Delegates explore meetings of the future at MPI WEC

Tuesday, 25.06.2019

IACC welcomed more than 500 delegates to its inaugural Meeting Room of the Future (MROTF) live showcase at last week’s MPI World Education Congress (WEC) in Toronto, with many of its innovative sessions left with standing room only.

IACC's CEO Mark Cooper delivers session at Meeting of the Future showcase at MPI WEC in Toronto. Photo: IACC

Toronto. Over the three days of the event from 15 – 18 June 2019, IACC delivered 14 exploration sessions and panel discussions focused on subject areas including bridging the perceived gaps between restaurant and conference dining qualities, the development of stronger venues and support services and the creation of sustainable meetings. The sessions also included data and trends from the brand-new Meeting Room of the Future report. A variety of guest speakers joined the sessions, including Alan Booth, Vice President at Deloitte University; Susan LoCiero, Event Manager at TD Wealth Management and Gail McCleese, Designer Director at Gensler.

Delegates attending the MROTF showcase were able to taste some exciting ‘foods of the future’, which were prepared by Murray Hall, Executive Chef of Bank of Montreal Conference Center in Toronto. Treats on offer included lemon chia breakfast bread, spirulina goji berry energy bites and adzuki bean brownies.

Mark Cooper, CEO, IACC says: “This project has been 15 months in the making and gave us a chance to accelerate our Meeting Room of the Future report findings into a live setting. The showcase was embraced by delegates in ways we only dreamed of, and all those who attended really immersed themselves in the sessions. We’re looking forward to seeing if this new research sparks new and innovate ideas for meeting experiences over the coming months.”

“The showcase highlighted the amazing work from the IACC team which was deservedly appreciated by our community and attendees. We value the education, knowledge and applicable context IACC brings to live events”, says Jessie States, Director of the MPI Academy.

The showcase was supported by an MPI Foundation grant along with industry partners PSAVHargrove IncSlidoAllSeatedMindMeeting and Events Industry Council.

CIM editorial team, ks