WEC St. Louis attendees got a lively start to their Thursday agenda by testing their skills at beat boxing courtesy of hip-hop improv group freestyle+ during a General Session aptly titled The Power of Play.
First, however, WEC St. Louis emcee Carol Daniel acknowledged the Juneteenth holiday by relating the remarkable story of John Meachum, a Black St. Louis pastor and conductor on the Underground Railroad, who, in 1847, managed to establish a floating school on a Mississippi River steamboat for enslaved people who were then forbidden to learn to read or write.
This was followed by appearances by Rob Adams and Michelle Allgauer, chair and immediate past chair, respectively, of the MPI International Board of Directors, who announced the 2025 RISE Awards chapter recipients and the MPI Chair Award, which went to Susie Townsend, chief experience officer of Visit Indy.
Members of freestyle+, a group born out of the Broadway improvisational show Freestyle Love Supreme whose creators include Lin Manuel Miranda, took to the stage, using comedy and hip-hop entertainment to encourage interactive play among groups with the goal of fostering inspiration and tolerance of uncertainty. The exercises are drawn from neuroscience research on techniques that creates a “flow state” that stimulates parts of the brain that encouraging creativity.
Audience members were called on to learn the art of beat boxing by creating various sounds such as a drumbeat and combinations of letters. In another exercise attendees were asked to partner with the person next to them in describing a mythical journey. One person leads off by picking a random destination, starting a dialogue in which each partner builds on the experience with a new sentence. The idea, according to freestyle+ members, is to teach the art of brainstorming and to actively listen to what the another person is saying.
“This exercise helps people listen and build on what others are saying,” they said. “It’s often more difficult to teach people to listen than it is to get them to speak up—too often we reward the loudest and the quickest.”
The following session “Tomorrow’s Trends and The Future of Meetings With Industry Executives,” brought together a panel of event industry leaders, moderated by MPI IBOG Chair Rob Adams, president of Bishop-McCann, to discuss how today’s unprecedented economic, social and technological shifts are redefining what it takes to lead a company with clarity and impact. The three main topics addressed were as follows.
- How strategy, value and ROI are being reshaped by global volatility, economic headwinds and changing customer expectations.
- How workforce evolution, technology disruption and changing employee expectations are redefining teams, leadership and the future of work.
How collaboration is evolving in response to buying behaviors, brand accountability and the need for shared success.
Several panel members acknowledged that the old criterion for hiring employees is changing, with the emphasis no longer strictly on traditional skill sets, but on intangibles such as attitude, creative thinking and potential for growth. Employees who are in alignment with the core values of the company are especially valued.
Others acknowledge the changing demographics of the workforce, with Marnie Miller Battistini, CEO of Miller Tanner Associates, remarking that the nature of communicating with her team has changed radically over the years.
“Boomers actually talked on the phone to people, but today if I did that, my team members would cry and ask, ‘Why did you call me? Am I being fired?’”
Collaboration and how to achieve mutually beneficial partnerships were a major concern among the panelists. Janet Traphagen, president of Creative Group, said empathy is the key ingredient when it comes to values and forming successful partnerships.
“I see your point of view, can you see ours?” she said. “It’s about engaging our partners earlier in the process. We will spend more time in the design and creative phase going forward—how do we bring our partners into this. The bigger picture is holistic.”
Gerardo Tejado, SVP Professional Services and General Manager for Meetings & Events at American Express Global Business Travel, added that partnerships are “all about supporting each other. It’s a pendulum at the end of day and you want relationships for the long term. Sometimes you have to give in, sometimes you have to ask for more.”:
Panelists also acknowledged that helping team members cope with stress and avoid burnout has become a bigger priority.
“Sometimes it’s important to have a Zoom-free day,” Adams said. “We used to be proud of stress, but we shouldn’t. We have a responsibility when someone says they are stressed. The only way to cope with burnout should not be tears.”
