Award-winning Artist and Transformational Speaker, Gill Hicks, announced as Keynote for EMEC

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) announced Gill Hicks as its keynote speaker for their signature European event, the 2021 European Meetings and Events Conference (EMEC), which takes place virtually on 15 June, 2021. Hicks will present "The Only Way is Forward" as part of the full-day education and networking programme. Gill Hicks will deliver a keynote that challenges EMEC participants to consider their impact on the world. In a time when the meeting and event industry is poised for a comeback, this is also time for professionals to envision how the industry can transform for the better at a time of so much change.

Suicide bomber

In July 2005, Hicks was severely and permanently injured, losing both her legs, from the actions of a suicide bomber in the attack on London’s transport networks. The event changed her life and she combined her passion for design and her devotion to building peace, by forming M.A.D. Minds, an agency devoted to solutions for societal change.

Award-winning artist

She’s an award-winning artist and most recent award recipient for her live theatre at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the world’s largest open access arts festival. In addition to her work as an artist, she is also a musician, published author and mother. Prior to the bombings, Gill was a respected figure within the fields of Architecture and Design in London and has continued to be recognized and awarded for her many contributions to the arts, healthcare and peace-building.

Direct link to WEC

The education at the 32nd annual EMEC will build on its innovation and education partnership with MPI’s nearly 1,000 European members and nine chapters and clubs to produce a virtual event that is designed for Europeans by Europeans. This year’s event will create a first-ever direct link to MPI’s World Education Congress (WEC), taking place 15-17 June, 2021 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada.