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"[The language] is crystal clear," announced J. Frederick Sagel, retired Bay Street lawyer, hospitality law expert and current professor of law at Queen's University, as he addressed the 26 invitation-only attendees at last week's Business Events Industry Council Coalition's (BEICC) Town Hall meeting about the Ontario Court of Appeal's 2010 ruling in the David Gray case.
"It's a significant case," continued Sagel, as he eyed the crowd of CanSPEP, MPI, SITE, CAEM, PCMA, and CAPs representatives. The law states that you are travel agents, he sternly warned, and nonconformity may lead to charges and convictions.
A lively search for solutions followed and while none of these options have been adopted, they do suggest that there are several different avenues to explore:
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| Short-term Solutions |
- Take the $35 Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) exam to comply with the law, and align with a reputable travel agency, possibly a large industry associate who has an in-house travel department. Or, fully register with TICO and pay all related fees.
- Indie planners may want to consider merging their businesses to share TICO-related costs and establish more clout, as has occurred in other professions (e.g. doctors sharing office and staffing overhead).
- Identify association members who are TICO-registered and ask for a volunteer to sit on the TICO board to provide insight about the business events industry from within.
- BEICC reps and Sagel as legal council, will meet with TICO to discuss options (see below).
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| Longer-term Solutions |
- Request a regulation pursuant to the Travel Industry Act (TIA) in a special section with a separate rate schedule that would better reflect the lesser risk of business-to-business, versus individual leisure travellers.
- Create a task force to develop best practices and certification requirements for the business events industry (similar to Smart Serve, a certification for anyone who serves or handles alcohol). Reach out to B.C. and Que., the only other provinces under the scope of the TIA, to share information, provide support and solutions.
- Investigate the idea of BEICC becoming a travel agency for association members.
- Research the possibility of BEICC becoming a regulatory body for the business events industry.
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Four industry members were asked to provide their insight on the proceedings: |
Helen Van Dongen CMP, CMM
National Director, Event Management,
KPMG Toronto, Ont.
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Corporate (and association) planners are least likely to experience the day-to-day impact of the Ontario Court of Appeal's ruling in the Gray case. That said, the implications for us are significant. First, many of us hire contract planners for specific projects or in peak seasons. If those contractors aren't in compliance with TICO's requirements, our organizations are immediately open to the same penalties: a significant risk. And second, for many of us, planning isn't just what we do, it's who we are. This is the most serious challenge to our industry in a generation, and it wouldn't be happening, if what we do didn't matter. If we don't stand up for our professional peers now, there may not be a meetings industry to have a career in! |
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Joe Orrechio President, The Road Ahead Meetings and Events
Whitby, Ont.
Immediate past president,
SITE Canada.
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Ultimately, I think there will be a change in the regulation in the Travel Industry Act, allowing for a planner category, or exemption. How long it takes for this change and what we, as independent planners have to do in the interim is what is not as clear. I think the change in regulation will take a demonstration to TICO by our industry, that there is a level of professionalism and self-governance that mitigates risk to consumers. This may come in the form of a governing body, or certification process specific to business event planning. |
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Bob Parker
Facilitator
The Pit Crew Challenge
London, Ont.
Vice chairperson, BEICC
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The members of BEICC are comprised of many facets of the Business Events Industry. There is a general consensus from our professional member organizations, that consumers of travel related services should be protected from unethical, illegal, or insolvent service providers. Anything short of this is un-imaginable and poor business practice. This fundamental is core to the existing legislation in Ontario, and will serve as the basis for all discussions moving forward. I see positives in reconciling this issue with TICO for the future of our industry. |
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Rita Plaskett
CMP, CMM
President,
Agendum Inc. Toronto, Ont.
Chairperson, BEICC
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TICO regulation of the "travel industry" has caused serious discussion and some concern among independent meeting planners and smaller organizations. This legislation has been in place for a decade; at this moment there is not a need to stop your business as usual. There is a face-to-face meeting with TICO and BEICC representatives scheduled, as well as simultaneous initiatives on behalf of BEICC to create a resolution for the meeting planners who are affected by this legislation. As an independent meeting planner, I am relieved to know that BEICC are urgently working on resolutions that will enable us to continue our business. A form of regulation is comforting to the professionalism of our industry; we just need to qualify that in the perspective of meeting planning. |
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Association of Corporate Travel Executives
Global Education Conference
When: April 22 - 24, 2012
Where: San Francisco
Why go: This conference attracts over 1,000 business travel professionals and provides valuable education about emerging trends in corporate travel.
What's in it for you: Get engaged in peer-to-peer learning, and develop strategies to effectively manage your travel program.
More industry events at Ignitemag.ca
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INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
Meeting Rooms to Go
Stressed planners looking to find hotel meeting space with no guestrooms attached may find the Meeting Room Now website a godsend. The portal launched about a month ago and is free to use. Meeting planners enter their requirements (date, budget, city, location, number of people, venue type, etc.) and immediately get a list of what's available. Planners can book on the spot, even suggest a price for the space, along with the catering and A/V requirements. The site is ideal for events with smaller group sizes (from five - 60 people) in the Greater Toronto area and Ottawa. Hotels enter their inventory through a simple, secure back end portal - and can adjust pricing as the time to booking shrinks. The site is looking to expand in hub cities across the country. |
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CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
Keeping Current
Corporate travel program managers could do well to dust off their policy binders and get up-to-date with their road warriors. A recent survey by American Express Global Business Travel found that not one out of 100 companies surveyed had addressed the use of mobile applications or referenced tools available for travelers to use on the road. The survey also discovered that 80% of policies failed to address the reimbursement of ancillary fees for add-on purchases at hotels, or airline bag fees and reservation changes. Only 12% of the corporate policies covered traveler security issues; and 70% of companies provided no specific guidelines on booking a cheaper flight through a non-preferred airline. The study suggests that a stakeholder team, including travelers, should be charged with keeping policies current. |
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CORPORATE GIFTS + REWARDS
Motivational Travel Trends
Reports just released by the SITE International Foundation highlights original research on the incentive travel industry. A majority of respondents (89%) say that the overall use of motivational travel will increase over the next three years. The use of smart/mobile technology has increased in importance during an incentive program, according to 62% of respondents, while 71% say the use of online booking systems will substantially increase over the next three years. As for participants vying for travel rewards, 67% of the non-qualifiers agreed that they wanted to work harder to qualify in the future. An important factor for management to consider is the engagement of their workforce throughout the entire experience. Participants need to know that the motivation program is fair and attainable, and effectively communicated.
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| Share your event news, case studies or story ideas with us here at ignitemag.ca. |
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Events for the "IN" Crowd
Soho House Toronto is looking for a full time marketing and events manager for the private members club created for the film, media and creative industries. If you've got the insider contacts to deliver over-the-top innovative events, this one's for you. Curious? Click here. |
Spread those Wings
If you're ready for a new challenge, there's an opening at Maritz for a meeting manager for assigned travel programs. You'll be responsible for client liaison, and all program planning from pre-sale to final billing. Candidates must reside in the Toronto area. See the full job description on the Maritz website. Quote position 4247. |
The Podium's This Way
Top-flight communication and facilitation skills are necessary to mange the travel arrangements and speaker management duties for Achilles Media Ltd., in Toronto. A minimum of three years experience in a travel/hotel industry role with client experience is preferred. You'll also be expected to be onsite at events and deliver post event feedback and follow-up activities. Click here for details. |
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