The MPI Experience team spends months design­ing WEC. Since MPI celebrates its 50th anniversa­ry this year, we knew we had to up our game. We partnered with the design team from experiential marketing powerhouse George P. Johnson to craft an even richer experience for all of you. Here are even more of our concepts—steal them for your own conferences!

Localization

Bringing the Outside. Holding WEC in an iconic destination like San Francisco, we want to give you an opportunity to experience some of its personality and character. Visit the San Francisco marketplace on the first floor of Moscone West for local products and see the list of Host Committee secret favorites around town included in the mo­bile app. Our nightly celebrations at Oracle Park, the President’s Dinner at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Rendezvous at City Hall will also highlight the best of what San Francisco has to offer.

Edutainment

Daily Acts instead of General Sessions. Plenary/gen­eral sessions are an opportunity to excite the crowd, unifying them with key messaging. As experi­ence designers, we need to fight the tendency for these to become a parade of talking heads. Our WEC San Francisco daily plenary sessions are themed as acts, each having a focus that will cul­minate in an overall story arc. Our daily panels— Event Tech Pioneers, Experience Design Pros and 50th Anniversary Influencers—bring a vari­ety of perspectives and voices to the mix. Finally, our daily acts are balanced with entertainment that help engage the right brain, like the famous Glide Church choir, the Oakland Children’s Jazz Ensemble and the vibrant WEC23 Mexican Riv­iera kick-off celebration.

Immersion

50th Anniversary Activations. Walk through the MPI Museum and discover 50 years of meeting industry milestones and breakthroughs. Our MPI Walk of Fame placed throughout the show highlights our most Influential, Up and Comers and Legacy contributors. And our Thurs­day mainstage panel will honor some of the most influential voices in our MPI community—looking to our past and our future.

Exclusivity

Launching New MPI University and Professional Programs. WEC attendees are the first to experience two new groundbreaking programs: the MPI Certified university endorsement program and the Emerging Meeting Professional (EMP) designation. MPI Certified is the industry’s first en­dorsement of university and college meeting and event education programs. Our advisory board re­views program curriculum to ensure it includes an optimal balance of personal skill development and tactical knowledge, giving it the MPI Certified seal of approval. Further, people with less than three years of experience in the meeting and events in­dustry can earn the EMP designation, helping them launch their career equipped with key knowledge. Visit us in MPI Central for more information!

Surprise and Delight

Sponsor Booth Activations. A key to enhancing your WEC experience is cre­ating surprise elements throughout the show— things you don’t normally experience anywhere else. Our sponsors have raised the bar this year with engagement around every corner.