During times of financial and economic turmoil with uncertain effects on the meetings and events industry globally, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) focuses on critical content and education by activating a Global Knowledge Plan and a new Training Practice.
 
MPI, in partnership with Qatar MICE Development Institute (QMDI) has heralded the hosting of the first Global Certificate in Meeting Operations 1 (GCMO 1) in Qatar as a ‘huge success.’ As part of the new Global Knowledge Plan offered by MPI, the 5-day training programme for meetings and events professionals, sponsored by Qatar Airways, Gulf Adventures and Qatar National Convention Center, attracted 50 participants; all of whom endorsed the program as positively transforming their careers and well worth recommending to their colleagues and/or co-workers
 
Matthew Meredith, CEO, QMDI said: “Hosting the very first MPI Global Certificate in Meeting Operations not only was a great achievement with the event being a sell-out success; it also contributed to the future development of the MICE sector in Qatar.”
 
One of the newest components to MPI’s Global Knowledge Plan, GCMO 1 allowed attendees a more accessible means of gaining meeting industry skills and obtaining an internationally recognised qualification in the Middle East.
 
Didier Scaillet, vice president of global development at MPI said: “GCMO1 was launched in Qatar to the same standards and content integrity that MPI is respected for globally. We have provided the meetings and events community with premier education and development programmes for 36 years but the creation of a training practice integrated into a Global Knowledge Plan is a new ground-breaking step. Due to the oversubscription of this initial launch we will be running further training and knowledge transfer programmes with QMDI in 2009.”
 
Delegates included representatives from Qatar Foundation, Qatar Tourism and Exhibition Authority, Qatar Islamic Cultural Centre, CAPCO, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Supreme Council of Information & Communication Technology, Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Al Shaqab, Reach Out to Asia, Al Fardan Automobile Co; De Boer, Qatar University, College of Atlantic and TBWA.
 
The GCMO 1 programme is just one component of MPI’s Global Knowledge Plan, a learning path comprised of eight major career “milestone” segments. The plan includes the Certification in Meetings Management (CMM). CMM is an intensive learning opportunity designed for experienced and highly accomplished members of the global meeting industry community seeking career advancement and professional recognition. The 5 day programme enhances the strategic decision-making ability of these leaders, enabling delivery of exceptional meetings and events that drive organizational success. This past October, the newly re-imagined CMM program received unprecedented participant satisfaction results, which has increased global demand for MPI’s Global Knowledge Plan curriculum.
 
In response to this demand and demonstrating its commitment to the Gulf Region’s meetings and events industry, MPI is also announcing the opening of its Middle East Office in Doha, Qatar, thanks to the support of QMDI and the Qatar Foundation. The initial focus of the new office will be the further deployment of the MPI Global Training Practice to support the career development of meeting and event professionals in the Middle East.