News Around Town – JUNE 2022

Welcome members 

Welcome back to our supplier member, Violeta Maniotakis, Sales Manager at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.

Welcome to our student member, Evena Louis Brutus.

Congratulation members

Congrats Emily McKay for completed her Event DEI Strategist Certificate.

Jennifer Beatty, DES, HMCC

Candace Schierling

Lydia Blanchard

Michael Kafrouny, WEMM, HVED

Congratulations to these Ottawa MPI Chapter members for being recognized as one of MPI’s 50-up-and-comers to watch in our industry! To read the full list click: MPI Watch List

MPI Announcements

Call for Volunteers – Ottawa Food Bank

📢Attention MPI Ottawa members! Are you looking to get out and see some colleagues while helping out the community? Come out and join the community outreach committee in June! They have two upcoming volunteer opportunities with the Ottawa Food Bank

• Friday, June 24th – 1:00-4:00 PM at the Ottawa Food Bank’s Community Harvest Farm and Wednesday
• June 29th – 9:30-11:30 AM – Food Sorting at the Ottawa Food Bank depot (1317 Michael St.).

Email Courtney Jones (cjones@royalcollege.ca) for details and registration link.

Call for Volunteers – Prix Prestige Awards Gala

We are looking for volunteers to join the Awards Gala Committee in all positions: Chairs, social media, programming, etc.

The event will take place in late October/early November - join us in helping plan our first in-person awards since 2019!
If you are interested, please email president@mpitottawa.ca by June 30th. 

WEC announces World Education Congress (WEC) 2025 and 2026 Destinations and looks ahead to 2023 and 2024

Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the world's largest industry association for meeting and event professionals, is excited to announce destinations for the next four editions of the World Education Congress (WEC). WEC is MPI’s signature event, drawing approximately 2,500 event professionals annually.

After careful review the following destinations have been selected to host the 2023- 2026 editions of WEC.

• WEC heads to Riviera Maya, Mexico in June 2023 at the Barcelo Maya Riviera resort. This will mark the second time since 2019 that WEC has taken place outside the U.S. and is aligned with MPI’s dedication to think global.
• Previously announced, WEC returns in 2024 to St. Louis, Missouri, where it was last held in 2012.
• In 2025, WEC will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, where for the first time in more than a decade, WEC will return to the southeastern U.S.
• Also announced recently, the association’s largest annual event will make its way to San Antonio, TX in 2026

To read full article click: MPI WEC

For latest news or to register click: WEC SF

State of the Industry

Elimination of vaccination’s mandate on June 20^th

The Government of Canada announced that, as of June 20, 2022, it will suspend vaccination requirements for domestic and outbound travel, federally regulated transportation sectors and federal government employees.

Federally regulated transportation sector workers

• As of June 20, 2022, at 00:01 EDT, employers in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine sectors will no longer be required to have mandatory vaccination policies in place for employees.
• Employers will be responsible for establishing return-to-work practices.
• Furthermore, the Government of Canada is no longer moving forward with the proposed regulations to make vaccination mandatory in all federally regulated workplaces.

Masking Requirements

• Travellers on federally regulated planes and trains continue to be required to wear a mask throughout their journey except for brief periods.
• Passengers on cruise ships will be expected to follow the masking requirements and other hygiene measures as directed by the ship’s crew, regardless of whether they are foreign or domestic.

To read full press release click: Canada

Tourism Week 2022

Travel Now: For Work, Life, and Play!

Did you know, this year’s seven-day celebration of Tourism in Canada was held May 29^th to June 4^th! Tourism Week is an annual invitation for all tourism partners to come together to champion and promote Canada’s destinations, tourism businesses, and employees – from coast to coast to coast. After more than two devastating years for tourism, border restrictions have finally been removed. That’s why this year’s theme is Travel Now: For Work, Life, and Play!

“As Canada’s tourism sector moves into phase of rebuilding and growth following the COVID-19 lockdowns and emergency measures, there is understandable excitement and optimism in the air,” says Minister Boissonnault.

“After two years, we are safely welcoming domestic and international visitors back, showcasing Canada as a destination of choice on the global stage thanks to our country’s values of safety, respect, and inclusivity,” says Minister Boissonnault. “We are working with all orders of government, industry and indigenous partners to renew the Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, and set the course for growth, investment and stability in the sector for decades to come.

To read full press release click: Tourism Week 2022

Industry News in General

In Ontario, most masking requirements lifted on June 11^th

“With high vaccination rates and Ontario’s COVID-19 situation continuing to improve, most of the province’s remaining provincial masking requirements, including on public transit, expired as of 12:00 a.m. on June 11, 2022.

To continue providing an additional layer of protection for the most vulnerable, masks will still be required in long-term care and retirement homes. Masking is recommended in higher-risk congregate living settings, such as shelters and group homes.

While masking requirements are expiring, organizations may implement their own policies.

To read full press release: June11th

Introducing 40 under 40 Ottawa’s recipients

A joint initiative of Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Board of Trade, the awards have become widely recognized as the region’s most sought-after business award for people under the age of 40.  

This year’s competition once again attracted hundreds of applicants from a wide range of industries, who were assessed and ranked based on business accomplishments, professional experience and community involvement. 

The 2022 selection committee included Charlotte Karam and Gregory Richards from the Telfer School of Management Executive MBA, Robert Rhéaume from BDO Canada, Lise Sarazin from the Casino & Hilton Lac-Leamy, and alumnus Pascal St-Jean from TEC Canada. OBJ publisher Michael Curran chaired the committee.

To read full article: 40 under 40

Upcoming Industry Events

Taking a break for the summer, more events to come in September.

📅 June 21-23^rd, 2022 – San Francisco

World Education Congress

MPI is 50 this year and with 50 years comes the return of the World Education Conference 2022 to San Francisco over the dates of June 21-23!

📢 Stay tuned in July for an Insider Experiences Article reporting back on WEC San Francisco.

📅 July 13^th, 2022 – Ottawa, Lansdowne Park

Yogathon

🧘‍♂️Save the date now for another session of “Moon Yoga” in support of the MPI Foundation🧘‍♀️ July 13^th - 9PM to 10PM (*Arrive early for networking & to set up your mat*) Lansdowne Park, The Great Lawn, 452 Queen Elizabeth Dr, Ottawa ON K1S 3W7

*Alternate Location for Inclement Weather: Horticulture Building *
the “Donate to Participate” link will be ready soon!

Throwback Pictures

📅 June 6^th – MPI Ottawa Chapter Annual Golf Tournament at Metcalf Golf Course

📅 June 14^th – Full Moon Yoga in support of the MPI Foundation at Lansdowne Park

Click here to read the Insider Events Article

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