About the author:

Author: Doreen Ashton Wagner

Doreen is co-founder and Chief Strategist at Greenfield Services Inc., a demand generation consultancy specializing in helping meetings industry organizations grow their business. Fluent in English and French, Doreen graduated from the University of Ottawa with a BBA in Marketing. Before founding Greenfield, Doreen was VP Marketing for The Sutton Place Grande Hotels Group. She also held various sales and marketing positions with Inter-Continental Hotels, Mariposa Cruise Line, Four Seasons Inn on the Park, Park Plaza Hotel Toronto, and Ottawa's Château Laurier. Doreen has been a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) since 1989. She began her volunteer involvement in Toronto, joining the Professional Development committee within months of becoming a member. In 1992-93 she took on the presidency of the MPI Toronto Chapter and subsequently served on the Canadian Council of MPI. After she started Greenfield Services and moved to the Canada’s capital, she joined MPI’s Ottawa Chapter. Soon she joined the newsletter committee and then the Board in 2004. She became President of the Ottawa Chapter in 2006, and a member of the MPI Foundation Canada Council in 2008 where she served for two years. This year she is back volunteering at the local level, contributing to the Ottawa Chapter newsletter committee. Doreen is an avid reader and fan of historical fiction, but as soon as the weather warms you'll find her tending to a one-acre perennial and vegetable garden at the home she shares with her husband Heinz, their teenage daughter Iliana and their cat Tommy.

Articles by Doreen Ashton Wagner

  • Generation next: Are demographic shifts having an impact on meetings?

    While younger generations, commonly referred to as Generation X and Y, together outnumber boomers, they do not have the experience or aren’t necessarily interested in replacing boomers in certain sectors. Industry groups from tourism to petroleum are warning of labour shortages starting as early as 2013. So what does this have to do with meetings? If bringing people face-to-face is meant to facilitate learning and change, motivating and engaging employees, demographic shifts may represent important challenges to the way meetings and events are planned.

  • The business case for sustainability at your events

    The research tracked 184 companies between 2003 and 2010 and identified seven key benefits that companies reported experiencing as a result of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. It was immediately apparent to me how this research could make an excellent basis for any meeting planner looking to promote change within their organization by incorporating sustainability and CSR to their events.

  • A new sheriff in town: Canada’s anti-spam legislation, part two

    When Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), Bill C-28, was passed in December 2010, almost no one took notice. Business groups such as the Canadian Marketing Association were still meeting with federal officials to see how the spirit of the law would be applied and regulated. Now that we are told the law should be effective in mid-2012, the challenge is to make sure your email marketing practices comply with the legislation.

  • Establishing trust and rapport in non face-to-face situations

    When I was approached to write this article I thought, “sure, no sweat.” After all, I run a company that helps meetings industry organizations grow their business through phone and email lead generation programs. I’ve been teaching my clients and employees how to build trust and rapport for the last 14 years we’ve been in business.

  • A new sheriff in town: Canada’s anti-spam legislation

    There’s a new sheriff in town for anyone involved in email marketing in Canada. Its name is Bill C-28. It’s been setting up shop over the last year. Its main purpose is to enforce the email behaviour that will soon be expected of you.