A recent Court of Appeal ruling by Justice Gregory A. Pockele found that David Gray, president of Ontario-based All Sport Accommodation, functioned as a travel agent when he facilitated accommodation with a hotel on behalf of his clients. At the time, Gray was not registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), the administration and enforcement body of the Ontario Travel Industry Act, and to which all those who sell or facilitate travel services (which includes accommodation), must, by law, belong. As a result, Justice Pockele ruled that Gray was in violation of the Act and was thus “properly convicted.”

This ruling effectively defines planners as travel agents. What do you think about this situation?

We are all guilty of less-than-polite behaviour—texting during meetings, goofy ring tones—when it comes to connective-device use, and we can all use a crash course in “mobile manners.” Share your digital etiquette dos and don’ts here.

Take our poll: Which would you choose to add some oomph to your next corporate event?

1. A loungy jazz ensemble.
2. An aura reader.
3. A lip print analyst.
4. An oxygen bar.
5. A handwriting analyst.

 Visit Ignitemag.ca for more information on these and other clever ideas!

Taking our cue from Twitter, tell us in 140 characters about a co-worker or industry partner who you admire and why.

With the holidays just around the corner, it’s never too soon to start planning your holiday events. And we want to hear from you: Tell us about the best holiday party you have ever hosted. With details!

Our favourite answer will be published in the November/December issue of Ignite, and you could win a $250 gift card from Hbc.

It’s summertime, which for most of us means heading to the Great Outdoors, from cottages to beach resorts. For meeting planners, taking advantage of temperate Canadian summers for unique events, sounds like a great idea, but is it really worth the trouble?

 We want to hear from you!

• Are outdoor events more complicated to plan?
• Is it worth in the end?
• Where have you had successful outdoor events
• And what kind?

So, we can’t get enough of summer around here! Lots of folks are heading to the country in seasonal fashion, which made us wonder about meeting planning and the City vs. Country debate.

We all know cities are easier to get to and get around when it comes to meetings and conferences, BUT the country almost always leaves an indelible impression and gives attendees a greater sense of relaxation (which can only enhance the experience, right?)

City vs. Country — What do you think?

Is it more expensive and labourious to go green for meetings and events? Some meeting planners say yes. But here are three innovative companies and their suppliers who shared with Ignite Magazine how they found a sweet balance between creating a green meeting and staying lean.

Many meeting and corporate travel planners did not have this rewarding career path on their to-do list when joining the workforce. Rather, it happened through a series of fortunate events.

If you don’t mind sharing how you came to be doing what you are today, we want to hear your story and so do Ignite readers! Tell us how you happened into planning meetings or corporate travel and you could be selected to receive a fabulous prize from Marriott Hotels & Resorts.

It’s simple to enter. Comment here with 75 words or less on how your career path led you into meeting or corporate travel planning!