The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) has announced details of its 2025 annual conference with the theme Equipped to Excel as part of the MIA’s ongoing commitment to focusing on excellence.
Dedicated to creating practical solutions for two of the most critical drivers of organisational success – people and performance – this year’s conference will empower attendees to co-create innovative responses to evolving employee expectations, prioritise actions for long-term success and align individual purpose with business goals to build resilient, sustainable and future-ready organisations.
The opening keynote, centred on People, will be delivered by former RAF combat helicopter pilot Sarah Furness. Whilst leading Special Forces missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sarah discovered that resilience and performance are not instinctive, but they can be learned. Her insights will help attendees unlock the potential of teams to thrive under pressure.
On Performance, Olympic Gold Medallist Ben Hunt-Davis MBE will share the game-changing mindset that took the GB Men’s Eight rowing team from years of underachievement to gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Anchored by one transformative question – ‘Will it make the boat go faster?’ – Ben’s approach challenges teams to cut through noise and focus on what truly matters to achieve sustainable, results-driven success in any organisation.
On being future-ready, closing the day, TV presenter, author and three-time Speaker of the Year Dr Jaz Ampaw-Farr will weave humour and lived experience into an energising session on ‘re-storying’ our personal and professional journeys, empowering every delegate to leave 10% braver and ready to drive real change.
Chief Executive of the MIA, Shonali Devereaux, said: “Equipped to Excel is about more than inspiration, it’s about action. This year’s conference is designed to spark the thinking, insights and leadership needed to develop tangible strategies that address our most pressing people and performance challenges. When our industry collaborates on real solutions, we not only excel today, but we also ensure sustainable success for tomorrow.”
The full MIA 2025 Conference programme is available here. The event will take place from 09.30 to 16:15 on 6 November at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, ahead of the miaList awards that evening.
Early bird tickets for the conference start from £225 +VAT if booked before 12 September, and £275 +VAT thereafter. Please note that tickets for the daytime conference and evening dinner and awards must be purchased separately. An additional £15 discount is available for those who book to attend the miaList before registering for the conference.