Just last month more than 2,600 members of our community gathered together at the 2019 World Education Congress (WEC) in Toronto (home of the 2019 NBA champs!) to connect, learn and innovate. It was my honor to be part of such an incredible experience, where I was able to build connections, interact with our community and get energized by you.
As I interacted with old and new friends, journalists, chapter leaders and members, I became even more exhilarated and inspired to continue our journey of changing the world. And while it may seem like a long time away, plans are well under way in the design of WEC20, which will be held next June in Grapevine, Texas—plans that include the continued reimagination of WEC, integrating many of the learnings, best practices and innovations from WEC19.
At WEC19, I outlined MPI’s four strategic priorities that will allow us to better serve you and our community:
- Investing in our volunteer leaders
- Growing our global community
- Building unique communities and content within MPI
- Expanding the MPI Academy’s content and resources
Our volunteer leaders are the backbone of MPI, and investing in them continues to be a top priority. Building off the success of the recent rollout of enhanced training for both chapter leaders and chapter administrators, we will continue to invest in additional technology platforms to support our chapters, with a focus on financial management and member acquisition.
We are growing our community globally to expand your networks and build our brand influence. To support those efforts and ensure that we are being responsive to regional needs, we’ve created advisory councils in Europe, Canada and Latin America to provide guidance on community needs, as well as event and education strategies.
To leverage MPI’s culturally rich and diverse community and to enable you to tailor your MPI experience to your personal and professional needs, we will continue the development of our unique Professional Communities and Special Interest Groups, which facilitate peer-to-peer learning, networking and professional growth. Our goal is to ensure that, no matter the tribe you affiliate with or where you are within your own career trajectory, MPI will be your industry home!
Finally, we will continue to invest in expanding the curriculum, strategic partnerships and delivery channels of the MPI Academy. As MPI’s education arm, the Academy has become a valued resource for the industry since its launch in 2015, delivering more than 45,000 clock hours to more than 8,000 professionals during the last 12 months alone.
MPI’s future looks bright as we continue to make investments that will support your professional growth and lead us into 2020. These strategic priorities are vital to the long-term health of MPI’s community, and I am personally vested to provide you with the best tools in the industry. But we can’t do it alone—our success can only happen with your support and inspiration.
Thank you for everything that you do for MPI and for our community! See you all next year in Grapevine at WEC20.
Paul Van Deventer
MPI President and CEO
pvandeventer@mpiweb.org
Follow me on Twitter @MPICEOPaul
