Meeting Professionals International held its annual World Education Congress in San Antonio last week, bringing together nearly 1,800 meeting and event professionals at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and venues around the city.
The program was notably hands-on, with fresh and rethought takes on the traditional conference experience. Features included:
- 124 breakout sessions and educational experiences and 5 certificates
- Reimagined general sessions featuring “The Break Down,” which swapped the traditional keynote setup for a studio-style format mixing speaker presentations with live industry commentary
- Three immersive Learning Journeys across iconic San Antonio venues, including the River Walk, Aztec Theatre and The Alamo
- Expanded education around AI, engagement, ROI, event economics and medical meetings
- Wellness-focused experiences, including puppy yoga, sound bath sessions and the Resilience Room, whose plush interior was instantly relaxing, with soothing lighting, music and seating
“WEC San Antonio reflected where our industry is headed, toward more human-centered experiences, immersive learning and meaningful connection,” said Paul Van Deventer, President and CEO of MPI. “This year’s event was designed to help meeting professionals experience the future of meetings and events firsthand.”
More than 49 percent of attendees were meeting planners, and 686 were attending WEC for the first time.
Keynote speakers included Dr. Magie Cook; NFL long-snapper-turned-magician Jon Dorenbos; brain coach Jim Kwik; and leadership speaker Lilah Jones. Evening events included an opening and closing celebration on the River Walk, a President’s Dinner for chapter leaders and award recipients, and a sold-out MPI Foundation Rendezvous at the 1902 Club.
On the organizational side, MPI reported its community now includes more than 12,500 members—6,500 of them planners—with a broader reach of 190,000 people. Member buying power exceeds $28 billion annually. The organization also launched a new Learning Management System built around user-generated content, intended to make it easier for members to share knowledge and access education.
The MPI Foundation, which has distributed more than $14.6 million since its founding in 1984, provided $140,000 in scholarships for more than 100 WEC attendees this year and raised $190,000 during the event. Antonio Ducceschi was announced as incoming Chair of the MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees for 2027.
Upcoming events include theEVENT in Vancouver (Sept. 14–16, 2026), Smart Monday at IMEX America in Las Vegas (Oct. 12, 2026), and EMEC in Galway, Ireland (Feb. 20–23, 2027). WEC returns to Las Vegas in June 2027, followed by Denver in 2028, Anaheim in 2029, and Tampa Bay in 2030.
Photos by RVRB Productions
