Meeting professionals gather in Atlanta for Meetings Exploration Conference 2011

At the end of February, the newly re-branded Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart will host the meeting industry’s largest southeast educational conference. Set for February 23-25, 2011, the Meetings Exploration Conference (MEC) is presented by the Georgia Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (GAMPI) and promises meeting professionals a robust event in a location designed to enhance meetings, education and networking.


According to MEC chairperson, Kenna Thomas, CMP, AmericasMart is the ideal location to bring the southeast’s major meeting players together.

“AmericasMart is in the heart of the largest and most dynamic city in the southeast and offers the most resources and flexibility to event and meeting planners,” said Thomas. “We wanted to bring meeting professionals together in a convenient and dynamic environment that offers everything, and the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart has it all for our needs.”

Staged in AmericasMart’s newest, most innovative building and meeting environment, the 2011 MEC, under the theme The Planner Playbook, will provide the tools, opportunities and connections to help build meeting professionals’ skills, knowledge and business practices. In its three-day event, MEC will offer a powerful lineup of keynote speeches, educational coaching, break-out sessions and networking events. The break-out sessions include a Boot Camp track for beginners, an Executive track for experienced professionals, a Professional Development track for all levels and an Entrepreneur/3rd Party/Business Owner track for the independent professionals.

“The Meetings Exploration Conference is one of the most important industry events for southeast meeting professionals,” says Bob Schuler, vice president of the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart, who recently joined AmericasMart to lead the convention division. “This group needed a unique destination to hold this event for professionals that impact the industry on a daily basis. We are excited that GAMPI selected the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart and that we have the opportunity to host such a dynamic event. We look forward to working together and hosting the event this month.”