MPI Delivers First of Its Kind Hybrid Event, with 100% Live WEC Digital Experience
Designed solely for the digital space, the WEC Grapevine Digital Experience takes place November 3-6
DALLAS, TEXAS, October 20, 2020: Meeting Professionals International (MPI) often says they “take risks so you don’t have to” when it comes to designing and delivering their annual signature event, World Education Congress (WEC). When it comes to their in-person experience at WEC Grapevine, onsite Duty of Care will take no risks, but the associations live hybrid format, including a fully digital delivery, will include significant risk offering a 100% live experience, void of any pre-recorded content.
MPI is seeking to deliver the first ever meeting and event industry event that will hold a 100% live experience, planned and designed exclusively for both its in-person and digital audiences. Online conference goers have become accustomed to pre-recorded, canned or limited engagement education and networking, but the WEC Grapevine Digital Experience will provide the exact opposite.
Designed in parallel to the in-person event, the Digital Experience will feature a devoted agenda, exclusive concurrent education, live keynote sessions with exclusive post-event interviews, live midday broadcast updates from the ALHI Studios, musical interludes including entertainment by Mark Shulman, former drummer for PINK, morning Zumba® workouts, a Digital networking and career center and much more.
“This is the future of events,” said Jessie States, Director of the MPI Academy and among the architects of the Digital Experience. “The days of one-way virtual engagement are going to be in the rearview mirror soon, making it critical that we showcase how this can be done and involve our digital attendees to be the first beneficiaries of this incredible format.”
The WEC Grapevine Digital Experience design sessions were focused on ensuring that both the in-person and digital format complemented one another. This includes keynote sessions structured like a late-night talk show, where host and Emcee Dena Blizzard works the speakers and in-person audience, while digital attendees can engage online. And, providing up to 18 CEU for attendees, digital attendees have choices when it comes to concurrent education, with topics that are immediately relevant and actionable.
“When Freeman and MPI began collaborating on the Digital Experience, we all felt it was critical to design for the digital environment and create a format that was engaging, familiar and 100% live,” said Mike Silvestro, Vice President of Client Solutions at Freeman. “There are inherent risks associated with having two live events going on at the exact same time, but we all wanted to be the first ones to take the leap and do this for our community.”
WEC Grapevine takes place live November 3-4, 2020 from the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas.
For more information, visit mpi.org/wec. If interested in attending on a media pass, either in-person or digitally, please contact communications@mpi.org
MPI Media Contact: Christa Schelter, communications@mpi.org
About MPI
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including nearly 13,000 engaged members. It has It has nearly 70 chapters, clubs and members in more than 75 countries worldwide. "When we meet, we change the world." www.mpi.org