As June draws closer and many states and counties extend their lockdowns while others start to reopen business, MPI has postponed its annual World Education Congress to November. Originally scheduled for June 6-9 in Grapevine, Texas, WEC will now take place Nov. 3-6 in the same location.

In a message to registered attendees, Annette Gregg, senior vice president of experience for MPI, said the association had been working through dozens of scenarios to find the appropriate way to recreate its signature annual event.

“Using a filter of prudence and possibilities, we are creating a live experience that is rich in education and connection for both in-person and via a high-quality virtual delivery,” Gregg said. “Not lost in our objective, we remain intensely focused on the Duty of Care of delivering a safe, secure and healthy environment.”

The statement was focused on hope and positivity for the future, with plans to make WEC “a rallying cry for our meeting and event community to reunite for recovery.”

While plans have not been finalized, there will be a virtual component to WEC Grapevine, allowing for a wider audience (and taking into account that not everyone may feel comfortable attending an in-person event even in the fall). And there will also be a larger focus on wellness. 

In an associated press release, Paul Van Deventer, MPI CEO and president, said the association is working on this focus in conjunction with the Gaylord Texan Resort and its operator, Marriott International. 

“We’re not going to just be looking at clinical wellness; we’re looking at mental wellness as well, so it’s the whole-body experience,” he said. “We’ll be testing some new approaches, bringing a lot of content focused on pandemic response — how you should manage your own event and things you should be doing.”

Gregg concluded, “We want everyone to have the ability to experience WEC Grapevine, whether virtually or in-person. We plan to grow together through education that’s insightful, meaningful and immediately actionable. We will use this as a template to chart our paths for regrowth. We’ll reconnect and rekindle the flames of business. And perhaps most importantly, we’ll gather once again with our colleagues, our family.”

For more information on WEC 2020, go here.