Meetings + Events

By Sandra Eagle

In these surreal times of business unusual, time—that most elusive of commodities—seems to be all we have right now. That said, many of us are diving into pursuits we’ve always wanted to do, but never had the opportunity to try, like trying to make sourdough bread, learning yoga or cleaning out closets.

But there can be a silver lining to all this time on our hands. You can also use it to your professional advantage, by learning a new skill, or racking up those credits that count for industry certification.  

Since the COVID-19 crisis has forced us all indoors, it’s a great time to focus inward and give yourself a professional career boost by participating in the plethora of webinars or resources now offered by a variety of organizations. Some webinars are offered for free while we’re isolating. Check out the Unite for Recovery free education offered by MPI. Other organizations have free webinars on topics ranging from negotiating contracts to meeting design and how to host virtual events, to name just a few—and most of those have continuing education credits attached—so necessary for keeping up your industry certifications. Ignite continues to share a growing list of these educational opportunities on the What’s On Industry Events calendar.

Of course, now that you have some time on your hands, this may be the perfect time to invest in yourself and start the educational courses for industry designations which have a price tag attached. Investing in yourself pays off in terms of confidence, expertise and the knowhow to offer clients or boost your future career choices.

Associations
Many associations are offering different ways to stay connected as a way to foster relationship building and hopefully gain new members. SITE Canada is offering weekly session Zoom calls with special guests and speakers, open for members and guests. Last week Ignite featured the daily lemonade stand sessions CanSPEP is offering on a variety of topics. Now would be a good time to virtually visit different associations to see what might be a good fit for you professionally and appeal to you personally. Associations foster a sense of community and a rich resource of industry information.