WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, ARTISTIC CONSULTANT
William Cunningham is the managing director, and founder of the Western Canadian based company Meetings That Matter (MTM).
Cunningham oversees the strategic direction and operation of the Meetings That Matter group – an emerging global leader in travel, business consulting, and conference management services.
In addition to that, Cunningham works closely with MTM's key clients, partners and team to refine and deliver the MTM brand promise of: "bringing people together to do extraordinary things, while empowering each other to succeed." As part of his portfolio, Cunningham delivers leadership development programs, strategy planning sessions, meeting facilitation, and business development coaching. In his capacity at MTM, Cunningham has partnered and worked among some of North America's leading organizations, including Air Canada, the University of Alberta, Widex, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, HydroOne, Teck Resources, and ExxonMobil.
From 2003 until 2014, Cunningham served with the luxury hotelier, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, in an assortment of management and leadership positions. During his tenure at the Fairmont Western Mountain Region hotels, Cunningham was a three-time recipient of the prestigious Fairmont Masters designation for leading sales performance and ascended to the top three highest achievers within the global organization.
Proceeding that, Cunningham served as Conference Consultant at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, a multidimensional post-secondary institution for the arts, and later became the Interim General Manager and Consultant for the Juniper Hotel, a unique boutique hotel with historical Indigenous significance. During his time at Banff Centre, Cunningham helped establish and implement meaningful programs linking the arts and conference business entities functioning within the institution. In 2014, Cunningham collaborated with the New York based TED organization, bringing the first 'TED Talks Summit' to Banff.
Cunningham is a member of the board of directors at the John Perry Academy of Music in Los Angeles, where he served as executive director from 2012-2014. He sits on the advisory board for Banff & Lake Louise Tourism, and is a partner with the executive leadership firm Envision Group International.
Among educational and not-for-profit organizations, Cunningham has assisted with the development and fundraising efforts of the Montreal Chamber Music Festival and Las Vegas Wine & Music Festival. He has been a regular presenter and speaker for the SAIT Polytechnic and Selkirk College Hospitality Management schools, and the Camosun College International division. In 2018, Cunningham was invited by the MENSA organization to speak at the North American annual conference on the science of music, which explored the historical, scientific, and spiritual elements of music.
Cunningham is also known for his work as a pianist and composer, having performed for esteemed and internationally renowned audiences, including the Kennedy Family, The Prime Minister of Canada, Robin Williams, and Buzz Aldrin among numerous other business conglomerates and celebrity figures. A curious and avid world-traveler, Cunningham is an advocate for building spirited communities and fostering effective leadership practices — both globally and close to home.