Practice: Networking Events & Organizations

This weeks practice activity was to help us build our connections with the industry we will be heading into after graduation. We were to find conferences and professional organizations that cater to our industry. Researching conferences and professional organizations we can join, helps us make connections with professionals that can help us reach and further our career goals.

Conferences for the meeting and events industry professional:

IMEX America (October 18-20, Sands Expo, Las Vegas, NV)

Website: http://www.imexamerica.com/

IMEX offers education programs, partner with dozens of event planning organizations, forums for professionals and students, and tons of networking opportunities. This conference would help me with my professional persuits by providing the forum for students and its offering of education based meetings.

Experiential Marketing Summit 2016 (May 4-6, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO)

Website: http://emsummit.eventmarketer.com/

With over 1,500 marketers from around the world, EMS provides insight into the latest trends and best practices to keep on top of the changes within the events industry. Learn from top companies marketing planners from Pepsi, American Express, Cisco, Bacardi, Intel, Google, and more. The conference immerses you into master classes, workshops, and meets and greets over a three-day period.

This conference would help me within the events and meetings industry by preparing me for the current trends. This entire conference is education based, which is exactly what I would need as someone just getting into the industry.

Organization for the events and meetings industry:

Local: Meeting Professionals International (MPI) - Washington State Chapter

Website: http://www.mpiwsc.org/

Mission/Vision: MPI’s mission is to provide industry professionals with the tools they need to network, communicate, negotiate, discover new technologies, become informed of industry trends, and gain knowledge and opportunities.

Benefits: The MPI has 300 members in the Washington State Chapter. This is the largest industry organization in the Pacific Northwest. MPI offers education, growth opportunities, and business development.

National: Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).

Website: http://www.pcma.org/about-pcma#.Vw56DDYrKfU

Mission/Vision: PCMA is a leading organization for meeting and event professionals. Their mission is to “deliver superior and innovative education and promote the value of professional management.”

Benefits: PCMA provides education, business networking, and community engagement for global meetings, conventions and business events. They have over 6,500 members and 50,000 customers.