There are a few dates we put down into our calendars because of their significance in our lives: birthdays of friends and family, anniversaries (at least the guys out there should be using the calendar function for this!) and other special holidays. Well, if you’re reading this right now, one of the dates you should have in your calendar, if you don't already, is January 28 … Data Privacy Day!

While I lament the fact that most people won’t celebrate it with fireworks or even the day off work, I do think the day has grown in significance over the years as, I believe, our role has become all the more relevant. The day provides all of us with the perfect excuse to get on our respective soapboxes and speak about what we do as a profession, so I hope you do take advantage of the opportunity. No matter the size of the organization you work in, you can take the day as the perfect excuse to highlight the importance of using personal information properly—and why that's of benefit to your organization, because it is.

The day is also a fun one for us, as it provides many of us with an opportunity to connect with fellow privacy professionals, friends and colleagues across sectors either by attending a KnowledgeNet planned for that day, or, if you’re like me and prefer the meetings with beverages at the end of the day, you can opt to attend a Privacy After Hours—they're happening around the globe and certainly across Canada too.

If you’re in the National Capital region next Wednesday, please join us for Privacy After Hours at the Metropolitain Brasserie downtown. I hear we've got a great crowd coming out. And if you do come out, please do say hi. I’ll be the one trying to make the case for why the day deserves to be a national holiday, or have fireworks, at least.