Meeting Professional International Chicago Hosts TechCon 2013

CHICAGO, IL, January 25, 2013 (Press-News.org) Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the meeting and event industry's largest and most vibrant global community, announced that the Chicago area chapter will host the third-annual TechCon at the Illinois Institute of Technology on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The one-day information-packed event will feature 16 speakers and 30 exhibitors throughout the day, and a closing reception in the evening. This immersive conference gives event planners, event suppliers, marketing professionals, brand advertisers, agencies and business leaders the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the ever-changing social and digital landscape. Information about the conference is at http://mpitechcon.com.

Scott Stratten, author and president of UnMarketing, will open the event in his keynote on connecting technology with engagement as it relates to marketing, branding, public relations, social media, human resources and customer service.

Other notable speakers for the conference include: Sara Santiago, founder and president of Roll Mobile; Andrew Crestodina, co-founder and strategic director of Orbit Media Studios, Inc.; Sebastien Tondeur, CEO of MCI Headquarters Worldwide; Eric Rozenberg, president of Swantegy; Mana Ionescu, founder and president of Lightspan Digital; and Tim McDonald, community manager of Huffington Post Live, among others.

The weekend prior to TechCon 2013, Cibola, Chicago's newest tech/entrepreneurial incubator and co-working hub for startups, in partnership with MPI, will host the event and meeting industry's first hackathon. The 48-hour event will start on Friday, Feb. 15 and end on Sunday, Feb. 17. HackMPI will accept suggestions from TechCon attendees, MPI members and the event industry at large, to promote the development of a new app, technology or software solution to the challenges in the event and meeting industry. Voting on the solution will take place at the TechCon conference on Tuesday, Feb. 19. For a complete schedule or to register for free, visit http://hackmpi.eventbrite.com.

"For the last 40 years, MPI has committed to being a strong and diverse community of meeting and business event professionals that strives to give its members the very best in professional development, business opportunities and a vibrant industry community," said MPI Chicago President Sean Lynch. "TechCon was designed by industry thought leaders and innovators to cut through the noise and deliver a real world glimpse into social media and digital strategies and what the future holds."

The multi-track event will feature workshops throughout the day beginning with a breakfast reception at 7:30 a.m. To check out the conference agenda, session descriptions and speakers, visit http://mpitechcon.com/#rt-showcase-panel. TechCon 2013 is priced economically at $145 for MPI members, $175 for non-members, $75.00 for students and faculty. Pre-registration ends on Jan. 31 and prices are subject to increase. Register at http://mpitechcon.com/mpitechcon-registration.

About Meeting Professionals International
Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the meeting and event industry's largest and most vibrant global community, helps its members thrive by providing human connections to knowledge and ideas, relationships and marketplaces. MPI membership is comprised of more than 21,000 members, belonging to 71 chapters and clubs worldwide. MPI's Chicago area chapter, the Chicago Area Chapter, is the largest chapter in MPI with more than 1,200 members.

To learn more about MPI:
MPI Chicago Area Chapter Website: http://www.mpicac.org
MPI Chicago Area Chapter on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chicagompi
MPI TechCon 2013 Website: http://www.mpitechcon.com
MPI TechCon 2013 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPITechCon