#156 Melinda Burdette: Planning for Planners

As the senior director of events for Meeting Professionals International (MPI), Melinda Burdette oversees the association’s annual meetings. MPI's main events include the World Education Congress and the European Events and Meetings Conference. Planning experiences for thousands of meeting professionals can seem like a daunting task, but Burdette is well-equipped for the job. She is a Certified Meeting Professional and has worked in the medical, nonprofit, and corporate meetings and events industry.

How to Think About Meetings

Burdette's career has been varied. She has been a medical meeting planner, a corporate planner and a member of the Atlanta Braves' game-day staff. MPI was a logical next step. "One of the reasons I came to MPI is I wanted to give back to the industry. I wanted to teach that next generation, or the next couple of generations, or even my colleagues about how to think about meetings differently."

"I am, what my CEO calls me, the head chef of chefs. It keeps me on my toes," she said. With a constant eye on future trends, Burdette calls it a pendulum swing. "I've been doing this for so long that there's probably not a trend outside of AI that I haven't already used or experienced," she said.

Managing a Controlled Explosion

Burdette often refers to event logistics as managing controlled explosions. Every time MPI has a face-to-face gathering, Burdette and her team are responsible for registration, housing, logistics, meeting specs, F&B, the attendee journey, exhibitors, and more. "We handle all the logistics, be that a 20 person meeting or one for 20,000."

"I am, what my CEO calls me, the head chef of chefs. It keeps me on my toes," she said. With a constant eye on future trends, Burdette calls it a pendulum swing. "I've been doing this for so long that there's probably not a trend outside of AI that I haven't already used or experienced," she said.

Surprising Second-Tier Cities

"When we go to a mid-tier city, we're the big fish in a smaller pond. We've been doing it for many years and we'll continue to do it. We're going to St. Louis next year and San Antonio the year after that," she said. Burdette always looks to surprise attendees through the meeting's location or a new food and beverage opportunity. At least one surprise is always part of the plan.

Keeping a Cool Head

Burdette feels that having a sense of humor is a basic need for planners, with so many unpredictable things happening that you just can't make up. "If you don't have a sense of humor about meetings and events, you're not going to last very long because I promise you, we could make a reality show about this that would outsell any Real Housewives," said Burdette.

Many of the events Burdette plans include outdoor gatherings. As excessive heat continues to impact not just the U.S. but the world, plans must be put in place to address the health and safety of attendees. Water, cooling stations and misting fans are must-haves. "I go into every one of the locations we are meeting in and say, 'What's the worst case scenario here?'"

Burdette prioritizes the health and safety of attendees. "We consider the safety of attendees every step of the way: at the airport, ride from the airport to the hotel, walk from the hotel to the venues, bus situation, and convention center."

Burdette doesn't let on the chaos that may be happening behind the scenes. "As the person in charge, I must remain calm, cool, and collected, at least as far as you can see, because I can promise you I'm like a duck swimming to keep my head above water."