Red Ocean Thinking

Sorry, I have to clarify myself. Of course it has to be Blue Ocean Strategy. But you will understand why I started like this in a minute, because thanks to - MPI’s President and CEO - Bruce MacMillan's exposition on MPI's new strategy in Brussels, Blue Ocean Thinking has drawn the attention of the meetings industry journals. MPI has made a huge leap forward by inviting the European Meetings Press for a special press conference. That's a recognition for the profession of 'writing'. During all those years, the press has given a lot to MPI, by writing selflessly about the association that's also a very successful and profitable company. Meetings Magazines have been MPI's sponsor for all that time, without ever asking too much back. This kind of recognition that MPI is showing towards the Meetings Press is also part of Blue Ocean thinking: dealing with a naturally loyal partner in a different way!
Let me return to the essence of the story. What is Blue Ocean Strategy? Blue Ocean Strategy is a strategical approach developed by Kim and Mauborgne, both working for INSEAD. The central idea is that you shouldn't fly at your competition because that would produce a value destructive effort. No, the best way to face the competition is to outrun it. "Don´t compete with your rivals, make them irrelevant". Because the battle for growth by means of competititive advantage, more cost reduction, a better market share and/or differentation, only leads to a 'bloody red ocean of rivals who fight like sharks'. They illustrate their theory with organisations like Southwest Airlines, Starbucks and Cirque du Soleil. Blue Ocean Strategy is based on the analysis of 150 large and smaller companies that realised such strategic value innovation. And who knows, perhaps they forgot about MPI? For the first edition of the book 150,000 copies were printed. To everyone in the meetings industry who wants to change his mind, I'd say: read the book!