We need more people like Carina Bauer and Kerstin Wünsch in our world—people who look at the status quo and the injustice and say, “Enough. Time for change.”
Bauer (MPI U.K. & Ireland Chapter), CEO of the IMEX Group, and Wünsch, editor in chief of the German meetings publication tw tagungswirtschaft, are kindred spirits who are leading one of the most innovative and empowering education platforms for women in the meeting and event industry: She Means Business.
This initiative is more than a labor of love for these two. It’s a necessity, a long-overdue mandate much needed in our industry.
Now into its third year, She Means Business is evolving and expanding as meeting professionals delve more deeply into finding solutions to create equity for women at all levels.
“As a journalist, justice means a lot to me,” Wünsch says in our report, “Step by Step.” “What I thought was that diversity is such a big issue, especially diversity for women. There was all this demographic change taking place and I started to look at the meeting industry, which is mainly female. But not so much in management. I saw gaps and knew I had to do something.”
As did Bauer. So when Wünsch approached her about the issue, Bauer was all in.
“It’s very important to me personally and also to the IMEX team,” says Bauer, who is on the cover this month. “As a business our mission is to unite and advance the meeting industry, and this is one of the key issues that we believe needs to be tackled in order to achieve that goal. We believe that it is not only the right thing to do, but will also help to grow and develop the industry. Put simply, it’s better business to have diverse teams, ideas and leadership.”
MPI is fully engaged with the Women in Leadership: Executive Skills certificate program as well as the MyMPI “MPI Women” community. MPI partnered with She Means Business to bring the program to IMEX America last year.
The issue of diversity and inclusion—which will be reported on in each issue of The Meeting Professional this year—was addressed by our Business Research Panel in the newest quarterly Meetings Outlook report. This must-read report also addresses the state of the economy and sustainability issues.
Another important story this month is “Continuous Reinvention” by Annette Gregg, CMM, MBA, senior vice president of experience for MPI, who interviewed Amy Ledoux, CAE, CMP, senior vice president, meetings, expositions and special events for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). MPI and ASAE announced in January that the two associations will partner throughout 2020 to deliver collaborative educational programming and projects around key meeting industry topics such as experience design.
We lost a great friend when John Graham IV, president and CEO of ASAE, passed away in January following an extended battle with cancer. Graham guided ASAE through membership growth, innovation and an emphasis on diversity and inclusion in association leadership.
“From the day we met, John immediately become a benevolent and gracious mentor,” says Paul Van Deventer, MPI president and CEO. “And over time, I was blessed that our relationship grew into a cherished friendship. The news of John’s passing was like a punch in the gut. He will be missed dearly, but he leaves behind an impressive legacy of achievement, innovation, leadership and, most importantly, family.”
I, too, had the opportunity to know John. I am currently a scholar in the Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP), which John launched to support individuals from underrepresented identity groups to advance into the ranks of leadership in the association management profession. We also had shared stories about our experiences working for the Boy Scouts of America. He was a good friend to many and will be missed. Godspeed John.
We hope you enjoy reading this month’s issue of your member magazine. Send your comments and suggestions to editor@mpiweb.org.
Until next time…
Rich Luna
Editor in Chief
rluna@mpiweb.org
