FICP Profile: Jennifer Dela-Cruz,CMP, Canadian Regional Chair, Senior Meeting Planner, Event Production, RBC, Toronto

Q: Why did you decide to take on the responsibility for being chair of the FICP Canadian Region?

A: I wanted to take ownership of my FICP membership and be able to give back more.

Q: What is the Chair’s role?

A: I feel that I am the voice for the Canadian members and bring their suggestions and comments to the board and to other regions. I also represent FICP in trying to recruit new members and hospitality partners. The key task is management of the regional meeting, together with the design team. We try to outdo ourselves each year.

Q: What do you see as the benefits of FICP membership?

A: I have found the professional development and relationship-building of FICP among the top in the industry. Being a member has broadened my awareness of the meeting world and helped me grow personally and professionally.

Q: What can members expect from attendance at a regional FICP meeting?

A: Being able to connect with peers in the same region is helpful in sharing experiences. Building a close network of peers means you have a great way to bounce ideas off of each other. The regional events also allow you to build on existing and new HP relationships on a smaller scale. Creating trust among members locally lays the groundwork for when you need to expand the relationship globally.