Every year, Meetings & Incentives Worldwide hosts our signature event: the M&IW Summit. This is a chance to connect our community of customers, employees, and supplier partners as we share best practices and explore how to enhance future events.
As part of the M&IW Summit, CEO Tina Madden gives a highly anticipated State of the Company address. In our last blog post, The State of the Company: M&IW in 2024, we shared Tina’s highlights as to how we’ve used the momentum of years past to SOAR to new heights in 2024 and achieve our vision of transforming organizations through the power of human connection. Now, we’re exploring the second half of her address dedicated to the innovations and enhancements M&IW is strategically investing in to impact events of all scales worldwide.
M&IW’s Game Changers
There are four key areas M&IW is focusing on in 2024 and beyond: event technology, artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability, and event design.
Event Technology
Event technology has long been one of M&IW’s specialties, but we are investing in it like never before. “Event technology facilitates human connection in meaningful ways,” said Tina. “Our focus now is to use event technology to enhance both engagement and the experience for attendees.”
Leading the charge is our new Vice President of Event Technology, Kimberly Stone. She is dedicated to implementing and optimizing technology solutions to create frictionless attendee journeys, embrace innovation with purpose, provide business-relevant data, and align to each customer’s unique requirements.
Strategically investing in event tech results in “a more consultative team, dynamic platforms, and stronger partnerships that benefit our customers,” said Tina. For example, we recently added RainFocus to our suite of event management platforms in order to meet our customers’ growing needs for large events like conferences.
Artificial Intelligence
It can be heard everywhere these days: AI won’t replace you, but people who use AI will. We’re staying ahead of the game by empowering our team to use AI strategically and efficiently.
“M&IW is embracing AI to automate routine tasks and free up time for more sophisticated pursuits and innovative problem-solving approaches,” said Tina. We’re still in the early stages, but we have already established a dedicated team at the forefront of our AI strategy, engaging in ongoing research and keeping abreast of advancements in technology through collaborations with industry partners.
Sustainability
M&IW has emerged as an industry leader and a driving force for sustainable events. “Sustainability is not a passion project,” said Tina. “It’s a new way of thinking, and it’s an inherent part of our events.”
Our commitment to sustainability is evident in various aspects of our strategy, priorities, and operations. This includes venue selection and contracting, vendor and material sourcing, food choices and donations, travel practices, and waste diversion initiatives. Additionally, we offer emissions tracking and offset solutions to counteract our environmental impact.
For example, we are offsetting the emissions of the 2024 M&IW Summit by supporting a Gold Standard Marketplace project supporting climate action and sustainable development; all Gold Standard projects are approved by the United Nations. We have chosen to support the Uganda Gender Responsive Safe Water Project, which not only reduces carbon emissions and provides clean water access but also reduces gender inequality. The 2023 M&IW Summit emissions offsetting also supported a Gold Standard-certified project providing fuel-efficient cookstoves to rural Rwandan households.
Event Design
Last year, we announced that we’re strategically investing in a neuroscience-based approach to event design to create more engaging, immersive, and impactful experiences for attendees. We have made incredible progress with this initiative, from implementing company-wide neuroscience trainings to incorporating best practices in customer events.
“This is about using science to maximize the brain’s potential to absorb and retain content, feel more confident and relaxed in order to engage and build relationships, and so much more,” said Tina.
Examples of brain-friendly practices that have been incorporated into our events include:
- Designing event agendas, including the timing of content, to optimize engagement, learning, and the overall experience.
- Leveraging the psychology of color. For example, green is a calming color because is the color of nature. (Speaking of which, bringing natural elements into your event design is also a neuroscience-backed approach!)
- Using smells to enhance memory recall and cognitive function. Lavender, cinnamon, and peppermint are all brain-boosting scents.
- Lowering cortisol levels, or stress levels, for a positive effect on the brain. This can be achieved throughout the event lifecycle. For example, pre-event communications reduce uncertainty, and friendly and engaging event staff make attendees feel welcome and cared for.
SOARing to Continued Success
“At M&IW, we understand the intricacies and opportunities of event execution at every level,” concluded Tina. As we SOAR into the future, we continue to push boundaries, defy expectations, and craft events and experiences that impact and resonate with the power of human connection.
Contact us to learn more about how M&IW can transform your organization through the power of human connection. Already an M&IW customer? Contact your Customer Success Manager.
Interested in joining the M&IW team? View our open positions.
Contributor
Tina Madden, CPA
CEO
Meetings & Incentives Worldwide, Inc.
