This month, we’re chatting with several MPI chapter presidents about important trends they have their eye on and why they’re optimistic about the meeting and event industry in 2023. Today, we hear from Heather Brown of the Chicago Area Chapter and Wentworth Willock of the Toronto Chapter.
All these interviews and much more can be found in “Trends of 2023,” an eBook created by MPI and Meetings today. Download your free copy now.
Heather Brown, CMP, DMCP
Regional Vice President, Chicago and Southeast, PRA Business Events
President, MPI Chicago Area Chapter President
Tell us about a meeting and event trend you’ll be closely watching in 2023.
It appears that short-term planning cycles will continue into 2023 and we need be ready for anything. There has also been a lot of conversation around “throwback” ideas and engagements that take us back to a simpler time. Think experiential activations with a heavy emphasis on nostalgia, but with modern twists and turns. Nostalgia feels comforting and I think we could all use some comfort this year.
What are you most optimistic about as a new year in meetings and events gets under way?
While many are fearful of a looming recession and certain corporate sectors are showing signs of one, the hospitality industry is having a profound positive impact on the economy. We learned over the pandemic that we gain so much by face-to-face encounters. We need to meet in person and so much is lost when we don’t. I am optimistic that the value of our industry will continue to be acknowledged at a deeper level and hopeful that we will keep on pushing forward with live meetings and events. It would be economically disastrous for both our industry, and the world, if we have to experience another “pause.”
What have you learned over the past three years that has made you a better meeting professional?
This industry has always kept me on my toes, which is one of the reasons I love it, but the past three years have taught me to really embrace change. Learn more, actually learn everything, and adaptation isn’t always the right answer. Sometimes it’s about transformation and really getting on board with doing things completely different. I have also learned that finding a healthy work/life balance in this current environment is achievable through transparency and breaking out of the work silo. Find your “out of office” support buddy and have proactive conversations with clients and colleagues about time off. Those two simple actions have made a big difference for me.
Wentworth Willock
Vice President of Strategic Accounts & Venue Partnerships, Stagevision Inc.
President, MPI Toronto Chapter
Tell us about a meeting and event trend you’ll be closely watching in 2023.
· Booking pace, size and scope of events.
· Booking trends: Are tier-two cities and alternative venues becoming more prevalent?
· Peak months vs non-peak. Hoping for more balance.
· In-person vs virtual vs hybrid. Are we going back to an in person for everything? Will hybrid last?
What are you most optimistic about as a new year in meetings and events gets under way?
· Better alignment with supplier partners to service customers better.
· Less seasonality of the business.
What have you learned over the past three years that has made you a better meeting professional?
· How to do virtual and hybrid events more effectively.
· To be more selective in the pieces of business we take on. We are so busy that we always have to turn something away in the peak periods. Let’s ensure that we are turning away the least profitable ones that typically cause the biggest headaches.
