PORTLAND, ORE.—The Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of a chapter in Canada. “We are committed to becoming an established GMIC Chapter by Canada Day, July 1, 2011,” said Mariela McIlwraith, president of GMIC’s Canada Chapter in Formation. “Our vision is to promote education and innovation in sustainable meetings in Canada, and support business connections for our members.”
The Chapter in Formation is actively recruiting board and committee members, and plans to offer its first live and virtual events in the coming months, said Chapter officer Judy Kucharuk. “As a meeting planner from a smaller community, I am committed to ensuring that every member has a voice and a place within the chapter, wherever in Canada they’re from.”
GMIC Canada’s announcement ties in with the association’s larger effort to form active chapters around the world. “GMIC has seen fantastic growth in its international membership,” said GMIC president Guy Bigwood. “Canada is an important part of the global meetings industry and we are delighted to see our Canadian members taking the leap and forming a chapter.”
“Sustainable meeting practitioners have helped lead the meetings industry’s effort to balance the benefits of live and virtual dialogue,” added president-elect Paul Salinger. “That balance will be an automatic priority for a chapter that spans five time zones, and we look forward to seeing what the rest of GMIC’s membership can learn from the Canada Chapter’s experience.”
“Seeing the Canada Chapter form was a key priority for GMIC for this year,” said executive director Tamara Kennedy-Hill. “We’re grateful to our Canadian members for making it happen, and we’re thrilled that they chose to launch during Earth Week.”
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