Veteran Toronto entertainer Jody Litvack began his professional career in the entertainment industry as a DJ in the 90s and then as a host for Much Music in the early 2000s. Over the next decade, he quickly became one of Toronto’s most recognized live event entertainers and MCs. In 2009 he launched Jet Entertainment, an event production and multimedia company that has delivered a wide variety of special events with world-class entertainment. According to Litvack, entertainment is a central…
Articles by Cheryl Mah
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Industry Profile: Terri Russell
Terri Russell has been interested in hospitality and tourism since high school. After graduating from the BCIT Tourism and Hospitality program in Vancouver, her career began onboard cruise ships and then to a variety of hotels sales and operation positions. She spent more than a decade involved with global sales for Starwood Hotels before becoming director, global accounts, for Omni Hotels and Resorts in 2017. Making connections and creating memorable experiences for others has made for a rewarding career.…
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What’s Hot in Food This Year
Whether a corporate event is small and intimate or large in scale, food and beverage always takes centre stage. Health, sustainability, zero-waste and innovation are driving creativity in restaurants and venue kitchens, leading to thoughtful and flavourful menu choices. Keeping up with changing tastes and trends is important for event planners to create a unique and memorable experience. The Unilever Food Solutions Future Menu Trends Report suggests that while people are looking for options that are healthy both for…
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Sustainability in Incentive Travel
Sustainability has been a buzzword in travel and business event planning for years. With the return of in-person meetings and events, sustainable business events are more urgent than ever. Destinations around the world are seeing increasingly more planners and attendees prioritizing sustainable events. In order to meet 2050 net zero targets, the entire industry must work collaboratively to implement solutions. Last year, Destination Canada launched its Canadian Business Events Sustainability Plan, a first-of-its-kind national program aimed at improving the…
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New Hotel Projects Remain Robust
Tourism is steadily improving in Canada as both domestic and foreign travellers support a much-needed recovery back to pre-pandemic levels. With hotel occupancies inching up in 2022, hotel construction projects in Canada have never been higher – another positive sign that the hospitality market is rebounding. According to industry analysts Lodging Econometrics (LE), the forecast is for Canada’s hotel construction pipeline to remain strong throughout 2023 despite recent interest rate increases. The top cities in Canada for hotel construction at…
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Making Sustainability a Top Priority
Sustainability has become an important factor today in deciding how and where to host an event. For Explore Edmonton Corporation, event sustainability a top priority. Dramatic improvements were made in its sustainability efforts in 2022 with the implementation of several local social, environmental, and economic causes and programs. “Explore Edmonton proudly launched six new sustainability content-based training courses over 2022 with the goal of helping provide staff with a more in-depth knowledge of sustainability, its practices, and what Explore…
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Industry Profile: Sharon Bonner
Passion, creativity and dedication are some of the hallmarks of the best event planners. And one of the best is Sharon Bonner, founder and CEO of Bright Ideas Events in Vancouver – a 30 year industry veteran who loves what she does. “I love two things about the event industry. Number one, I love this event community and the event professionals in it, who are hard-working, dedicated people, putting their heart and soul into every one of their event projects,”…
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Calgary BMO Centre Hotel Planned
When it comes to planning corporate meetings and events, combining the right venue and hotel accommodation location can offer many benefits. Calgary is adding an exciting new option for planners with the announcement of a new convention centre hotel. Construction on the hotel will begin in 2024 and connect directly to BMO Centre, which is currently undergoing an extensive expansion. Matthews Southwest Hospitality (MSWH) will create the first hotel at Stampede Park and connect an expected 220 plus rooms…
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Chef Q&A: Patrick Turcot, Shaw Centre
Shaw Centre executive chef Patrick Turcot found his passion for food and cooking when he was teenager and pursued his dream by graduating from the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality of Quebec. Chef Turcot started his career off joining the kitchen brigade at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, returning to work at the legendary Chateau Frontenac and sharing his culinary experience with students at Cégep Limoilou in Quebec City. Throughout his career, Turcot has received numerous awards and accolades and…
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Industry Profile: Dawn Eisenberg
When Dawn Eisenberg was in university, she made money by promoting her own events and working as a children’s entertainer. After graduating she was hired to help open an events division for a company which lead to more similar contracts before she decided to strike out on her own in 2005 with Jodi Lieff. “For as long as I remember I was always deeply passionate about events,” says Esienberg, owner and CEO of Pop! Events Group. “I love that…
