GMID 2024

MPI Toronto’s inclusive cross industry event to celebrate GMID 2024 united our industry for a morning of connections and learning about “Tackling the Industry in a Hybrid World”. If that were not enough, the chapter was only one of a dozen worldwide to be included on the MPI Global virtual broadcast. It was day filled with memories attendees will not soon forget.

If you were not at the Arcadian Court on April 11 celebrating GMID 2024, you missed a day of celebration, education, and networking. The MPI Toronto GMID event was taken to a new level as it went back to years past to include other leading industry associations (PCMA Canada East, CanSPEP, SITE Canada, ILEA) to create an inclusive cross-industry experience.

The topic was “Tackling the Industry in a Hybrid World”, which let us collectively learn how to better adapt to a reality where we now frequently shift from meetings, working environments, and projects that are in-person, virtual and hybrid. Our Keynote Speaker Shaun Boothe was selected by MPI Global as one of just a dozen global chapter Keynotes to be broadcast virtually, with the worldwide audience getting the unique opportunity to be part of the live cast, that included the Ignite Magazine Team (Debbie van der Beek, Jennifer Newby, and Laura Bickle) on stage discussing the “Worth It” initiative and interviewing several industry planners. After a very special virtual message from Angie Pfeifer of Meetings Mean Business Canada, the audience was treated to an innovative and soulful keynote from spoken word and hip-hop artist Shaun Boothe. Shaun was able to captivate the audience (and an even larger demographic watching virtually on the global broadcast) with stories of legends from around the world such as Bob Marley, Serena Williams, Malala, and Terry Fox that connected to visuals, music, movement, and messages of hope, resilience, and varied communication styles. The next portion of the day was filled with our Specialized Education Sessions. The audience found value, takeaways, and laughs from Connie Cay Santos (How to Better Present Yourself Virtually), Jason Thompson (Speaking 102), and Chris Cummings (Strategies for Enhancing and Retaining Virtual Attendee Engagement). These short but powerful sessions ended the day in a great way. From delicious food, gorgeous ambiance and décor, camaraderie, selfies, education, celebratory fire alarms (#iykyk), and more, it was a day that will not soon be forgotten.

To top this all off, the CN Tower was lit up blue to celebrate our industry and GMID. A big thank you to those who helped to make this day a possibility, our speakers and our partners and sponsors. See
you all at GMID 2025!