Meeting Professionals International’s value proposition for the European market aims to increase engagement and reflects an overall focus on leadership initiatives, education, events and chapter activities that will have a meaningful and lasting impact with members.

Angeles Moreno, MPI’s strategic development senior advisor in Europe, on Monday (May 20) shared the six key points of the value proposition with chapter leaders attending IMEX in Frankfurt.

With a theme of “Become an MPI member, a professional with international influence and strong grassroots in your local community,” Moreno said the strategy will include focus on local chapter activities, the MPI Academy in Europe, the organization’s European Meetings and Events Conference (EMEC), a presence in European industry events, leadership engagement and online benefits including education and research.

“We’re going to reinforce the message you give every day to your members,” Moreno told the group. “We are here to support you and help answer how can we guarantee cooperation and value for their membership. We are an international association because we are connected in this way. Let’s be strong together.”

Moreno, who was named to her role in February as part of the association’s commitment to increase resources for more than 1,200 members and 12 chapters in Europe, has made quick work of her time working the global team. She has been actively engaged with MPI throughout her career, including serving as chair of the organization’s European Advisory Council in 2018. She was president of the Iberian Chapter from May 2016 through July 2018, and helped organize a successful EMEC in Granada, Spain, in 2017.

Highlights of the value proposition presented by Moreno included the following.

• A minimum guaranteed structure of four activities per year including one fundraising event and two local networking or educational activities.
• Executive educational content with five certifications—Business Value of Meetings, HMCC, Women in Leadership, Going Local and Safety and Security—and industry HOT topics, facilitated by a network of European speakers.
• Involvement of the European community with both face-to-face and online event designer groups around EMEC.
• MPI presence at seven industry events in Europe within a year.
• The opportunity to meet with national and international board members to build a strong network to succeed. This includes road shows similar to the one the leadership team completed in February with visits to Cologne, Germany, Brussels and London.
• Online benefits such as education, research and more.

“We should all live and dream this,” said Pieter Allaerts, MPI Belgium Chapter, who succeeded Moreno as chair of the European Advisory Council. “We really want to grow MPI. Let’s lift up and execute this plan. That’s all of us stepping up. I really love those six points.”

The European Advisory Council also includes Krzystof Celuch, Paula Blomster, Milo Bravo, Anne Dalgaard, Wojciech Lizka, Giavanna Lucherini, Suzanne Mulligan and Hector Venegas. Miguel Neves will continue as the liaison with the MPI International Board of Directors, while Federico Toja is the staff liaison.

The European leaders also received an update on plans for next year’s EMEC, Feb. 9-11 in Seville, Spain. Four core principles—sustainability, local flavor, designed for and by Europeans and being an incubator for worldwide experience—were highlighted under a theme of “Pushing the Boundaries.”

MPI’s senior leaders—President and CEO Paul Van Deventer, Chief Operations Officer Darren Temple and Steve O’Malley, chair of the International Board of Director—each applauded the Europeans for their volunteerism and their commitment to MPI, and also acknowledged the work of members in the Netherlands for the recent EMEC in February.