I want to start by saying that I truly feel blessed to have found a rewarding career doing something that I love! When I share with new acquaintances what I do for a living one of three things always comes up: I’m asked if I do weddings – I don’t, they assume I only plan parties and get to drink and dance the night away – I don’t just do that either. I’m also frequently asked how someone new might get into such an exciting career –

Canada Day is right around the corner which means it’s time to start planning the big 151! We are unbelievably fortunate to live in such a diverse country that is practically bursting with regional delicacies from different cultures across the country. Whether you live on one of our breathtaking coastlines or under the big sky of the prairies or up in the rugged north, every corner of our country has something uniquely Canadian

With this year’s winter lasting longer than any of us would have imagined, you may have been too busy to notice that Calgary’s iconic 10 days is right around the corner! That’s right Calgary Stampede 2018 this year July 6 - 15th! While less than two months might not seem like a lot of time to plan, I have some suggestions for how your company can still be a part of the action and everyone can #stampedelikeaboss. There are so many

Building a well-run conference isn’t as easy as it seems. From logistics to sponsorships to creative components and food and beverage, the inner workings of these seemingly straightforward events can be anything but. With the recent wrap up of my latest conference in Calgary, this week seems like the perfect time to discuss the merits of working with a seasoned conference professional when organizing these types of large scale

Planning is planning – on so many levels, I have no doubt that my event colleagues across North America would agree. Yet there are some distinct advantages to working with a local event planner that can make a significant difference in the success of your event.

The Hometown Advantage

There is a wealth of knowledge that comes when you work with a local event planner. When discussing the “why” for your event and considering

I have been fortunate enough in my career as a professional event planner to plan corporate events, as well as over a dozen large scale trade shows including the Career Show, the Calgary Baby & Tot show and the Bump, Baby & Beyond Shows. Over the years I have helped create brands and sponsorship packages that ensure the success of both myself - as a trade show owner - and my clients. And I can tell you, without hesitation

In 2016, the market in Calgary was terrible.  The recession was affecting many industries and as a result, many people. Given I am a self employed event planner,  I realized that  many events I had worked on in previous years were being cancelled or handled in-house.  There had also been some transition in my life both professionally and personally. Around April 2016, for no real reason other than I knew I wanted to concentrate on the

Corporate holiday events have officially started and with less than one month until Christmas, I wanted to share some ideas regarding how to incorporate your brand, while at the same time, ensuring your attendees enjoy a festive night! We have talked about the importance of a theme. However, in some cases, you can add

Recently,  I took a long-term client to meet with the event coordinator and chef at the venue for their upcoming corporate holiday event. We began the process of building their menu, which then inspired me to write this post. When a menu is done well, it’s easy to take it for granted that it was an easy process to put it together. What initially sounds good by description doesn’t always translate well in both taste and presentation.