The MPI Foundation has launched Project Europe designed to expand education opportunities for…
The MPI Foundation has launched Project Europe designed to expand education opportunities for meeting professionals and students, encourage standardisation of meeting industry practices, and promote the value of meetings within Europe.
IMEX has partnered with the MPI Foundation as the lead sponsor of Project Europe, and will help advance the European meeting industry with joint marketing initiatives, research and more.
Says Ray Bloom, IMEX Chairman, We are thrilled to be working so closely with MPI in Europe and worldwide. The MPI Foundation shares common objectives with IMEX and by working together we hope to make lasting and beneficial changes towards the future of our industry.
Thanks to a major sponsorship agreement from MPI European Partner IMEX, we will see one of the MPI Foundation`s most significant campaigns for Europe move nearer to completion, said David DuBois, CMP, CAE, executive vice president of the MPI Foundation. By launching Project Europe, we are strengthening the global meeting profession and promoting the strategic value meetings can bring to all organizations.
Other elements of Project Europe include:
- The development of student scholarships
- Advancement of the Certification of Meeting Management (CMM) and Certification of Meeting Professional (CMP) programs across Europe
- Identification and development of a meetings` industry speaker database/resource
- Development of education modules/train-the-trainer program to enhance educational offerings for MPI European chapters
- Expansion of the current European Standards program … to include VAT, licensing and insurance issues
Additionally, IMEX`s sponsorship will support the launch of MPI`s Women`s Leadership Initiative`s (WLI) growth in Europe; a project which is closely aligned to IMEX`s own `New Vision` initiative, launched at the inaugural show in Frankfurt this year. The WLI will conduct market research on challenges faced by European women wanting to advance their careers as meeting professionals. Results will be presented at IMEX 2004 in Frankfurt.
The Women`s Leadership Initiative was established in 2001 to recognize, uphold and further the advancement of the professional women who comprise 76 percent of the membership of MPI, as well as the majority of the meeting, hospitality and travel industries. The WLI is the premier resource of research, education, mentoring and networking for and about women who aspire to lead in the meeting industry.
MPI`s membership in Europe has already increased from 100 in 1991 to over 1,200 at present. It recently chartered its 61st chapter – MPI France – and maintains a headquarters office in Luxembourg.
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