The 2023 Inspirational Awards are NOW OPEN for Nomination!

There’s no doubt that the event industry has some truly exceptional people, and the PCMA Canada East Chapter is no exception! It’s the time of year to recognize our best and brightest, but we need your help!!

Know someone who has made a difference in the industry? Nominate them today so that they can get the recognition they deserve!

The PCMA Canada East Chapter awards program was created in 2016 and have presented annually ever since.  These awards recognize the members of our community who exemplify the PCMA shared values of passion, connected, ethical and knowledgeable.

The Awards start with YOU, our members. Nominations are made by members in good standing for worthy individuals in the categories of Planner, Supplier, On-site Excellence, Innovation and Mentor of the Year Inspirational Awards.

From that list of nominees, the Committee engages in a blind judging process basing their scores solely on the submission with all identifying information removed. Once the scores are tabulated, teach submission will be reviewed by at least two of the following executive board members: the President, Past President and President-Elect, who finalize the selection.

Submissions in all categories are judged upon their commitment to the four key elements of PCMA — Passion, Connected, Ethical and Knowledgeable (with the exception of the Innovation Award, which is judged on its Scope, Utility, and Value).

Process:

• Nominations are submitted online, via the “Nominate” link below.
• Once you have submitted your nomination, the nominee will be notified.
• Each nominee will be asked if they accept the nomination and would like to continue with the nomination process.
• A link to submit your application will be sent to the nominee once we receive confirmation to continue.
• Once the nominations have been vetted, nominees will be announced publicly via the PCMA website and communication channels.

Conditions:

• Previous recipients may not receive the same award twice in a five-year period.
• Self-nominations are only accepted in the Innovation of the Year Award category.
• A nominee must be a PCMA Canada East Chapter member in good standing – with the exception of the On-site Excellence Award.
• The On-site Excellence Award may be awarded any member of the events industry, but the nominator must be a member in good standing.
• A nominator must be a PCMA Canada East Chapter member in good standing.
• The PCMA Canada East Executive Board members and Awards Committee Judges aren’t eligible to receive an award: Heather Reid, Susan Saganski, Krista Cameron, Elizabeth Raoult, Bobbi Hoffman.

Nomination Deadline: September 29, 2023

Questions?
Contact: [email protected]

The Inspirational Planner of the Year award recognizes an active planner member of PCMA Canada East for their involvement, commitment and achievement in a given year.  Recipients are role models and exemplify professional excellence and should be a full-time professional meeting planner.

The Inspirational Supplier of the Year award recognizes an active supplier member of PCMA Canada East for their commitment and achievement in a given year. The recipient should be seen as a role model that exemplifies professional excellence within the industry.

The Inspirational Mentor of the Year award recognizes an active member of PCMA Canada East for their commitment to mentoring. The recipient should be seen as someone who is a positive, guiding influence in another person’s life.

The Innovation of the Year award recognizes an industry organization that has a PCMA Canada East Chapter member in a leadership position. This organization is being recognized for demonstrating improvements to their product, service or in their field that has helped to uplevel the industry through inspiring innovation. Examples may consist of an exciting destination change, property renovations, new method or innovative approach to event planning etc.

The On-site Excellence of the Year award recognizes an individual or duo who serves in an in-venue execution role. The recipient(s) must have provided outstanding service and exemplified professional excellence to a conference, meeting or event organized or operated by a member of the PCMA Canada East Chapter. The nominator must be a Planner member however the nominee is not required to be a member. The definition of Planner for this award includes those employed by a Supplier who operate in an external planning role. Submissions that fit this definition will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The nominator cannot work for the same organization as the nominee.

The President’s Award is given out solely at the discretion of the Chapter president, and may or may not be awarded in a given year. One can be given out each year by the president to recognize persons who had a major impact on their journey to becoming or during their year as president, or to recognize an unsung hero of the chapter.

Congratulations to the 2022 PCMA Canada East Inspirational Award Nominees:

Congratulations to the PCMA Canada East 2021 Award Program Nominees:

Watch the PCMA Canada East 2020 Awards Ceremony here!

Congratulations to the PCMA Canada East 2020 Award Recipients:

Congratulations to the PCMA Canada East 2020 Award Program Nominees:

Thank you to the 2020 PCMACE Award Partners:

Inspirational Planner of the Year 

Carole Brault, CMP
Federation of Canadian Municipalities

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Inspirational Supplier of the Year

Jeanne-Marie Robillard
Global Speakers / National Speakers Bureau

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Inspirational Mentor of the Year

Steve Bury
Freeman Audio Visual Canada

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Jeremy Tyrrell Memorial Award for Volunteer Leadership

Andrew Horsfield
Lord Elgin Hotel-Ottawa

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The President’s Award

Francois Brunet
D.E. Systems

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2019 Inspirational Awards Nominees

It is with great joy that we give a memorable mention to all of our nominees who went through the process of a blind review by our PCMA Canada East Awards Committee. A certificate will be given to each honoree.

Congratulations on your honourable nomination!

Inspirational Planner of the Year 

Brigitte Farah
Metallurgy & Materials Society of CIM

To view Brigitte Farah’s acceptance speech please click here

Inspirational Supplier of the Year

Candace Schierling
Tourism Saskatoon

To view Candace Schierling’s acceptance speech please click here

Inspirational Mentor of the Year

Heidi Welker
Freeman Audio Visual Canada

To view Heidi Welker’s acceptance speech please click here

Jeremy Tyrrell Memorial Award for Volunteer Leadership

Chuck E. Schouwerwou, CMP, CMM
ConferSense Planners Inc.

To view Chuck E. Schouwerwou’s acceptance speech please click here

The President’s Award

Jacqui Sullivan
CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research)

To view Jacqui Sullivan’s acceptance speech please click here

Bettyanne Sherrer
ProPlan Conferences & Events

To view Bettyanne Sherrer’s acceptance speech please click here

Inspirational Planner of the Year Award
Valérie Guillet
Congress Director
International Society of Urology

To view Valérie’s acceptance speech please click here

Inspirational Supplier of the Year Award
Mary-Frances Gingras, CMP
Director of Sales
Hilton Worldwide

To view Mary-Frances’s acceptance speech please click here

Inspirational Mentor of the Year Award
Susan Saganski
Global Account Executive
Marriott International

To view Susan’s acceptance speech please click here

Jeremy Tyrrell Memorial Award for Volunteer Leadership
Rebecca Alexander
Business Development Manager
Meetings and Conventions PEI

To view Rebecca’s acceptance speech please click here

The President’s Partnership Award
Québec City Business Destination
Québec City Convention Centre

To view Regis Fleury’s acceptance speech please click here

To view Lynn Chaisson’s acceptance speech please click here

The President’s Award
Chuck E. Schouwerwou, CMP, CMM
President & Principal Meeting Planner
ConferSense Planners Inc.

PCMA Canada East launched its new member recognition program at its 2016 Canadian Innovation Conference (CIC),  held November 20-22, 2016 at the new St. John’s Conference Centre, St. John’s, Newfoundland.

The five inaugural honorees are:

• Inspirational Planner of the Year: Alison Owers-Graham, CMP, Client Experience Architect, Tourism Toronto. To view Alison’s acceptance speech please click here
• Inspirational Supplier of the Year: Krista Cameron, Director of Sales, Destination St. John’s. To view Krista’s acceptance speech please click here
• Jeremy Tyrrell Memorial Memorial Award for Volunteer Leadership: Jeremy Tyrrell (posthumous). To view the speech made by Claire Tyrrell, please click here.
• The President’s Award: Barry Smith, president & CEO, Metro Toronto Convention Centre; and Heidi Welker, vice-president, Marketing, Freeman Audio Visual Canada. To view the acceptance speech by Barry and Heidi, please click here

The program was developed “to recognize members who exemplify the PCMA shared values of being passionate, connected, ethical and knowledgeable.”

The awards were given out at the luncheon, held on the first full day of the conference. PCMA Canada East was honored to have Claire Tyrrell, Jeremy Tyrrell’s wife, in St. John’s to accept the first Jeremy Tyrrell Memorial Award for Volunteer Leadership. Jeremy was a much-loved, much-respected member of the PCMA community. He was renowned for his humour, warmth and commitment to bettering the industry. He was director of sales at Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls when he found out he had cancer. He died on December 20, 2015.

The award will be given annually to an individual who has been a member of PCMA Canada East for a minimum of three years and is seen by his/her peers “as a mentor to some, a trusted hard-working colleague to many and an inspiration to others both within and outside of the hospitality profession.” Future recipients must have, as did Jeremy Tyrrell, a history of commitment to improving the industry as well as the community at large.

The Inspirational Planner of the Year award recognizes an active planner member of PCMA Canada East for their involvement, commitment and achievement in a given year.  Recipients are role models and exemplify professional excellence and should be a full-time professional meeting planner.

The Inspirational Supplier of the Year award recognizes an active supplier member of PCMA Canada East for their commitment and achievement in a given year. The recipient should be seen as a role model that exemplifies professional excellence within the industry.

The Inspirational Mentor of the Year award recognizes an active member of PCMA Canada East for their commitment to mentoring. The recipient should be seen as someone who is a positive, guiding influence in another person’s life.

The President’s Award is given out solely at the discretion of the Chapter president, and may or may not be awarded in a given year. One can be given out each year by the president to recognize persons who had a major impact on their journey to becoming or during their year as president, or to recognize an unsung hero of the chapter.

(All photos l-r) 1. Andrew Horsfield, Lord Elgin Hotel; Inspirational Supplier of the Year – Krista Cameron, Destination St. John’s; Erin Crane, Economic Development Lethbridge. 2. Claire Tyrrell accepted the Volunteer Leadership Award on behalf of her late husband, Jeremy Tyrrell, from Chuck Schouwerwou, CMP, CMM, PCMA Canada East president. 3. President’s Award winner Heidi Welker, Freeman Audio Visual Canada and Chuck Schouwerwou. 4. Mark Zanetti, Banff-Lake Louise Tourism; Inspirational Planner of the Year Alison Owers-Graham, Tourism Toronto; and Andrew Horsfield. 5. Chuck Schouwerwou with President’s Award winner Barry Smith, Metro Toronto Convention Centre.