April President’s Message

Now that the Easter Bunny has come and gone hopefully Spring will hop in shortly! The longer days, fresh air and sunshine are a much welcome reprieve from the winter darkness.

On April 12, 2018, leaders from across the meetings and events industry will come together to support the annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID). GMID events are held across the globe to demonstrate the measurable impact that meetings have on businesses, economies, and communities. Our Ottawa version will be taking place at the Brookstreet Hotel.

The planning committee, led by our Director of Strategic Education, Francine St-Martin, have done a fantastic job of putting together a program that highlights our chapters creativity and desire to find new ways to engage our members with our educational offerings.

GMID is a day that we all get to come together, whether it be face-to-face or online, to celebrate our industry and raise awareness for the significant economic impact that the meetings industry generates.

I think that it is incredibly poignant that our first joint multi-Canadian Chapter initiative, The Event, is being kicked off just following GMID. This much talked about and highly anticipated event will no doubt be a highlight for the year. I think that as members of MPI Ottawa we should be proud of the contribution our Chapter has made to bring this event to fruition. Months and months of planning will come together to provide a unique learning opportunity, through unique concepts, fantastic peer-to-peer engagement and the creativity of the sponsors who have been so willing to push boundaries and disrupt what we have come to expect from an educational program. This is truly something incredible and I hope that you are able to take advantage of it while it is on our “home turf”.

As we continue to celebrate the successes of our Chapter, take a moment to nominate a fellow MPI member for a Prix Prestige Award. Through the contributions of our members we are a stronger Chapter. We should recognize the excellence of our friends and colleagues and through this annual Awards program we can. The Prix Prestige Awards Gala will be held at the newly renovated National Arts Centre on May 1, 2018. On this evening, it truly is an honour to be nominated and I look forward to celebrating and cheering on all the incredible nominees.

Happy Spring!
Jen

   Article written by Jennifer McAndrew, Mastermind Event Rentals

Article Edited By Cynthia Beaudin, Canada Foundation for Innovation