MPI President’s Letter: December 2024

After 18 months, this will be my final President’s Message to you. It has been said: “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” To see where this chapter is after COVID, to see where this Board is after 18 months of service (versus the standard 12 months), this quote has never rung truer than today. I am so proud of this Board and this chapter, how we have grown and how much we stronger we are 18 months later. It's been a while since my last message, so I’d like to highlight the incredible work the team has done over the last few months.

June saw our beloved volunteer appreciation event where our chapter formally thanks all of our volunteers (64 of them) for their unpaid service throughout the year. The Member Events team worked tirelessly for months to put together the chapter’s first ever, in-person ‘Around the World Amazing Race’. Most challenges at each stop were hand made by our Member Events Director Carla DeKoning, her husband and the Member Events committee volunteers. Participants were then treated to a BBQ at the Ottawa Tennis Club. The entire event was so wholesome and well received by our 55 attendees that the Amazing Race challenges will mostly likely return annually. This event was just another example of how passionate and hard working our Member Events team is to ensure membership has creative ways to network with their colleagues. Congratulations to the ‘Cities in Sync’ team which took home the grand prize (spoiler alert: it was not a million dollars). 

Photo Credit: Pinpoint Photography

September hosted our chapter’s annual Prix Prestige Awards show. The event drew 245 guests to honour the best and brightest in our chapter. The Awards team lead by Director Rebecca Narr and co-chairs Jenny Dao and Michel Kafrouny did a beautiful job using the event to also honour the 40-year anniversary of the Ottawa chapter with a compilation video of all the Past Presidents and an address by the Chapter’s very first President Mr. Bob Davis. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, we are so lucky to have your industry contributions as part of our chapter’s reputation. 

Photo Credit: Pinpoint Photography

The Education team led by VP Courtney Jones and Director Meredith Slack hosted their last event of the year which was a beautiful storytelling by Elder Camille Pablo Russell to the 32 attendees on how connection builds bridges between communities. There was focus on the role of events to build these bridges, to honour the indigenous communities and to be thoughtful in integrating indigenous elements into events. For me, this type of event highlighted again the important role the education team and session moderators play for our chapter by creating safe spaces for our members to feel comfortable being vulnerable, to bring their questions forward and facilitating growth as event professionals and cultural stewards. For more information about this event, please read Ted Robinson’s article in News & Views.

Finally, the chapter closed out the year with our annual Festive Dinner in late November. Again, the Member Events team surpassed all expectations with a medieval/Game of Thrones theme “Winter is Coming”, at a beautifully restored church (All Saints) which now acts as an event space. Our 70 incredibly well-dressed guests feasted family-style, played games and celebrated their throne wins in the photo booth. Congratulations again to the Member Events team for their hard work on this event in ensuring our members have a unique way to network and express their creativity without the fear of a ‘Red Wedding’ taking place (IYKYK). 

Photo Credit: Pinpoint Photography

The end of any journey gives one pause for reflection, and I have had the opportunity to do that with my time as President. I remember sitting in my event management class in 2008 at Algonquin College and one of my professors was Carole Saad. Carole at the time was working at an event planning firm, was President of the MPI Ottawa Chapter and teaching at the local college. I remember thinking what an inspiration she was (especially as a successful female) and how I wanted to pave a similar career path.

When I was first beginning in my role as President, I was asked by Global what was the “legacy” I wanted to leave. I was immediately struck with panic and pressure to have something to leave behind when my Presidency of Canada’s second largest MPI chapter was over; possibly a new sub-committee? a new event? an award of excellence? At that time, I really wasn’t sure. As my role progressed, I realized that the magic and success come from the everyday tasks as President; reading of monthly Board reports to monitor portfolios’ progress, responding to Basecamp threads where passionate ideas are first born and listening to ardent discussions in Zoom meetings eventually helping two parties come to an agreement. It’s shaking hands with other industry professionals at events to see where we can collaborate, it’s reading the monthly banking statements to ensure the chapter remains fiscally viable and it’s evaluating the post-event reports to see where improvements can be made to better our education and networking events for our members.

I recently told the incoming (2025) Board of Directors that no one has to leave a legacy in the form of something tangible for others to see. Your legacy could be a networking event you worked on that brought two members together who are now collaborating on an event together to help change their community.

Maybe you worked on an education event about mental health and you provided a resource that gave a member the courage to walk away from a toxic job. Maybe you helped develop a sponsorship prospectus that created the perfect fit for a sponsor to reach their target audience to create some magic. The point is, never underestimate the impact of the day to day tasks. Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.

I came to this position on the shoulders of giants. Presidents and Board members who started this chapter with nothing, operated without policies or paid administrative support, operated in recessions, operated in a global pandemic when events were banned. Seeing the video of the 39 Presidents before me at the Prix Prestige Awards made me realize that everyone in every role they hold is just a small player in the success of this chapter. Our legacy, and I use the word “our” is collective and compounded. You have to leave the Board and your chapter in a strong position for not just the President and Board that succeeds you but for the chapter and the members five and ten years down the road. If that end goal is not adhered to and it’s a nihilistic mentality with our volunteers, the chapter will not survive.

In early November, our Board hosted a retreat where outgoing and incoming board members gathered to plan the 2025 year through feedback surveys, budgeting and event calendars. The most important work completed at that retreat was the creation of our chapter’s three-year strategic plan. This plan will clearly define our objectives as a chapter and identify the short-term goals we want to achieve for our membership. The energy and enthusiasm in the room was incredible with the new Board members. The 2025 Board has planners, suppliers, executive directors, entrepreneurs, association experts and five Past Presidents! Based on the quality of discussions at the retreat, I have no doubt that 2025 will be one of the most exciting years for our chapter lead by our new President Bruce Landry.

Special thank you to the Holiday Inn & Suites Kanata who absolutely rolled out the red carpet for us for this retreat. The service received from them was on par with a 5-star hotel. The General Manager Alana Haining made special mention to our Board during one of our health breaks that she is honoured her property can help us come together to craft the strategic future of our chapter. It was so touching to see a member of our chapter appreciate the hard work our board does and want to give back in their own way by hosting us. Thank you Alana and the Holiday Inn & Suites Kanata team. We appreciate you! 

I want to say a personal thank you to the 2023-2024 Board of Directors for working tirelessly for 18 months to bring events, education, sponsorship opportunities, communications and member value to our Ottawa chapter. I remain in awe of your passion, dedication and the incredible impact you have made. It has been inspiring both for myself and for the chapter, to work alongside such remarkable leaders.

To the membership, thank you for your trust in me as your chapter President. It has been a true honour and a pleasure of my career to serve this incredible chapter, a chapter that has given me so very much: my thriving career and long-lasting friendships. Remember to always be proud of the important role you play in our communities and our economy with your events. When we meet - we change the world. 

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