dedicate a few minutes to yourself, which I'm learning to do, and experience these industry-defining presentations for yourself. Any favorites? I'll be tweeting some of my thoughts and favorite flavors from the @MPI handle as I wade through the layers of yummy delicious content that was #WEC10.

Well, not really caviar, it was foie gras. Vancouver rolled out the red (or should it be green?) carpet for the press attending WEC and boy did my stomach feel it. Being a self-proclaimed country gal, some of the five star cuisine was simultaneously bizarre and scrumptious! Tomato water with cucumber oil and drops of vodka? Yep.

The industry press MPI hosted with Tourism Vancouver experienced an exquisite line up of delicious cuisine provided by some of Vancouver’s elite restaurants like Oru, Market by Jean Georges, The Observatory and Prestons, press were able to tour major Vancouver sites. We were also treated to hosted visits at the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain, the Vancouver Aquarium and Granville Island (my personal fave).

One of the most jaw dropping experiences? Dinner in the Vancouver Convention Centre. Trust me – this was not typical convention food because Chef Blair Rasmussen is a genius and is passionate about sustainable and locally sourced foods. We were fortunate to have two experts join us and explain the intricacies of the Center’s living roof and customized and unique aquatic ecosystems built below the center while we dined in the 53,000 square foot ballroom overlooking Vancouver Harbour.

Absolutely unforgettable moments occurred with press during this trip and I am forever grateful to Tourism Vancouver – hey Amber! – and the Vancouver Convention Centre – Jinny shoutout! Thank you ladies and see you around.

Side Note:  This press tour was also an opportunity for One+ Editors to chime in via twitter to allow their followers to virtually experience these unique opportunities via their updates and insights. In addition to their blog posts during the conference @MPIOnePlus provided some fun quips and insights from a press perspective.