On July 30, Meeting Professionals Against Human Trafficking, a Toronto-based group formed last year to raise awareness and drive education in the Canadian meetings and events world, took the next step in its commitment to ending human trafficking by signing The Code.
The Code, or, more formally, The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, is a pledge developed by EPCAT, a worldwide nonprofit dedicated to spreading awareness, developing policy, and passing legislation to protect victims and penalize traffickers. Signatories to the code agree to educate planners and suppliers about human trafficking, provide training on how to recognize the signs of trafficking and appropriately handle it, and encourage contract clauses that spell out a zero-tolerance policy around sexual exploitation.
Independent meeting professional Sandy Biback, owner of Imagination+Meeting Planners Inc. in Toronto, is founder and president of MPAHT and a dedicated advocate to the cause. “MPAHT was formed in 2017 to work with conference and event planners and venues to help understand exploitation and what we as meeting professionals can do to help stem the tide. We have formed coalitions with other groups, have helped spread awareness and education to the world of conferences and events, and know that we are making a difference, with a much longer road in front of us,” she says. “By signing The Code agreement, MPAHT is honoring our mission to work collaboratively to help stem the tide of human slavery.”
July 30 was selected as the date for MPAHT selected July 30 as the date for its signing event at the Hilton Toronto to coincide with United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. MPAHT members were joined for the signing by Nicole Merrick, president of Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada, the Canadian representative of ECPAT International.
Over the past six years, the meetings industry has seen a growing number of industry organizations sign the code, including Maritz Global Events, Delta Air Lines, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corp., and the Society of Incentive Travel Excellence. ConferenceDirect signed the code on May 22.
For more information on MPAHT, visit its website. The organization will have a booth at Incentiveworks 2018, August 14-15 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
