Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is developing new education and resources to help meeting planners design more inclusive experiences. The association announced the initiative at its 2018 World Education Congress (WEC), held June 2-5 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
As part of the initiative, MPI is collaborating with the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYUSPS) Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality to conduct a research study that will examine tactics, which can be used to make all attendees at meetings and conferences feel welcome through inclusive event design.
MPI selected the NYUSPS Tisch Center as the research partner for the initiative due to the school’s and the university’s expertise in diversity and inclusion. Both promote the study of diversity issues worldwide, while addressing historical, present and future implications of diversity around the globe.
The findings of this study, which is sponsored by MPI, will be presented at the MPI 2018 Thought Leaders Summit in November 2018. At the summit, the association will collect feedback from industry leaders and senior-level meeting planners, which will be used to influence development of the MPI Academy’s new Inclusive Experience Strategist Certificate Program, scheduled to launch in Q1 2019.
“We look forward to working collaboratively with industry influencers to inform both the research and education of this very important initiative,” said Melissa Majors, director of the MPI Academy. “MPI encourages our members to embrace and foster an inclusive business environment, and we want to help them design universally-inclusive events with our Inclusive Experience Strategist Certificate Program.”
The new education program will be comprised of a four-hour, interactive training session that addresses how to make practical inclusion decisions and the tactics to do so. Participants will learn the business case or rationale, key principles and strategies, and outline of tactics for planning for inclusion.
To ensure the education is actionable and performance-based, MPI has partnered with Dawn Snyder, Ph.D., C.P.T., Prosci CCMP of Dawn Snyder Associates to lead the development of its inclusion-related learning experiences.
Respecting diversity is one of MPI’s three Principles of Professionalism. Specifically, the principle urges MPI members to embrace and foster an inclusive business climate of respect for all peoples regardless of national origin, race, religion, six, marital status, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental impairment.
In January 2018, MPI revised this principle to include specific wording stating that MPI will not tolerate harassment of any kind within its global community.
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