“Our events community is an ecosystem of partnerships—meeting professionals, hotel partners, DMCs, DMOs, etc.,” says Amanda Armstrong, senior vice president of brand and community engagement for Encore.
One of Encore’s longtime partners is MPI. The Encore team played a pivotal role in the success of MPI’s recent European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) in Brighton, U.K., and also has big plans for next month’s World Education Congress (WEC) in the Mexican Caribbean.
“Events such as EMEC and WEC are really powerful connection points for collaboration and learning,” Armstrong says. “We believe in the power of connecting and leaning into our relationships to build better events and deliver stronger outcomes for the business world. We partner with organizations that align with our values. MPI believes that ‘when we meet, we change the world.’ We agree. Now let’s go do it together.”
Powerful partnership in Brighton
Tanya Philyaw, CMP, senior meeting planner for MPI, says Encore’s commitment to the plenary and breakout sessions was instrumental to the success of EMEC Brighton.
“We were a team of 10 people onsite and Encore matched us step-for-step in each room making sure that everything ran smoothly,” she says. “The professionalism of Encore’s staff is unmatched.”
Philyaw says the success of EMEC Brighton would not have been possible without Oliver W. Friend, technical events manager for the Hilton Brighton Metropole (the host venue) and Encore’s team lead—whose extraordinary efforts were also recognized by Encore via the CenterStage program.
“We love to celebrate our people!” Armstrong says. “Our people power events that transform, and we want to recognize and celebrate their creativity and most importantly their dedication to delivering service excellence.”
Friend says that having the efforts of the Encore team recognized by senior Encore leaders in the EMEA and the U.S. makes him so proud of the event that was delivered.
“The fact the team is recognized in this way makes us feel valued as team members and pushes us forward and makes us strive to continue developing and providing our clients with world-class service,” he says.
Friend says his goal with an event like EMEC is for guests to leave with memories of something that was more than an ordinary event.
“Events such as EMEC and WEC are really powerful connection points for collaboration and learning.”
“When we work with our clients on events, we go on a journey together listening to the needs and visions of the event organizers and making collaborative decisions along from the initial planning meetings to the event itself,” he says. “Our goal is to increase engagement and inspire the delegates.”
Friend believes the main set is always the centerpiece of any conference, and he was particularly proud of what his team delivered at EMEC Brighton.
“There was a real WOW factor when guests entered the room,” he says. “The dynamic lighting gave life to the stage and matched the colors of the event branding. Although I project managed the event, there was a huge support team: our Uxbridge Warehouse, the Encore Scenic Team, the Encore Print Department—too many to mention. I think more than anything it is the people I have the honor of working with that has made me most proud.”
Next stop: WEC Mexican Caribbean
Armstrong says the challenge at any event is to earn the attendees’ attendance and their attention, which makes innovation key.
“We have adopted an internal mantra of ‘show me, don’t tell me,’ as experience is a key driver for engagement,” she says. “Our evolution has centered around designing immersive, captivating experiences that build connections to our customers and showcase innovative ideas that inspire. At WEC, we are creating a dynamic space that engages your senses and promotes the sharing of ideas and experiences. I am really proud of what our team has created.”
Armstrong says she is excited to see the Encore Mexico team and industry friends from around the world at WEC and is also looking forward to educational sessions that include three Encore subject matter experts: Darius Vaskelis, chief technology officer, discussing meeting fatigue vs engagement, and a discussion about belonging led by Encore’s new DEI leader, Toni Williams, and Christine Kiesling, who leads Encore’s Event Strategy practice.
“Both will challenge the audience to think differently about how they’re engaging their audiences and offer practical and easy-to-implement insights. You won’t want to miss those!” Armstrong says. “And if you are not attending WEC, we have you covered. Join us each day of the show for our live broadcast, ‘The Breakdown: Real Issue. Real Talk. Real Planners.’ with Courtney Stanley. You can register and tune in from our LinkedIn page to hear from your peers on hot industry topics.”
