Every year, event profs from around the world come together to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day. This year, we celebrated things a little differently.
On the 14th April, at a time when everyone was being asked to isolate themselves due to the global pandemic, the events industry came together like it has never done before, for #GMIDgoesvirtual.
The aim was to attempt to bring together 15,000 event profs to share knowledge,  and to break the Guinness World Record for most participants in a virtual meeting.
Looking into the future, Mélanie Joly (Former Minister of Canadian Heritage), shared “My message to the businesses out there, is a message of hope and confidence in our future. We need to make sure that we will cross the bridge together.”
With a total of 12,500 people connected online, #GMIDgoesvirtual was a triumph, highlighting the passion, creativity and connectedness of our industry.

Earlier in the day, Johnny D. Martinez, our Head of Marketing & Business Development at Shocklogic, was part of “Mind & body: mental and physical wellbeing” webinar hosted by  Events Industry Council. Johnny was joined by Mariela McIlwraith, Rachael Riggs and Stephanie Harris, to discuss three important pillars in the events industry: security, sustainability and wellness.
According to the IRF 2020 Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel study, two thirds of meeting planners revealed that stress has an incredible impact on their wellbeing.
Rachel mentioned “Today is the time to start thinking about your wellbeing and where you are with your job. Staying hydrated, maintaining a positive attitude and prioritizing self-care is essential.” She also explained that it is important to stay connected, and network with industry friends even virtual.
Johnny pointed out that we need to put our oxygen masks first, before helping others: “There’s no shame in talking to other people about your problems. As a millennial, I encourage others to step forward and acknowledge when they need support”. As a big advocate of mindfulness, Johnny explained the benefits of mindfulness and how it helps us stay in the present moment. He also hosted a live mindful breathing exercise.

Stephanie reminded us that amid the negative news on the global pandemic, it is important to keep track of the silver linings this crisis enables from a sustainability perspective: “We are living in a time of restricted access, so practicing sustainability has never been more on the forefront”.
We must think about the new habits that we can create right now, that can become more part of our lives in the future. From choosing to walk/cycle to work instead of public transportation, to being more conscious on how we can minimise our supplies to what we actually need. It really is an opportunity for us to shift our mindset.
To watch the full recording of #GMIDGoesVirtual, visit this link.
Written by Lorena Fasui, Digital Marketing Associate at Shocklogic