MPI, the largest association within the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) industry, has announced it will hold its 2025 European Meetings & Events Convention (EMEC) in Istanbul, the site of the EMEC 2014. With 1,000 members and 10 chapters and clubs, MPI has the largest presence at the conference.
Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI, said of the development, “EMEC has long been a cornerstone for the global events community, fostering professional development through innovation, learning and connections. Returning to Istanbul after more than a decade is not only a testament to the city’s enduring appeal but also a clear indicator of the excitement and popularity surrounding this iconic destination. Istanbul offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity that resonates with our international audience, and we are thrilled to bring EMEC back to this vibrant city.”
EMEC focuses on three core goals: to act as an idea incubator for the international MICE community, to produce an event for Europeans by Europeans and to honor the history and culture of its host destination.
İsmail Bütün, general manager of the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), commented, “Hosting EMEC 2025 is a monumental opportunity for Türkiye to showcase its position on the global MICE stage. Istanbul has a proven track record of hosting large-scale international events, and EMEC’s return highlights our commitment to growing and evolving as a premier destination for meetings and events professionals.”
Read More: WEC 2024 in Louisville Lifted Spirits with a Tactical Chaser
I spoke with Drew Holmgreen, chief experience officer of MPI, and dove into what attendees to EMEC events can look forward to, both now and in the future. Holmgreen impressed upon me the importance of MPI’s “idea incubator” approach, involving formats and education. He said, “Those things that work really well, we try and take and use them as learning [opportunities] for our community, so we can show them how to do and how not to do certain things, and then we can also take those formats forward and use them in other experiences that we put together.”
When it comes to EMEC, MPI’s focus is on a wholly authentic experience for attendees, regardless of their homebase. “This is our signature European event. We’ve got a community of about 1,000 members in Europe, which makes us the largest association in Europe. And so, we make sure that this event is really planned, designed and developed by our European community. It is inherently a European experience,” says Holmgreen.
Holmgreen points out attendees should arrive in search of European trends and topics, saying, “The trends that are taking place in the States or the trends that are taking place in Latin America or in Canada don’t necessarily make their way to this event. This is based on what our community there needs, so it’s planned and designed by them.”
Read More: New and Renovated: Meetings in International Cities
Visitors to EMEC should also expect new, innovative and inspiring activities that partner education with incredible experiences, a feature the event is known for.
Holmgreen recalled one such element as part of the 2020 EMEC held in Seville, Spain, describing an off-site spent in Andalusia: “Andalusia is well known for its horses and the Andalusian ranches, so we actually went out to a horse ranch and we used the horses to teach leadership, because the Andalusian horses are trained to actually teach their riders how to ride them. So, it was really, really cool seeing our attendees engage with these horses but actually learn from them.”
MPI is currently preparing to release RFPs for the 2026 and 2027 EMEC events.
