When the unimaginable occurs within a week of your event

Ever wonder what REALLY happens when things go wrong at your favourite events? Lessons Learned is a series that I wanted to share about the behind the scenes life of an event planner. Everyone always gets to see the amazing food and Instagram worthy pictures but the reality is, the behind the scenes planning doesn’t always feel quite as flawless. There are inevitably

When it comes to event venues - traditional spaces like convention centres, restaurants and hotels are the norm. They’re reliable and comfortable but they’re also becoming a little stale. Edgy and unconventional is what stands out these days and planners who are willing to take the risk can often see some big rewards. Take Meeting Planners International (MPI) for example. In January I was asked to sit on a panel at one of their

New year. New you! That’s right it’s resolution season folks! That time of year where everyone starts to reevaluate their habits and do their best to make adjustments that will hopefully improve their overall well-being. As cliché as these annual rituals may seem, the one goal that never seems to fade is healthy eating. The clean eating, whole eating, better eating lifestyle has truly taken hold – and for good reason! Food

Most of us have been to a conference or two at some point in our careers. We all flock to huge convention centres or hotels to hear all about the latest advancements and meet the newest industry hot shots who entertain us with career anecdotes and inspire us to innovate and excel. What could be better? Unfortunately, while these fantastic learning opportunities are often a welcome escape from our day to day schedule they inevitably

It’s hard to believe but 2020 is almost upon us and as this year comes to a close it’s so satisfying to remember all the amazing experiences I was fortunate enough to be involved in throughout the past year. I began 2019 at a special events conference in San Diego where I had the chance connect and learn from some of the most successful event professionals in the business. It was a trip full of new ideas and one that inspired me to

A large portion of my early career as an event planner was spent producing large scale trade shows. The work that goes into exhibiting at a trade show can be immense but they can also be incredibly effective initiatives for many businesses. One of the biggest advantages to trade shows is their exceptional targeting power. They’re almost always industry specific which means your ideal customers are not only in the room but they’ve

What I love about events is how multi-layered they are. As a guest you’re simply there to enjoy the experience but no one ever considers the details or the level of planning required to ensure the most basic needs of each guest is met. The thought that goes into things like room flow or table set up or the event schedule is immense and often takes a diverse team to pull it off. I’m fortunate to work with some of the best event

When I started in the event business 17 years ago, I had come out of a career in film and television and I was immediately struck with the number of unexpected similarities there were in these two industries. This was particularly apparent with regards to how the whole process of creating a finished product is structured. In film there are production assistants, production coordinators, production managers and film producers. In the

Believe it or not it’s almost Stampede time! Yay! Each year The Greatest Show on Earth, takes over our city and we all don our cowboy hats to network, mingle and show off our country roots. Corporate stampede events are some of my favorites! They’re always designed around fun and are full of

Working as an event planner is my dream job. I get to create amazing experiences and work with some of the best people in the business. But what I’ve come to truly appreciate lately is the diversity of this incredible industry. This career can be perfectly suited to so many different personality types and educational backgrounds. It’s a career built around flexibility and adaptation but it’s important to know how your own skillset fits