Well, I did it! I’ve been waiting for this moment for more than three months. I took my first flight since hunkering down in mid-March because of COVID-19. For someone used to traveling constantly, I was getting very antsy being homebound, so it was a welcome change to be back “on the road.” Back in the air. Back to Dallas. Back to huddle with Team MPI. Back to interacting, planning, strategizing and just plain catching up in person with friends and colleagues.
Like most of you, during quarantine I settled into a daily drill of working remote, communicating through videoconference and doing my best to stay connected to the “external” world. But despite my best efforts and the latest technology, something was missing: social interaction—good, old fashioned, personal connections. These past months have confirmed for me a truth that I have always believed: We work better when we interact face to face.
These past months have confirmed for me a truth that I have always believed: We work better when we interact face to face.
In-person collaboration quickly translates into a clearer comprehension of issues, opinions, innovation and, ultimately, the opportunity to move forward. Working together accelerates change. While we may have adapted and learned to operate efficiently in isolation, we are exponentially more productive when engaging in person. And we are exponentially more impactful when we collaborate with others to communicate, innovate and drive change forward. Working together, we always make a bigger difference.
For weeks now, we have all been proclaiming the sentiment that there is no place in this world for racism, intolerance and hate. We yelled that we must and can do better—as individuals, as organizations, as a society. At MPI, we’re committed to proactively harnessing the breadth and influence of the MPI community to act and drive meaningful change in our community. Meeting Professionals International has always stood for inclusion. More than 20 years ago, we created the MPI Principles of Professionalism focused on “respecting diversity”—embracing and fostering an inclusive business climate of respect for all people. But, we can and we must do more.
Resources for Equality and Justice: Furthering the Advancement of All Peoples
Now, more than ever, we stand with the Black leaders of our industry who penned an open letter to our industry; we stand with MPI’s volunteers and leaders who have passionately given their time to MPI’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee to raise awareness and lead change; and we stand with our entire community in leading change.
Working together, our industry can and will be a powerful force for change. We have demonstrated our positive impact as we have attacked the horrors of human trafficking, focused on the duty of care of attendees, celebrated the diversity of the LGBTQ community and lobbied governments to provide economic stimulus legislation to accelerate the recovery from COVID-19. And working together we can make a difference in ending racial injustice and the discriminatory treatment of all humans.
We’re committed to proactively harnessing the breadth and influence of the MPI community to act and drive meaningful change in our community.
Our amazing industry reflects the diverse interests of countless associations, corporations and organizations. And while we can all try and speak louder than each other to get our issues addressed, real success and real change will come with collaboration. There is strength in a UNITED effort. It’s not always easy and it can get frustrating. But, as a community of meeting professionals, let us harness the power of this moment to drive real and meaningful change. Let’s harness the power and influence of the live events industry to lead that change.
Let’s not allow this moment of outrage, shock and grief to fade; instead, let us band together to harness it and drive positive change. We say, “When We Meet, We Change the World”—arm in arm, face to face and heart to heart.
Stay well!
Paul Van Deventer
MPI President and CEO
pvandeventer@mpi.org
Follow me on Twitter @MPICEOPaul
