2018 MEETINGS TRENDSETTERS
TAHIRA ENDEAN
Event Producer // BC Innovation Council
SPECIALTIES: Author, event design, speaking
The author of Intentional Event Design, Our Professional
Opportunity, Tahira Endean places the emphasis firmly on
the purpose of any event and using elements ranging from
technology to wellness to achieve that goal. An event producer
for British Columbia’s BC Innovation Council, she uses neu-roscience concepts to create meetings with meaning and that
build trust.
NICOLE EDMUND
Vice President, Community // MPI
SPECIALTIES: Association management,
advocacy
Since January, 20-year association management
veteran Nicole Edmund has been charged with
overseeing MPI’s membership and chapter business
teams. Her most trendsetting role, however, is
representing MPI on the Events Industry Sexual Harassment Task Force, an umbrella group of industry
organizations that are fighting sexual harassment.
KATE PATAY
Chief Strategy Officer // Patay Consulting
SPECIALTIES: Speaking, consulting, coaching
and influencing
With a tagline of “Brand. Image. Strategy.”, Patay Consulting
knows how important a finely tailored image is in the meetings
and events industry. Over and above that, however, Kate Patay
has recently embarked on initiatives involving speaking out for
gender equality, image and brand updates to help create more
inclusionary companies and cultures, and the importance of
transparency within the meetings industry. A nearly 20-year
events veteran, she is a frequent speaker at industry functions.
DAVID BRUCE
Founder/Executive Director //
Meeting Planners Unite
SPECIALTIES: Advocacy for
independent meeting planners
When Marriott International cut independent
meeting planner commissions to 7 percent from
the traditional 10 percent, a shock wave reverberated through the industry. Longtime independent
planner David Bruce, who owns CMP Meeting
Services, quickly led the charge to combat the
commission-cutting trend by forming independent planner association Meeting Planners Unite,
with a goal of representing the interests of indies
well beyond merely commissions.
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