President’s Quarterly Message

Fall has always been one of my favourite seasons. It’s a season of transition with palpable excitement filling the air as we bid farewell to the leisurely days of vacation and embrace the vibrant possibilities that beckon us back to school and work. As someone who loves to work and considers herself a lifelong learner, the promise of new beginnings and fresh opportunities becomes an exhilarating undercurrent, reminding me that September holds within it, the power to transform our aspirations into realities. Just as the leaves change their hues, we too are poised for a colourful metamorphosis, ready to embark on a journey filled with potential growth and the sweet anticipation of what lies ahead after a restful summer.

Speaking of growth, by now you would have heard the announcement from MPI Global about the redesign plan for all local chapters around the world. The objective of this redesign is to better serve the membership and better support the dedicated chapter leader volunteers. The new structure will create Regional Councils that offer chapter leader volunteers increased support, direction and opportunities to cross collaborate and connect. As of September 28, two positions, Regional Vice Chair and Regional Chair for the Canadian region, are open for applications. I would strongly urge anyone from our Chapter who has previous Board experience and who is interested in MPI work on a national level to apply.

Locally speaking, our chapter returned rejuvenated after our summer vacation with both an education session and our highly anticipated Prix Prestige Awards ceremony and dinner. They happened on the same day (September 20) and we partnered with PCMA for the planning to offer two educational sessions: MPI education session for breakfast and PCMA education session for lunch. This was intentional by our chapter as we try to maximize the time spent in Ottawa for our sponsors and colleagues from outside the city who have to be away from the office and their family. You will continue to see more of this cross collaboration between our chapter and PCMA, CSAE and CanSPEP. 

The education session, ‘The Building Blocks of Sustainability’ offered pearls of wisdom from an experienced panel about integrating more sustainable elements when planning events. There were some incredible takeaways from this event that I am happy to share with those that could not attend:

Planners - include your sustainability initiative asks in RFPs to reinforce the importance of this item. 

Suppliers/Venues - be sure to "brag" about your advancements so potential clients are fully aware of the hard work that is already happening. 

DMOs - be aware of venue/supplier sustainability advances so they are included in bids and you can point clients in the right direction when they inquire on such items. There is a checklist on https://tsef.ca/ (The Sustainable Events Forum) that can give you tips to get started today. 

This past Summer saw weather patterns in Canada that we had never experienced before. Climate change is here and it is imperative to educate ourselves as meeting planners about the environmental toll of our events considering that events can cause substantial waste and leave indelible carbon footprints further exacerbating the climate crisis we’re in. If we are not part of the solution we will continue to be part of the problem. I want to once again thank our incredible Education Committee, our panelists and our moderator for their hard work on this event and the open and honest conversation you allowed us all to have in an effort to be better and do better.

The evening saw our much-anticipated Prix Prestige Awards and Dinner. As President, I know I should not have favourites but I have to admit, this is my favourite event of the year. All awards ceremonies are beautiful but this one takes on a profound significance when nominees are selected and evaluated by their peers within our own Chapter. The celebration is more meaningful as it reflects the acknowledgment and appreciation of those who intimately understand the complexities, dedication and passion that define one’s work. It’s more than just a nomination or a trophy, behind it is a heartfelt journey you have undertaken, a validation of your commitment and a testament to the positive impact you’ve had within our business events community. A huge congratulations to the Awards Committee who pulled off a spectacularly magical evening and innovated the standard planning process by adding two new awards for recognition this year. Congratulations to all the nominees in the various categories. I was one of the judges on the selection committee and I spent hours reading all the applications. I was filled with admiration witnessing firsthand the extraordinary contributions and unwavering dedication that make our MPI Ottawa community thrive. Finally, congratulations to our award winners. Your dedication to our chapter and pursuit of excellence within the meetings and event industry is something we should all aspire to. I’m incredibly honoured you choose to be a part of our chapter and share your talents with us.  

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank our incredible sponsors who supported both our sustainability focused education session and our Prix Prestige Awards. Your unwavering support both financially and strategic is instrumental in ensuring the success and resonance of our events. Your commitment to our shared values aligns seamlessly with the outcomes we aim to achieve for our chapter and the event community as a whole.  

My next message to you will be in December so I wanted to take this time to remind you of some exciting events coming up before then:

November 23, 12:00pm EST will see a 60-minute virtual presentation on anti-human trafficking hosted by the MPI Foundation. Our chapter is trying to organize a viewing party for those that are available to gather in person. This event will be free to attend thanks to the generosity of the MPI Foundation who is hosting this event for all Canadian chapters to facilitate a national discussion on this critical issue.

November 28^th will host our annual holiday social event which will revert back to a seated dinner format. I don’t want to spoil the surprise but you will die when you hear what the entertainment will be.

November 29^th will host our always popular Education Roundtable Event. The event will take place in the morning and topics and speakers will be announced soon but one table may be dedicated to a deeper discussion about anti-human trafficking from what was presented the week prior in the virtual session.

CSAE and PCMA are hosting conferences in November and we support our members attending them and sharing their knowledge with us when they return home. Finally, one of our chapter’s largest sponsors Marriott Hotels is hosting their annual ‘Marriott Gives Back’ holiday event on November 30 in Ottawa (by invite only).

As we are now a few weeks into the Fall season and back into the routines that work and school bring, I encourage each and every one of you to seize the exciting opportunities that await us in the final months of 2023. Harness the same enthusiasm that Fall brings to our lives and our minds and help us shape a collective future for our Chapter filled with promise and achievement for this next governance year!

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