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MPI's PEC 2008: The meetdifferent Experience!

More than 1,800 MPI members gathered in Houston for its 2008 Professional Educational Conference - North America (PEC-NA) themed meetdifferent! KCMPI was proud to have 25 chapter members attending the conference: Chris Aquino, Marlys Arnold, Andrea Brack, Vickie Brawley (president-elect), Jeanne Burris, Jenelle Canfield, Andrea Cowsar, Craig Deel, June Dobson, Inge Hafkemeyer (president), Alton Hagen, Ken Hamm, Karen Hoch, Cathy Jackson, Rebecca Jones, Heather Lesher, Peggy Mall, Michelle Shockley, Lacey Spallitta, Debra Sweeten, Valerie Watson, Tracee Watts, Alice Werth, Rob Wilson and Tanya Zuckerman (immediate past president).

Marlys Arnold, who was awarded KCMPI's PEC Scholarship, recaps the three-day conference.

MPI's PEC-NA 2008 kicked off Sunday with Texas Southern University's Ocean of Soul marching band, followed by a message from MPI CEO Bruce MacMillan on how meetings can ignite change in our world. But in order to create change, we must first have the courage to "Meet Different."

Tim Sanders, author of The Likeability Factor, explained that a social revolution is coming ... actually, it's already here: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). No longer are customers willing to support organizations that are irresponsible regarding people and the environment. Carbon footprints will become a big issue for meetings over the next few years, as will community impact. Green meetings will no longer be optional but mandatory. The good news is that these initiatives don't have to be expensive -- Sanders says there are responsible choices that cost little or nothing to implement:

Group transportation (low-emissions buses, hybrid airport shuttles)
Printing (recycled paper, soy-based ink, less printed material)
Water ("hydration stations" vs. bottled water)

While planners often think that their meeting can't make a difference, Sanders challenged that with, "If not you, then who?"

Lunch on Sunday featured a tailgate buffet of burgers and dogs, as well as Cracker Jack and football-shaped cookies. Speaker Mary Boone outlined how Monday's "unconference" format would work. She explained that most meetings are conducted in "broadcast mode," but more learning actually happens in social settings, so the Conversation Cafés would provide that relaxed opportunity for idea sharing. Topics were grouped into categories: future/trends, bridging generations/cultures, strategic planning, green issues, plus a potpourri category for any other topic. People had the opportunity to sign up ahead of time with a topic question, then anyone was welcome to join the conversation Monday morning at the assigned table for that topic. Groups ranged from two or three people to more than a dozen per topic.

There were plenty of other opportunities for informal learning as well:

Learning Labs on how to create wikis and podcasts
Technology Playgrounds providing hands-on experiences with the latest software tools for meetings
Book club discussions of popular business books
Game design lab, where students from Champlain College developed meeting industry "gamelets" that will be available free to all MPI members
Lounge floorplan in certain classrooms, with couches and cabaret tables instead of the traditional classroom or theater layout

Even Monday's PEC Expo was different with no more pipe and drape between booths. Instead, there were "pods" of booths in the round. Four exhibitors were arranged in pie-shaped wedges around a circular tower. Everyone was encouraged to make these spots more of a conversation lounge than a display, enticing visitors to stay longer. Both planners and exhibitors said the show floor seemed much more open, allowing better visibility to those exhibiting in the back of the hall.

Tuesday's format switched back to more traditional breakout sessions, with topics ranging from ethics to contracts to customized meeting content and more. Tuesday's lunch, with the theme of "Atlanta: Still on Fire," provided a glimpse of what's to come at next year's PEC. Entertainer Doug Lothes provided his version of "Gone With the Wind in 20 Minutes," which kept the audience in stitches, especially when he did variations of Scarlett as played by Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn.


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