Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the Dallas-based association for global meetings and events professionals, has announced its 2009 conference dates and locations, which include event conferences throughout the year in North America, Europe, the Middle East and—for the first time ever—Asia.
"2009 will be another inspiring and elevating year for MPI members with events in Atlanta, Torino, Abu Dhabi, Salt Lake City and a new location in Asia," MPI President and CEO Bruce MacMillan, CA, said in a statement.
MPI, which prides itself on its international scope, no doubt selected its meeting locations in order to demonstrate its truly diverse global reach. Its 2009 conferences will include:
• MeetDifferent: Held Feb. 7-10 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, MeetDifferent 2009—formerly the Professional Education Conference - North America—will focus on innovative meeting design, alternative learning strategies and emergent technologies.
• European Meetings and Events Conference: Held March 1-3 in Torino, Italy, the 2009 European Meetings and Events Conference will be geared toward European meeting planners and suppliers and will focus largely on environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
• Gulf Meetings and Events Conference: Held March 28-29 in the emirate Abu Dhabi, the 2009 Gulf Meetings and Events Conference will focus on educational, business and networking opportunities for meetings professionals in and around the Gulf region. It will precede the Gulf Incentive Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition as part of Gulf Meetings Week in Abu Dhabi.
• World Education Congress: Scheduled for July 11-14 in Salt Lake City, MPI's 2009 World Education Congress (WEC) promises to be MPI's largest meetings and events conference ever, drawing industry professionals from around the world for four days of industry education and networking.
• Asian Meetings and Events Conference: Held in Singapore in conjunction with ITB Asia Oct. 24-25, the Asian Meetings and Events Conference will be MPI's first conference in Asia.
For more information about MPI events, or to register for them, visit
www.mpiweb.org.