|
Given the right fuel, a smoldering ember can
slowly build in heat and suddenly flash into full flame. We are on the threshold
of a similar flash point in the meeting industry. Technology has been this
burning ember – the Internet started in the late 60’s, personal computers in
the 80’s, the web in the 90’s.
The stage has been set -- we are now starting to
go through an explosive transition – but the major changes are yet to come!
Finally, in the last year or so, almost everyone in our industry has come online
and many have web sites. This, coupled with advances in high-speed and wireless
telecommunication, will likely fuel more changes for meeting professionals in
the next decade than the past thirty years combined! This technology flash point
will have a profound affect on us all.
Once we start utilizing these technology tools to
full advantage, fundamental business structure changes. National boundaries will
become less important. Collaboration will become nearly as easy to the next
hemisphere as in the next cubicle. Much of the world’s body of knowledge will
become accessible with a few keystrokes. The basic nature of meetings will
change.
|
Fortunately, we are social animals and there will always be a demand for
meetings, but the character of these meetings and how they are planned will
likely go through drastic transformations.
If there ever was a time to invest in efforts to
deal with this change, now is it – and the MPI Foundation a natural choice for
this support! The Foundation is the "research and development" arm of
MPI – the products and services that result from Foundation funding
allocations are aimed to help meeting professionals cope with change and do
their jobs better. From Foundation funding, we have seen the development of
MPINet, the resource library, technology labs at the major MPI meetings, the
Platinum Series technology tracks, and support for the CMM with the importance
of technology stressed in its curriculum.
But let’s focus on the future. The generous
donation of $10,000 from the MPI Northern California Chapter has been earmarked
for technology applications. There will be much more to do as this digital
revolution affects nearly every aspect of our lives. As you consider your
charitable giving budget, please consider the industry that has provided your
livelihood. Invest in your future and support the MPI Foundation.
|
