MESSAGE FROM MPI BC

MPI BC | CELEBRATING A MEETINGS AND EVENTS REVIVAL

There was a sense of celebration out on the streets this past summer and in our hotels, convention venues and stadiums. I hope you too can see and feel the revival of our hospitality and meetings industry.

This year our Meeting Professional International BC Chapter will be celebrating our 35th anniversary. When our chapter was founded in 1987 we had just hosted the World’s Fair or Expo ’86, drawing more than 22 million visitors to Vancouver.

Since then, our members have championed many notable global events like the Winter Olympics and TED Talk Conferences, and industry events like the MPI World Education Conference and PCMA Convening Leaders. In the near future, we’ll be an official FIFA World Cup 2026 host city.

These events and so many more take an army of talented teams to procure and orchestrate, and at times it can be several years or even a decade before we get to experience the fruits of our labour. I hope that when you’re downtown or near a venue and you see a diverse group of individuals proudly wearing a conference badge or showing off their team-branded attire that you will take time to say ‘Hello,’ flash a smile and show your appreciation to them for coming to experience what we already love about our city and province. Each of these visitors represents the dedicated hard work of our local hospitality and meeting community.

We welcome you to come on the journey with us and imagine what the next 35 years will be.

Terri Russell MPI BC Chapter president 2022-2023