Questex Travel Group, organizers of MEET National, anticipate a strong increase in attendance at this year’s event, set to open Wednesday, September 7 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
The event is expected to draw nearly 1,000 visitors, bringing together meeting and event planning professionals with 120 leading suppliers representing hotels, resorts, meeting venues, convention and visitors bureaus, technology, event services and promotional & marketing products.
Kirk Lewis, director of the meetings group for Questex Travel Group, said the event, which caters to corporate direct, association, and government meeting professionals, has proven successful by offering one-to-one meetings and top-of-the-line training that provides valuable continuing education credits and robust networking opportunities.
“We are committed to delivering dynamic educational content to challenge and engage our conference attendees,” said Lewis. “We’ve partnered with the industry’s elite content providers including MPI, CIC, SGMP, IAEE, and DMAI to offer meeting professionals the most robust opportunity to enhance their personal development and increase their accreditation. There’s no other event in DC right now that can do that for today’s meeting professional.”
The two and a half day conference will offer 20 plus sessions for CE credits, and two keynote addresses. Daniel Levine, founding director, Avant-Guide Institute will present the first keynote address – Winds of Change: The Reshaping of Business on Wednesday morning at 11:30am and Steve Gilliland, motivational speaker and author will present the second keynote – Making a Difference on Thursday morning at 8:00am. The event will close with an interactive town hall on Thursday afternoon featuring Jack Ferguson, JPF Solutions; Kevin Hinton, Society for Incentive Travel Excellence; Tammy Kockaya, KPMG; Greg Staley, U.S. Travel Association; and moderated by Mike Lyons, Lyons Enterprises.
In addition, Meeting Professionals International will offer three intensive certificate programs – Meetings Essentials, Health Care Meetings Compliance Certificate, and Going Local, for an additional fee. Meetings Essentials and Health Care Meetings will each take place pre-conference all day on September 6th, and then general attendance will open at 7:00am on September 7th for registration.
Registration to attend MEET National is free and will offer an innovative conference open to meeting professionals and exhibitors alike, with unlimited networking opportunities including 12-minute, pre-scheduled, one-on-one appointments, an open expo floor, and an exclusive charity event created in partnership with TeamBonding Wednesday afternoon whose donations will support DC Kitchen.
Sponsors of this year’s event include Convention Industry Council, Convention Planit, Cvent, Destination Marketing International Association, Digitell, Educational Measures, eventPower, Feathr, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, guidebook, International Association of Exhibitions and Events, Meetings & Events Media Group, MidAtlantic Events, Montego Bay Convention Center, The National Convention Center, PC Nametag, Poken, Schneider Publishing, Society of Government Meeting Professionals, TeamBonding, Think Green Promotions, Travel Portland, Visit Raleigh.
MEET National is organized by Questex Travel Group in partnership with MPI and HSMAI. For more information visit meetconference.com.
