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MPI Shares Meeting Planning Predictions From 25 Years Ago

August 25, 2022

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Meeting Professionals International shared predictions about meeting planning in the next 25 years—except that they were published 25 years ago in the June 1997 issue of its member magazine, The Meeting Professional.

Here are three that will leave you chuckling, and other 25-year-old meeting planning predictions can be found here.

From Vincent C. van Wulfen, President, International Association of Professional Congress Organizers:

“Once delegates are able to access information ahead of an event on CD-ROM diskette or worldwide web sites, audience involvement at the conference will inevitably become higher. Despite communication technology, networking, exchanging ideas and socializing will still make people want to attend meetings.”

From Steven Hacker, President, International Association for Exposition Management:

“I suspect there will be an increasing number of meeting sponsors using exhibitions as a marketing medium for products and services. Meeting-related industries will experience increased threats from competition and need to prepare for an environment ripe for consolidation.”

Bill Fisher, President and CEO, American Hotel and Motel Association on meeting planning:

“I’m bullish on conferences and meetings for the next 25 years. In an era when you hear a lot about high tech, there will still be demand for high touch.”