Events, Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the global association for meeting and event professionals, has announced destinations for the next four editions of the World Education Congress (WEC), with events in Rivera Maya, Mexico (2023); St. Louis, Missouri (2024); Louisville, Kentucky (2025); and San Antonio, Texas (2026).
WEC is MPI’s signature event, drawing approximately 2,500 event professionals annually. The event aims to provide leading edge education, share the latest industry innovations and ultimately take risks in its design and implementation, so that attendees can glean from its learnings.
WEC heads to Riviera Maya, Mexico in June 2023 at the Barcelo Maya Riviera resort. This will mark the second time since 2019 that WEC has taken place outside the U.S. and is aligned with MPI’s dedication to think global. “In the Mexican Caribbean, we are very excited to be hosting the World Education Conference 2023, where we will have the opportunity to showcase not only all the beautiful sceneries that our destination has, but also the facilities, meetings infrastructure and the high-quality service that the meeting professionals of the Mexican Caribbean offer,” states Dario Flota, CEO for Quintana Roo Tourism, “We are confident that WEC 2023 will be a great experience, and with that joy we are preparing everything to welcome you and make this event one of the best yet.”
Previously announced, WEC returns in 2024 to St. Louis, Missouri, where it was last held in 2012.
In 2025, WEC will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, where for the first time in more than a decade, WEC will return to the southeastern U.S. “It is an honor to host MPI WEC and welcome the industry to Louisville in 2025,” says Cleo Battle, President and CEO at Louisville Tourism, “By hosting one of the industry’s major think tanks, we are moving our business forward together and creating growth opportunities for both Louisville as a destination and our peers.”ADVERTISEMENTAlso announced recently, the association’s largest annual event will make its way to San Antonio, Texas in 2026. “San Antonio is very excited to host the World Education Congress (WEC) for the first time in 2026,” said Marc Anderson, President & CEO, Visit San Antonio, “San Antonio offers an experience unlike any other, where a cutting edge, modern meeting scene has evolved amid a city full of rich culture and history.”
“We are thrilled about our future WEC destinations.” said Annette Gregg, CMM MBA, Senior Vice President of Experience for MPI, “Each of these areas is unique, with authentic and diverse cultures. Their destination assets will help us craft incredible experiences for our WEC participants.”
This year’s WEC will take place in San Francisco, CA from June 21-23, where MPI will celebrate the return of meetings and events together as a global community. Registration for WEC San Francisco is now open.

Older
JW Marriott debuts in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city

Newer
VIVA Cruises launches first new build ship, VIVA ONE More

With the easing of travel restrictions and reopening of the Malaysian leisure and tourism industry, local residents have sought out to satiate their appetite for adventure and discovery by exploring the many wonderful holiday destinations this beautiful country has to offer. From exciting urban quests, to exotic beach escapades, to lofty mountaintop retreats – and everything in between – Malaysia certainly has it all, with so much just waiting to be seen and discovered.
For 21 GoPro content creators, it was certainly an opportunity for adventure and discovery when they were recently whisked away on a 3-Day-2-Night lush tropical getaway to Sabah’s Bungaraya Island Resort. The retreat is a continuation of the Dream Malaysia campaign by GoPro and Tourism Malaysia to amplify the success of the campaign held last year which sought to celebrate the beauty of local lifestyle and travel through the production of videos.
“With the reopening of travel and tourism, it will definitely be bigger and more exciting this time around. Beginning with this excursion with our creators to Gaya Island and other parts in Sabah, we will explore the length and breadth of East and West Malaysia from the most vantage and immersive angles that can only be shot using a GoPro,” said Rick Loughery, Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications at GoPro.
“Dream Malaysia seeks to inspire and amaze through the production of videos of Malaysia’s awesome and incredibly diverse destinations, which simply has to be seen and experienced to be appreciated – and what better way to achieve this than using the immense capability of a GoPro? Naturally, we are thrilled to work with Tourism Malaysia and ECHO Resorts to strategically reinvigorate travel and tourism by placing Malaysia as one of the most must-visit destinations in the world,” he added.
The content creators certainly received an unforgettable experience when ECHO Resorts closed out the entire tropical paradise of Bungaraya Island Resort, perched on the hillsides of Polish Bay on Gaya Island. They were feted to full board throughout the duration of the retreat, including accommodation, meals and a plethora of activities, which included diving, snorkeling, sailing, paddle boarding, and mangrove kayaking, among others.ADVERTISEMENTMeanwhile, the excursion also saw the GoPro team exploring other hidden wonders in Sabah, while engaging in activities which include river tubing at Tambatuon Eco-Village and visiting Tamu Kundasang, MOGGILAND Waterfall and Lasau Podi.
“With the reopening of Malaysia’s borders, the continuation of Dream Malaysia campaign kicks off at a truly opportune time. We are confident that the amazing video content created using GoPro’s industry-leading technology will play an incredibly instrumental role in showcasing Sabah and other local destinations to the world, especially those with an insatiable appetite for adventure travel,” said Dato’ Hj. Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia.
“This collaboration between Tourism Malaysia and GoPro also bears testament to the tremendous potential for economic development that can be realized through Public-Private Partnerships, which can be strategic and instrumental tools to accomplish what neither can do alone. But together, the sum can truly be greater than its parts. We certainly look forward to working with GoPro to realizing the dream of what we hope to be a truly successful campaign in every right. As Malaysia welcomes international visitors, let the adventure begin!” he added.

Older
Virgin Atlantic ups offerings on new A350s

Newer
UNWTO invites applications for Best Tourism Villages 2022 More