Advocacy

GMID 2021 Panel: How Will Business Events Reopen? While we don't know exactly when Canada will reopen its borders to international business visitors, there's little doubt the events industry is eager to get back to work. Reopening rules differ from province to province. That's why it's important for meetings professionals to start sharing strategies, best practices and successes now so that the entire industry, from coast to coast, can hit the ground running as soon as restrictions are lifted. How is the industry preparing for the return to face-to-face gatherings? It's a question we're tackling on April 8 during [...]

On April 8, 2021, Meetings Mean Business Canada (MMBC) joins organizations across the globe to support the annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID). GMID showcases the proven value that business meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows and exhibitions bring to businesses and the economy. Under the theme of We're Ready, MMBC will host a free, 90-minute virtual event emphasizing the industry's readiness to reopen the travel, meetings and business events economy when restrictions are lifted. The event will feature industry leaders from across the country, including Destination Canada, Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Convention Centres of Canada, [...]

MPI Toronto has recognized Meetings Mean Business Canada chair Clark Grue with its 2021 President's Award. Clark's efforts on behalf of Canada's business events industry take the form of media interviews, industry webinars and meetings with elected officials. Government decision makers have gained an appreciation for the shutdown's devastating toll on the industry, as well as a better understanding of how business events can help drive Canada's economic recovery. "Over the past year, Clark has captured not only my attention, but my deep respect," said Margaret Binns, president, MPI Toronto. "In his role as chair of MMBC, he works tirelessly [...]

As the pandemic took hold and industries shutdown earlier this year, Meetings Mean Business Canada immediately adopted a tactical shift and tone of greater urgency as it advocated to federal and provincial decision makers on behalf of the meetings and business events sector."Our work has to some extent shifted and amplified," Clark Grue, who begins the second of a two-year term as chair of the coalition, told MMBC's annual general meeting on November 24, 2020. "In February, we'd had excellent conversations with the federal government about the importance of business events. When the shutdown happened in March, we began to change [...]

Canada's meetings and business events sector needs to raise its collective voice and collaborate like never before if it hopes to have it...

MMBC chair Clark Grue chatted with The Future Economy about how COVID-19 has changed business events, and where we go from here. TAKEAWAY...