Meeting association books Tampa for annual conference

An organization focused on meetings is coming to Tampa for, well, a meeting.

Visit Tampa announced Tuesday that Meeting Professionals International, a meeting and event industry association, will host its annual World Education Congress in Tampa in 2030.

The event is expected to draw 2,500 attendees, according to the visitor’s bureau, and will be start June 10 and close June 12. There is no information yet on what the economic impact is going to be.

What it did say in a statement is that over the next several years, as it prepares for the congress, MPI will work with Visit Tampa Bay and the Tampa Convention Center “to create an industry-shaping experience for attendees — one that blends business innovation with the energy and hospitality of this thriving destination.”

The congress is MPI’s signature event featuring educational programs as well as business and networking opportunities for meeting and event planners.

The World Education Conference was held in St. Louis this year and drew 1,900 in-person attendees, according to the organization. Of those, 984 were first-time attendees and 104 were international attendees.

In all, the conference offered 113 educational sessions and 165 speakers and facilitators.

Next year’s conference is scheduled for San Antonio.

According to a report on Visit Tampa Bay’s website, 28.2 million visitors spent $6 billion across Hillsborough County in 2024.