In response to the recession, Dallas-based Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has introduced two new educational programs designed to stimulate economic recovery in the meetings and events industry while also revolutionizing it.

Both taking place online, the two programs—No Turning Back: A Revolution in the Meetings Industry and The MPI Meetings Matter Webinar Series—are being offered free of charge to MPI members as well as other interested industry participants.

"In these tough times it is imperative that the strategic business value of meetings and events be understood as part of an organization's economic recovery plan, and these programs are a great step in the right direction," MPI President and CEO Bruce MacMillan said in a statement. "We are arming our industry with the education, skills and tools they need to transcend the turmoil and lead the resurgence."

MPI's first new program, No Turning Back: A Revolution in the Meetings Industry, is a three-part series explaining the four key elements of strategic value for meetings and events: portfolio management, meeting design, measurement and advanced logistics. Part one of the series will be an April 21 webinar based on a whitepaper—The Case for Meetings—written by Mary Boone of Boone Associates. Part two, meanwhile, will be a half-day, in-person workshop at MPI's World Education Congress July 11-14 in Salt Lake City. Finally, part three will be a wrap-up webinar on Aug. 26.

MPI's second new program, The MPI Meetings Matter Webinar Series, is an eight-part sequence that will be held once weekly beginning this month and running through June. What MPI is calling its "largest, most comprehensive, content focused webinar series," the sequence will cover the following topics addressing current industry challenges:

• Telling Our Story: Economic Impact Data and the Attack on Meetings
• Layoffs, Cutbacks and Closing Down: What Are You Doing to Make a Difference?
• Don't Let TARP Cover You Up – Surviving Tough Economic Times
• Your Role in Corporate Strategy: Integrating & Aligning Event Goals
• Managing Transitions
• You Can Do This! Turning Lemons into Lemonade
• Survival Strategies for Suppliers
• Show Me the Money (or, Show Me the Value): Enhancing and Communicating the Value of Your Meetings

To learn more about MPI's new programs, or to register, visit www.mpiweb.org. This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy