An annual conference focused on connecting the military and veteran communities is adding a new spin to its name as a way to help attendees get the most out of the event.
The Military Influencer Conference, also known as MIC, has been held annually since 2017, with a hiatus for in-person gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s event will be held in Atlanta from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, with more than 1,500 people expected to attend.
For many potential attendees, however, the word “influencer” in the event’s title can inspire eye-rolling and avoidance, a reaction organizers say they are trying to prevent.
“The whole ‘influencer’ word is a bad word,” said Curtez Riggs, who founded MIC in 2017. “Today, when we hear ‘influencer,’ we think of a glorified Instagram person or content creator. And that’s never really been my thing.”
Riggs said his team is now focused on presenting conference tracks and takeaways that offer alternatives to the “I” in the MIC acronym: inclusivity, influence through encouragement, nonprofit impact, entrepreneurial inspiration, and leadership impact.
“Those five have essentially become the overall pillars that shape what MIC is about and what the experience is,” he said. “And, of course, any of them is interchangeable.”
Individual tickets for the event range from $59 to $369 plus taxes and fees, according to the MIC website. While events are planned for all four days, the bulk of the sessions are scheduled for Oct. 1 and 2, Riggs said.
Held in Las Vegas for the past two years, Riggs moved the event south this year to base it in a military-centric community, something he felt the glitz of the Las Vegas Strip didn’t offer.
Doing so allowed him to expand the week’s offerings beyond the walls of the conference center and into the city. For example, MIC will host a VA disability rating clinic designed to help local veterans get on-the-spot evaluations.
This year’s MIC headliners include military and first responder advocate Jon Stewart, host of “The Daily Show,” best-selling author Jack Carr, and retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass. Attendees can choose from more than 100 different breakout sessions.
With such an overwhelming number of activities and sessions to choose from, Riggs recommends that attendees first download the Cvent conference app to view the entire conference. Newcomers to MIC should be sure to attend the Welcome Session on Sept. 30 to get their bearings.
“You come to MIC and you choose your own adventure,” he said. “You have to be willing to come out of your shell a little bit, you have to be willing to network.”
Visit MIC for details on the agenda and to purchase a ticket.
This article is written by Amy Bushatz.
