Third and Final Phase of Breakthrough Initiative Gets Underway
DALLAS – With Phase II of its 3-part Future of Meetings initiative complete, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) will present insights culled from its latest social media research at the MPI European Meetings and Events Conference (EMEC) 2013 January 27-29 in Montreux, Switzerland.
This phase involved interviews with innovators and social media experts from outside the meetings and events industry as well as analysis of focus groups conducted in 11 countries and live social media tracking of events worldwide.
“We worked hard to gain multiple perspectives from within and outside the industry to help us understand possible future scenarios in more detail,” says Jackie Mulligan, principal lecturer and director of enterprise at the International Center for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality at Leeds Metropolitan University in the U.K. “The research has inspired stimulating engagement, both live and on social networks.”
The first phase of the Future of Meetings research combined results from a survey of 1,600 meeting planners and data on future trends to produce a topline analysis report with strategic takeaways for industry professionals. Results were first presented at IMEX 2012, and in a series of related research papers released in the months following.
The third and final phase will bring fresh insights from an analysis of two surveys polling the values, demands, motivations and expectations of 1,600- plus delegates and potential delegates from four continents and four generations. Phase III survey results will be announced over the coming months, culminating in a special live presentation at WEC 2013 this summer in Las Vegas. WEC will also mark the rollout of tools and educational assets to ensure planners are “future-ready” and well positioned to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.
“The mission has been to not only answer the research questions but to help the industry participate in more futuristic thinking,” says Thomas Grundner, Vice President, Global Sales at Jumeirah, a MPI Foundation Future of Meetings Investor. “Phase III builds on this innovative work.”
In addition to Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, the MPI Foundation Future of Meetings Thought Leadership research initiative is made possible with support from PSAV Presentation Services and Omni Hotels & Resorts.
