CAPS Members a Receptive Audience!
posted by Brent Taylor on
February 26, 2010
The Canadian Association of Professional Speakers - Edmonton Chapter invited me to speak at their February event last Saturday. It was an opportunity to provide a meeting planners perspective on dealing with speaker logistics for conferences. It was great to share with professional speakers how they can make the job of meeting planners easier. I shared our company's top 7 tips for speakers to ensure an effective relationship between them and the conference organizers.
National Meetings Industry Day on April 15
posted by Brent Taylor on
January 21, 2010
I have the privilege of chairing the planning committee for Edmonton’s National Meetings Industry Day celebrations taking place on April 15. Once again MPI will be partnering with the Shaw Conference Centre and Edmonton Tourism to host a breakfast. We are pleased to also have the support of the Chamber of Commerce, CSAE and CAPS. This is an important opportunity for local meeting and event professionals to come together to celebrate our industry. As our industry and profession develops events such as this are important to elevate our industry and educate others on the contributions we make to our economy and community. We are expecting over 500 in attendance this year. All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Second Helping Food Recovery program being spearheaded by Edmonton’s Food Bank.
Meeting Planning a Top Career Pick!
posted by Brent Taylor on
January 16, 2010
U.S.News named meeting planning as one of 50 top career picks of 2010. The number of jobs planners hold is forecast to increase by 16%. A bachelor's degree and some meeting management experience are highy recommended. Read the article at http://bit.ly/8ATnho
MPI Rocks! Join us on Nov 18
posted by Brent Taylor on
October 25, 2009
I am thrilled to be the current President of the Greater Edmonton Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). This year's Board of Directors is just fantastic to work with and have been busy building a great chapter. MPI is such a worthy organization to belong to and invest one's time in. As the meeting and event industry's largest global organization with over 24,000 members, the opportunities for networking, education and business promotion are amazing. Our chapter currently has over 65 members and is growing. If you have never been involved and would like to be a part of our family of local industry professionals, please come out to our luncheon on November 18. We have international speaker Sue Hershkowitz-Coore flying in from Scottsdale, Arizona to teach us on "Communicating when Strangling isn't an Option." I have attended international conferences where her sessions have standing room only. Count yourself in and register at http://bit.ly/2zTfI3. I welcome the opportunity to meet you!
Is Your Planner Qualified?
posted by Brent Taylor on
October 25, 2009
This past week we were discussing in our office how the recession has affected our industry. It seems to have compounded an already growing frustration for highly-qualified and established businesses such as ours. We are finding a growing willingness by organizations to utilize the services of inexpensive and unqualified planners. Connecting regularly with planners from around the world, I have found we all find humour in the fact that everyone thinks they are a planner. How do you qualify the planners you outsource to? In a highly unregulated industry we are not all created equal. Does your planner have Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) on staff? Do their staff have post-secondary degrees in industry-related programs? How many years have they been in business? Check their references and the scope of work they have done. Event planning is a logistical process requiring a high level of attention to detail that no one short of a perfectionist is able to provide. It is so important to put your trust in a qualified planner that can deliver superior results for your next conference or special event.
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