Staff and volunteers for the 15th annual Meetings Industry Council’s Educational Conference and Trade Show promised they were going to shake things up with format and offerings, and I am happy to report that they delivered! I’ve attended several MIC Conferences in my 10 years as editor, since the magazine is one of the sponsors, and this one was my favorite. Held on March 18 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, here are a few highlights from a gathering that attracted a record 1,150 attendees.
1. Mixed-Use Space – I was curious how it would work to have the trade show and general sessions all in one room. How would it all fit? Would people pay attention? The mixed types of seating from theatre-style and rounds to a bit of lounge furniture courtesy of a booth facing the stage provided a nice variety.
2. On-Target Keynotes – People did pay attention because of two great keynotes, Steve Spangler and Mark Scharenbroich. I loved Spangler’s message, on-stage antics and hands-on science experiments for the audience, and Scharenbroich’s “Fat Bike” focus regarding making connections with and validating others has stuck with me and prompted me to buy his book with the same name to read more and share it with others.
3. Walking Lunch – I’m probably not the only one who finds conference luncheons that have the typical format a little boring. Also, it can be a challenge to get attendees through a trade show. What happens when you combine the two? Since it was all set up in the same room, organizers and Centerplate strategically placed food stations throughout the trade show so people could eat and visit booths. There were a couple big lines in front of the mini tacos and Chinese food stations but that’s okay as people used the time to network. If you didn’t want to stand in line there was immediate access to gourmet sandwiches. My favorite station? The mini desserts of course, with a wonderful bread pudding prepared on-site and the rest already plated and looking delicious.
4. Expanded First Day – For the first time, there was a session “Continuing the Conversation 2.0 – State of the Industry and Top Trends” just for planners on March 17 before an opening reception for speakers, planners, exhibitors and sponsors. The reception Embassy Suites Denver – Downtown/Convention Center was expanded to include more people and there were various rooms to move in and out of to try different foods and experience a variety of entertainment. The food stations and passed appetizers were terrific.
5. Nice Extras – Having a couple extras provided by booth sponsors, such as chair massages and top-notch caricature artist, were fun. Both were a nice treat and a break from the crowd.
We’ll be writing an event profile about the revamped conference and how it worked in our Fall 2015 issue. Let me know your thoughts about the new format by emailing beth.buehler@tigeroak.com.
