DALLAS, Jan. 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has unveiled the programme for its 2014 European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC), which features distinguished presenters from the region and premier education focused on new business development. In addition, MPI has redesigned the EMEC format with the addition of sunset sessions and MarketSquare – a special expanded area for meeting planners and suppliers to network and explore business opportunities.
The upcoming conference will be held February 23-25, 2014, at the Haliç Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey. More than 23 different education sessions and 16 campfire sessions will be offered, covering topics such as leadership, sales, innovation and business performance, Strategic Meetings Management, and more. Following is a sample listing of the sessions scheduled.
- Meeting Design Across Cultures: Does One Size Fit All?
- Transform from EGOtiation to NEGOtiation
- Creating Magic: What Meeting Planners Can Learn from TED and TEDx
- From Paper to Digital: How Meeting Professionals Can Go Paperless Using the iPad and Apps
"Our goal with EMEC 2014 is to leverage the transformational power of meetings to help attendees learn new skills and generate new ideas and business leads," said Pierre Fernandez, senior director of European Operations at MPI. "With our new European team in place, we are working diligently to deliver value to our members in the region at the chapter level and through our redesigned EMEC."
Keynote speakers for EMEC 2014 include Peter Hinssen, the author of The New Normal and a leading thought leader on the impact of technology on society; Christopher Barrat, a business management guru, author and trainer; and Melek Pulatkonak, curator of the Turkish Women's International Network and former member of the Strategic and Emerging Business Team at Microsoft in Istanbul. Scheduled for the opening general session, Hinssen will discuss how companies must transform their business model in order to remain relevant in the today's technology-driven society. Together, Barrat and Pulatkonak will deliver an engaging presentation on networking techniques at the second general session, and immediately afterwards, attendees will have the opportunity to apply the key learnings during a networking luncheon. During the closing general session, two guest speakers will highlight new trends and ideas for the meeting industry.
Also, the MPI Foundation will host Rendezvous on the evening of February 24. The funds raised from this signature event will be invested back in Europe towards grants, scholarships, and pan-industry research – all of which help secure the future success of the meeting and event industry.
EMEC 2014 registration is now open. To learn more about the conference or to register, please visit www.mpiweb.org/emec.
About MPI
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest and most vibrant global meeting and event industry association. The organization helps its members thrive by building human connections through knowledge and ideas, relationships, and marketplaces. MPI membership is comprised of approximately 20,000 members belonging to 71 chapters and clubs worldwide. For additional information or to join, visit www.mpiweb.org.