In November I was thrilled to be contacted to contribute to a pretty fantastic publication highlighting the “Top 250 Influential Event Professionals in Canada” – that’s right, I’m officially influential now.
BizBash is North America’s #1 source of ideas, news, and resources for event and meeting professionals and for their January 2020 edition they’ve set their sights on Canada. I was given the opportunity to answer a few questions about one of my favourite clients and some aspects of my business that I love. This was such a wonderful feature that I decided I had to share it with you!
From the Biz Bash interview:
1. You were recently named a 2019 finalist with the Canadian Event Industry Awards for your work with The Jamboree for Charity in support of the Children’s Grief Centre with Hospice Calgary. Can you describe the project and what you think set it apart?
Jamboree is always one of my favourite events of the year and I think it has a lot to do with the community focus. It’s designed as an intimate event that truly embraces Western culture and the local charities that make our city the amazing place it is. It’s 100% privately funded which is also a unique perk that allows for more personalization and freedom to focus all our energy on our guests and the charity of choice. We make a point of featuring up and coming Canadian Country musicians and work closely with our charities to ensure they get elevated exposure. It’s one of those events that you just feel good going to. While, like any good event, there are a number of different objectives, our primary focus is always on the charity and building our community – which makes everyone feel like they’re actually making a difference (and having a fabulous time doing it!).
2. When building momentum for an event can you talk about the role that traditional print and broadcast media versus social media plays? How do you decide where to focus your energies in terms of promotions?
Like every industry, there has been a huge shift from traditional media to digital platforms. It’s simply where the audience has gone so naturally our techniques have shifted along with them. It’s always been crucial that any promotions we partake in are well targeted in both positioning and messaging so as much as I love Instagram, there is still a place for radio, television and print, depending on the type of event. Often I find the best response comes from utilizing internal contact lists and sending well designed and targeted communications through platforms like constant contact or mail chimp. Social media has fantastic targeting capabilities that are hard to beat but It’s still all about knowing your audience and sending the right message.
3. Can you talk about your experience in building sponsorship programs and how you use events can support these initiatives?
Building successful sponsorship programs has been a huge part of my career over the years but it’s a bit of a balancing act. To ensure strong partnerships everyone has to win – brands need a way to stand out and event producers need a comfortable mix of promotion and entertainment that doesn’t leave attendees feeling as if they’ve been pelted with logos and sales pitches. Ultimately, It’s about understanding your audience and working well-chosen sponsors INTO the overall event; rather than along with it. The attendee experience is paramount. Finding unique opportunities for sponsors to help build an event experience is the sweet spot that makes everyone happy.
Just to be mentioned among this amazing list of Canadian event professionals is a huge honour.
Thank you BizBash for not only including me but giving me the chance to answer a few great questions as well.
Check out the entire list here https://www.bizbash.com/bizbash-lists/brands-people/article/21107000/the-top-250-canadian-event-professionals
