MPI brought more than 1,800 people (1,238 in-person attendees and 574 digital participants) together for the World Education Congress last month in Las Vegas. We asked attendees to share their favorite moments.
Estefani Aguirre, HMCC, CIS, MPI: “My favorite moment from WEC was realizing the support of our international sponsors, whether they joined us in person or digitally. Their trust and commitment meant a lot now more than ever. We can’t wait for borders to reopen globally for business events!”
Michelle Allgauer, CAE, CMM, CMP, Financial Services Institute: “Too many fun things. To only name a few… I was brought to tears of joy when a first timer proposed to his girlfriend in one of the general sessions. Also moved to tears hearing live music from the Voices of Service. I attended the CMP/CMM Breakfast with live entertainment from Summer Dean, the country singer/songwriter. She was a great entertainer and performer. And, of course, Paul’s interview with Usher was a huge highlight—loved seeing Paul trying to imitate Usher. Don’t forget about San Francisco’s debut for WEC 2022—the entertainment and numerous costume changes from Stephen & Joe were fantastic. Then there was the closing Rendezvous pool party at the Venetian with the Splash Mob. I was so surprised when the woman standing next to me said ‘I’m doing it’ and jumped into the pool with all of her clothes on—I gasped thinking she was an attendee and delighted when I saw she was part of the performance. Bravo! It was so wonderful to see so many meeting industry professionals come together at WEC. I loved being able to see everyone’s face; the overall energy was very uplifting and inspiring. I truly believe that when we meet, we change the world!”
Chandra Allison, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas: “The meeting was great! The highlight for me was speaking to customers face to face and meeting new customers. It gave me a chance to have deeper discussions and make true connections that you cannot get over Zoom calls. It underscored why people need face to face. And we got to showcase our new pool deck in person. Definitely can’t replace that with Zoom!”
Jennifer Beatty, DES, Tourism Calgary: “Although I could not be there in person, the digital experience allowed me to stay connected and be part of the conversation. It also reminded me how much I love face-to-face meetings and how when we meet, we change the world. I can hardly wait to be there in person with my fellow Canadians in 2022!”
Jason Carroll, CMP, On|Point Events Group: “As a virtual attendee I really enjoyed getting much of the same content as those in person and being able to interact with others online. While I prefer to attend WEC in person, I was not disappointed with my digital experience. Kudos to the meeting planners and leadership team at MPI for planning a successful dual experience.”
Julie Coker, San Diego Tourism Authority: “Seeing my industry colleagues and friends F2F was the highlight. It just underscores how valuable F2F interactions are and how much we missed them. I thought the entire meeting was very well done. The keynote speakers were great and I’ve taken away little nuggets that I’ll share with my team and my customers. I absolutely love what I do and MPI WEC reminded me of why I love it so much.”
Darren K. Green, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board: “This was by far one of the most engaging and interactive WECs that MPI has hosted. Suppliers and attendees were all appreciative of the chance to get together and connect live and in person. Also, one cannot overstate the difference of meeting and engaging without the restrictions of masks or distancing. This was clearly a game changer and the 2021 WEC will be remembered as the first major industry event which showed the way back!”
Gerilyn Horan, Hilton: “I knew I’d missed face to face interaction, but truth be told, I was a bit anxious about coming to my first live event. Did I remember how to do it? The reality was it’s like riding a bike. Just being with friends and colleagues to share our experiences from the past year and our enthusiasm for the future was my favorite part, and totally energizing.”
David Kliman, CMM, The Kliman Group: “My favorite WEC Vegas moment was seeing the opening general session so full of people. That initial view was the first time since the pandemic hit that I’d seen so many people in one meeting room. It felt like the post-COVID recovery had truly and safely kicked in.”
Mary Kreins, Disney Meetings & Events: “It was wonderful to embrace with old friends and make new friends, showing the strength of our bonds and resiliency of our industry. We’ve all worked side by side to get to where we are now. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t share the wonderful celebration of the RISE Awards and President’s Dinner to honor so many who have given and continue to give tirelessly, in the middle of a pandemic, to inspire us all to keep moving forward."
Kerry Lambert, Freeman: “I loved seeing how we can make hybrid meetings work. As usual, MPI is leading the industry and proving that while face-to-face meetings can’t be replaced, digital is here to stay.”
Vince LaRuffa, Universal Orlando Resort: “I absolutely loved the meeting. The highlight for me was the realization of how much I truly missed being with my colleagues in a face-to-face environment. We know how strongly our industry advocates for the value of a face-to-face meeting, but this opportunity to attend WEC underscored that for me in a dramatic way.”
Joe Marcy, CMP, CITP, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau: “WEC Vegas was a celebration of resiliency and hope. MPI’s education emphasized a future of opportunity, diversity and growth. In true Vegas fashion, the experiences were fabulous and entertaining. But I have to say it was our reunited community that made this WEC feel so special.”
Chris Meyer, George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: “Beyond simply being back face to face again, my highlight was to see and feel the resilience and passion of so many event professionals. We truly are a special industry and I have no doubt we will come roaring back.”
Gina Samci, Marriott International: “I LOVED seeing my friends and colleagues in person and just being able to give people big hugs (if they wore ‘green’ claspers, that is)! I even saw my new boss in person for the first time. The energy of a live meeting cannot be matched, and it was so energizing to engage with customers in person.”
Gary Schirmacher, Total Hospitality Industry Solutions: “Two MPI WEC in-person events in seven months have given me confidence, a big smile and many memories that will drive my ability to share with others that F2F meetings ROCK. I’m proud to be part of the courageous MPI community who are willing to meet and change the world.”
Sarah Soliman, DES, Soliman Productions Inc.: “Although we were able to see colleagues at WEC Grapevine, we still couldn’t see smiles or give out hugs as we typically would. WEC Vegas brought a sense of normalcy back thanks to many attendees being vaccinated. My favorite part was embracing friends I haven’t seen or hugged in over a year and actually being able to see emotion in people’s faces through their smiles.”
Ernest A. Stovall, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino | Delano Las Vegas | Luxor Hotel & Casino: “Seeing the smiles of the team members and volunteers servicing MPI. It was a morale booster for our state, our city and our convention industry. Not possible without MPI’s commitment to having this event.”
Susie Townsend, Visit Indy: “My favorite moment of WEC was seeing everyone’s smiles for the first time in a long time. When we were in Grapevine in November everyone was very tentative about meeting. We were all masked, no hugs, couldn’t see anyone smile. When we arrived in Vegas the smiles were everywhere!”
Paul Van Deventer, MPI: “Walking out on stage for the opening general session and seeing 1,300 members of our community gathered in-person to celebrate, and accelerate, the reopening of our industry. It was truly exhilarating.”
Michel Wohlmuth, Creatividad: “I had two unique moments. The first one is the emotion of seeing so many people in person again, seeing their smiles, their eyes and giving each other a hug after such a long time. And the second was to have scored a touchdown in the Raiders stadium.”
Yumi Yasuda, NexTech AR Solutions: “To hear the touching message, ‘MPI is not head, but heart.’ Many things around us have changed since last spring, but at least I can find our community is unchanged.”
