Save the date for these exciting MPI Toronto chapter events:

June 18, 2020
4 PM – 5 PM
MPI Toronto: Virtual Just Networking
Register

June 20, 2020
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
CMP Study Group – Virtual
Register

June 24, 2020
3 PM – 4 PM
Professional Development Webinar on Mental Health
Registration Opening Soon

July 14, 2020
3 PM – 4 PM
Professional Development Webinar on New Venue Protocols

July 21, 2020
4 PM – 5 PM
MPI Toronto: Virtual Just Networking

MPI Toronto Chapter will be hosting Virtual Just Networking on June 18 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Format:

At the beginning of the call we will come together as a full group. After a quick introduction, you will be moved into the virtual breakout room that you have pre-selected at the time of registration. After 40 minutes, we will come back together to share some of our interesting discussions as a group.

Breakout sessions for June 18 include:

• Personal
• How to Get More Involved in MPI Toronto Chapter
• Future of Meetings
• Post Action Review - What have you learned (are you learning) and what will you be doing differently in the future?
• New Members (by invitation only)

Because we are limited to 100 spots, registration is open to MPI Toronto Chapter members only.

To register, click here.

Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on joining the meeting.

Hope to see you all soon, virtually of course!

The CMP Study Group is going virtual! Join us on Saturday, June 20 for a virtual study group including a panel discussion, open discussion and tips and tricks for studying for the exam. This session is FREE for MPI members and only $25 for nonmembers. Registration is now open - click here.

^{Photos courtesy of Pinpoint National Photography}

The MPI Toronto chapter community gathered on March 5, 2020 at The Warehouse Event Venue for an evening of celebration. The Awards Committee put together a spectacular event filled with networking, delicious family style dinner and of course celebrating our 2020 award nominees. 2020 is the start of a new decade and with that brings new opportunities and challenges for the event industry. To kick off the decade right, the 30th Annual Awards Gala was a night of recognition and celebration of our chapter members who have contributed to the industry in meaningful ways.

We are pleased to congratulate the nominees and recipients on their success.

Nominees:

Recipients: 

• Norm Neill Student of the Year – Depannita Biswas
• New Member of the Year – Mena Bhavsar, CMP
• Future Leader of the Year – Emily Dietrich, CMP
• Literary Award – Vincent Murphy
• Outstanding Volunteer of the Year – Jennifer Pelletier, CMP
• Supplier Member of the Year – Tami Adams
• Mentor of the Year – Christina Northcott, CMP, CMM, DES
• Planner Member of the Year – Rachel Klar, CMP
• President’s Award – Les Selby, CMP, CMM

^{Photo courtesy of Pinpoint National Photography}

MPI Toronto: 2020/21 Leadership Team

The Spring 2020 issue of meeting will be available on a fully interactive platform optimized for mobile reading. Keep a look out as it will be sent to your inbox on June 17.

During this time of uncertainty and transition in our industry and personal lives, we are reaching out to you, the MPI community, to see if you would like to share some of your thoughts with what is happening right now. Staying connected is more important now than it has ever been.

If you would like to share your comments, please send an email to LeahWeselowski@ifac.org

Part 1 – Delia Lapensee, Shaw Centre
Part 2 – Brenda Carter, International Council of Shopping Centres
Part 3 – Anthony Vade, FMAV
Part 4 – Harpreet Atwal, Executive Platforms
Part 5 – Larissa Ramiro, Deloitte

In our last issue, we provided great content on keeping yourself well and informed with the ongoing pandemic. Check it out here it’s always worth the read!

At a time when every association is trying to add value for their members by providing virtual forums, MPI is a great time investment. MPI Toronto Chapter hosted two Virtual Just Networking (VJN) in May, May 7 and 21. MPI Toronto Chapter hosted two Virtual Just Networking (VJN) in May, May 7 and 21.  

At the start of the meeting, the full group gathered together for a quick introduction. Then participants were moved into virtual breakout rooms with topics chosen by individuals. 

Three topics were discussed on May 7th event:

• Personal Environment (Staying healthy & fit, Keeping the kids occupied, New hobbies, Funny Stories, etc…)
• Current Business (How to sell in today’s environment, Force Majeure, Keeping virtual events fun, etc…)
• The Future of Events (When will we return, what will venues be doing differently, what else will change, etc…)

After 40 minutes, the entire group got back together to share some of their interesting findings. Here are some highlights:

2020 will mostly be a year of virtual events, with some hybrid opportunities. As a planner, it is important to foster our relationships with suppliers and partners to have a mutual understanding. Contract clauses and liability issues will continue to pop up. Virtual events are evolving, they become more interactive to capture audience attention, not just focusing on the content. Venues are preparing for virtual site inspections to showcase their space, however, we all agreed site inspections will never go away as we all want the human contact.

At the end of the meeting, a lucky winner, Arianna McLaughlin walked away with ‘A dinner for two and treats’ courtesy of Lindsay Murray from Peller Estates Winery, Trius Winery, Wayne Gretzky Estates and 30 Bench.

Four topics were discussed on May 21st event:

• Personal Environment
• Venues (What will change, when do we expect to open, how are we handling new bookings)
• Sustainability (What can small businesses do to survive, what else can we do, survival tips)
• The Future of Events 

Here are some highlights:

During this lockdown period, some people use the time to do self-reflection, learn another language or skills. Suggestions on how hotels can use suites for conference speakers to broadcast messages into another physical location; delegates could use guest rooms as their day offices, choose which part of the conference they would attend in person; pick up meals-to-go and have them in their own rooms; stagger contact-less tradeshow and limit the number of attendees in the space at once. Remember to stay connected with clients/suppliers to build relationships.

At the end of the meeting, Andrew Dorcas won a 5-nights all-inclusive stay for two at a Club Med Resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic or Florida, courtesy of Maria Chung from Meetings & Events by Club Med.

Also, for a limited time, MPI is offering sponsorship opportunities at half the price for VJN. Only one sponsor per session. For more details, please contact MPI office at office@mpitoronto.org.

The practical information shared and the deep bonds between members make MPI Toronto’s Virtual Networking events a date not to be missed. Hope to see you at the next VJN.

On June 10, MPI Toronto Chapter hosted a virtual Professional Development session on Greener Events: Tools to Make your Virtual and In-person Events Sustainable. 

It was an action-packed hour of sustainability experts, senior planners practicing green events and a fun challenge to test your sustainability knowledge.

Hosted and curated by Natalie Lowe, of The Sustainable Events Forum.

Thank you to our sponsors: