President's Message - January 2026

Hello and welcome to 2026!  If you’re anything like me, the new year brings with it a promise of fresh starts, resolutions and beginning to emerge from the holiday fog brought on by too many ‘Festive Activities’ like trying to consume an entire Toblerone in one sitting.

For my fresh start and something new, I am so excited to begin my year as President of such a vibrant chapter. I joined the industry back in 2010 as a student in the Algonquin College Event Management Post Graduate Certificate program.  I started volunteering on the programming and education committee and quickly fell in love with this fast-paced industry. The people I met were very friendly, dedicated and willing to share their knowledge which was hugely beneficial especially early in my career.

For your 2026 plans – maybe this is your opportunity to do something new as well. Perhaps this is the year that you decide to attend an event, get your Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation, volunteer on a committee or join the board of directors.  Or learn to juggle.  We know that as event industry professionals we are already pretty good at that!

Over the break, I finally had the time to do some household organizing to finish cleaning up from my move in the fall. It’s a lengthy process that starts with well labelled boxes and ends up with boxes labelled ‘miscellaneous’ that contain an air fryer and 3 shoes.  There were definitely a lot of things I was not sure why I still had, and things which I absolutely did not need to pack and bring with me to clutter up my house.

Event planning is a highly stressful industry, and keeping work/life balance in check is a constant juggling act. Maybe this is a good opportunity for you to unpack and reassess your own balance; are there things that you brought into 2026 that no longer serve you?  Do you have the personal or professional equivalent of some freezer-burned edamame beans that you packed for a move, with the best of intentions, but let’s not kid ourselves, you were never going to eat anyways?  Maybe it’s time to toss them and make room for something that will serve you better, or clear out some space to allow what’s left to breathe.

Looking toward the next few weeks for our chapter, our committees are already hard at work planning events that will enhance a jam-packed Meet Week.  The round tables education event on February 26^th, will cover a whole host of topics and moderated by industry members.  This is one of my favourite events, as our industry has a wealth of knowledge to share and learning from the experience of fellow industry professionals is invaluable.  Later that same day is the Charity Auction and Dinner, with a theme of Fest. Feast. Fund. This annual event supports charitable organizations in our community.   If you were not aware, our Charity Auction Dinner won the MPI Rise Award for Social Impact in 2025 for showcasing the generosity of our industry.  It is a true example of MPI’s philosophy that “when we meet, we change the world”.  While the world does not change in a day, the impacts for good in our local community are immediately felt, and are the building blocks of global improvement.

Here’s to positive change, and new adventures for us all in 2026!

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