Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) sixth annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) is the event that has meeting and event professionals all over the world buzzing with excitement. On March 30 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, GMID will bring together the brightest minds in the industry to share insights and learnings on the value that meetings and events bring to people, businesses, and communities.  

This year’s event theme, “Meetings Matter,” is set to showcase the economic and societal importance of in-person meetings, a hot topic in the events industry.  

For the second year in a row, we’re proud to share that our end-to-end event management platform, Webex Events (formerly Socio)—built to host engaging and ROI-driven in-person, hybrid, and virtual events—will power the GMID event experience. 

In-person events are making a triumphant return, and we’re excited to partner with MPI, the largest meeting and event association worldwide, to launch an event that highlights the importance of in-person events.  

As the countdown to GMID begins, we’re diving into what attendees can expect from the event content, how the virtual venue will take the experience to the next level, and the history of GMID.  

What attendees can expect at GMID 2023 

GMID attendees will have access to 12 hours of content on a variety of topics related to the meetings and events industry. Here are some highlights to know before you attend: 

State of the industry panel  

GMID will feature top industry leaders during a dynamic panel discussion. Panelists will discuss observations they’ve made from various angles within the industry and the emerging trends and challenges facing meeting and event professionals.  

The panelist line-up includes: 

  • Paul Van Deventer, Chief Executive Officer, Meeting Professionals International 
  • Julie Coker, President & CEO, San Diego Tourism Authority 
  • Chris Meyer, Chief Executive Officer, George P Johnson 
  • Michelle Allgauer, Sr. Vice President, Financial Services Institute (FSI) 
  • Robbert Weddepohl, Group Venue Director, Stage Entertainment B.V. 

Session spotlight: how to create experiences on a tighter budget with higher expectations 

We all know that attendee expectations are higher than ever, but how can event professionals create amazing event experiences while sticking to a budget? I will be sharing how meeting and event professionals can exceed attendee expectations with budget-friendly in-person, virtual, and hybrid experiences that delight attendees and drive sponsor ROI.   

Yvonne deFuria, Event Production Manager at Webex Events, shared more about this same topic during one of our recent events on 2023 events industry trends. Check it out below!

During our session at GMID, you’ll hear results from a Webex Events survey to learn how attendee expectations have shifted and practical solutions to help you take your events program to the next level.  

Webex Events to power an immersive virtual GMID 2023 experience  

MPI’s virtual GMID event will take the experience to the next level, with attendees having access to content on a variety of industry topics directly in the Webex Events platform. Additionally, attendees can look forward to participating in wellness breaks and playing the event game during the broadcast. 

“Webex Events is a great partner. The platform is easy to navigate and customize and has seen even more user-friendly updates since last year’s broadcast. We’re excited to use new features, like an event ‘lobby’ and language translation. The Webex Events customer support team is unmatched—knowledgeable, responsive, and intuitive. They make executing a program of this size much easier with their level of support,” Kay Gunn, Manager, Education Operations, MPI.  

The History of GMID: how an idea became a global event  

The event was first proposed in the mid-1990s by meeting professionals in MPI’s Canadian chapters, who saw an opportunity to bring awareness to the value that meeting professionals contribute to their corporation, association, or industry. 

In 2015, the event became North American Meetings Industry Day (NAMID), which caught the attention of global organizations and meeting professionals alike.

Through the efforts of the newly formed Meetings Mean Business coalition, the event became GMID in 2016, bringing together meeting and event professionals from around the world to network, participate in educational sessions, and raise awareness about the impact of the meetings and events industry on a global, national, and local level. 

Last year’s GMID broadcast saw nearly 4,500 registrants and featured speakers from around the world, including Canada, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, the U.K., the U.S., and Zambia. 

“Our 2022 Global Meetings Industry Day: Virtual broadcast provided an opportunity for our industry to connect, share, and exchange the solutions we all discovered from rebuilding and refueling our industry. It was a time to celebrate the positive impact our work has on successful businesses every day,” Gunn says.  

You can still register for GMID 2023 to join other meeting and event professionals in celebrating and promoting the transformative power of the industry.