february in cancun is compelling - just ask the nearly 1,000 attendees of the recent mpi meetdifferent conference http://www.mpiweb.org/events/md2010/home.asp that was held at the moon palace resort just off the cancun hotel zone in the riviera maya. i found the mexican spirit of hospitality refreshing, and i asked one member of the mexico tourism board if he was pleased with the event's attendance. he smiled broadly saying that he had been waiting 8 years for this moment - he was thrilled!

mpi created a truly unique format for this conference (it was also announced that this will be the last meetdifferent conference from mpi). there were general sessions each morning - held to a power-packed hour. innovation, risk-taking, support from corporate leaders and the importance of differentiating yourself/your company were the main themes, and the speakers (jeremy gutsche, monica harrington, marty neumaier) were just what we needed. you can find out more about these presenters and their powerful messages here - http://www.mpiweb.org/events/md2010/mdschedule/keynotespeakers.aspx

mpi tried out a "hosted buyer" program that included 80 suppliers and 100 planners and was considered a success. this program certainly helped attract planners who otherwise would not have been able to attend. the vibe at this conference was positive - better than a year ago - with cautious optimism and a prevailing attitude. the vibe at the evening events was as spirited as ever as we all enjoyed the beauty of mexico and the power of face-to-face.

vancouver had a strong presence at the conference - with a pod in the lobby where the olympics were being shown. also because mpi's next north american conference will be held in vancouver. the world education conference (wec) is july 24-27, 2010 in vancouver. get the details at http://www.mpiweb.org/Events/WEC2010/SaveTheDate.aspx.