Louisville Lands Major Industry Conference
City selected to host industry heavyweight MPI WEC for the first time
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 7, 2022) — Louisville will welcome the world’s largest industry association for meeting and event professionals in 2025 with the hosting of the Meeting Professional International’s (MPI) World Education Congress (WEC), scheduled for June 10-12, 2025. This marks the first time in more than a decade that WEC will return to the southeastern U.S. and the first time Louisville is a host city.
It is anticipated that 2500 attendees will be in Louisville for the event, which will convene at the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) and other venues throughout the city. Hosting this hospitality-related convention will result in an estimated economic impact of over $2 million for the city, however typically the full economic impact of hosting an industry event continues over the successive years following the event. MPI’s event data shows that after WEC, 75 percent of attending planners were more likely to book an event in the WEC destination.
After a competitive RFP process, Louisville was selected to demonstrate a further commitment to MPI’s intent to grow and design global experiences.
“We’re thrilled to bring WEC to Louisville for the first time,” said Annette Gregg, CMM, MBA, Senior Vice President of Experience for MPI, “From the Bourbon Trail to the iconic Churchill Downs, the destination has an exciting appeal for our participants. The downtown entertainment district is a perfect size for our conference and will create a great buzz for our offsite events.”
“MPI WEC is a prominent hospitality industry show our team attends annually and this hosting opportunity gives us the ability to showcase Louisville’s explosion of tourism infrastructure over the last decade,” said Cleo Battle, President & CEO of Louisville Tourism. “We look forward to seeing our industry peers experience the Kentucky International Convention Center’s $207 million renovation and expansion, diverse hotels and historic Whiskey Row to give these attendees and meeting planners plenty of reasons to return to our city after WEC concludes.”
By hosting MPI’s WEC, Louisville will also have the opportunity to gain a full year’s worth of exposure to an international audience of meeting planners prior to the event through MPI’s website, conference materials and advertising in trade and local media outlets.
“Louisville is beyond thrilled to be selected as the 2025 host city and we are excited for conference attendees to experience the city’s unique brand of Southern hospitality, iconic attractions, Urban Bourbon Trail® experience and rich culinary scene,” added Battle, who is also the Chair-Elect of MPI.
MPI membership provides industry-leading professional development, networking and marketplace opportunities and the annual WEC meeting is a signature event with both formal and informal face-to-face activities. WEC helps attendees acquire new skills and connect with industry peers and partners to expand their business network all while growing the future of the meeting and events industry.
