Grandin’s mindful journey

Temple Grandin, the remarkable woman who overcame challenges from autism to become a noted scientist, inventor and author, took center stage at the Friday general session of MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC) with “Great Minds Are Not All the Same.” Jauntily attired in an embroidered Western shirt and white kerchief, Grandin regaled the crowd with her story of how determination and mentorship enabled her to invent ground-breaking facilities for handling livestock as well as implement animal welfare auditing programs in use by McDonald’s, Whole Foods and other corporations.

Although autism and her “object visualizer” mindset made school subjects like math difficult, Grandin said hands-on work experiences like cleaning horse stalls, mentoring from teachers and willingness to ask questions pushed her forward.

What concerns Grandin now is that many schools have eliminated classes that teach practical skills such as sewing or auto repair and that “kids are growing up without ever having used tools.” As a result, those inclined toward mechanical skills rather than traditional academics are not getting the chance to realize their potential.

“You have to have exposure to all these things to know what you’re good at,” she said. “I sat next to a woman who had failed algebra in school, but in the Navy, she aced the mechanical aptitude test.”

In helping autistic children, Grandin said it’s important to intervene as soon as the signs are shown.

“If a three-year-old is not talking, you’re losing developmental time,” she said. “We should be recruiting retired teachers and grandparents to work with these kids.”

Town Hall: Get Involved

MPI leaders Paul Van Deventer (MPI President & CEO), Rob Adams (MPI International Board of Directors chair) and Rebecca DeLuca (MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees chair) provided status updates and fielded questions from the audience at MPI’s General Membership Meeting and Town Hall. 

Van Deventer reported that MPI encompasses a global community of 60,000 industry professionals, including meeting and event planners with a combined annual buying power of over $26 billion. The organization and its chapters hold over 3,000 events a year and, thanks to year-over-year financial growth since the pandemic, now has over $11 million in cash and reserves. Future sites for WEC were also shared, including San Antonio in 2026, Las Vegas in 2027, Denver in 2028, Anaheim in 2029 and Tampa in 2030, while next year’s European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) will be in Barcelona.

DeLuca noted that the MPI Foundation, founded in 1984, has provided grants and scholarships to over 25,000 individuals to date. This includes assistance for 100 people to attend WEC this year.

Goals and initiatives include a recent revamping of the social responsibility program MPI Cares, with new branding encompassing the categories of Help, Equity, Action and Resolution. Training on the initiative principles is being rolled out for board members and chapters, Van Deventer said.

Adams said a priority is to stimulate chapter growth by working with chapter regional councils to make it easier to manage and set up new chapters. Another goal is to increase the number of clubs for aspiring meeting professionals.

“There’s a big gap with student clubs—we really want to get more active on college campuses,” he said.

Audience members seeking to get involved in leadership roles with MPI were encouraged to look not just at the limited number of board positions, but to consider the variety of opportunities available, identifying those that best suit their skills and passions.

“You have to look at where you can have the most impact and be intentional about it,” Adams said.

Dare to be bold

Do something bold that you’ve never done before, something way out of your comfort zone. That was the challenge entrepreneur Daniel Lewis put to the WEC audience during his energetic session “Igniting Connection, Collaboration and Change.”

Lewis explained that he has built his life and career by making bold moves out of his comfort zone, first by asking a third-grade classmate to marry him (she vehemently refused, but did accept a couple of decades later) and then by promoting his tea business, T by Daniel, by dressing up as a lion at the local farmer’s market and presenting himself as the “funky tea guy.” Eventually his retail tea brand would grow a healthy customer base, even reaching the lips of King Charles who enjoyed it during a royal tour in 2017.

“I looked crazy, but eventually I achieved validation, and people thought it was fun,” Lewis said. “There was inspiration and momentum.”

He also emphasized the need for collaboration. While many think the lion is the best hunter in Africa, it’s actually the wild dog who is far more successful, he said.

“That’s because the lion hunts alone, while the dogs hunt in packs and take care of each other along the way,” he said. “There’s strength in unity.”

He also believes it is important is to say “yes” to opportunities, even when they may be intimidating and unfamiliar.

“That’s how you can change your life, your career, your industry and become a change-maker,” Lewis said.