IACC was given a significant platform to take the very first Meeting Room of the Future Live! Into the heart of MPI’s World Education Congress in Toronto this month.
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MPI WEC 2019 attracted record numbers of meeting planners from around the globe and over three days, IACC’s showcase of learning and demonstrations saw over 500 delegates participate in the sessions IACC and partners PSAV, All Seated, Slido and Events Industry Council stage.
On day one, attendees participated in debates around venue design, with guest speakers Alan Booth, Deloitte University, Gail McCleese of Gensler and Ellen Sinclair of Benchmark, a Global Hospitality Company. Designing venues for a digital future and turning conference planners into experience creators were just two outcomes from this lively session.
During each session over the three days IACC’s volunteer group of chefs, Felix Maietta (Sodexo), Partrick Berwald (Benchmark), Murray Hall (Dolce) and Kyle McClure (Vantage), created a break station using ingredients you may see more of in meetings in the future as well as delivering panel sessions on subjects like how to design more inclusive menus for your meetings.
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Watch Catherine Lapoint (TSAE) share what she learned about sustainability in menu planning
The IACC showcase was supported by IACC member volunteers Mehdi Ahmadi (Sodexo), Nancy Lindemer (Rizzo) and Susan Liston (Aramark). IACC thanks all of the members who came together to help stage this incredible showcase at MPI WEC.
IACC Partner All Seated gave hands on demonstrations on the power of VR in determining venues suitability for events. Delegates learned how they could use this powerful technology to source venues and reduce their carbon footprint by cutting down on travel.
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The worlds meetings industry media were at WEC in force and Mark Cooper, IACC’s CEO shared the latest trends from the 2019 Meeting Room of the Future research through interviews, podcast sessions and Facebook Live with a number of publications keen to see what trends are developing and what planners and venues need to consider in the development of their events.
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Watch Mark Cooper and Daniella Middleton share the key highlights of the 2019 IACC Meeting Room of the Future Report
PSAV designed the technology for the showcase and delivered a floorless display of what can be achieved with good planning and execution. David Solsbery, VP at Hargrove (part of PSAV), delivered an insightful session on experiential design.
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| David Solsbery, Hargrove | Standing room only at every session for those wanting to experience IACC’s Meeting Room of the Future Showcase. |
Mike Van Der Vjver of MindMeeting worked with IACC from the design stage, developing the showcase physically and immersivity in terms of how attendees should feel when attending. Mike works with each of the presenters and guest speakers to develop sessions which were engaging with the audience, all of whom, were no more that 6 feet from their presenters!
Mark Cooper, IACC’s CEO is certain that those who attended WEC will have developed further their appreciation for IACC as both the thought-leader in the industry and also as a collection of venues around the world that they can trust to deliver exceptional meeting experiences. Mark further commented “This project was 18 months in the design and delivery and required a number of partners to step forward with conviction. I cannot thank all those who did step up to the plate, both financially and through donating equipment, resource and expertise. On behalf of everyone, I was proud of what we achieved and the impact we had on the event.
There are many interviews and recordings from IACC’s week in Toronto, which are all available to watch on IACC’s YouTube channel.
We would like to thank the MPI Foundation for supporting our work through the Meeting Room of the Future Showcase project awarded by the Global Board of Trustees. The MPI Foundation is a non-profit organisation that fuels the advancement of MPI members by providing them professional development and career opportunities through grants and scholarships. The MPI Foundation also propels the meeting and event industry forward by funding innovative research and pan-industry initiatives that support the strategic plan of MPI. Please see mpiweb.org for additional information.
