MPI Delivers First Of Its Kind Hybrid Event, With Live WEC Digital Experience

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) often says they “take risks so you don’t have to” when it comes to designing and delivering their annual signature event, World Education Congress (WEC). When it comes to their in-person experience at WEC Grapevine, onsite Duty of Care will take no risks, but the association’s live hybrid format, including a fully digital delivery, will include significant risk offering a 100% live experience.

Online conference goers have become accustomed to pre-recorded or limited engagement education and networking, but the WEC Grapevine Digital Experience will provide the exact opposite. MPI is seeking to deliver the first ever meeting and event industry event that will hold a concurrent 100% live experience, planned and designed exclusively for each of its in-person and digital audiences.

Designed in parallel to the in-person event, the Digital Experience will feature a devoted agenda, exclusive concurrent education, live keynote sessions with exclusive post-event interviews, live midday broadcast updates from the ALHI Studios, musical interludes including entertainment by Mark Shulman, former drummer for PINK, morning Zumba® workouts, a digital networking and career center, and much more.

“Live, in-person meetings are coming back, and I’m proud that we are part of that movement,” said Jessie States, Director of the MPI Academy and among the architects of the Digital Experience. “But we also know that government restrictions coupled with financial and personal decisions will be a barrier to attendance for many people. Our broadcast intentionally shapes the hybrid experience to create a new dynamic.”

“I liken it to the in-person attendee being in studio, while our ‘viewers’ enjoy a different experience. I’m looking forward to this laboratory experiment at WEC,” said States.

The WEC Grapevine Digital Experience design sessions were focused on ensuring that both the in-person and digital format complemented one another. This includes keynote sessions structured like a late-night talk show, where host and Emcee Dena Blizzard works the speakers and in-person audience, while digital attendees can engage online. And, providing up to 18 CEU for attendees, digital attendees have choices when it comes to concurrent education, with topics that are immediately relevant and actionable.

“When Freeman and MPI began collaborating on the Digital Experience, we all felt it was critical to design for the digital environment and create a format that was engaging, familiar and 100% live,” said Mike Silvestro, Vice President of Client Solutions at Freeman. “There are inherent risks associated with having two live events going on at the exact same time, but we all wanted to be the first ones to take the leap and do this for our community.”

WEC Grapevine takes place live November 3-6, 2020 from the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas.

For more information, visit mpi.org/wec. If interested in attending on a media pass, either in-person or digitally, please contact communications@mpi.org.