Member Spotlight - Erin Bellwood

5 Questions with Erin Bellwood (Erin Bellwood (She/Her/Hers) | LinkedIn) MPI Ottawa Chapter

Presentation

Your current role? I am the Events Manager for the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, IPAC Canada (ipac-canada.org) since August 2020.

Where do you study? I have a Bachelor’s in Communication. I also have a diploma in Public Relations. In 2016 I graduated from the Events Management Certification Program from Algonquin College.

Member MPI since when? I have been a member since January 2017. I have served on various committees. In 2019 I joined the MPI Ottawa Board of Directors and am currently the Director of the Marketing Committee.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career?

For sure, right now, it’s dealing with Covid19. The pandemic has shaken up the way we were doing things. It had forced us to understand the new world we live in with no information. We were walking into the unknown without being prepared. 

Outside of Covid19, I would say that having to explain and to defend your professional opinion to your stakeholders/clients is a challenge. How do you educate your stakeholders on your position? How do you explain why our role is important for the success of the event?

What is the biggest challenge facing our industry today & what should we do about it?

Again, right now, the biggest challenging is that our industry is not being at 100%. Because of that, we are losing people, others are changing careers. Once the recovery is on, mentoring and knowledge sharing will be crucial. There will be new people in our industry and we will have to educate them. We need to keep an agile mind and be flexible with the ongoing changes in our world.

What are you most passionate about outside of your career & the meeting industry?

My passion is volunteering & working to give back to my community.

I mentor in the college program I graduated from at Algonquin College. I love being able to mentor and foster new relationships with people looking into getting in our industry.

With MPI Global, I’m on the MPI Women's Advisory Board | Groups | LinkedIn & the Canadian Council for the MPI Meeting Professionals International: Overview | LinkedIn Foundation.

With MPI Ottawa Chapter: Overview | LinkedIn, I am the Director of the Marketing Committee.

What is the best advice someone gave you?

• The best advice is always lead through passion and understanding /empathy.
• It’s the little things.
• Get up and introduce yourself to prospects, it goes a long way. Understanding where your clients are coming from.
• Things will go wrong, it’s how you react and stay calm.

What advice would you give to someone considering to volunteer?

I always say yes, DO it. You meet great people. You get out of your shell. It helps you to connect. You learn, grow and collaborate with people from all backgrounds and cultures. Volunteering made me grow personally & professionally. You never know what you will find…

Final Words

I’ve got a lot out of my MPI membership. I’ve made friends for life through MPI and met wonderful people; so, I would say join MPI.

 Article written by Elodie Lortal (Elodie LORTAL, BHM, CMP | LinkedIn) National Arts Centre | Centre national des Arts: My Company | LinkedIn

Article Edited by: Darlene Kelly-Stewart, Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services