Tuesday, Apr. 14 was meant to be a day for event professionals around the globe to meet in person and celebrate our industry. Last year, 275 Global Meetings Industry Day events spanning six continents and more than 50 countries were held on this international day of advocacy.

In light of COVID-19 meeting restrictions, travel guidance and social distancing policies, the Meetings Mean Business coalition has officially postponed in-person participation in #GMID20. In a statement released on Mar. 31, MMBC announced that its goal is to share a new date as soon as possible, and is considering a date during IMEX America, slated for Sept. 15-17 in Las Vegas.

While Global Meetings Industry Day may have been postponed until such time as it is safe for groups to meet once again, there will still be GMID events held on Apr. 14. But instead of face-to-face gatherings, the meetings will be virtual. Here are three ways you can get involved:

The Largest Virtual Meeting in History?

The 90-minute GMID Goes Virtual webcast, hosted by Meetings Mean Business Canada, India and the United States, aims to break the Guinness World Record for the largest virtual meeting in history. This interactive session will give attendees a forum to have their voices heard, contribute to valuable industry research, and connect with each other to celebrate #GMID20.

The event will be held at 9am PDT, and will open 15 minutes in advance. In order to break the record, participants need to be logged in for a minimum of 30 minutes. The agenda will include the record breaking attempt, followed by a discussion of COVID-19 and its impact on our communities, work and families led by MMB Canada. Register for #GMIDGoesVirtual HERE.

A Day-Long Virtual Summit From MPI

If you’re looking for more content, you’re in luck. In partnership with the Events Industry Council and MMBC, MPI will broadcast a live, 12-hour-long GMID: Virtual summit.

The agenda is focused on tools and skills relevant to moving forward during this unique global situation, including sessions on stress management, leading in a crisis and staying agile.

“During this time of extreme change, it is the right time to stay connected,” said Annette Gregg, senior vice president, experience for Meeting Professionals International.

She added, “At a time when so many of us need and count on community support, resources and reinforcement, we must continue to connect and begin laying the tracks to recovery, driving global stability and expansion. Because we know, when we meet, we can think in ways previously unthought. When we meet, we can change the world.”

A panel of industry leaders will discuss how to navigate uncertainty and move toward recovery. And the stellar session lineup includes many speakers we’ve covered in Corporate Event News: Nifty Method Marketing & Events’ Alex Plaxen, The Amani Experience’s Amani Roberts, Tracy Judge of Soundings Connect, Ruud Janssen of Event Design Collective GmbH,  Tyra Warner from College of Coastal Georgia, and wellness expert Lee Papa, to name a few.

The free-to-attend virtual event is open to all event professionals, and includes the 30-minute #GMIDGoesVirtual record-breaking attempt. It will be broadcast live from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. CDT (1 p.m. - 1 a.m. CEDT). Post-event, content will be archived and accessible for on-demand viewing by registered attendees only. Register HERE.

Commit to Serving Your Community

MMBC is also calling upon event professionals to commit to community support — and share the details on meetingsmeanbusiness.com.

In the Mar. 31 statement, officials said, “Many of us have unique abilities to foster support in our communities by doing things such as donating supplies, funds and space. As a coalition, we are committed to bolstering April 14 as an opportunity to unite around the common goal of serving our cities and have started to collect examples from across the industry that do just that.

If you have not already, we hope that you will commit to one or more acts of service that make sense for you and your organization. No act is too small. It’s remarkable to see the numerous actions already underway, even as meetings are being cancelled and travel is being postponed. On or before April 14, please pledge your commitment and go to meetingsmeanbusiness.com to provide details about what you will do.”

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