Yesterday, I received the advance copy of the MPI launch of their new initiative – a focus on Meeting Design. It, along with a supporting case study based on our own collaborative efforts in conjunction with Boston Scientific and the CRV All-employee meetings of 2010-2011, will be introduced to 71 chapters of MPI around the world over the next several months.
On one hand, I feel like the proud mom, to be even a small part of the movement that grew out of the mid-2000s, that I was experimenting with here in Minneapolis in 2007-2008 with some good successes surrounding the Republican National Convention. As I was reading and researching and re-thinking the world of “meetings”, Maarten Vanneste was doing the same thing – “popularizing it in his book, Meeting Architecture, a manifesto (2008)”.
Slowly, the interest and understanding of a new approach to our business grew; the successes happened and were acknowledged in trade press; fortunately for me, a colleague in the industry here in the Twin Cities was also following the transformation and change in thinking and opened the doors to us at Boston Scientific so that we could become the case study that is included in the MPI international launch.
Although I am tempted to use the cliché, “The Rest Is History” – it really is not. It is only the beginning.
I have associations with several professional organizations – two of which seem to be launching the new approach Big Time this year…and that is a good thing. Nevertheless, it will not be an easy transition.
I myself am currently working with a client that daily reminds me of the great task ahead as we move forth to try to modernize our own industry. I have been working with this “Event Team” for 6 weeks now; and long ago lost count of the number of times I have been challenged by two members of this mini-steering committee (who in their professional lives handle meeting logistics for their own organizations). I have no doubt they are passionate people; that they are passionate about logistics; and they are passionate about being right and doing it their way. They are not so passionate about collaborative thinking, however – which is, indeed, the very key to the successful transition into the new world before us.
That first step –the Principle of Collaboration is an elusive one for many people. MPI describes it and its importance well:
“Tap into the collective intelligence of the group to better understand its needs, generate new ideas, determine best solutions and put plans into action….the wisdom of the crowd is an invaluable resource. Inherent in every meeting, is the opportunity for change, progress and innovation.”
And so, as I proudly read the final version of the MPI Meeting Design initiative, and the final version of the accompanying case study, and forwarded it to the rest of the team, I was quickly brought back to reality.
Yesterday was a baby-step forward. The rollout in MPI Chapters internationally will be baby-steps; the fight for successes in this new world will be baby step after baby step. The work is not done in modernizing our industry and pulling it – screaming in protest- into the 21st century.
PCMA is doing a great job in moving forward leading the industry as they have done with forward thinking since their first publication of the book “Professional Meeting Management” in the 1980s that led to the CMP certification process. (And yes, I am as proud to say that I was one of first five CMPs in Minnesota, as I am to say, I am proud to be one of the 5 founders of the ISES chapter in Minnesota, and proud to be working with MPI to launch the Meeting Design approach all these many years later).
MPI has now made the initial move; I think ISES is trying to do the same with their new educational approach. But none of us have learned to walk yet, let alone RUN with these new ideas. With time, we will get better – just as over time, we got better with the logistical end of our business.
In the meantime, I am comforted to read in the new initiative:
“Meeting design challenges the status quo. It represents a paradigm shift-a profound change in the fundamental meeting model that sees every meeting as a nail for the proverbial hammer of logistics. Logistics is building a house; meeting design is making that house a home….meeting participants needs are evolving beyond satisfying their basic needs for food, shelter, safety, proximity to others and exposure to others.”
Basic needs: food, shelter, safety, proximity to others and exposure to others. Taken out of context, that conjures up man’s move out of the cave and exploration of the world around him, doesn’t it? Those that were afraid to leave the cave and explore for new opportunities died. And that’s what makes this exciting!
“Attendees want innovative, unique experiences that challenge their senses, their expectations, their knowledge and their ideas. Fulfilling on that is the ultimate value of meeting design.”
created by CEK 