On the next day, the Golden Floor conference centre hosted the annual MPI Poland meeting, the attendants of which shared their knowledge on developing one’s career in the industry and using the opportunities created by the membership in the MPI international association which affiliates professionals from the meetings industry.

Saturday, 17 March, was the day of launching the 7 edition of the international IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum Warsaw - an event designed for students who wish to pursue careers in business tourism. The conference was opened i.a. by the Director of the PTO’s Marketing Planning Department, Robert Kępiński. Every year professionals from around the world share their knowledge on the broad range of opportunities offered by the meetings industry and answer all students’ questions. The guests gathered at the Vistula University could also take part in a contest titled IMEX University Challenge, the winner of which will visit IMEX, the largest fair of the meetings industry, and receive the right to compete for the participation in the MPI WEC conference, held this year in Saint Louis, USA. Three challengers entered the contest and the winner was Anna Gliwa, a student at the Mieczysław Orłowicz College of Tourism and Recreation in Warsaw.

The speakers who took part in the events:

• Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, German Convention Bureau
• Samme Allen, Head of Sales, Business Events at Barbican Centre, London
• Patrick Delaney, Managing Director, Ovation DMC
• Tom Hulton, Director for International Cooperation, IMEX fair
• Allan Stevens, professional orator and Director of MediaCoach LTD