This first full day at IBTM World began with multi-award-winning Millennial entrepreneur Charlotte Pearson, CEO and founder of Inkpact, during her keynote, “Humans of Business - Why Connection Matters.” See, there it is again.

Inkpact, Pearson's latest effort in bringing people together, is, primarily, analogue. A far cry from VR fighter jets, Inkpact creates handwritten letters for you to have sent to your customers—a time-tested and proven tact/skill that’s increasingly vanishing. Through this, she says Inkpact helps people “send automatic moments of delight.”

In her own words, Pearson's explained her mission at IBTM World was to “change the way you think about connections in business.”

And it’s so suitable that MPI, as the meeting and event industry's premier association, shared details about its efforts and plans for new ways to bring people together in Europe.

“Europe is a critical market for MPI,” said the association's President and CEO Paul Van Deventer during an early afternoon press conference.

Over the past year, MPI engaged with a cross-section of industry leaders in Europe in order that they may provide the association with a focus on how to grow its value across the continent.

“So we’re beginning, starting today, a roadshow to a number of key cities throughout Europe to evaluate how MPI can leverage the network we have worldwide [to the benefit of EU industry professionals].”

Members of MPI's European Advisory Council joined IBTM World attendees to kick off the roadshow.

"MPI wants to get closer to industry professionals throughout Europe and build a stronger, more engaged community,"  said Angeles Moreno, chair of MPI's European Advisory Council, at the roadshow kick-off.

Other members of the council include Pieter Allaerts, Brigitte Boone, Remy Cregut, Heidi Hughes, Giovanna Lucherini, Miguel Neves and Hector Venegas.

Technology was on display as well, giving attendees yet another way to connect.

Seemingly ironic at first glance, career French Navy pilot Pierre-Henri Chuet explained that the immersive virtual reality (VR)-based fighter jet experiences (complete with mock cockpits) he and his family offer through Mach 3 Management are all about bringing people together.

First, popular views of VR are humans isolated, head-mounted display covering eyes and headphones covering ears, trapped in their own experience. Yet through Mach 3’s missions, participants speak to each other in real time.

Second, it may initially sound suspect to view fighter pilots as connectors of people. We all envision the explosions, but behind each and every mission there’s a tight connection between pilots and other stakeholders, the lack of which can be fatal.

Founded this past June and based in the UK, Mach 3 has already brought together small groups for team-building and stress management training in the UK, France, Spain, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The young company's presence on the IBTM World show floor is a shining example of the event’s theme technology and how it can help create stellar value and experiences for attendees.

And this is just a hint of the first full day of IBTM World highlighting the connections being made right now in Catalonia and beyond!