Spring is in the air in the Northern Hemisphere as glimmers of hope shine brighter each day. We’re increasingly seeing destinations and businesses reopen (Nevada is slated to completely reopen by June 1) and vaccination programs are accelerating in many countries—with the U.S. recently passing the milestone of more than 50 percent of adults having received a shot. While the worldwide pandemic isn’t over—indeed, many countries are experiencing new waves of COVID-19 and some have even reinstituted lockdowns—the global business events community and your association have adapted to ensure that we can gather as safely as possible, with an increased focus on duty of care. The hope of yesterday is becoming the reality of today.
Like many frequent fliers, I feel a small sense of pride in a passport full of varied stamps—a souvenir of a life well-traveled and special memories created. While that document may be much-loved by avid travelers, a different type of passport—the so-called “health passport”—is now a hotly debated topic in our industry. Addressing challenges such as vaccine passports is not a simple task, but the flexibility and ingenuity of meeting professionals is enabling the inherent desire and need of humans to meet face-to-face to continue.
WEC Grapevine. Documentary highlights successful duty of care.
Although you will not see a vaccination or health certificate required to attend the World Education Congress (WEC) Vegas, rest assured, your well-being remains paramount and the overall safety and wellness of in-person attendees will be at the forefront of all of our planning.
That focus on duty of care was exemplified last November—a time when many questioned whether in-person meetings could take place without becoming super-spreader events—at WEC Grapevine, where we safely welcomed more than 600 participants onsite (no reported cases of COVID linked to the event) and more than 1,100 online through the live WEC Digital Experience.
And that same duty of care and attentiveness to participant safety is at the heart of WEC Vegas, June 15-17 at CAESARS FORUM. For those unable or unwilling to travel to the event, we will also, once again, be presenting a unique Digital Experience to ensure that our community all over the world can benefit from the education and valuable opportunity to spend time with peers. (Additionally, the European Meetings & Events Conference, June 15, will be completely online this year.) WEC will once again include daily health screenings and onsite medical staff, so that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms can be taken care of and any potential viral spread can be mitigated.
Join us at WEC Vegas to make your future, network and socialize once again with your friends and colleagues, and see the thriving meeting and event community in action—safely.
Paul Van Deventer
MPI President and CEO
pvandeventer@mpi.org
Follow me on Twitter @MPICEOPaul
