News Around Town – November 2021

News Around Town – NOVEMBER 2021

Member Announcements

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new and returning members:


Tracy Campbell, Business Events Representatives for Outaouais Tourism. Tracy has worked in the tourism industry, more specifically in sales, hospitality and events, for almost twenty years. She is passionate about travelling.


Amy Cook, works at McCabe. McCabe is a marketing company that creates unforgettable brand campaigns by carrying individualized concepts through reality.

Pamela Gosewich, Independent Contract. Pamela is experienced and skilled in member services and event planning for not-for-profit organizations.


Nick Litt, Sales Manager for the Les Suites Hotel Ottawa. Nick is responsible for developing long-term relationships with a portfolio of clients by connecting with key business executives.

Stephanie Lockhart, Executive Director at the Canadian Superior Courts Judges Association.


Roger MacKinnon, Director of Sales for the Brookstreet Hotel. Roger is an accomplished and experienced sales and marketing leader, specializing in creativity, relationships, communication and vision.


Lisa Nicholson, Business Operations, Marketing and Communication Director for Nicholson Automotive Inc. Lisa is a true people person, passionate about uplifting others and focusing her energy on positivity and compassion.


Carole Saad, CMP, President of Chic and Swell Creative Meetings and Events. Carole is an award-winning, experience Event Designer and Business Owner with an incredible track record of producing and executing some of the most prestigious events in Ottawa for nearly twenty years. Carole is also a past president of MPI Ottawa Chapter.

Member Updates

Congratulations to Shivani Pandya for starting a new position as Marketing Coordinator for Beyond Marketing Group.

Congratulations to Florence Houlahan for starting a new position as Area Sales Manager representing the Fairmont Château Laurier and the Fairmont Royal York Properties.  

Congratulations to Jenny Dao-D’angelo for starting a new position as Business Development Manager at Tourism Saskatoon.

Congratulations to Zina Acherir for starting a new position as an Event Planner for Neina Events in Montréal.

State of the Industry


Re-opening in Ontario, long term

Ontario releases plan to safely re-open Ontario and manage COVID19 for the long-term. This plan outlines the province’s approach to lifting the remaining public health and workplace safety measures by March 2022. The plan will be guided by the ongoing assessment of key public health and health care indicators and supported by local or regional tailored responses to COVID19.

As of October 25, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., capacity limits, including physical distancing requirements are lifted in the vast majority of settings where proof of vaccination is required, such as:

• restaurants, bars, and other food or drink establishments
• indoor areas of sports and recreational facilities such as gyms and where personal physical fitness trainers provide instruction
• casinos, bingo halls, and other gaming establishments
• indoor meeting and event spaces

Paused: November 15, 2021

Ontario is pausing the lifting of capacity limits in remaining higher-risk settings out of an abundance of caution as the province monitors public health trends.

These higher-risk settings include:

• food or drink establishments with dance facilities such as night clubs and wedding receptions in meeting/event spaces where there is dancing

• strip clubs
• sex clubs and bathhouses

The government and the Chief Medical Officer of Health will continue to monitor the data for the next 28 days to determine when it is safe to lift capacity limits in these settings. 

To read the press release click here

New Employment Support Program

The Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses is praising the new targeted support measures for businesses that are still facing significant pandemic-related challenges, including the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program and the Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program, that were announced by the Trudeau government earlier today. We also applaud the announcement on the new international vaccine passport. These new initiatives will help support our hard-hit sector through the winter period, prioritizing job creation and a strong recovery of the travel economy.

The tourism, hotel, and events sectors are unique:

• Most global tourists visit Canada only in the summer. This international summer season was missed due to border restrictions;
• We have entered the off-season where domestic travel slows and Canadians travel south;
• Mass gathering restrictions mean that large events – festivals, conferences, live music – are prevented from operating;
• Key messages from government that “now is not the time to travel” are still in effect;
• Work from home has resulted in limited business travel.

Without continued support, many tourism, hotel and event businesses would have closed permanently, making temporary job losses permanent. This would have had a significant negative impact not only on the tourism industry, but Canada’s broader economic recovery overall. This announcement gives our industry hope as we work hard to achieve full recovery from the effects of the pandemic.

The Ontario Tourism Resilience Award was presented on Wednesday, October 27 at the Ontario Tourism Summit 2021, held with 250 in-person delegates at Ottawa’s Brookstreet Hotel (and more than 400 virtual attendees). Other regional tourism businesses were nominated as follows:

• In the SUSTAINABILITY stream, OWL Rafting in Transportation (*WINNER*); Ottawa Tourism in the Regional Tourism Organization category
• In the INNOVATION stream, Ottawa Boat Cruise/EKEAU in the Francophone, Marine, and Transportation categories (*WINNER in Transportation*); OWL Rafting in Marine and Transportation

In the COLLABORATION stream, Ottawa Tourism’s Virtual Sales Blitz in the Destination Marketing Organization category; OWL Rafting in Marine, Outdoor, and Transportation; Haunted Walks Inc. in the Independent Business category

Industry News in General

Have you heard the news? A new level for planner certification

The Events Industry Council has a new program for its most experienced CMPs who can demonstrate industry involvement.

The Events Industry Council has announced two programs related to its signature Certified Meeting Professionals designation:

• CMP Fellow Program that recognizes long-term CMPs and Emeritus

  to elevate some CMPs who are most dedicated to the program

• One-time Reinstatement Program that allows reinstatement of expired certification through continuing education, to bring back those who have let their certification lapse.

To read the full article click here

Why Vaccination matters in our industry?

“No matter what your personal viewpoint on vaccination is, it is the most responsible and quickest way to get our industry thriving again”, writes Annette Gregg, CMM MBA, senior vice president, experience for MPI.

The vaccination issue is complex, personal and controversial. I’m not someone who likes to air highly politicized topics publicly like this, and I’ve avoided asking friends if they are vaccinated. It’s their choice, and it’s often a decision that has come with a lot of consideration that I want to respect.

We pushed through with our annual conference, the World Education Congress, in June in Las Vegas, and had a successful and safe event with more than 1,200 people onsite. The past few months have seen hopeful signs of a recovery, with destinations opening up and leisure travel back with a vengeance.

What can we do? Know the facts, learn how to hold a safe event and communicate to your stakeholders why in-person meetings can happen now. And finally, encourage vaccination with your attendees. Public health officials tell us vaccinations take the place of lockdowns. No matter what your personal viewpoint on vaccination is, as a meeting and event professional it is the most responsible and quickest way to get our industry traveling, meeting and thriving again.

To read the full article click here

Share your story with MPI Women

On October 27^th, 2021, MPI Women Advisory Board put up their first virtual event. Share your story with MPI Women virtual event was an incredible session filled with authentic stories and empathetic conversations.

If you’ve missed it don’t worry, click here to access all the curated resources from the event. Panelists include Cornelia Samara, Tara Higgins, Tatiana Lotufo, Melissa Majors, Tracy Prigmore and Tracy Judge.

Interested to share stories with fellow MPI Women, join the MPI Women Advisory Board Linked-In Group.

Upcoming Industry Events

In 2022, MPI turns 50!

We’re celebrating by collecting YOUR stories and memories of what MPI has meant to you and your profession. Share your video stories today. #MPI50

LINK: mpi.org/mpi50

Recognizing Industry Success and Excellence

The RISE Awards recognize community members from across the globe, celebrating the spirit of leadership, impact, and innovation. Award candidates are reviewed by the RISE Awards Judging Panel, an MPI international volunteer committee. Selected recipients are ratified by the MPI Board of Directors and recognized at that year’s WEC.

The 2022 RISE Awards programs begin November 1st, when nominations and applications open. Nominations close Friday, December 10, 2021 and the final application deadline is Friday, January 7, 2022.

Applicants will be contacted in the spring of 2022.

To nominate someone today click here

MPI Ottawa

📅 Thursday, December 2^nd in-person from 5:30-9:30pm (EST)

Do you have fond memories of hanging out and talking for hours in the rec room of your best friend's house? You know - the place with comfy chairs, cool memorabilia and tons of games! The Festive Event committee has found the 2021 version of that very cool rec room! Picture an energetic, healthy, and high vibe event space like no other place we have ever hosted an event. A space with tall ceilings and skylights makes it the right area to safely bring everyone together for our first in person event since the pandemic. Did we just say “in-person?” YES. YES WE DID!

Head Office is separated into areas allowing for people to naturally divide into distinct small networking or activity groups, ‘cause let’s face it, it has been a long time since we have seen each other and we need to network!

The committee has most certainly been “up to snow good” these past few months dreaming up ways to surprise and delight as we kick off the festive season! Come join our committee of Snow Gooders and celebrate reuniting and look forward to planning more in person gatherings.

To register click here: Up to Snow Good...MPI Ottawa’s Festive Event

📅 Wednesday April 6^th, 2022 in-person

MAKE PLANS TO EXHIBIT AT TÊTE-À-TÊTE 2022

CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau's most popular event, Tête-à-Tête, is back in-person this year! Join us on Wednesday, Apr. 6, 2022 at the EY Centre in Ottawa and celebrate 32 years of success as one of the association community’s largest industry events. Association and not-for-profit leaders, meeting and event planners and government procurers from across the country attend this event – free.

If you have products and services you want attendees to know about, don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your knowledge, products and services to hundreds of event participants.

Get The Early Bird Rate Before Jan. 31, 2022. Space is limited!

Looking for something extra? Contact edward@csae.com to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

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