My 7th MPI WEC Experience: Lessons, Laughs, and Learning in St. Louis

I just wrapped up my 7th World Education Congress by Meeting Professionals International—my first time in St. Louis, Missouri—and it reconfirmed its place as one of my favorite conferences to attend every year. As a lover of our events industry and admittedly obsessed with learning (okay, committedly obsessed!), I get genuinely excited scanning the sessions and planning my schedule each year.

This year, with some transitional direction in my career, I focused more on marketing, branding, and AI topics, with some DEIA and communication sessions thrown in for good measure. Of course, I can't forget about all those wonderful networking receptions—meeting new people, sharing ideas, and catching up with peers who have grown to become genuine friends.

Getting There: The 5 AM Struggle is Real
Flying from the San Francisco Bay Area to St. Louis with a 5 AM alarm was pretty painful (if you know me at all, you know I'm not a morning person). But I was thankful to arrive the day prior to the start of the three-day congress. Landing at STL, I was greeted with the welcoming WEC branding at the host airport, as usual.
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Pro tip from someone who's learned the hard way: I've arrived on the day of kickoff a couple of times, and it makes for a very tired and jet-lagged experience that I never seem to recover from. Arriving at my hotel—Embassy Suites downtown—shortly after 4 PM worked perfectly, giving me time to grab something to eat and settle in for the evening, waking up fresh-faced and ready to go!

Day 1: Stadium Lights and Learning Curves
Day 1 kicked off with registration and meetups as we eased into educational programming. I sat in on sessions covering current and upcoming trends in meetings and events, what planners are looking for in venues and event design, sustainability, food and beverage options, and checked out the trade show to get the lay of the land.

The opening reception took us to Busch Stadium with a fun welcome featuring cheerleaders and dancers that paved the way to our entrance. Unfortunately—and ironically after sitting through sessions about what planners and attendees are looking for, particularly regarding food and beverage and healthier options—there wasn't much I could eat without getting sick.

If you didn't eat red meat or gluten, I'm sure you would have starved. Fried, processed meat foods were everywhere with nary a vegetable in sight. I broke my fast with a large scoop of guacamole before attempting to partake in foods that don't agree with me (like meatballs and a hot dog), and subsequently felt like a rock was in my stomach fairly quickly.

Note to event planners everywhere: This was a perfect example of not knowing your audience. I met someone who also couldn't eat dairy or tomatoes, and I couldn't estimate how many vegetarians were present who couldn't eat much either, or my fellow gluten-free friends who have a much more difficult time processing gluten—if they're even allowed to have it touch anything else. Hopefully, enough people gave feedback on the lack of food options so mistakes like this won't happen in the future.
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That said, it was enjoyable to be on the field, see some fireworks, and experience a live performance by Digital Underground—I've been a fan since I was a kid—with Shock G's son performing to carry on his father's torch. The warm rain came pouring down just as we were making our way to the shuttles back to our hotels. Thankfully, I grabbed my WEC jersey to put over my head while waiting for the shuttle drivers to open the doors. A post-reception snack was definitely in order, where I was able to grab a very yummy sandwich with actual non-processed food, and topped off my night with a rosé with a good friend and peer.

Day 2: Education Reigns Supreme
Day 2 was all about education. While many of my sessions focused on marketing and branding with a bit of AI, I was able to sit in on a particularly impactful session: "When DEIA is a 4-Letter Word & Why Belonging Still Matters."

With everything going on in our current political climate, it was refreshing to hear how our industry is still keeping focus on the important matters of inclusion and diversity. As long as there are people, there will be diversity. We are all not the same, and celebrating our differences while including everyone not only makes us unique but makes us stronger companies and creates more innovative events. And if common sense and decency doesn't convince you—DEI is good for your ROI. Let's chat about ways you can celebrate and get creative with DEI in your work or events!

I also had a one-on-one chat with the fabulous career strategist and executive coach, Vimari Roman. Vimari and I originally met at MPI's WEC in 2020—yes, pandemic WEC, where the usual June conference moved to November and was held in Grapevine, Texas (it also happened to be held over election day—fun times, but that's a story for another day). Vimari has given me great support and advice over the years, and I love recommending her to others looking for new or clearer direction in their careers. You can reach out to her on LinkedIn, or I'll be happy to share the inside scoop on a special promo she's having for a limited time if you message me quickly enough. 😉

One of my favorite sessions was on branding and social media with Tisha Holman that afternoon. I enjoyed her talk and content so much I picked up her book "The Social Media Makeover" and am looking forward to diving into it! Whether we do marketing as part of our job description, own our own business, or are just looking to advance in our industries, having a personal brand and clarifying what that is—and who your target market is—will take you far!

After Tisha's session, I joined one of the biggest thought leaders currently in meetings and events, Eric Rozenberg of Event Business Formula. He gave great reminders on how to manage our time efficiently and what our focus should be—not to get lost in the minutia. I jotted down notes to design my ideal week and to start listening to his podcast of the same name.
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This day is usually reserved for a variety of receptions including the President's dinner and the MPI Foundation's Rendezvous, and this year was no exception. I began my evening walking a couple of blocks to the DEI/Pride reception, passed by the Southwest Pacific reception with a bunch of my Northern California Chapter comrades, and headed to the Destination California reception at a pseudo-rooftop sky lounge before dinner with See Monterey at Ruth's Chris just outside of the St. Louis Arch—which made for a great photo opportunity before settling in for our long evening. Needless to say, three hours later I was ready for bed and ready for our final day.

Day 3: Storytelling, Leadership, and Learning to Say No
Leanne Calderwood, another great industry thought leader best known for her LinkedIn strategies, held two sessions I was able to join: one on Storytelling (because how do you create a memorable brand story or catch your audience's attention—even if it's an audience of one?) and another on Thought Leadership. Knowing your strengths is key to developing the type of leader you want to be!

Ironically, one session I thought was going to be perfect for me turned out not to be. There's so much great education at WEC, it's hard to pick just one when three great options overlap. I switched one of my picks to a topic on how to say "no" more often... Having not too long ago served on three boards of directors in different industry associations while being an active volunteer for two others, saying no is something I perpetually have to work on—especially since I juggle multiple contracts, maintain multiple certifications, and continue to take at least one class per semester.

Unfortunately, the main theme was aimed at people who felt like they needed to be people pleasers, not for this overachiever who needs to learn to say no to herself and not believe she can do everything at once—no matter how hard she wants to believe and try. So into another session I went after about 15 minutes.
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Though I had to fly back that evening and miss the closing reception (sorry, Nelly!), I did attend the closing lunch sponsored by next year's WEC host, San Antonio. The entryway of branded water and mini margaritas in tiny Patrón bottles were a nice touch. I have yet to visit San Antonio, though I have sourced there before, and am looking forward to attending next year. I'm thankful to have sat down with a representative from their CVB this past year to ask some tough questions that my clients have regarding holding meetings and events in that state—particularly if you're a woman or in the LGBTQ+ community—and I was grateful to hear about the positive support systems that San Antonio has in place to make those marginalized communities feel safe, welcome, and secure. More on that another time!​

The Takeaway
All in all, my 7th WEC experience was a great one, with fabulous education, decent networking experiences, and thankfully—enough sleep. I love taking what I've learned and the connections I develop back to my peers and clients.
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As someone who's passionate about creating inclusive, innovative, and impactful events, I'm always eager to share insights and strategies that can elevate your meetings and events. Whether you're looking to incorporate more DEI elements, need help with venue sourcing, or want to discuss the latest trends in event design and attendee experience, I'm here to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of our industry.
Did anything I shared peak your interest? Let's talk! 🎉

Ready to elevate your next meeting or event? I'd love to help you create something extraordinary. Reach out to discuss how we can bring your vision to life while ensuring every attendee feels valued and engaged.