Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) shines a light on the real impact meetings have on businesses, economies and communities. Meeting professionals organizations, association chapters, corporations, destinations, partners and other supporters are holding events in all around the world to support this international day of advocacy, including MPI Minnesota's GMID event on April 14 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Events include rallies, press conferences, speaking panels, educational events, award presentations, proclamations and more.

 

 

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Leaders from across the meetings and events industry are coming together to support Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on April 14, 2020.

The meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows and exhibitions industries are uniting to showcase the real impact meetings and events have on businesses, economies and communities. Members of the Convention Industry Council and their network of chapters, as well as members of the Meetings Mean Business (MMB) coalition at large.

At its base, GMID is a grassroots, local media and messaging event. Meetings Mean Business helps organize by harnessing the industry’s excitement and energy and engaging elected officials and media. This helps you take this messages to the grassroots level and make newsworthy events which will show how meetings support local economies, connect people and drive positive business results.

 

Significant Driver of Economic Growth and Jobs

The meetings industry contributes more to U.S. national GDP than the air transportation, motion picture, sound recording, performing arts and spectator sport industries. It is an economic engine, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, generating billions of dollars in revenue and supporting communities across the country. 

A new report by Oxford Economics affirms that face-to-face meetings and business events not only play a critical role in connecting people and driving business results, they also support 5.9 million jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars in annual revenue.

 

Driving Business Success

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The Oxford Economics also found that 1.9 million meetings were held in the United States in 2016, generating $845 billion in economic impact.

Every dollar spent on face-to-face meetings and business events generates an additional $1.60 for the U.S. economy – an increase of 160%.

The economic impact generated by meetings is shared across a variety of industries. Meetings direct spending has expanded 23% since 2009, primarily due to increases in the number of meeting participants.

Meetings and events deliver profits, help win new accounts, serve as education platforms and allow colleagues and partners to come together to innovate and achieve results.

Organizations depend on face-to-face meetings to win new customers, close new deals and develop high-performing talent. The business outcome of a face-to-face meeting far exceeds any other.

The ability to sit down one-on-one with colleagues and leaders across industries provides for instant collaboration and real-time productivity.
Conventions and conferences serve as critical education platforms for professionals and are key components for developing advanced skills and workforce training.

 

Creating Personal Connections and Business Relationships

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Personal relationships are at the core of every business decision and face-to-face meetings provide professionals with that personal interaction, which leads to deeper relationships.

When people meet face-to-face, relationships are developed in a way that technology cannot recreate or match. The ability to look a new business opportunity in the eye and close the deal with a handshake simply cannot be replicated.

Face-to-face meetings more effectively capture the attention of participants, inspire positive emotional climates and drive collaboration by building meaningful business relationships.

Meetings create a shared sense of missions and purpose, foster empathy across organizational lines and create camaraderie that positions an organization for success.

 

Build Strong Communities Across the Globe

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Hosting an event, convention or trade show stimulates a region’s economy by bringing in new visitors, who stay in area hotels, eat in local restaurants, shop in neighborhood stores and bring new revenue to the destination.

Experiencing a destination first hand is the best marketing tool for a community. While at a meeting, attendees have the opportunity to explore a destination and those experiences often influence their decision to come back – whether for business or leisure travel.

The breadth and variety of career paths within the travel industry offers exceptional opportunities for students, young professionals and emerging leaders who are looking to establish and grow careers.

 

Stay Informed

Meetings Mean Business offers an information and advocacy platform that enables all industry stakeholders and leaders to actively engage.
GMID participants should:

Visit the GMID webpage at, www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com/gmid and learn more about GMID events across the globe at www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com/gmid/events.

Follow and take part in MMB’s conversations surrounding GMID on Twitter at @MeetingsMeanBiz by using the hashtags #MMBusiness with #GMID20.

 

Here’s how you can help advocate for the industry and prepare for GMID 2020:

  • Organize an event to showcase the value of face-to-face meetings.
  • Attend an event taking place in your community.
  • Engage with local elected officials and business leaders.
  • Participate in the online conversation with #GMID20.
  • Spread the word about GMID to your networks.

Attend MPI Minnesota's Global Meetings Industry Day Celebration!

MPI will be joined by other associations in the meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows, and exhibitions industries at MPI Minnesota's Global Meetings Industry Day on Tuesday, April 14 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. GMID will showcase the real impact meetings and events have on businesses, economies, and communities.

Don't miss this impactful day for the meeting and event industry as we create personal connections, drive positive business outcomes and build strong communities.