Advocacy

MMBC Applauds Targeted COVID-19 Support Measures The federal Liberals have made good on an election promise to support Canada’s visitor economy with new government measures specifically targeting our hardest-hit businesses and designed to boost job creation and stimulate economic recovery. “Canada’s visitor economy is facing a tough winter after travel and mass gathering restrictions hampered our businesses through most of 2021,” says MMBC chair, Clark Grue. “As a member and supporter of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, Meetings Mean Business Canada has worked tirelessly alongside our coalition partners to advocate for continued [...]

Every Letter Counts: Ask Your MP For a Tailored Industry Survival Strategy Canada’s tourism, hotel and events businesses are facing a difficult fall and winter. We need the committed and ongoing support of the federal government to survive. The Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses has launched a new letter campaign asking the government to follow through on an election promise to provide the tourism industry with temporary wage and rent support of up to 75% of expenses so that Canada’s hard hit businesses can survive through the winter.   With current wage and rent [...]

MMBC Ready To Work With Federal Government On Promised Industry Support Congratulations to our re-elected federal government and to all those who spoke and acted so passionately about the future of Canada. The meetings and business events industry has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, yet we will play a crucial role in rebuilding Canada’s economy. That’s why Meetings Mean Business Canada was encouraged when the Liberal Party reiterated its support for our industry during the election campaign, with a promise to: Extend the Canada Recovery Hiring Program to March [...]

U.S. Study: In-person Business Events Are Safer Than Most Daily Activities Despite concerns about the Delta variant, a new U.S. study has found that face-to-face business meetings and events are actually safer than typical daily activities such as going to the grocery store. Even so, the study found that uncertainty will impact attendance at upcoming events, with some gatherings already pushed to early 2022. More events are opting to implement proof of vaccination policies for attendees and participants. The study—Planning Through Uncertainty: What You Need To Know About COVID-19 and Events—is a research [...]

Australia Rallies For Events With Pro-Vax Campaign Tourism Australia is rallying in support of its MICE industry with a pro-vaccination initiative called “It’s Our Best Shot For Events.” A Meetings & Conventions Asia article reports that Australians are encouraged to support the business events industry by getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The industry has been significantly impacted by ongoing lockdowns across the country and increased vaccination rates will allow travel restrictions to be eased and enable the industry to get back on track. The initiative supports the Australia government's four-phase approach to reopening, with each phase [...]

We Need a Coordinated Approach to Vaccine Mandates Mandatory vaccination is a hot topic, with a rising number of Canadian businesses saying they will require employees and visitors to their premises to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We’re seeing a growing number of universities and colleges, some companies as well as venues such as Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre and Burton Cummings Theatre, implementing their own mandatory vaccination policies. The Travel Corporation (TTC) just announced that, beginning September 1, all adult guests travelling [...]

$500M Federal Tourism Relief Fund Canada has launched the Tourism Relief Fund (TRF), a $500-million national program that is part of a broader $1-billion package to support the tourism sector. The funding was first proposed by the Trudeau government in its 2021 federal budget. The goal of the TRF is to help Canada’s tourism industry welcome back domestic travellers by creating new or enhanced tourism experiences and products, and to attract international visitors by repositioning Canada as a world-class destination. The fund will also be used by tourism businesses and organizations to adapt their operations to meet public [...]

Rebuilding Our Industry: We're in it Together MMBC is the voice of Canada's meetings and business events industry, but did you know that we also support advocacy initiatives by fellow industry groups? Besides our own Meet In Canada campaign, here are the activities we are currently supporting: #OpenTheBorder: The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is calling on the federal government to accelerate the safe reopening of the Canada-U.S. border, including setting a firm reopening date, sharing its plan with the travel/tourism industry and clarifying Canada’s policy on vaccination certification. MMBC is an active [...]