Live events involve many moving parts, and MPI’s European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) is certainly no exception.
Kim Myhre, founder and managing partner of Experience Designed, is the local education lead for the EMEC host committee and has helped to develop the content themes and conference content, identify and recruit speakers and edit conference session descriptions. He spoke to us about the approach for developing EMEC content and some of the important topics that attendees can anticipate.
What approach did you take when determining the direction of EMEC education?
Lots of research and interviews with industry leaders confirmed that, post-COVID, the events business is undergoing a period of change. Trends like the emergence of digitally native audiences, innovative new event technologies and event formats, the increasing importance of purpose, DEI and sustainability and a changing business landscape will require that event professionals learn new skills, apply new event design approaches and a have mindset that embraces change and actively explores opportunities for innovation.
Ready to brighten your world in the hippest city in the world? Learn more about the register for EMEC Brighton, 26-28 March.
What are some important topics that EMEC attendees can expect to learn more about?
Recent news from LinkedIn Corporation is that it is replacing its entire global events marketing team. A spokesperson at the social media giant announced, “The events space has changed so much and broadly speaking, the new team will focus on creating experiences across virtual, hybrid and in-person to bring people together.” While LinkedIn’s approach may seem a bit dramatic, it is another sign of the challenges facing the events world. It’s clear that the “events space” is changing, and that traditional live event approaches will need to be reconsidered.
The benefits of and increasing innovations in live and online experiences will reinvent the traditional event format forever, and emerging technologies will continue to transform and enhance brand experiences in ways that we cannot yet imagine. So rather than long for the past, let’s consider the possibility that if we focus on the future, we have the opportunity to enhance and ultimately transform the events industry.
MPI EMEC Brighton will explore what current trends mean for the future of meetings and events and how event professionals can actively embrace change and create our industry’s future.
It’s clear that the “events space” is changing, and that traditional live event approaches will need to be reconsidered.
Conference sessions will focus on important trends like:
· Emergence of a new generation of digital-native audiences
· A shift in focus from event logistics towards strategy, design and data analytics
· New event technologies like VR/AR/AI and formats like virtual/hybrid/metaverse
· Growing focus on DEI, staff recruitment, training and retention
· Requirements for event sustainability
· Business purpose, leadership and creativity
What are you most excited about as we get closer to the start of EMEC Brighton?
EMEC is always a great opportunity to meet again with colleagues, make new connections, learn something new and have a bit of fun together.
