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VISION

The events of September 11 jolted us like a bolt of lightning. All the papers that just minutes ago screamed “URGENT” suddenly seemed so trivial.  

Stunned, I watched the nightmare unfold on both TV and CRT screens.  With great difficulty, I pulled myself out of the trance and called a web meeting of the CIMPA Board - "What can we do?'  

There were the immediate action items: 

1. Donate blood and ask members to donate blood

2. Communicate.

3. Offer help to victims’ families.

 

Yes, of course. Done.

 

But what of this organization? Are we doing something meaningful? Are we contributing something to humankind? 

 

The Board has met in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon several times. We could have been in either location on September 11, as 3 of our colleagues were - and we would have been history. Could we, at the moment our lives passed before our eyes say that we have done something meaningful? That some people were better off because we existed?

 

The questions led to more questions. What are we doing? Why are we doing them?

Between watching the heartbreaking scenes of the twin towers and the Pentagon exploding, people screaming, rescuers rummaging through tons of rubble for signs of life - we decided to re-define our mission and purpose.

 

We have been on the right track, we agreed. We just need to re-define our priorities.

 

Priority will now be given to actively connecting peoples of the world through meetings, travel and the internet.

 

PROJECT: FRIENDSHIP CORPS

Friends, by definition, cannot be enemies. We can help build goodwill in the world through personal friendships - one person at a time. What we want is a world where people learn to tolerate and understand each other by meeting face to face and doing meaningful things together.

One conference participant asked, "If we understand each other more, wouldn't we fear each other less?"

We want to make touching lives with tolerance, understanding and friendship a core practice in travel and meetings. One life at a time.

We cannot be everything to everyone. We just want to be known as the organization which organizes meetings with a purpose.

Our annual ITMIC meeting will be the training ground of meeting and travel professionals whose focus is to bring people together in their quest for tolerance, understanding and friendship. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

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How You Can Help

 

 

December 7 - 10, 2011 -- Albuquerque, NM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Us

Connected International Meeting Professionals Association (CIMPA)

8803 Queen Elizabeth Blvd, Annandale, Virginia 22003 USA

Tel 1 512 684 0889 Fax 1 267 390 5193

Email us