Challenging the status quo has been a mantra for MPI’s Marketers and Experience Designers community, a skill that has been beneficial given the events of the past year or so.
As with many meeting industry professionals, the COVID-19 pandemic upended everything from business plans to, in some cases, careers.
But for a community driven to excel in marketing and experiential design for business meetings and events, this time has required a new perspective.
“Our focus shifted to prioritizing relationship building, hearing from our members and creating space for them to share the struggles some encounter with the ever-changing situation, how they overcame them and the lessons learned,” says Ana Carolina Villar, CMP (MPI New England Chapter), co-chair of the community.
Adds co-chair Janice Cardinale (MPI Toronto Chapter): “At the core of our community, we are members who bring ideas to motivate and challenge the status quo. Our priorities have changed since the pandemic took hold.”
The nearly 150 community members are agency-based, corporate and independent marketing professionals who design experiential marketing campaigns, activations, product launches, festivals and other interactive live event experiences—much of which was on hiatus as a result of the pandemic.
This was challenging for a community of like-minded marketers and designers who interact with one another on thought leadership, education and best practices, according to Cardinale.
“It fuels my soul and spirit to work in the industry. It never gets old.”
“We have a diverse group of members from various chapters in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico,” she says. “Our mission is to share new ideas, create new strategies for change and empower other MPI marketing and design professionals.”
Many of the community members had to quickly ramp up their production skills for digital or hybrid meetings.
“The importance of being technically savvy and creative may not have been something they had to be in the past,” Cardinale says. “Getting virtual education is a priority and there are many vendors to choose from and levels of education that are being offered.”
Villar echoes her colleague, adding that navigating the hybrid event landscape was foreign to some, but they quickly realized the importance of engaging virtual attendees to make them feel as valued as those attending in person.
“Communicating the value of the new roles was needed for stakeholders,” she says.
Both Villar and Cardinale jumped into their community leadership roles with enthusiasm.
Villar, for example, was a teacher’s assistant for a high school theology class where she coordinated each week’s lecture and worked with the student groups to coordinate their presentations. She also wanted to become an interior designer, so her love for people, logistics and design was “the perfect fit for a career in hospitality. It fuels my soul and spirit to work in the industry. It never gets old.”
MPI Marketers and Experience Designers community. Creating truly transformational experiences.
She focused on her professional development by enrolling in the San Diego State University/MPI Master’s in Meeting and Event Management program.
“This community was the perfect fit to apply the leadership skills I’m acquiring,” Villar says.
She also cites her experience in different areas of the industry (hotel, DMC and non-profit) as helping her transition to a leadership role.
Cardinale came from the world of fashion and became passionate about events when she recognized that people wanted to be entertained with ideas that drove experience, engagement and interaction.
“I saw an opportunity to develop Canadian talent and mix and match ideas that my company became known for,” she says. “I wanted to make a difference and did just that by building long-lasting relationships with people on both sides of the fence.”
Cardinale views herself as both an entrepreneur and leader.
“I have always been involved in marketing and design and have applied my knowledge to my own businesses,” she says. “The choice was a natural progression.”
Having volunteered under two other co-chairs, Cardinale “wanted to carry on the work that they had achieved.”
She’s been moved by the impact of the pandemic on the community.
“Our community has become more people-centric in how we engage others and embrace their journey.”
“Our community has become more people-centric in how we engage others and embrace their journey,” Cardinale says. “We invite others to share their experiences so that we can all learn from it. The greatest impact that the pandemic had was on people. No matter what community you are in, the impact has been greater than anything anyone has ever experienced.”
Villar and Cardinale will continue to focus on education initiatives for the community, such as the Virtual Event & Meeting Management (VEMM) program (presented by MPI and the Event Leadership Institute), a course Cardinale believes should be mandatory for every event professional.
Villar says the interaction between in-person and virtual attendees in hybrid events is a skill that will need to be mastered, along with storytelling for virtual events.
Communication, especially via the MyMPI community platform, needs to be strengthened to help the group grow, Cardinale says, which is an initiative underway at MPI.
Cardinale does want the community to have hope.
“I am a determined and driven human being by nature,” she says. “I take on challenges in my life both professionally and personally and have built resilience. This is not the first crisis for me, and it will not be the last. I am educated and share my entrepreneurial spirit with many colleagues within MPI.”
Villar wants to emphasize that you don’t have to be a jack-of-all-trades.
“Focus on your strengths and surround yourself with people that can complement your skills,” she says. “Collaboration is the key to success; sharing your knowledge and expertise is the best legacy you could leave behind.”
Members of the Marketers and Experience Designers community, who create truly transformational experiences, enjoy specialized education designed to help them stay ahead of the curve, meet high client expectations and generate creative, fresh ideas for their clients and organizations.
