Jenn Glynn, 53, is the managing partner of Meeting Encore Ltd.; she also sits on the Events Industry Council board and volunteers with the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), where she served as the 2020 Global President. She's also the co-host of the podcast The Playbook - Everyday Skills for Every Professional and is based in Port Hope, Ont.
How I got here:
I got here the way so many of us in the industry got here—I planned everything when I was younger. I was the person in high school that was always planning and managing student activities, so [I] sought out an industry where I could plan, travel, and meet amazing people. That led me to a career that started in food and beverage, then to hotel sales, then global sales, and now as a business owner.
I celebrate a 30-year career—and am privileged to work with an amazing team and fantastic partners. My best advice for those starting out is to get involved and volunteer for an industry association; it has provided me personally with a world of opportunities.
Greatest career accomplishment:
Leading through turbulence. That defines just about every event that has ever been held—but 2020 introduced an unheard-of level of challenges for our industry (and just so happened to coincide with the year I was privileged to be the SITE Global President and co-owner of two event companies).
The focus was on the future and on building collaboration through a joint mission of not only surviving but learning and growing. For SITE, it meant listening to our members and making hard choices about what we would focus on. The same philosophy held true in our teams—what can we do to support people’s livelihoods and mental health?
I learned a lot about priorities, and have aligned myself with a team and clients that share a similar philosophy.
A specific improvement I’ve made:
I’m passionate about continuing education, and worked with a team of volunteers to develop the Certified Incentive Travel Professional (CITP) certification for SITE helping incentive travel professionals to continually grow in their careers through education. With our current labor market, it will be imperative that we start nurturing people’s careers long before they reach our doorstep. A strong focus on attracting new people to our industry and supporting their growth will benefit all of us.
The biggest change I've observed in the industry:
Technology is going to change your job (and mine too) faster and faster.
Look at working remotely. The tech is finally matching the need so that you can WFH (work from here). That flexibility opens the doors to more people working and staying in our industry. We can do more—we can work, we can enjoy any city in the world, we can be great caregivers, and be in service of our families. In a way, this is what we’ve been searching for for so long.
What I do outside of work:
My therapy is spending time in the garden or working on home renos, where my incredible husband, David, and our crazy dogs, Whiskey and Skye (who don’t know they're dogs!), help to restore our beautiful property in a historic small town.
My No. 1 piece of career advice I'd give my younger self:
Opportunities are your friend—be open to them. They can lead you to your next career opportunity, or if you're as lucky as me, to friends around the globe that I am honored to know in this incredible industry.
Connect with Glynn on LinkedIn.
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