The Events Industry Will Redefine Collaboration in 2017 — Meetings Innovation Report

The Future of Meetings & Events The purpose of the Washington, DC-based Meetings Mean Business Coalition is to advocate for the power of meetings and conventions to drive new business development for all stakeholders. Most notably in 2016, the organization brought hospitality and tourism companies together from around the world to advocate for the value of meetings during the first annual Global Meetings Industry Day in April. I asked incoming co-chair Paul Van Deventer, CEO of Meeting Professionals International, about what he wants to bring to Meetings Mean Business as the head of a major meetings industry association. Previous co-chairs have come from the hotel and events sectors. He answered that the coalition can do more to engage meeting planners in the campaign to drive exposure around their industry. "We’ve done a really good job of engaging the supplier side in developing the messaging and pushing the messages," Van Deventer said. "We need to do the same on t