MPI Dynamic Duo: Protect the Room: Safety, Security, and the Threat You Didn’t See Coming

Safety in the meetings industry isn’t just a checklist — it’s a strategy, and in today’s environment, it’s more complex than ever. This session brings together two powerful perspectives: the operational realities of event security in an evolving threat landscape, and the lesser-known intersection of human trafficking with the hospitality industry. You’ll walk away knowing how to assess and strengthen your event security protocols, how to recognize warning signs hiding in plain sight at hotels and conferences, and how the same entrepreneurial mindset you bring to planning events can be applied to protecting the people inside them. Eye-opening, practical, and relevant to every meeting professional in the room — regardless of the size of your events.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Apply a strategy-based approach to event security — including hotel safety measures, attendee risk protocols, and crisis response planning — to better protect people, assets, and your organization’s reputation.
Recognize how human trafficking intersects with meetings and hospitality environments, and understand the warning signs that meeting professionals are uniquely positioned to spot and report.
Identify the gaps in your current safety planning and leave with concrete next steps to build more adaptable, proactive security programs across your events portfolio.
Understand how criminal enterprises — including trafficking networks — operate with business-level strategy, and how that knowledge can sharpen your own approach to risk awareness and prevention.