Why Volunteer for MPI Toronto?

MPI is the world’s leading industry association for meeting, event & incentive professionals, and Toronto has the largest Chapter in Canada with over 350 members.  Planners, suppliers, students and other professionals join to increase their knowledge, build their networks and learn about industry news and initiatives. 

I have been a member of the Toronto Chapter since 1990, and have served on a committee or the Board every year since I joined. I am sometimes asked why a busy professional would want to volunteer to serve on a committee or on the Board.  Here are the reasons:

Volunteering an hour or so every month will help you get to know a number of planners and suppliers much better than you could ever hope to by attending a busy Chapter event.

The networking that happens on a committee can definitely help you build your business, gain professional knowledge, and build relationships that can last years if not decades.

You will know you are making a contribution to your association and are having a positive impact on other professionals.

Those people you volunteer with get to know you personally, and are usually glad to share their knowledge, contacts and ideas.

I can personally attest to how valuable those relationships can be.  When I was working as the Director of Events at Tupperware, the company laid off all the Canadian management in one day.  I told everyone who I had volunteered with that I was looking for a new position, and it was a planner I had been on a committee with for a couple of years who told me that they had heard Bombardier Aerospace was looking for an Event Manager.  I got an interview and the job which lead to several higher positions.

I preferred to serve on a committee that did not do what I did everyday at work.  That meant I could learn new skills and not just extend my work day.  I know other people who preferred to volunteer using the skills they had already mastered.  Regardless which path you take, volunteering with MPI can allow you to get to know other members better, learn new skills, and build your professional network. 

Why not contact the Toronto Chapter office and volunteer for the 2023-24 year now? To learn more and submit a digital application form, click here.