Committee Profiles – Education Committee

Name and designations: Bruce Landry (he/him) 
Position: Program Officer, Member Relations
Employer: Colleges and Institutes Canada

MPI Contact information: 
Role in MPI: Director of the Education Committee
Email: edu-events@mpiottawa.ca 
Linked IN: Bruce Landry (he/him) | LinkedIn   

Committee Members

• Allyson Tonelli, Tourism Kingston, Chair, Masks, Vaxx and Pass: Fall in Line with Event Protocols, November 17, 2021
• Courtney Jones, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Chair, GMID: Spring into NICE, April 7, 2022
• Daniela Caputo, Montreal Event Planner, Chair, The Coolness of Roundtables, January 26, 2022
• Emily McKay, Invest Ottawa, Education Committee Marketing lead
• Lynn Chiasson, Centre des congrès de Québec 
• Zeina Archerir, Event Management graduate and founder of Neina Events 
• Desmond Lomas, Explore Edmonton, VP of Education Programming, MPI Ottawa 
• Bruce Landry, Colleges and Institutes Canada, Director of Education Programming, MPI Ottawa 

What are you currently working on in your committee?

The Education Committee always has something exciting on the horizon, as we go through our ‘Seasons of Learning!’ 

January 26, 2022 – The Coolness of Roundtables: What’s our Future?
We’ll be going into two rounds of 40-minute roundtable discussions on four crucial topics, as we look at the future of the new normal:
- Sustainability at events: Making intentional change
- Intentional event design: embedding safety
- The 5th wave: Navigating contracts in the new context
- Tips (no tricks) for a fulfilling and sustainable career in the event industry 

April 7, 2022 – GMID 2022: The ROI of NICE
Ottawa Meet Week is going to be a unique experience built from great collaboration. Along with CSAE, PCMA and REVEAL, we’re collaborating to build a calendar that’s sure to keep everyone motivated, engaged and energized – let’s do it! 

What are you committee’s top three goals for this year?

1. Continuing to explore and adapt as the world, regulations and policies continue to shift. Check out the Roundtable discussions for event adaptation discussions and GMID where we will workshop how to adapt our own approach.
2. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – we are currently surveying to ensure that members feel heard and represented and expanding our diversity in visibility to make sure everyone feels seen.
3. Post-pandemic recovery – as we adapt to a new normal, we are now exploring the event industry’s new methods with environmental, mental health and social justice considerations. 

What are the benefits of volunteering with your committee?

The benefits of volunteering in general are very vast.

• Building your network
• Learning alternate methods and approaches – recovering together and learning from one another – added value when speaking at work
• Joy of giving back while still developing your career
• Connections with people of all levels, those who have a shared passion
  TO LIST ONLY A FEW!

Last words

From my work at Colleges and Institutes Canada to my involvement with MPI Ottawa, I truly believe in, and see the power of Nelson Mandela’s words: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” If we continue to learn from each other, the event industry is in a great position to positively impact the planet and build more inclusive communities.

Article edited by Darlene Kelly-Stewart | LinkedIn at Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services