by Samantha Marie

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit uneasy at the thought of flying on a plane to Texas on election day, but I was determined to learn as much as I could throughout the experience.

I was nothing less than impressed by the extensive detail given to ensure the safety and heath of all attendees, while providing an exceptional educational and enjoyable experience. Each morning you were to submit a questionnaire on your health and have your temperature checked prior to entry. In each room where activities were held for education or food & beverage services, there was a max of 4 people to a banquet round, with plenty of spacing between tables. Masks of course were required during the full duration of the event, whether in the conference center or Rendezvous, except when actively eating or drinking and there was full compliance. You really got the sense that all those in attendance – approximately 650 live attendees & 1,100 virtual – were there to support and contribute to the recovery and growth of our industry.

 Food stations were a great implementation with items being able to be served separately, or to go bags & boxes for smaller meals throughout the day. There were fun activities such as paintings to be given to adult assistance homes, and painting pottery to also be donated that was supplied by Caesars Entertainment. Professional headshots and 1 on 1 career coaching were also available to all, as has been in previous WECs. Dena Blizzard did another awesome job as MC during keynote sessions and the event app worked great! A minor detail but how often does an event app not stand up to your expectations? At one point there was a false fire alarm that went off, but I made the joke that the event was going too smoothly that something had to happen!

I am so grateful for the chance to experience WEC firsthand to see how a live event can be held safely during the time of COVID19. I was able to obtain ideas on how to hold events as we progress through the pandemic and our industry’s recovery. It left me with inspiration not just for my career and the work that lies ahead of us but strengthened my confidence to be able to navigate such a difficult time on a personal level. I am thankful for MPI not just for this experience, but for giving myself and so many others a community where we can learn and build each other up.

Looking forward to World Education Congress LIVE in Las vegas June 2021!