The Meeting Professionals International Foundation has launched One Million to Meet, a campaign to raise $1 million by the end of 2020 to help meeting and event professionals around the world recover from the economic effects of the pandemic. The campaign was kicked off with a $250,000 donation from IMEX Group, the organization behind meetings industry events IMEX America and IMEX in Frankfurt.
“Covid-19’s abruptness made face-to-face interactions an unfathomable situation. To watch our community and our members struggle when these are the individuals representing a top-ten global economic driver is heart wrenching,” said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI. “Unsolicited support like this [from IMEX] demonstrates how acts of generosity and kindness between organizations can aid in a united mission towards recovery.”
Most of the IMEX donation has been offered as a grant to The MPI Foundation, which will immediately direct funds to both members and non-members in distress. The donation will also provide funds to the 11 European MPI chapters to support education and country-specific programs to build industry awareness and help with recovery.
“We see this not only as a donation to MPI, but to the recovery of our global economy because the guidance and facilitation of their passionate members will pave our way forward,” said Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group.
The MPI Foundation itself contributed more than $250,000 between April and August, delivering more than 1,200 scholarships to members in need as well as supporting the MPI Academy’s free educational webinars. That leaves a $500,000 goal to hit before the end of the year.
Meeting professionals facing financial difficulty can contact [email protected] to discuss eligibility for assistance. Donations to the One Million to Meet campaign can be made here.
