News & Announcements

The Chinook Awards - 2010 Winners

The Greater Calgary Chapter MPI is pleased to announce the winners of this year's Chinook Awards.  Winners were announced at our recent June Black Magic Lounge event held at Hotel Le Germain.

These awards recognized outstanding innovation, involvement, mentoring, and leadership potential at the chapter level.  In a small chapter such as Greater Calgary Chapter MPI, these are essential characteristics to nurture and promote in order to grow and strengthen the chapter, and by doing this, the members that are the chapter.

The basic criteria for award recipients are:

  • member of the Greater Calgary Chapter MPI in good standing
  • active participant in MPI monthly meetings and special events
  • contributions of special note in terms of innovation, involvement, mentoring, and leadership or leadership potential

 

Planner of the Year - sponsored by Meetings & Conventions Calgary

Presented to a planner member who has made an outstanding contribution to the meeting industry, peers, MPI, and to the Greater Calgary Chapter, over a period of time.

Niesa Silzer, Details Convention & Event Management
Niesa has made outstanding contributions to the meeting industry, peers and MPI since her return from Toronto.  Details Convention & Event Management was the driving force behind the Travel Alberta Industry Conference held annually which recent was awarded The Best Meeting in Canada award presented by Meeting & Incentive Travel magazine in partnership with InterContinental Hotels Group.

The Best Meeting in Canada award recognizes an organization that invests in providing educational content in meetings, conferences or retreats as an integral part of doing business.  Conferences and events from across Canada were nominated last fall by attendees and vetted through a national jury of meeting industry experts.

Niesa served three years on the Greater Calgary Chapter board of directors and has made contributions to the industry through her passion and willingness to get involved.  As well she volunteers a great number of hours as a board member of Autism Calgary devoting her skills and knowledge to lending a helping hand.  She is also a part-time instructor at Mount Royal University sharing her knowledge and experience of Event Production with students eager to join the meetings industry.

 

 

Supplier of the Year sponsored by Somnio Creative

Presented to a supplier member who has made an outstanding contribution to the meeting industry, peers, MPI, and to the Greater Calgary Chapter, over a period of time.

AVW TELAV

This year AVW TELAV has made an outstanding contribution to the meeting industry and our community with their national involvement in the ECOS project.  Providing trucks, drivers and muscle power to chapter across Canada.  Locally, the volunteered countless man hours driving the trucks and picking up food donations from across the city.  This contribution of time and vehicle power helped our chapter to collect enough food to feed over 900 individuals over the Christmas holidays.  AVW TELAV has been a champion of MPI and supported us by sponsoring equipment where needed and attending local MPI chapter events on a regular basis.  Thank you AVW TELAV for your continued support and contributions to the industry and our chapter.

 

Venue of the Year

Recognizes our host facilities for excellence in food, service, décor and creativity during the monthly MPI meetings or events.  The recipient is selected based on the event evaluation feedback (nominations are not accepted for this award). TO BE ANNOUNCED IN SEPTEMBER AT OUR AGM.

 

Rising Star Award Sponsored by EventPlan

This award recognizes an individual’s future chapter leadership potential based on current involvement and personal future leadership goals.  It is presented to an active member of the Greater Calgary Chapter MPI who has become involved in leadership via a committee or board position, and who shows an active interest in pursuing future chapter leadership opportunities and in furthering the success of the chapter.

Cynthia Douwes, Certified General Accountants
Cynthia has been a strong contributor to our board this last year.  She has worked diligently to ensure that our finances are in a complete and orderly fashion.  She has spent tireless hours creating templates and forms to help us with running our association as a business.  She has been truly passionate about each and every task she takes on and provided valuable input.  We recognize that Cynthia has emerged as a true leader in our organization and strong contributor.

 

 

Chinook Arch Award sponsored by MPI Greater Calgary Chapter

 

This award recognizes outstanding volunteer involvement in the chapter which has had positive results for the chapter.  It is presented to an active member of the Greater Calgary Chapter MPI who has made a contribution to the success of his/her peers or to the success or growth of the chapter through participation at meetings, on committees, or on the Board in the past or at present, and whose creativity and innovation have led to notable changes or improvements within the chapter.

Kate Cheney, ConventionALL Management Inc.
Kate has been a very active member of the board since she joined the Greater Calgary Chapter five years ago. She is always eager to volunteer to assist with board business and development.  In her role as VP of Membership she initiated numerous recruitment and retentions ideas that helped bring membership numbers to a record level.

 

Her volunteer time includes being a CMP study group leader for the two years, sitting on various committees and Chairing and coordinating the 2010 National Meeting Industry Day (NMID).  She also sits on numerous national MPI committees and has been visiting local colleges annually to promote the meetings industry and Meeting Professionals International.

 

Chinook Westwind Award (Mentor & Coaching) sponsored by MPI Greater Calgary Chapter

 

The West Wind Award recognizes outstanding involvement in the chapter and “Future Vision” through mentoring, coaching, and otherwise sharing of expertise with peers and others in the industry. It is presented to an active member of the Greater Calgary Chapter MPI who has made a notable contribution to the success of the industry through active involvement with the chapter and/or local industry – in the past or at present, and whose willingness to share knowledge and expertise with others in the meeting industry has contributed to the professional growth of his/her peers.

Susan Ross, CMP, Meeting Solutions

 

Susan has been a long standing member of MPI and the board of directors, her passion for the industry and MPI and infectious.  She has dedicated countless hours over the years on board business including sitting on numerous committees at a local, national and international level.  This includes mentoring new board members and planners newer to the industry.  She has also developed the CMM and CMP scholarship policies and procedures and has been the driving force behind the CMP study group where she has not only been a study group leader for many years has developed the curriculum that is currently being used for the 10 week study group.  Her dedicated and passion has not gone unnoticed and it gives us great pleasure to recognize her contributions to our chapter and to the industry.