We are all experiencing feelings of being unsettled — it's universal, and you are not alone. Due to the pandemic, we all have been affected. Some of us have been furloughed; some have lost clients; prospecting for new work is difficult; gyms are closed; we are unable to see friends and family; and there are more reasons why your mental health may be suffering.

NO ONE IS IMMUNE to stress.

During this session, tactics and resources will be shared to help you combat stress, improve your mental well-being and help you feel energized for everyday activities.

Speakers include: Pierre Durocher; Sandra James, B.Sc.N., B. Comm.; Charessa Sawyer; Stephane Tremblay

Moderated by Malak Sidky, DES, HMCC

Register today!

Time: 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET

Thank you to our sponsors: Ignite, D.E. Systems, AV-CANADA and Quebec City Business Destination

Registration opening soon

Time: 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET

The future will find us, but will we find the future?

Join us on June 9 for a professional development session where we will take a deep dive into the future of work and how we can ride the wave of disruptive change instead of being swallowed by it.

Speakers include futurist Nikola Danaylov and technology expert Maria Farrell.

Moderated by Depannita Biswas, VEMM

Register today!

Time: 1 p.m.- 2:15 p.m. ET

Thank you to our sponsors: Ignite, D.E. Systems and AV-CANADA

The Awards Gala took place virtually on Thursday, March 4, and it was a remarkable gathering of our MPI community. Echoing President Margaret Binns' motto for the year, the Awards Gala Committee was thrilled to use "Inspiring Hope" as the theme for the event.

The focus of this annual gala is to recognize excellence in active members for their commitment, service and involvement in the chapter, industry and community at large. We had an exceptional group of 33 nominees up for nine prestigious awards. Way to shine, industry peers! Albeit it was virtual, that didn't stop attendees from enjoying an evening of entertainment, networking and of course ... celebration! A special note of thanks to all our incredible sponsors; without you we could not have made this happen!

On behalf of the Awards Gala Committee and your MPI Toronto community, congratulations to all nominees and recipients! We look forward to seeing you all (*fingers crossed* in-person!) at the 32nd Annual Awards Gala in 2022.

The Toronto Chapter dedicated February as Celebration Month. Dwayne Rutherford, Connie Cay-Santos and Emilia Kim talked about diversity and traditions.

Black History Month

Dwayne shared with us some of the important facts about Black History month.

Black History month dates back to 1995, when Dr. Jean Augustine officially declared February as Black History Month in Canada.

As a Black man, he needed to be more educated on Black history, Black people’s accomplishments and how they helped to make this world a better place. He learned that in about 1500 BC, Black Egyptian people developed the sundial. Black people also invented many things that improved aspects of life, such as the traffic light, light bulb filament, elevators, refrigeration trucks, etc. If we know more about Black history and Black people’s accomplishments, we will have a more inclusive society, and Black people’s lives would be deemed more valued.

Dwayne also likes to engage his children and other youths to learn about their ancestors. In today’s world, the media portray Black people to be all the same; however, this is not true. They have different beliefs, expectations and fears.

Chinese Lunar New Year, 2021 - Year of the Ox

Connie is a Chinese Canadian. She shared with us the Lucky New Year book by Mary Man-Kong, which explained the Chinese Lunar New Year customs and rituals. A few highlights were:

There are two ways to say Happy New Year: “Kung Hee Fat Choy” (wishing someone prosperity) and “San Lin Fai Lok” (Happy New Year)

Sweeping – an act to sweep off the old and welcome the new

Oranges/Mandarin oranges – symbolize sweetness

Noodles – represent long life, the longer the better

Red envelopes – It is a tradition during Lunar New Year to visit relatives. Older generations will give younger ones red envelopes that contain money inside. More money = more luck.

Firecrackers – In ancient times, firecrackers were used to scare away evil spirits. Today, firecrackers are a notable tradition to express happiness and invite good luck.

Dragon – A Chinese dragon is a symbol of good luck. Dragon Dance is often performed during Lunar New Year; the longer the dragon is in the dance, the more luck it will bring to the community.

Celebrations – Bright colours like red, yellow, gold and orange signify colourful experiences throughout Lunar New Year.

Korean Lunar New Year - Seollal

Emilia was born in Seoul, South Korea, and she continues her traditions here in Canada in celebrating Lunar New Year (Seollal). “Sae Hae Bok Mani Badu Sayo” is Happy New Year in Korean, meaning I wish you to receive a lot of luck in the New Year.

Seollal is a three-day celebration, a time for families to catch up with each other and pay respect to ancestors. The first day of celebration begins with Charye, a memorial service that prays for the peace and good health of the ancestors. Family members will dress in hanbok, bow to greet the ancestors, followed by ritual food. After the meal, kids perform a New Year’s bow to elder family members in exchange of blessing and New Year’s money (pocket money). Families would partake in outdoor activities like flying kites, one of the traditions during Lunar New Year.

The Toronto Chapter celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at Just Networking on March 18. We all played a game called Limerick. A limerick is a humorous poem consisting of five lines. Here are the rules: Rhymes on lines 1, 2 and 5. Another rhyme on lines 3 and 5. Rhyme is ‘da DUM da,” lines 3 and 4 are shorter. Attendees were divided into groups to work on their own limericks, then circled back to share their poems. It was great to see the engagement, energy level and talents among MPI members. Some teams came up with more than one limerick. Here are a couple to share with you.

“There was once a member named May
She volunteered her time every day
Her boss kept her busy
Which made her hair frizzy
Only to find out there was no pay”

“There was once a group called MPI
They all like to eat a lot of pie
Talking about the meetings they plan
And the events they ran
It caused them to drink a lot of rye”

Hope to see you all at the next Just Networking event on May 18.

Special thanks to our sponsors: D.E. Systems and Ignite

This year's virtual meetings and events have provided unique and creative opportunities for the MPI Toronto Chapter to explore diverse partnerships with our local partners.

MPI Toronto Chapter celebrated the first Virtual Awards Gala on March 4, 2021. One hundred and twenty-two people attended for a night of inspiration, networking, prizes and fun! MPI Toronto Chapter celebrated nominees and award recipients who have made significant contributions to and fueled inspiration within the industry.

Early-bird registrants were entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of 50 bottles of wine kindly donated by Peller Estates, Andrew Peller Inc. The lucky winners had their wine glasses raised to cheer on the nominees and toast the awards recipients, celebrating virtually along with other members, nonmembers and students.

The Awards Gala and professional development workshops would not have been possible without our audiovisual partner, AV-CANADA, which kindly sponsored the event platform Hubilo for the evening of the Awards Gala.

From live customized artwork to personalized poems, our members and attendees were mesmerized by the work of The Idea Hunter and Everyday People Typewriter Poems, reflecting the theme of "Hope."

Attendees enjoyed building and strengthening connections at the networking reception, supported by our Welcome Partner Quebec City Business Destination. Dressed in their finest and ready to mingle, industry peers radiated a positive energy throughout the event!

Awards announced virtually during our awards presentation were supplied by Nothers The Award Store, a great keepsake for our winners to remember their influences during a difficult and pivotal year in the industry. Multiple awards were presented throughout the night that were sponsored by several partners:

Planner of the Year Award – Sponsored by Tourism Vancouver
Mentor of the Year Award – Sponsored by Impact AV Solutions
New Member of the Year Award – Sponsored by Fletcher Wright Associates Inc.

The CMP scholarship, generously sponsored in partnership with Destination Toronto, was also highlighted during the awards presentation portion of the event. The CMP scholarship will be presented at 2021’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).

In the lead-up to MPI Global’s Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID), we continued our celebration with GMID’s first kick-off event, celebrating the special, international day of advocacy that showcases the value of business meetings, conventions, trade shows and events that bring together our community.

An evening full of entertainment, prizes and networking, GMID Connect Up kicked off the event with a gentle song by Sky and Rose, by Carol Priest Entertainment and wrapped up the evening with inspirational aerial dancers of A²D² Aerial Dance Cirque Co.

MPI Toronto Chapter would also like to recognize our yearlong partners — Registration Partner D.E. Systems and Media Partner Ignite magazine — for our ongoing partnerships and contribution.

Each and every one of our Strategic Partners have unrelenting drive to create positive change that is inspiring. The MPI Toronto Chapter and our proud partners share a profound sense of hope for an equitable future for our meetings and events industry. We are grateful to collaborate alongside the partners to share their unique values and stories with more members than ever before.