The PCMA Canada East Chapter Awards program was created in 2016 and have been 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 2026 Awards Program will open for nominations in September of 2026 and be accepted until October 6, 2026.
Nominations must be made by members in good standing for worthy individuals in the categories of: Next-Gen Rising Star, Planner, Supplier, On-site Excellence, Innovation and Mentor.
The 2026 Nominations Committee engages in a blind judging process basing their scores solely on the submission with all identifying information removed. Once the scores are tabulated, each 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 – except for the On-site Excellence award and the President’s award.
• The On-site Excellence Award may be awarded to 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: Sandra Moniz, Jamal Jordan, Heather Reid and Susan Saganski, with the exception of the President’s Award.
• Submissions will be accepted until October 6, 2026.

Questions?
Contact: [email protected]

AWARDS

Next-Gen Rising Star Award
The Next-Gen Rising Star award recognizes an engaged volunteer and member of the PCMA Canada East Chapter who has been a member for 5 years or less. The recipient demonstrates professional excellence and must be an active and engaged committee volunteer. This Award is not open to members of the Board of Directors.

Business Event Organizer of the Year Award
The Business Event Organizer of the Year award recognizes an Inspirational Planner member of the PCMA Canada East Chapter for their involvement, commitment and achievement in a given year. The recipient is a model, demonstrates professional excellence and a full-time Meeting Professional.

Business Event Supplier of the Year Award
The Business Event Supplier of the Year award recognizes an Inspirational Supplier member of the PCMA Canada East Chapter for their involvement, commitment and achievement in a given year. The recipient demonstrates professional excellence and a full-time Business Events Professional.

Mentor of the Year Award
The Mentor of the Year award recognizes an individual who has made a significant impact by guiding, supporting, and inspiring others within the meetings and events industry. This recipient demonstrates a genuine commitment to the professional growth of peers and emerging leaders through sharing knowledge, offering encouragement, and fostering meaningful connections.

Innovation of the Year Award
The Innovation of the Year award recognizes an individual or organization who demonstrates exceptional creativity and forward-thinking in the Meetings and Events Industry. The recipient introduces groundbreaking ideas, solutions, or practices that significantly enhance event experiences or operations. This award celebrates those who challenge conventional approaches, drive positive change, and inspire innovation within the PCMA Canada East Chapter and the Meetings Industry. This Award is not open to members of the Board of Directors.

On-site Excellence of the Year Award
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. This Award is not open to members of the Board of Directors.

President’s Award
The President’s Award is a discretionary award presented by the Chapter President to any Chapter or Industry Member who has shown exceptional dedication, leadership, and support to the Meetings Industry. This recipient consistently goes above and beyond in contributing to the success of the chapter, embodying its values, and inspiring others through their commitment, integrity, and service to the meetings and events industry.

 

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:

Inspirational Planner of the Year 

Carole Brault, CMP
Federation of Canadian Municipalities

___

Inspirational Supplier of the Year

Jeanne-Marie Robillard
Global Speakers / National Speakers Bureau

___

Inspirational Mentor of the Year

Steve Bury
Freeman Audio Visual Canada

___

Jeremy Tyrrell Memorial Award for Volunteer Leadership

Andrew Horsfield
Lord Elgin Hotel-Ottawa

___

The President’s Award

Francois Brunet
D.E. Systems

___

 

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.

(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.