For the last two years, Meeting Professional International’s (MPI) World Education Congress (WEC) offered attendees cuddle time in the MarketSquare areas. North Star Therapy Animals, a non-profit based in St. Louis Park, MN, brought several dogs and a rabbit to WEC 2014 in Minneapolis.
According to MPI’s Events Team, puppy cuddling was by far the most popular area in MarketSquare! No official count was taken for attendee participation at WEC 2015; many visited the area numerous times. Most were pet parents who needed to be able to “love on” the dogs in the absence of their own at home. The dogs were extremely well behaved and trained to be able to handle large crowds.
MPI provided a cash donation to the therapy animal non-profits.