Members of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) from across the country gathered in Miami for the annual World Education Congress (WEC) to network, showcase their companies, and attend seminars. In one day, attendees walked the trade show floor for a few hours, and then prepared to spend Monday night party-hopping around the city's hottest spots, thanks to events organized by local and out-of-town companies.
Barry Jacobson, director of event management for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, hosted an event at sundown aboard the Biscayne Lady to showcase what the company can provide outside Orlando. The guests, about 120 WEC attendees, knew exactly where the party was, thanks to large Mickey and Minnie Mouse helium balloons tied to the 45-foot yacht. Servers holding trays of champagne and mojitos welcomed the invitees. Jacobson took the "Happiest Celebration on Earth" theme in use at the Disney parks and re-created it on the yacht. Inside, circular tables were dressed in blue or yellow linens and topped with four mini Mickey snow globes. Disney banners and flags waved from the boat's top level. Candy dispensers with tops shaped like Cinderella's castle adorned the food stations, piled high with fresh pasta, Caesar salad, various meats, and loads of desserts, such as chunks of chocolate, cakes, and cookies baked by the in-house caterer. Captain Mickey and special celebrity guest John Stamos posed for pictures with guests, who got complimentary 5- by 7-inch photos to take home. The Biscayne Lady announced the commencement of the 90-minute cruise around Biscayne Bay with a blast of its horns-specifically tuned to Disney's theme song, "When You Wish Upon a Star."
VISIT FLORIDA, the state's official source for travel planning, hosted an intimate evening called Colors of Florida at Paris Studios in Miami Beach, along with 24 co-hosts, including Hawk's Cay Resort and the Hollywood Beach Marriott, and convention and visitors bureaus from Kissimmee to Daytona. The exclusive evening for 150 MPI members, Florida suppliers, and other V.I.P.s began when Hello Florida arranged limousine transportation for all guests from their hotels to the event. A Joy Wallace Catering Production provided an array of passed hors d'oeuvres as guests mingled in the crisp white space, transformed with lighting into a colorful atmosphere to match the theme. Every 20 minutes, the space was drenched in a different shade (one of six primary colors).
Continue reading about the post-parties.
At an event for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts aboard the Biscayne lady, the yacht's interior was decorated with blue and yellow tables topped with mini Mickey Mouse snow globes.
The in-house catering crew of the Biscayne Lady prepared decadent desserts for the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts event.
For the Colors of Florida event, the lights in Paris Studios shifted color every 20 minutes.
At the Loews Hotel, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau set up a spread of hors d'oeuvres for guests to munch on before heading to dinner at Emeril's.
