The meeting industry is a young and developing industry.  The recent crises have all shown its vulnerability.  One of the big challenges we face is the lack of influence we - the Meeting Professionals -  have on the meeting itself, its content, its format, its substance. Yes, meetings do create local value in bringing organizers and participants that spend in a destination; that we understand and know how to explain.  But meetings are not organized for that purpose!  It is a ‘side effect of meetings, that have to bring participants together in one place for a certain duration. The real purpose of meetings lies in the value they create within the groups they gather. What they learn, who they meet and how energized and engaged they all leave the meeting to start new projects or drive existing ones forward. This is the real power of meetings, the value meetings create. 
The real engine of meetings is change or innovation. And the real challenge we all face is learning how to control, tune and optimise that engine. Meeting architecture is the name of the discipline that aims at doing just that. A meeting architect will design and ‘build’ a meeting based on objectives and measure its success. This multidisciplinary profession learns essential knowledge from other industries and sciences and creates a toolbox to enhance effectiveness. It uses the ROI methodology, aiming at increasing the ROI, more than measuring ROI.

To increase the Impact or our meetings and conferences, We can apply MAP™ or the Meeting Architecture Process. With the exprience you have, and all the tools you know, MAP™ creates a roadmap that enables meeting teams to improve their impact by objective based design. MAP™  is a methodology that makes you facilitate or lead two structured brainstorms around meeting objectives and meeting design. The key reason for you to master MAP™ is to increase your influence and impact on the way meeting create value for participants and meeting owners. It is the first step towards ownership of the value creation in meetings. You can be a pioneer in our industry and change the way people around you look at meeting spend. In that way, MAP™ could be the future standard operating procedure (SOP) for larger meetings and events in your organization.
For who is MAP™?
The typical participants in MAP™ training are meeting planners, event managers, procurement officers, meeting designers, facilitators, etc. These individuals all work with meeting owners in the planning and execution of e meeting or an event. Most of us have a role in the logistical/hospitality side of projects, and much less into the content side, the value creation, etc. MAP™ helps us to increase our influence in the often protected space of meeting content. MAP™ training is also populated by venue and destination professionals that wa nt to understand what drives meeting planners and meeting owners.

Thanks so much, for the informative and productive session!