Connecting the Events Industry at the 2023 M&IW Summit
At M&IW, we don’t just talk the talk; we also walk the walk. As a premier global meetings, events, and incentives management company, it’s important to showcase our expertise and stay ahead of the latest industry trends. That’s why every August, we host our signature event: the M&IW Summit.
Held over two days, the Summit brings together our customers, industry suppliers, and employees for networking, learning, and, of course, fun! Day 1 was focused on connecting the industry while Day 2 was dedicated exclusively to our team.
Over the past year, we continued our Journey to World Class, culminating in a truly incredible two days. In this blog post, we will share the insights and experiences from Day 1.
State of the Company
In the first session of the day, Tina shared the state of the company and detailed what M&IW’s Journey to World Class has looked like over the past year. Learn more about everything we’ve accomplished and what we’ll be focusing on in the future in our recent blog post.
Brunch and Summit Walk
Attendees were then treated to the Summit Walk, a returning favorite. Featuring booths from various M&IW departments and divisions—including Event Technology, Intent Strategy Group, Flow Marketing and Creative Services, and Incentives and Engagement—it’s the perfect opportunity for customers to meet our teams and learn more about everything we offer. Of course, brunch stations throughout the walk sweeten the deal!
Industry Panel: Enterprise- and Event-Level Strategies
Our next general session, Enterprise- and Event-Level Strategies: World-Class POV, was an interactive session moderated by M&IW team members and featuring customer panelists. In addition to hearing the panelists’ take on the best strategies to prepare for the future of events, time was built into the agenda to allow attendees to discuss with others at their table and share their own thoughts and experiences. Detailed insights from this session will be shared in a future blog post.
StraightTalks
M&IW’s spin on the ever-popular TED Talks, two StraightTalks were included in the agenda. The first was Wellness: Inaction is Costly. M&IW’s Pamela Wuest, Customer Success Manager, shared her personal wellness journey and explored how the three Ws of wellness—water, windows, and walking—can be incorporated into events.
The first, water, is as simple as providing plentiful water stations, but don’t stop there! Offering healthy, fueling food and snacks also contributes to attendee wellness. Windows, the second W, may not be readily available in all event spaces. Combat this by building time into the agenda for attendees to take a break and walk outside, or even hold a session outside if there’s space. These scheduled breaks also fulfill the third W, walking. You can also lead stretching exercises from onstage to encourage attendee movement without leaving the event space.
Held later in the afternoon, the second StraightTalk was just as insightful. Titled Your 2023 Style: Inspiring Incentives & Relevant Recognition, M&IW’s Nicole Raudabaugh, CMP, CIS, Customer Success Manager, highlighted the three keys to successful incentives and engagement programs in 2023.
The first is communication, which includes everything from the program branding to the actual messaging. Create a recognizable identity with a consistent look and feel and a predictable delivery schedule to help build excitement. The second is to embrace the circle—continuous evolution is the key to continued success! Keep your programs new and exciting for attendees, and post-program, always evaluate what did and didn’t work so you can better prepare for the next one. Finally, tell your story. Incentives and recognition are a long-term commitment, so take the time to make them personalized and customized. Determine what is important to your organization and lean into that to make your program unique and relevant.
Supplier Showcase and Continued Connections
The Supplier Showcase, a longtime favorite of the M&IW Summit, is the perfect opportunity for our trusted industry suppliers to connect with our customers and employees. Featuring sponsors and exhibitors from across the industry—including hotels, DMCs, CVBs, technology providers, gifting partners, and more—attendees benefit from the extensive expertise available as they explore the latest offerings and updates.
After the Supplier Showcase, the connections continued with either the Reverse Tradeshow or Peer-to-peer Discussions. At the Reverse Tradeshow, sponsors met with the MI&W team in small groups. The additional time allowed for stronger relationship building for everyone.
Meanwhile, customers attended the Peer-to-peer Discussions, another favorite of the M&IW Summit. With each group moderated by an M&IW team member, attendees enjoyed dedicated time to collaborate on trends, opportunities, and challenges in today’s marketplace.
Customer Moxie Awards
To have moxie is to be a force of character or to show determination or guts. To close out Day 1 of the M&IW Summit, we were thrilled to celebrate our customers who exhibited excellence and used their moxie to positively impact the meetings, incentives, and events industry in the last year.
Congratulations to our 2023 Customer Moxie Award winners! We are so proud of our partnership and can’t wait to see what great things we’ll accomplish together next.
- Strategic Impact Award: Aon
- CSR in Action Award: Biogen
- Elevated Event Award: US Foods
- Innovative Solutioning Award: Acrisure
- Global Scope Award: Intel Corporation
- New Customer Partner of the Year: Arch Insurance Group
- Customer Partner of the Year: Abbott
We also celebrated our suppliers during a special pre-Summit virtual event. Congratulations to our 2023 Supplier Moxie Award winners! Thank you for the incredible value you bring to our customers and their events.
- CVB Partner of the Year: Visit Orlando
- DMC Partner of the Year: Access Destination Services
- Hotel Partner of the Year: Omni Hotels & Resorts
- Event Partner of the Year: SpotMe
- NSO Partner of the Year: Traci Baxter of Teneo Hospitality Group
Until Next Year…
Day 1 concluded with an entertaining and hilarious performance by The Water Coolers, a multi-award-winning singing comedy act, followed by a Networking Reception for a final opportunity to connect and share some laughs.
To our customers who joined us for the 2023 M&IW Summit, thank you for being part of our signature event and for trusting us with your own events. We value your partnership and hope you left inspired and invigorated!
To our industry suppliers who joined us as sponsors or exhibitors, thank you for your support. This event, like so many others, wouldn’t be possible without you.
To our M&IW team, thank you for your continued commitment to M&IW and our customers and supplier partners. We are proud to have you on our team!
Interested in working with our team? Contact us. Interested in joining the M&IW team? Check out our open positions.