CANADIAN COMMUNIQUE Summer 2004 And the band

CANADIAN COMMUNIQUE
Summer 2004
And the band played on….
By Ginette Lavack, Outgoing Canadian Representative, MPI International Board of
Directors
Well, my time is up as your Canadian Representative on the International Board of
Directors. One year goes by much too quickly. As leaders we set out to hopefully bring
about positive change in some small way, leave our mark that says I care about my
industry, I care about this association I belong to and I want others to care too.
I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to represent you at the International
level. It has been an experience like none other in my life. I feel I have gained truly
valuable knowledge on so many levels. I would like to personally thank Elizabeth
Henderson, Karen Massicotte, Chuck Schouwerwou and Leslie Wright who were my eyes and ears over the past
year. They kept a pulse on what was happening at the chapter level, which helped keep me up to speed. Your
support and dedication is greatly appreciated!
I would also like to thank the individuals in all the chapters who helped organize their local National Meetings Industry
Day events. Job well done! The feedback received indicates that this is a worthwhile event and with greater support
from International headquarters we managed to gain more press coverage that ever before. Each opportunity we
have to work cohesively, on a national scale, will provide greater awareness and help strengthen our association.
Many thanks to our national sponsors, Delta Hotels, AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions, Corpav Audio Visual
Services and Canadian Meeting & Travel Group. Your continued support makes this event possible.
MPI is stronger than it has ever been, offering members more and better benefits, greater education as well as
leadership and business opportunities. Our Canadian Chapters are also gaining strength. Through your efforts at the
chapter level, the total Canadian membership has steadily grown over the past year. There is tremendous
membership potential throughout Canada so let’s keep this momentum going!
One of the most exciting things to happen this year was the announcement of our very own Canadian Foundation.
With the help and dedication of leaders like Rita Plaskett and Anna Lee Chabot, funds are now being raised to
support new programs and research to benefit Canadian members specifically. We are just getting started and more
than $500,000 has already been raised. A Chapter Steering Committee has been formed bringing together a
representative from each chapter to ensure that your voice, the member, is heard.
What an exciting time to be a member of MPI! I wish Karen Massicotte your new Canadian Representative as of July
st
1 much success. The year ahead is sure to be even more exciting than the last.
As many of us in leadership positions know, our terms may be coming to an end but there’s no need to leave the
party…there will always be more songs to sing, more to celebrate, so let the band play on….
Et la fête continue
par Ginette Lavack
Représentante canadienne sortante
Conseil d'administration international MPI 2003-2004
Eh bien, mon mandat de représentante canadienne au Conseil d'administration
international s'achève. Une année est bien trop vite passée. À titre de membre de la
direction, je m'étais fixé pour but d'apporter un changement positif, de laisser une
marque qui signifie. Mon industrie me tient à cœur, mon association me tient à
cœur et je veux qu’il en soit de même pour les autres aussi.
Je m'estime extrêmement chanceuse d'avoir pu vous représenter au niveau
international et l'expérience a été incomparable pour moi. J'ai l'impression d'avoir
acquis de précieuses connaissances, et ce à bien des égards. J'aimerais remercier
Elizabeth Henderson, Karen Massicotte, Chuck Schouwerwou et Leslie Wright de m'avoir si bien renseignée sur les
activités se déroulant au niveau local. J'apprécie énormément votre soutien et votre dévouement!
J'aimerais également remercier toutes les personnes qui ont organisé, dans leurs sections locales, les activités de la
Journée internationale de l'industrie des congrès. Du beau travail! Vos commentaires nous disent que cette journée
spéciale est un événement valable et avec l'aide accrue de notre siège social international, nous avons réussi à
attirer la meilleure couverture média de notre histoire. Chaque fois que nous avons l’occasion de travailler de concert
à l'échelle nationale, nous sensibilisons davantage de gens à notre association et nous la rendons ainsi plus forte.
Grand merci à nos commanditaires nationaux : les Hôtels Delta, AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions, Corpav Audio
Visual Services et le Canadian Meeting and Travel Group. Votre appui constant a rendu cette manifestation possible.
MPI est plus fort que jamais et offre à ses membres des avantages plus intéressants et plus nombreux, plus de
formation, la possibilité d'exercer un leadership et des débouchés. Nos sections locales au Canada prennent de
l'envergure. Vos efforts à tous au niveau local ont fait grimper le nombre de nos adhérents tout au long de l’année
passée. Le potentiel de recrutement est énorme partout au Canada, alors continuons sur notre lancée!
L'un des moments les plus palpitants de l'année a sans doute été l'annonce de la création de la Fondation
canadienne. Grâce à l'aide et au dévouement de dirigeantes comme Rita Plaskett et Anna Lee Chabot, nous
amassons actuellement des fonds qui nous permettront de soutenir de nouveaux programmes et projets de
recherche dont les membres canadiens pourront profiter. Nous n'en sommes qu'au tout début et plus de 500 000 $
ont déjà été recueillis. Un comité directeur des sections, composé d'un représentant par section, a été constitué pour
assurer que les membres aient voix au chapitre.
Qu'il est excitant d'être membre de MPI en ce moment! Je souhaite le plus grand succès à notre représentante de
2004-2005, Karen Massicotte. Nous pouvons compter sur une année encore plus haute en couleur que celle qui se
termine.
Comme le savent beaucoup d'élus aux postes de direction, ce n'est pas parce que notre mandat prend fin que nous
devons quitter la fête. Il restera toujours des chansons à chanter et des succès à célébrer, alors... Que la fête
continue!
Translation by: Infolink: The Conference Publishers Ottawa
A Message from your Canadian Office
By Leslie Wright, Director Canadian Operations
There have been so many activities this past quarter to report on.
In late March, I attended the Tourism Federation of Ontario Forum 2004. I was drawn to the
program to hear the keynote speaker, Duncan Bureau, talk about WestJet Airlines. This is truly a
Canadian success story and following my report is an article outlining some of their history and
successes.
The Leadership Conference in May had representation from all the Canadian chapters and we
ended with an open forum for the Canadians to receive updates on the activities of the Canadian office. The sessions
have provided your incoming directors with the tools to help your chapter in it’s growth and activities over the coming
year.
Meet Canada held a trade show in Ottawa and Toronto in May. We had a booth set up in both cities for this luncheon
show that was designed to offer affordable meeting solutions to the attendees.
BizBash entered the market in Canada with their BizBash T.O. conference and trade show in early June. Although
attendance was a little lighter than we anticipated, the quality of people who attended was excellent. One person
came to the show specifically to see MPI and obtain information on membership.
Over the next year, we would like to see membership in Canada start to grow. We’re currently at 1254 and our goal
for this next year will be set at a meeting of all Canadian Presidents in early August. We will be assisting chapters
with their recruitment programs and have purchased the Associations Canada listing to target associations across the
country. As members, you can help us reach our goal! Email me at [email protected] with names of prospective
members including full address, telephone, fax and email and we will enter their names into the database as a
prospect. They will receive issues of CNN (Community NetNews) and The Meeting Professional for a limited time.
Ask us to send you application forms that you can use to recruit and make sure your name is listed as the member
who recruited the new applicant.
Let’s not forget the retention part of the program. If you have a story you would like to tell on the benefits of MPI to
you personally, we’d like to hear from you. There is huge potential in Canada and growth will benefit us all.
Message de votre Bureau canadien
par Leslie Wright
Directrice, Opérations au Canada
Meeting Professionals International
Ce dernier trimestre a été riche en activités méritant d’être mentionnées dans ce Communiqué
canadien.
Vers la fin mars, j'ai assisté au Forum 2004 de la Tourism Federation of Ontario. L’attrait du
programme, pour moi, était le discours de Duncan Bureau, l’un des orateurs principaux venu
parler de la compagnie aérienne WestJet Airlines. Il s'agit d'une véritable histoire à succès
canadienne et on trouvera après mon rapport un article avec un historique de la compagnie et de ses réussites.
La Conférence de leadership en mai accueillait des représentants de toutes les sections canadiennes et s’est
terminée par une tribune ouverte qui a permis aux Canadiens d'obtenir des mises à jour sur les activités de leur
bureau national. Ces séances ont donné aux nouveaux membres de votre conseil les outils dont ils auront besoin
pour aider votre section dans sa croissance et ses activités au cours de l’année à venir.
Meet Canada a tenu un salon professionnel à Ottawa et à Toronto en mai. Nous avions installé un stand dans les
deux villes pour cette conférence à l’heure du déjeuner qui avait pour but d'offrir aux assistants des solutions à prix
abordable pour l'organisation de réunions.
L'introduction de BizBash sur le marché a été marquée, au début juin, par la conférence et le salon professionnel
BizBash de Toronto. Bien que la rencontre ait attiré un peu moins de monde que prévu, les pistes intéressantes ne
manquaient pas. Nous avons rencontré au moins un participant venu au salon spécialement pour faire connaissance
avec MPI et se renseigner sur l'adhésion à notre organisme.
D'ici l'an prochain, nous espérons voir augmenter le nombre de nos membres au Canada. Nous comptons
actuellement 1 254 adhérents et le nombre à atteindre durant la prochaine année sera fixé lors d'une réunion des
présidents de toutes les sections locales canadiennes, prévue pour le début du mois d'août. Nous viendrons en aide
aux sections dans leurs programmes de recrutement et nous avons acheté les listes d'Associations Canada pour
cibler les associations partout au pays. Si vous êtes membre, vous pouvez nous aider à accomplir notre but!
Envoyez-moi les noms de membres potentiels par courriel, à [email protected], en ayant soin d'inclure leur
adresse civique complète, les numéros de téléphone et de télécopieur ainsi que leur adresse électronique. Nous les
inscrirons dans notre base de données de membres potentiels. Ils recevront des numéros de CNN (Community
NetNews) et The Meeting Professional pendant une période limitée. Demandez-nous de vous envoyer des
formulaires de demande d'adhésion que vous pourrez utiliser pour faire du recrutement et assurez-vous que votre
nom figure comme la personne ayant recruté le nouveau membre aspirant.
Il ne faut pas oublier l'aspect fidélisation du programme. Si vous avez une histoire à raconter sur les bienfaits que
MPI vous a personnellement apportés, nous attendons votre contribution. Le Canada offre un immense potentiel et la
croissance sera bonne pour chacun de nous.
Translation by: Infolink: The Conference Publishers Ottawa
Canada Fast Facts (with an MPI Twist!)
By Elizabeth Henderson, CMP, Manager of Global Chapter Relations & Development, MPI
1.
Approximately 80% of the entire Canadian population is within a 3-hour drive of the US-Canada border.
2.
The total population of Canada (2003) was 31,629,700 people. In comparison, the population of California
is 35,116,033 and the population of the US is 288,368,698. This means that the population of Canada is
about 11% that of the United States. In contrast, Canadian MPI members make up about 6.8% of the total
MPI population – we have some catching up to do!
3.
Despite this, Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia; the United States is fourth.
4.
51% of the Canadian population live in four main areas (Ontario (Toronto and area); Montreal and area in
Quebec; Vancouver, British Columbia; and the Calgary-Edmonton corridor in Alberta). All of the Canadian
MPI chapters are within these four areas EXCEPT for the Manitoba and Ottawa Chapters (British Columbia,
Greater Edmonton, Greater Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal Chapters).
5.
While Ontario is the largest population region, the Calgary-Edmonton corridor is the fastest growing.
6.
Out of the top 15 countries visited by Canadians, 9 have MPI chapters or affiliates (rank in parentheses):
USA (1), United Kingdom (2), Mexico (3), France (4), Germany (7), Italy (8), Netherlands (9), Switzerland
(13) and Japan (14).
7.
Of the top 15 countries whose citizens visit Canada, 9 have MPI Chapters or affiliates (rank in parentheses):
USA (1), United Kingdom (2); Japan (3); France (4), Germany (5), Mexico (6); Netherlands (10); Italy (12),
and Switzerland (13). You will notice that these are the same 9 countries but in different order!
8.
Out of the top 15 states visited by Canadians most frequently, 12 are involved in MPI chapters: New York
(1), Florida (2), Washington State (3), Michigan (4), California (5), Vermont (7), Pennsylvania (9), Minnesota
(10), Ohio (11), Massachusetts (12), Virginia (13), and Georgia (15).
9.
Out of the top 15 states whose citizens visit Canada most frequently, all have MPI involvement: New York
(1), Michigan (2), Washington State (3), California (4), Ohio (5), Massachusetts (6), Pennsylvania (7), Illinois
(8), Minnesota (9), New Jersey (10), Florida (11), Texas (12), Maine (13), Wisconsin (14), and Connecticut
(15).
10. The most southerly point in Canada is Middle Island, Ontario, at 41 degrees 41 minutes north. This is
roughly the same latitude as Chico, California, just north of Sacramento, California.
11. The Canada-USA border is the longest undefended border in the world at 8,890 kilometres.
12. Other:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
The official national sport of Canada is….lacrosse. On a list of the top 26 sports played in Canada,
lacrosse does not rank.
The second most popular sport in Canada (to play) is hockey. The first is golf.
The two most well-known national symbols are the Maple Leaf and the beaver.
The Canadian monetary system is the same as in the US, except for the one-dollar and two-dollar
coins, nicknamed the “loonie” and the “Twoonie”. (The “loonie” because it features a picture of a
loon…which is a water bird!).
th
July 1 is “Canada Day”, our National holiday similar to July 4 .
13. I live and work in Calgary, Alberta. This is in Western Canada. Leslie Wright of the Canadian office lives
and works outside of Toronto, Ontario, in Central-Eastern Canada. We are approximately 2700 kilometres
apart (about 1677 miles). In comparison, I am only 2450 kilometres from Dallas, or about 1500 miles.
Faits vite faits (à travers la lorgnette MPI)
par Elizabeth Henderson, CMP
Gestionnaire, Relations et développement, section mondiale de MPI
14. Environ 80 pour cent de la population canadienne vit à trois heures de route ou moins de la frontière
canado-américaine.
15. La population du Canada totalise 31 629 000 personnes (2003), par rapport à 35 116 033 habitants pour la
Californie et 288 368 698 pour les Étas-Unis. C'est donc dire que la population canadienne représente 11
pour cent de la population des États-Unis. Cependant, les membres canadiens de MPI constituent environ
6,8 pour cent de la population de MPI. Nous avons du pain sur la planche pour rattraper ce retard!
16. 51 pour cent de la population canadienne vit dans quatre grands centres : Toronto et les environs, en
Ontario; Montréal et les environs, au Québec; Vancouver, en Colombie-Britannique, et le corridor CalgaryEdmonton en Alberta. Toutes les sections locales se retrouvent dans ces quatre régions à l'exception des
sections du Manitoba et d'Ottawa (sections de Colombie-Britannique, Grand Edmonton, Grand Calgary,
Toronto et Montréal)
17. Alors que l'Ontario possède la population la plus nombreuse, c'est le corridor Calgary-Edmonton qui grandit
le plus rapidement.
18. Des 15 pays que les Canadiens visitent le plus souvent, neuf possèdent des sections ou filiales de MPI
(classement entre parenthèses) : É.-U. (1), Royaume-Uni (2), Mexique (3), France (4), Allemagne (7), Italie
(8), Pays-Bas (9), Suisse (13) et Japon (14).
19. Des 15 pays dont les citoyens visitent le plus fréquemment le Canada , neuf possèdent des sections ou
filiales de MPI (classement entre parenthèses) : É.-U. (1), Royaume-Uni (2), Japon (3), France (4),
Allemagne (5), Mexique (6), Pays-Bas (10), Italie (12) et Suisse (13). On constate qu'il s'agit des mêmes
pays sauf que l'ordre a changé!
20. Des 15 États que les Canadiens visitent le plus fréquemment, 12 possèdent des sections locales de MPI :
New York (1), Floride (2), État de Washington (3), Michigan (4), Californie (5), Vermont (7), Pennsylvanie
(9), Minnesota (10), Ohio (11), Massachusetts (12), Virginie (13) et Géorgie (15).
21. Des 15 États que les Canadiens visitent le plus fréquemment, tous sont impliqués dans MPI : New York (1),
Michigan (2), État de Washington (3), Californie (4), Ohio (5), Massachusetts (6), Pennsylvanie (7), Illinois
(8), Minnesota (9), New Jersey (10), Floride (11), Texas (12), Maine (13), Wisconsin (14) et Connecticut
(15).
22. Le point le plus au sud au Canada est Middle Island, en Ontario, à 41 degrés 41 minutes de latitude nord.
C'est plus ou moins la même latitude que Chico, en Californie, situé juste au nord de Sacramento.
23. La frontière entre les É-U. et le Canada est la plus longue frontière sans présence militaire au monde, soit
8 890 kilomètres.
24. Divers :
a. Le sport national officiel du Canada est le … lacrosse. Sur la liste des 26 sports qui se pratiquent le
plus au Canada, le lacrosse reste absent.
b. Le deuxième sport le plus populaire au Canada (à jouer) est le hockey. Le premier est le golf.
c.
d.
e.
Les deux symboles nationaux les mieux connus sont la feuille d'érable et le castor.
.
Le système monétaire canadien est le même qu'aux É.-U., sauf pour les pièces d'un dollar (le
huard) et de deux dollars. (Le huard, un oiseau de rivage, est l'image frappée sur la pièce d'un
dollar).
er
La Fête du Canada, célébrée le 1 juillet, est notre fête nationale, à l'instar de la Fête de
l'Indépendance (4 juillet) aux États-Unis.
J'habite Calgary, en Alberta, dans l'Ouest canadien, et j'y travaille. Leslie Wright, de notre bureau canadien, vit et
travaille à l'extérieur de Toronto, en Ontario, dans le centre-est du Canada. Environ 2 700 kilomètres (1 677 milles)
nous séparent. Par contre, je ne suis qu'à 2 450 kilomètres (ou 1 500 milles) de Dallas, au Texas, où se trouve le
siège social international de MPI.
Translation by: Infolink: The Conference Publishers Ottawa
MPI MIX
MIX is now open and has an estimated 400 users! Sponsored by the Hilton Family of Hotels through the MPI
Foundation, the Meeting Industry eXchange, is MPI's newest member benefit. Many members experience MPI
exclusively on the chapter level, but with MIX you can expand your network and exchange ideas with MPI peers
worldwide, 24/7 for free! Here, you can network, learn or just have fun!
On the Home Page you can take polls, see the latest events and enter the Monthly Giveaway. In the Discussion
Forums, you can be part of an industry message board, read and contribute to topic-related threaded discussions,
and be a part of online roundtable sessions. The Online Meeting Area lets you participate in scheduled Industry
Expert Chats, for example, Tony Carey will be hosting July 13 at 09.00 CST; continue the conversation after MPI's eMerging Issues Online Web/audio conferences; and meet other conference attendees and faculty before and after
the event. Other features for you include an industry-specific document sharing page and Interactive Business Cards.
MIX is extremely user-friendly so be sure to get involved and visit it frequently. MIX may be accessed at
www.mix.mpiweb.org or via MPIWeb under the "e-Village" menu. Get into the MIX! If you have any questions or
suggestions, please contact Kerrie Wade at [email protected].
INSTITUTES 2005
The 2005 Institutes program has been finalized for October 22 - 26 at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, British
Columbia. For more information http://www.mpiweb.org/education/institutes/. This is great news for Canada!
CMM (Certification in Meeting Management)
MPI is accepting applications for its 2004 Global Certification in Meeting Management (CMM) - North America
program, 28 August - 2 September 2004 at the Westin Bayshore Resort & Marina in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada. The CMM designation helps support objective # 1 in MPI's strategic plan that calls for evolving planners to
positions of strategic understanding and influence within their organizations. Persons interested in registering for the
August 2004 Global CMM-North America program must submit an application and be accepted into the program.
Upon acceptance, the deadline to submit the formal registration form and payment is 16 July 2004.
http://www.mpiweb.org/education/cmm/.
MPI FOUNDATION CANADA
The first meeting of the steering committee was held in early June to look formalize the structure for the MPI
Foundation Canada once it becomes a legal entity. A representative from each of the seven Canadian chapters will
make up the steering committee and each of these representatives has been appointed by their respective chapters.
STARWOOD LAUNCHES PLAN TO SUPPORT THE CANADIAN FOUNDATION
Starwood Hotels has launched a plan to support the MPI Foundation Canada with its hotels across Canada. The
program consists of an agreement between Sheratons and Westins of Canada and the MPI Canadian Foundation.
The participating hotels will provide a donation of $500 or $1,000 Canadian to the Canadian Foundation if a MPI
planner member books new business effective May 1, 2004 and ending December 31, 2005 with a minimum of 50
and no more than 999 room nights for a donation of $500 and a minimum of 1000 rooms nights for a donation of
$1,000. There is no minimum length of stay required and the planner must notify the participating hotel of this
agreement.
CANADIAN FOUNDATION ENVISION DONORS TO DATE
We wish to thank the following donors to the Canadian Envision Campaign:
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Starwood Canada
Presentation Services Audio Visual
AV-CANADA/The STRONCO Group of Companies
Cascadia Motivation
MPI Toronto Chapter
Tourism Toronto
Investors Group Financial Services
Fletcher Wright Associates Inc
MPI Ottawa Chapter
MCC Planners Inc
Mark Hope
Angie Pfeifer
Rita Plaskett, CMP, CMM
To date we have raised $506,200 for the Canadian Foundation.
TOURISM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (TIAC)
The preliminary program is set for TIAC’s Tourism Leadership Summit in Whitehorse, Yukon, October 24-26, 2004.
This year’s new format promises the summit will be an exciting and interactive event.
TIAC is making it easy for everyone to reach the summit. A charter flight has been included in the registration fee
from Calgary to Whitehorse with Air North. For further details, www.tiac-aitc.ca.
TOURISM online
Communications at the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) have taken a big step forward with TOURISM online,
the new business-to-business website (canadatourism.com) and the Tourism Daily News email system.
TOURISM magazine will again be distributed in print, six times a year beginning this spring with a leaner and more
flexible format supporting the online version.
CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION RESEARCH REPORT
‘Exchange Rates: The Potential Impact of a Stronger Canadian Dollar on International Travel to/from Canada in 2004’
A report prepared for the Canadian Tourism Commission by The Canadian Tourism Research Institute is now
available on CTC’s website at www.canadatourism.com.
th
The results of a recently completed 2003 – 4 Quarter International Travel Forecast report produced for the CTC
indicated that our expectations for travel volumes and expenditures for Canada’s major international markets were
based on the premise that the US dollar will slowly appreciate during 2004. However, there is a real risk that the US
dollar will, instead, depreciate further in 2004. Because of this risk, the CTC commissioned the Canadian Tourism
Research Institute from the Conference Board of Canada to estimate the impact that a further depreciation of the US
dollar would have on travel to and from Canada in 2004.
PIPEDA
With the new privacy legislation in Canada, many organizations, particularly associations, have been concerned with
the use of member lists. I have extracted some information that might be useful in your determination of what you can
use and what you need to ask permission to use.
All of this information is available on the website for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at
www.privcom.gc.ca. You can also email specific questions to [email protected] or call toll free to 1-800-282-1376.
Organizations covered by the Act must obtain an individual’s consent when they collect, use or disclose the
individual’s personal information. The individual has a right to access personal information held by an organization
and to challenge its accuracy, if need be. Personal information can only be used for the purposes for which it was
collected. If an organization is going to use it for another purpose, consent must be obtained again. Individuals should
also be assured that their information will be protected by specific safeguards, including measures such as locked
cabinets, computer passwords or encryption.
However, a definition of personal information included any information in any form such as:
•
•
•
Age, name, ID numbers, ethnic origin, or blood type;
Opinions, evaluations, comments, social status, or disciplinary actions; and
Employee files, credit records, loan records, medical records, existence of a dispute between a consumer
and a merchant, intentions (for example, to acquire goods or services, or change jobs)
The next statement is the key to use of information. Personal information does not include the name, title or
business address or telephone number of an employee or an organization. An organization includes an
association, a partnership, a person or a trade union.
PET LOVERS
Did you know that it is possible to take your pet along to almost any city or resort in North American and be able to
find pet-friendly accommodations? Pre-planning is still necessary to ensure that the hotel you are booking into allows
pets, what the restrictions are and any additional fees.
Hotels have everything from area maps with dog-walking routes, information on vets, groomers and pet-friendly
restaurants, special menus for pets including room service. Some hotels even have gourmet biscuits in the mini-bar.
Dogs are the most popular pets that travel with their owners.
PEC-Europe
Thanks to Diane Stefaniak, CAE, Smart Serve Ontario for submitting these photos of Canadian members in Europe.
Although Louisa Davis is now in Europe, many know her from her
days with the Ottawa Chapter.
left to right: Claire Smith, CMP, Rita Plaskett, CMP, CMM, Diane Stefaniak, CAE, Marsha Jones, CMP and Louisa
Davis, CMP, CMM
left to right: Michel Geoffroy, CMM, Rita Plaskett, CMP, CMM, Marsha
Jones, CMP
GREEN MEETINGS REPORT
The Convention Industry Council has released its Green Meetings Report, a 12-page document detailing best
practices for holding an environmentally friendly event. Included are policies for reducing waste throughout a meeting
from start to finish, using guidelines. http://www.conventionindustry.org/projects/green_meetings_report.pdf.
IN THE NEWS…..
Delta Hotels has launched their ‘Delta Meeting Maestros’ national group meetings program that was shaped from
feedback from three key groups: meeting planners, Delta’s conference service managers and group sellers. One of
the key factors in the program is to ensure that meeting planners work with trained and knowledgeable professionals.
Planners have made it clear that their short lead times for booking and planning meetings are a constant source of
stress. To alleviate this stress, the hotel’s ‘meeting maestros’ will respond to initial enquiries within one hour and
deliver proposals to meeting planners within 24 hours. Other key elements include simplified contracts and invoices
and the promise that conference service managers won’t simply take orders but will also provide creative ideas to
make every meeting special.
Greenfield Services is proud to announce that it has signed a one-year agreement with the Ottawa Tourism &
Convention Authority to provide telephone lead generation services for its convention sales department.
“We will be calling mostly American meeting and event planners, to find out whether they are able to bring conference
groups to Canada and to Ottawa in particular,” explained Doreen Ashton Wagner, Managing Director, Marketing
Services. “This information will be passed on to Ottawa Tourism’s own salespeople to finalize the deal; our role is to
‘generate the leads,’ as we say in the business.”
Ottawa Tourism represents the first Canadian destination marketing organization to secure the services of the local
company on a retainer basis. Says Ashton Wagner: “In the past, we had worked with a number of tourism
organizations on a project basis. Most of our contracts this year were calling on US clients on behalf of American
destinations or hotels. It will be nice to promote a Canadian destination for a whole year!”
Founded in 1998, Greenfield Services provides outbound teleservices to a growing list of industry sectors, including
hospitality & tourism, publishing and professional & trade associations.
MPI Ottawa Hosts Murder Mystery Reception & Dinner
By Elizabeth Murphy, CMP, MSC Conference & Event Centre, University of Calgary
On February 19, 2004 MPI Ottawa hosted an exciting and well attended Murder Mystery Reception & Dinner. Hosted
at the Westin Hotel, the day following CSAE’s annual Tête-à-Tête Tradeshow, this event was a wonderful opportunity
to connect with old and new meeting industry colleagues. MPI and CSAE members mingled at the reception whilst
getting to know the cast of Big Time Murder Productions. Big Time offers team-building mystery as well as purely
entertaining affairs and they were a BIGTIME success.
As the guests moved from the cocktail reception in to the Ballroom the sound and light production, with strobes and
smoke effects lifted the excitement level several notches. We were fortunate to have Jaime Douglas, playing the role
of Davey Nantucket, sit at our table. Whilst he was on stage singing a rendition by Tom Jones Mr. Nantucket
suddenly fell to the stage floor, he had been murdered by electrocution at the microphone! The task at hand for all of
the guests was to find out who the murderer was and we did this by questioning the suspects and examining the
evidence to determine Who Did It? During this time of investigation and team-building we enjoyed a sumptuous fourcourse dinner and as always the best was saved for last with a fabulous dessert; a concoction of mousse and spun
sugar piled in to a basket of dark chocolate.
Congratulations go to MPI Ottawa for hosting a fun filled evening with excellent entertainment, wonderful food and
outstanding hospitality. Christine Fera, from the Four-Points Sheraton, Mississauga was heard saying “this is the best
industry event I have attended and so much fun”. Erin O’Reilly, from Calgary’s E=mc2 Event Management was seen
excitedly making notes and planning to produce a similar event in Calgary.
The sponsors who included Tourism Saskatchewan, Tourism Regina and Tourism Saskatoon along with MPI Ottawa
must be applauded on a wonderful evening.
Here we see singer Kirk Wheeler from BigTime Murder
Productions joined on stage by Ann Dow, (MPI Ottawa,
President-Elect), Linda O'Rourke (CSAE) and Louise Gervais,
CMP (MPI Ottawa, President) for a knee-slapping rendition of
"Elvira".
CHAPTER AWARDS
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"The individuals honoured at Ottawa Chapter’s awards night, April 29 , are committed to positioning meetings and
events as a key strategic component of an organization's success," said Louise Gervais, president of the Ottawa
chapter of MPI. "They are proof of the power of partnerships in a local economy that generates more than $210
million in economic activity and creates more than 3,100 jobs in 2002."
The 2004 Prix Prestige winners are:
Planner of the Year:
Liette Philippe, Independent Meeting Planner
Supplier of the Year:
Marc Bédard, Outaouais Tourism
Mentor of the Year:
Association
Michelle Gravelle, CMP, Canadian Medical
Volunteer of the Year:
Toronto
Darlene Kelly-Stewart, Delta Chelsea Hotel -
Rising Star of the Year: Margaret Dennis, Capital DMC
Mary Kotys, a 40-year veteran of the tourism, hospitality and meetings industry, will receive an Honourary Chapter
Membership this evening, recognizing the significant contributions she has made to the chapter and to the meetings
industry. In 2000, Ms. Kotys was awarded Mentor of the Year for her outstanding ability to inspire, motivate and
educate other chapter members.
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Toronto Chapter celebrated their Awards Night, Portraits of Success on March 4 and were fortunate to have Terri
Breining and Colin Rorrie in attendance. Terri acted as MC for the event.
Congratulations to all the award winners:
Norm Neill Student of the Year:
Andrew Walker, Ryerson University
New Members of the Year :
Jason Bonnell
Catherine Paull, Catherine Paull Meeting Management
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year:
Monika Radicevic, Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville
Supplier of the Year:
Robert Kawamoto, Courtyard Marriott Downtown Toronto (Robert is
now with Tourism Toronto)
Planner of the Year:
Management
Amanda Joiner, CMP, CMM, Canadian Conference & Event
President’s Award:
Bruce MacMillan, CA, Tourism Toronto
OTTAWA STUDY GROUP
Congrats Grads!
This group of esteemed planners, supplanners and suppliers
has passed the rigorous study sessions and final exam to
become the latest batch of celebrated CMPs!! Congratulations
all!
Left to right: Barbara Broome, CMP (Halifax); Anita Carlyle,
CMP; Nancy Coll, CMP; Maryse Côté-Singer, CMP; François
Gadbois, CMP; Patricia Gougeon, CMP; Monique Lafrance,
CMP; Colleen LaPlante, CMP; Hazel Massey, CMP; Chantal
Montpetit, CMP; Sandra Wood, CMP.
WESTJET AIRLINES: A CANADIAN SUCCESS STORY
Presented by Duncan Bureau, WestJet Airlines, at the Tourism Federation of Ontario Forum 2004
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The 8 Annual Survey of Canada’s Most Respected Corporations was conducted by Ipsos-Reid and declared
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WestJet as Canada’s 7 most respected company in 2002. WestJet finished 7 overall (up from 147), 5 in Human
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Resources Management (up from 18 ), 4 in providing High “Quality Service/Product (up from 21 ) and 2 in
Customer Service/Relations.
WestJet has been able to remain profitable for 26 consecutive quarters in a marketplace decimated by a series of
turbulent events. Despite the challenges within the tourism and airline industry, WestJet has been able to consistently
provide the traveling public in Canada with a quality of service that is the envy of its competitors. Its employees create
for the “guests” a warm, friendly atmosphere that keeps people coming back for more great WestJet service.
WestJet’s philosophy is People, Partnerships, Opportunity. It’s Mission is “To enrich the lives of everyone in
WestJet’s world by providing safe, friendly and affordable air travel” and it’s vision is “WestJet will be the leading lowfare airline that: People want to work with, Customers want to fly with, and Shareholders want to invest with”.
WestJet Values:
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They are positive and passionate about everything they do
They take their jobs seriously but not themselves
They embrace change and innovation
They are friendly and caring toward their People and Customers and they treat everyone with respect
They provide their people with the training and tools they need to do their jobs
They celebrate their successes
They personify the hard-working “can-do” attitude
They are honest, open, and keep their commitments
They find solutions
They are a team
They have created a unique corporate culture where they’ve turned their people into owners so that they think and
act like owners.
Some interesting information about the airline:
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February 1996 they commenced flight operations with 96 flights per week
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June 1997 carried 1,000,000 guest
July 1999 completed initial public offering
March 2000 Ground-breaking ceremony of new hangar facility
June 2001 First 737/700 enters scheduled service. Today they are taking a new plane every four weeks.
June 2003 Launched Air Miles loyalty reward program
February 2004 Announced US destinations
More than 25 million guests have flown
50% growth since 1996
45 aircraft and 4,100 employees
The cost to run WestJet is less than 10 cents per seat mile and they have an on-time performance within 15 minutes.
They have paid out $50M in profit sharing to its employees.
People have rated WestJet #1 in Attitute and #2 in Friendliness.
Today WestJet has 28% of the market share. By 2008, they project it will be 60%.
It will be interesting to keep our eyes on WestJet over the next few years to watch their growth.
NATIONAL MEETINGS INDUSTRY DAY (NMID) AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS
Congratulations to the volunteers who worked so hard to make National Meetings Industry Day such a success this
year. We had amazing support from MPI Headquarters staff in supporting our marketing efforts so thanks to Kelly
Schulz. This year we received the most news coverage ever.
Greater Edmonton Chapter
By Amber Copeland, Event Express
The Greater Edmonton Chapter’s NMID breakfast meeting was a success. We managed to gather a small intimate
group of approximately 26 – a perfect size for the quaint Hotel Selkirk who jumped in at the last minute and
sponsored their event. There were greetings from the Deputy Mayor Bryan Anderson and Edmonton Tourism’s
Manager of Meetings and Business Travel, Bob Dunham. The speakers included Ginette Lavack who spoke about
the Canadian MPI Foundation, International Education Opportunities available through MPI and Buy MPI and
Theresa Polok, CMM, spoke on the value of attaining the CMP and CMM designations. The feedback was good and
the exposure to some potential members was great! We even snagged a person or two to fill our remaining board
positions.
Greater Calgary Chapter
By Elizabeth Murphy, CMP, MSC Conference & Event Centre, University of Calgary
NMID was a great success in Calgary once again. Despite the early 7am start time, we had a full house of about 43
people. The morning started off by highlighting the information distributed in the NMID Speaking Points and then
David Dubois, Executive Vice President of the MPI Foundation, announced the new Canadian Foundation.
We were very pleased to have in attendance Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier who brought greetings from the City,
touched on the importance of meetings to the Calgary economy, and presented David Dubois with not only an official
Calgary White Hat, but also a Calgary Flames Hat so he can cheer on our team (instead of his favorite, the Red
Wings). David offered a personal contribution to the Canadian Foundation in the amount of $100USD if the Flames
beat the Red Wings in their series!
The host for the morning, Delta Bow Valley GM Hashem Mahlem, greeted the audience and unveiled the new Delta
Hotel philosophy and plans for meetings held at all Delta properties.
The balance of the morning was devoted to a meeting planner panel, moderated by David Dubois, and focused on
some of the key findings in Future Watch 2004 and how they relate in the Calgary market. There was great dialogue
with the panel and the audience on such topics as: major challenges for 2004, standardized procedures, procurement
departments, how best to reach planners and how best to provide information to planners.
Meeting Planner Panel: from left Jocelyn Flanagan, E=MC2 Event
Management, Catherine Humeny, City of Calgary Government Planner
and Sherry Morrison, Trans Alta Corporate Planner and Instructor at Bow
Valley College, Calgary, Alberta (photo credit Elizabeth Murphy, CMP,
MPI GCC)
Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier and David Dubois, CMP, CAE,
Executive Vice President, MPI Foundation: in support of Tourism Calgary;
the Mayor presents David Dubois with a white stetson hat. (photo credit
Cory Payne, MPI GCC)
Manitoba Chapter
By Andrew Horsfield, Radisson Hotel Winnipeg Downtown
It went well. Some of you may be aware that the Manitoba Chapter has been organizing an event in April that
coincides with NMID for a number of years now. It is an entire day of education that is open to the general public
called QUEST.
This year's program was the best ever. The theme was "the Magic of Meetings". The day was hosted by the Delta
Hotel and started with breakfast served in the trade show area. At 8:00 we gave the meeting a "head start" by having
a magician (MPI Board Member Anders Boulanger) use a jigsaw to cut off my head on the stage. It certainly woke
everyone up. Peter Bjornson, the Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth, brought greetings from the Province
of Manitoba. Peter made a point of mentioning the impact the meeting industry has upon the economy of the province
and recognized MPI's commitment to continuing education with events such as this.
The keynote speaker was Terri Knoxx, of Service Enhanced Training. As a Platinum Speaker, the quality was
assured and Terri did not disappoint. She really had the attendees thinking about the value of themselves. Her topic
was customer satisfaction and she spoke about the importance of employee satisfaction in order to truly deliver
customer satisfaction. As planners, we often give everything of ourselves to others until there is nothing left. When we
do that, we become unhappy and burnt out which means we cannot offer superior service to our clients. She also
spoke about accepting responsibility for our actions.
Then Platinum Speaker Marge Anderson of the Energy Center of Wisconsin spoke about Meeting Objectives and
Design. It was a well designed lecture with case studies that helped us to learn about developing and achieving
Learner Objectives at our meetings. It was also a lot of fun as she employed all eight documented methods that
individuals use to learn.
After lunch in the trade show area, our last speaker was Lisa Elliot of Ocean Tides Performance Group. Lisa gave an
excellent workshop on driving customer loyalty. It was especially effective because Lisa really tailored her lecture to
the meeting industry and used lots of examples of bad service from her many travels around North America. The
hotel people were really listening to her stories of good check-in experiences but especially the bad check-in
experiences.
We wrapped up the day with David DuBois' announcement of the MPI Canadian Foundation.
Toronto Chapter
There were 50 people in attendance at the NMID breakfast. Katherine Wright welcomed everyone and
introduced Colin Rorrie who made the Canadian Foundation presentation. People were quite impressed
with the amount of money already donated and especially with the amount that the Toronto Chapter had
given.
The Ontario Minister of Tourism and Recreation, Jim Bradley, brought greetings from the government. He
is a new Minister to this portfolio and has been making himself available to speak to many industry groups
since his appointment. He actually seems to understand the importance of our industry.
A panel followed including Colin Rorrie, President/CEO, Meeting Professionals International, Rod Seiling,
President, Greater Toronto Hotel Association, Barry Smith, President/CEO, Metro Toronto Convention
Centre, and Dallyce Macas, Vice President, Navigant Performance Group. Ruth Abrahamson, Base
Consulting and Management was the moderator. Each panelist spoke for a few minutes and then there
were questions from the audience.
In attendance in the audience was one of Toronto City Councillor's, Kyle Rae, and industry organizations
- IMPAC, ISES, CHMSE, CAPS and SITE Canada. Infolink: The Conference Publishers transcribed the
entire event and the Toronto Chapter plans to publish a supplement that will also include the Toronto
Education Conference (TEC) which followed NMID. This report is available on their website at
www.mpitoronto.org.
Global TV joined us at the Sheraton Centre where the TEC was taking place and they interviewed Colin
and Katherine. The segment aired on Global TV’s Moneywise.
A great day for Toronto!
Thanks to Colin for attending our event. He did a great job!
Colin Rorrie, Jr., Ph.D., CAE, President/CEO, MPI speaking at NMID in Toronto
Left to right: Rod Seiling,
President, Greater Toronto
Hotel Association, Dallyce
Macas, Vice President,
Navigant Performance
Group, Ruth Abrahamson,
CMP, Base Consulting &
Management, Barry Smith,
President/CEO, Metro
Toronto Convention Centre,
Colin Rorrie Jr., Ph.D., CAE,
President/CEO, MPI
Ottawa Chapter - PR coup highlights economic value of meetings
By Mitchell Beer, InfoLink: The Conference Publishers
The economic value of meetings and events hit centre stage in Canada's national media April 21, with a flurry of local
and national coverage flowing from the Ottawa Chapter's National Meetings Industry Day (NMID) conference.
CBC Newsworld, Canada Now, and CBC Business News all ran live or taped interviews with MPI International Chair
Terri Breining, CMP, CMM and MPI Ottawa President-Elect Ann Dow. And reporters were on the scene for most of
the day at the Chapter's 2nd Annual National Meetings Industry Day Conference and Trade Show, interviewing
attendees and exhibitors and collecting footage through the afternoon.
The coverage was widely believed to be the most extensive MPI Ottawa has generated in its 19-year history. Key
factors contributing to the coverage included the presence of a leading international spokesperson for the industry,
the availability of solid data on the economic value of meetings, and timely effort on the part of local Chapter
volunteers.
"We were just thrilled that MPI Ottawa could play such a major role in generating national media profile for NMID, and
for the industry as a whole," said MPI Ottawa President Louise Gervais, CMP. "We knew we had the makings of a
breakthrough event when Terri Breining agreed to join us as our keynote speaker, and it was great to see all the
elements fall into place for the day's news coverage."
“We've spent a number of years building local media contacts, and it's marvellous to see that effort pay off -- for our
own chapter, and for MPI as a whole," said Colleen LaPlante, CMP, MPI Ottawa's media coordinator and incoming
director of the Chapter's Public Relations and Marketing Committee. "We talk a lot about the power of partnerships,
and one result of this year's NMID conference is that we have a number of new partners to work with in media."
Montreal Chapter - Convention Industry Examines Partnerships
By Marie-Josée Talarico, Sophie Guillemette and Jean-Paul de Lavison of
JPdL Montréal
At National Meeting Industry Day on April 21, 2004, which attracted some 90
participants to the Palais des congrès de Montréal, MPI Montréal held
training sessions during which various aspects of partnership were
discussed. In a climate of continual change, today's meeting planner is faced
with a growing number of challenges. More than ever, we must work to
consolidate our business networks, advance our knowledge of the resources
at our disposal and build relationships with our partners based on confidence and respect. All in all, this was a very
productive day for our profession.
In the morning, we attended a workshop that dealt with a topic we have frequently discussed, but nevertheless,
remains a hot issue: "Hotel Contracts: Ensuring a Win-Win Situation". Do we need to be reminded of the
importance of this factor in meeting planning? Every good planner knows that any poorly-negotiated hotel contract
will have a major impact on an event's profitability. This time, it was interesting to learn the other side of the story and
hear what hotel operators had to say. As you know, everything is negotiable at contract signing but you should never
take anything for granted. For example, it is always a good idea to include in the contract the right to compare the list
of names with the list of delegates. I also learned that hotels have the right to obtain double room revenue, which
means they can rent an unused room in a block that is already paid by the client. As Director of Professional
Development for 2004-2005, I fully intend to revisit this issue…
We then participated in the workshop entitled "The Medium is the Message: Working with Speakers " Did you
know that there is a professional speakers' association in Canada? It is the Canadian Association of Professional
Speakers (CAPS) or in French, Association canadienne des conférenciers professionnels. With 350 members in
Canada, this association represents speakers, trainers and facilitators and is committed to building a better future for
the professional speaking business in Canada. CAPS helps members succeed in their speaking businesses through
learning partnerships, market development and professional accreditation. It also supports international advancement
of the speaking profession through participation and support of the International Federation for Professional
Speakers. Did you know that a speaker in Canada can generally earn between $2,000 and $5,000 per conference?
In the afternoon, we attended the session entitled "Regional Associations: An Important Resource” and learned
about the ABCQ, the Association des bureaux de congrès du Québec. A wealth of information was provided showing
how these small, less traditional venues outside larger metropolitan areas, are really a hidden treasure waiting to be
discovered. The ABCQ represents about sixty business tourism professionals scattered in cities throughout Québec
where conventions and business events are major economic activities. Their members operate out of offices such as
tourism and convention centres, local development centres, regional economic development associations, hotel
establishments, convention centres and event organization companies.
In the session "The Client-Supplier Relationship: The Power of Partnerships” given by Mr. Edward E. Scannell,
CMP, CSP, there was a lively exchange between suppliers and planners. Through interactive polling, an interesting
consensus emerged showing the value of close cooperation between these two traditional antagonists. The majority
of respondents felt that good communication was the key to a successful relationship. The polling also showed that
the human factor is the decisive criterion in choosing a supplier, followed by the degree of skills. Consulting services
and efficiency are also two important criteria that clients are looking for. It was unanimously concluded that by moving
the relationship to a new level everyone - both clients and suppliers - benefited.
Bravo to the entire team for organizing this wonderfully productive and stimulating day.
Rita Plaskett, CMP, CMM, ASSET at NMID, Montreal
Letter re NMID Article in 2004 Winter Communique
In response to the article on National Meetings Industry Day in the 2004 Winter issue, we received feedback from
Irene Davidson-Fisher with a correction to the information. Here is what Irene had to say:
“I am writing regarding the article in the Canadian Communique regarding Meeting Industry Day. The article is a good
one but it is not as accurate as it might be.
Although Canadian Council implemented a specific date for each Chapter to recognize Meeting Industry Day,
recognition was actually taking place in the Canadian Chapters across Canada, on or about the same month, just on
different days.
Edmonton is very proud of the fact that this was an initiative that started with our Chapter gaining municipal
recognition for Meeting Professionals. Each year we had a special event where the City of Edmonton presented a
certificate of proclamation. This grew to having Provincial representation.
Chapter representatives, who were serving on Canadian Council, at the time, were interested in the concept that
Vicki Harris brought to the table and thought that the idea was great and took it back to their own Chapters. It was
about three years later, when I became Edmonton’s Canadian Council representative, we developed an advocacy
plan. That plan was to encourage the members across Canada to become more interested and involved with the
various levels of government and engage their support for the industry. This led to Canadian Council adopting the
idea of Edmonton’s Meeting Professionals Day to raise awareness of the value that meetings play in the Canadian
economy at the local, provincial, and national levels of government. This then became National Meeting Industry
Day.”
Thanks Irene to bringing this information to our attention.
Platinum Series Education in Ottawa
by Linda B. Huskins, CMP
On March 10, 2004, MPI Ottawa Chapter offered an educational MPI Platinum workshop entitled: “Writing and
Implementing a Strategic Business Plan”, facilitated by Edward J. White, CMP, CMM from Christine Boylan &
Associates, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
I was somewhat surprised that the attendance was rather low with only ten members signed up. On the other hand, I
wondered whether individuals were thinking “oh it’s a business plan and we really have nothing to do with that” or “I’ll
never write one”, etc.
Whether you actually have written, will write, or work within a business plan (which presumably we do in one way or
another), this workshop was excellent to say the least. The facilitator, Ed White, was very knowledgeable on the
topic and made the session an interactive and interesting one, which seemed to go over well with the participants.
The three hours passed very quickly and a lot of great discussion took place.
From professional experience, I had the opportunity to write a business plan some years back, and really was not
sure about the whole process because I had never written one from ‘scratch’ before. I had worked mostly within an
already existing business plan. However, I did a lot of research, and spent many painful hours trying to pull
everything together, and in the end it was accepted. But it still left me wondering if I had done all the right things
properly, and to question why some of these things were required for a business plan!
This workshop clarified these steps for me. It brought everything to light in a way which now made sense of the entire
process. I very much enjoyed the workshop because of the facilitator’s knowledge and experience and his
willingness to share with the group.
If I can offer any insight into any of the excellent educational workshops given by MPI Ottawa Chapter over the years,
it is to say that I believe that the ‘learning process’ never ends for our profession. Certainly there is always something
to learn from these workshops, sometimes whether you think it ‘fits’ or not, and the extra knowledge you take away
may even surprise you .
We should all join together in supporting our excellent workshops and the tremendous on-going work done by MPI
Ottawa Chapter’s Education and Program Committee in bringing us learning experiences ‘par excellence’!
HOW TO DEAL WITH TALENT
The Mental Meanderings of an (ex) Stage Manager
by Sarah Landry, Independant Event Planner, Ottawa
In a perfect world, when you need to find entertainment for your gala event, you just go out and hire a specialty
company to do it all for you. You give them the theme and they go from there. No muss, no fuss.
Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Often there is no room in the budget for the services of one of these
experts and so we are left to fend for ourselves. Having spent the better part of the last two decades working in the
entertainment industry as a stage manager, I have found there are a few basics you need to know to make life
simpler.
Union or Non-Union?
If your entertainers of choice are members of one of Canada’s myriad professional associations or unions, this does
not necessarily make life complicated, though it could make it more expensive. Just remember, you do get what you
pay for. In most cases they will have an agent and the easiest thing is to deal through them. They will have a
standard contract to use (often issued by the association [e.g. Equity, ACTRA, etc.]) that lists the minimum terms of
employment. Samples of the various contracts are available on the Equity web site (Canadian Actors’ Equity
Association).
If your entertainers are not members of any professional association or union, you can write your own contract from
scratch. They will often give you an indication of what conditions and terms they are willing to work under and you
can negotiate from there. Make sure you specify the dates, times and location of the performance(s).
Terms: What’s considered normal/reasonable and what’s not
Span of day – maximum length of time between the first call of the day and the end of the day. Usually a maximum
of 12 hours.
Overnight rest period – minimum length of time between the end of one day and the first call of the next day.
Usually 12 hours.
Rider – an appendix to the contract that details extra or special terms. For example, an Extreme Risk Rider will be
used if the performer needs to be suspended above the stage (i.e. on a trapeze). Most musicians/bands will have a
rider requesting that beverages be provided. It is normal for them to ask for a case of beer and munchies. It is not
considered normal for them to demand that you remove all the brown ones from their bowl of M&Ms.
If you are employing dancers, be prepared for them to request a ‘sprung floor’. This is a suspended floor (think of a
wrestling ring) that is installed over your existing one. They can be very hard to find and quite expensive. And don’t
be surprised if they refuse to dance on hard floors (like concrete or marble). Temperature is also a consideration with
dancers. If the temperature on the deck (stage) falls below 20º C, don’t be surprised if they refuse to dance. Unless,
of course you have had them sign a rider for extreme temperatures.
If you are dealing with singers, keep in mind the type of decor you are using. Singers with allergies do not perform
well if surrounded with live flowers and plants.
Finally, remember that if you are working in a ‘union house’, i.e. a venue that is a member of the Canadian Theatre
Association (CTA), you may need to employ a professional stage manager (Equity member). This can be a good
thing because you will then have someone to organize everything backstage and to ensure that your show goes off
without a hitch.