The events industry is not for the faint of heart – just ask Keri Miller, chief creative strategist and partner at e=mc² events based in Calgary.
“Beyond global market volatility, we are increasingly navigating pricing challenges tied to exclusive venue-vendor partnerships. This is creating significant pricing hurdles that increasingly threaten the viability of events, including long-standing ones,” she says. “No standardized pricing and a lack of transparency has always been a challenge and continues to be.”
But those who work in the industry also know it is full of joy and diversity with every event bringing together different cultures, speakers, and guests.
“Those of us that work in it know and appreciate the effort and investment, passion and thrill of being a part of it,” she says. “Making people feel, changing people’s lives and perspectives, we have such incredible power, we have so much value.”
Miller fell in love with events while working with e=mc² events as a student at Mount Royal University, where she graduated with a Certificate in Event Management. She joined the company in 2003 and steadily worked her way through various roles from contractor to event producer to creative director to her current position.
Over the past two decades, Miller has had strong involvements with the International Live Events Association, both nationally and internationally. She also travels the world participating and speaking at international conferences. Her work and contributions have been recognized with industry awards including Event Professional of the Year.
For Miller, her love of the industry has always been about the people.
“Some of my closest friends I have met in the industry and being on site and working with them is like a homecoming, almost sometimes like a work vacation with very cool people,” she says. “I also love how no day is the same. I thrive on change and the unexpected, and I have never loved repetition or a firm daily ritual. I love the diversity of the work, the different industries we engage with, the challenge and joy of successfully learning about a product, industry or technology and showcasing it creatively.”
What trends are you seeing for events and meetings?
The more digital the world becomes, the more we crave authentic, human centric gatherings. Events are trending! Personalization and neurodiverse experience design and also smaller micro events within larger scaled meetings and conferences.
Interestingly, we are seeing a return to “themes”, not clever passive themes, but immersive and bold unapologetic themes. Guests want tangible, hands-on experiences, not digital experiences – they live in a digital world.
What are your biggest achievements/successes?
I have been with my company since I decided to get into events. It’s been 23 years and I’ve been loyal and proud to be a part of this spectacular organization. That said, I have helped build it, sustain it, market it and help form a very respected culture and legacy.
I am proud that I managed to raise two children as an event professional where they didn’t feel like I was more focused on my job than my family. I have shown that you can have it all and not have the other parts of your life suffer. I was always focused on balance. I was very lucky to have amazing resources in my life, family and friends that should be given an award for the work they did behind the scenes for me to do my job.
What advice would you offer others entering the industry?
Find a mentor to navigate the industry but also to understand some of the nuances of it. There are unspoken rules of engagement that if followed will create a positive path for them as they navigate all this. We are willing to meet and share best practices, offer advice and guidance. We all live and work in this ecosystem, no one wins if we do not raise each other up.
Focus on balance and time management, set boundaries with yourself and your clients, your employer right away.
