Meeting Professionals International's Smart Monday Opens IMEX America
October 14, 2012
Meeting Professionals International helped kick things off at last week’s IMEX America in Las Vegas with “Smart Monday”.
Ray Bloom, chairman of the IMEX Group, said that attendees “would not lack for inspiration or a sense of value” during the day-long program.
Nearly 1,000 participants took part in an 8-hour line up of free education sessions, brainstorms and deep dives intended to expand their personal and professional development and effectiveness, according to IMEX officials.
Smart Monday began with a keynote featuring Debra Benton, author of eight books and an acclaimed executive consultant.
Benton challenged attendees to think, act and relate in fresh ways that project not only their own sense of confidence and contribution, but also build a positive feeling in others.
Following the keynote, Smart Monday Host Cindy D’Aoust, COO and interim CEO of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), and her team offered attendees a program of learning and networking including three rounds of hour-long concurrent knowledge sessions.
These sessions were on topics ranging from technology tools, Strategic Meetings Management Programs (SMMP) and social media to the impact of CSR on delegates, the future of meetings and participant driven incentive travel delivered by Site Global.
Included in this was a telling case study session introduced by Kevin Iwamoto of StarCite and featuring Paul Wakelin of IBM. They shared the technology giant’s road to a global, consistent and centralized events framework that allows them to best leverage their meetings and events spend.
Another session, led by Mariela McIlwraith of Meeting Change, Katherine Manfredi of Conference Partners Inc. and John Chen, of Geoteaming, encouraged attendees to get into play-mode by exploring event gamification.
Through this technique, they demonstrated how games encourage risk -taking by meeting delegates and quickly build community and collaboration, as well as boost the education and networking value.
In addition, attendees were free to choose between three, 3-hour Personal Development Deep Dives majoring on assertiveness, leadership skills or tech tools or get involved in a daylong CEM Professional Designation Learning Program provided by IAEE.
During the day, a group of participants also chose to go off site for a few hours and roll up their sleeves with a real-time CSR activity hosted by Clean the World at their Las Vegas Recycling Operations Center.
This unique event allowed participants to learn what happens to discarded hotel soap and bottled amenities and to help with sorting bottles for recycling and creating hygiene kits.
All the amenities will be donated to two local community projects in Las Vegas – The Shade Tree and Opportunity Village as part of IMEX America’s sustainability program.
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact
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