Toronto, ON, March 6, 2007 - The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) President and CEO, Barry Smith has been honoured for his contributions to the meetings and convention industry as the 2006 recipient of the Meeting Professional International (MPI) Toronto Chapter President’s Award. Smith accepted the award at the 17^th annual MPI Toronto Chapter Awards Dinner held at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.

 

MPI Toronto Chapter President, Susan Lanc, CMP, stated that, "In addition to being a long time member and supporter of the MPI Toronto Chapter, Barry is also a person who is recognized as "walking the talk" in more ways than one. He takes time to recognize his peers, colleagues, and employees whenever possible, and is a dedicated and active member within key industry boards and committees."

Ms. Lanc noted some of the highlights of why Smith was selected for this prestigious award:

 

As an active member of the Executive Committee of Tourism Toronto and past Vice Chair, Barry has been instrumental in creating the highly successful Convention Development Fund (CDF). The CDF has helped tip decisions in Toronto’s favour for the past three years. Barry worked tirelessly with industry partners and the government in the creation of the concept of and ensuring adequate funds were directed to the fund which enables Tourism Toronto to win new business for the city.

 

As an active member of the Executive Committee and a Vice Chair of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), Barry is currently involved in advocating on behalf of the tourism and hospitality industry across the country.

 

A recent recipient of the Ontario Hostelry Institute’s Fellow Award Barry is recognized by other organizations for his professional success and for the difference he has made within this industry.

 

Never losing sight of the importance of corporate responsibility, Barry along with Turtle Island Recycling has recently pioneered the concept of holding large "green" meetings and conventions that successfully avoid adding to the existing landfill burden by recycling everything they generate. The MTCC has been the first convention centre to pioneer the concept of a Zero Waste event where all materials from the event are diverted from landfill and are recycled. To date MTCC has hosted five such events including an international meeting and a very large tradeshow.

 

"I am honoured to have been selected for this important industry award. While it is true that I am passionate about enhancing the meetings and convention industry as a whole, it has always been a community effort and I am merely accepting on behalf of all my colleagues who work tirelessly along with me to better our position within the marketplace," said Smith.

 

Walter Oster, Chairman of the MTCC’s Board was also pleased to hear of Smith’s recent industry honours and was not surprised as he stated, "Barry continues to exemplify the reasons why his name is held in high regard within this industry across the country, he continues to demonstrate true leadership abilities and excellent business acumen. On behalf of the Board we are extremely proud of his continued successes."

Established in 1972, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the leading global community committed to shaping and defining the future of the meeting and event industry. As the largest trade association for the $102.3 billion meeting industry, MPI defines the return on investment and strategic value meetings bring to individuals, organizations and the global economy. MPI helps its members enhance their professional value by providing them with best practices, superior education, the latest research and trends, professional development and networking opportunities.

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is Canada’s #1 convention and trade facility and one of the finest in North America. With more than 2 million square feet of state-of-the-art space, it is considered a world-class, tier-one facility. The MTCC has welcomed more than 39 million visitors and 12,000 events since its opening in 1984. The Centre hosts more than 700 events annually, ranging in size from large international conventions to small local corporate meetings, for groups of 40 to 40,000, generating more than $3 billion in incremental economic benefits to the local economy each year.

 

Heather Evans, Marketing Manager, MTCC, 416-585-8126