Mary Jo Sterns *POSTS HAVE BEEN EDITED FOR CLARITY AND SPACE. Gabrielle Spanton I am genuinely grateful and passionate to be part of the meetings and events industry for more than 35 years. My way of thanking the industry is through active participation as a mentor, and having been a member of the board at SITE Canada Chapter and Meetings Mean Business Canada. My two-year pandemic journey started when I opened GAB&CO Consultants in March 2020. WOW, what a yoyo! Who knew there was still so much to learn? Virtual, hybrid, covid protocols, contracts, credits, refunds, rebooking, rebooking, (did I mention rebooking!). Big shout out to friends and colleagues who expedited my virtual and hybrid learning by sharing their practical experiences. It served clients well. Gabrielle Spanton Managing partner, GAB&CO Consultants Inc., Grand Bend, Ont. My proudest industry accomplishment during the past two years was earning SITE Canada the SITE Global Sustainability Certifi cation. It was a ton of work, however, with the support of the 2020 Board we managed to earn the certifi cation during, what I consider, the most diffi cult time in our industry’s history. Although we have been through a tragic and diffi cult time, I believe the pandemic has been a catalyst in helping companies and clients understand the true value of meeting face to face and, in the long run, will serve our industry well. Love all those virtual platforms but in the end, nothing replaces live human connection. I was born in the Maritimes, even though I lived in Ontario for most of my adult life. In October 2019 I moved from Toronto to Victoria, BC. It was time for a new adventure and going West seemed to be it! I “sort of had a plan.” Well, March 2020 happened and that plan quickly fl ew out the window, as it did for many of us. I have eliminated the word “p***t” from my vocabulary this year and refuse to use it. So I will instead say it was time to reimagine. Two years later, I am thoroughly enjoying collaborating with colleagues regarding pandemic compliance, creating online education and executing customer service audits. I have made some incredible virtual connections that I would not have had if the world had not gone into chaos. Strangely enough, these connections have grown to solid kinship. Sharing my vulnerability has been a huge part of this new journey and I am better for it. Mary Jo Sterns Pandemic compliance advisor for events, Victoria I am a serial entrepreneur, multi-passionate creative and dog lover. I am also the woman who cannot say NO to volunteering for our beloved event industry. My role as SITE Global President in 2020 led to challenges, but also opportunities that allowed me to learn and work alongside the best in the #incentivetravel industry. The pandemic had me multi-tasking on supporting clients while looking for new revenue streams with virtual social events and gifting experiences. Last week was the fi rst week in two years that I managed more RFPs than cancelations. And I could not be more ready to help rebuild and support all of our industry partners. Jenn Glynn Jenn Glynn Managing partner, Meeting Encore, Port Hope, Ont. Spring 2022 | Ignitemag.ca | 41
