So it is 2023, COVID responses worldwide are winding down, we don’t have to wear our masks anymore and the world is returning back to normal. Everyone wants to be back in person and virtual events have bitten the dust, right? Well…maybe. The truth is there is still a market and a need for virtual events but virtual fatigue is definitely real. The event type you ultimately choose is going to depend on many things: Your event goals What…
Event planners face a daily whirlwind of tasks and deadlines. Our industry comes with unique challenges, constant changes to plans and long days making sure every item on the critical path is completed with fire proof precision. It can become too easy to completely immerse oneself into work with no time for relationships, hobbies, family, rest or even joy. We need to recognize that the most important thing in life isn’t trying to keep up to the never-ending checklist…
By Angela Zaltsman Companies across the nation have seen employees transition from remote to hybrid to sometimes fully in-person work environments. Why? Because if the last three years have taught us anything, it is the value of being with one another. Work culture and building employee engagement are often pointed to as the motivation behind a push for in-office facetime, but studies have shown that team events are the true catalyst for meaningful employee-employer relationships. Team events offer not…
by Heather Reid I once conducted a side-by-side examination of 12 signed and negotiated contracts for booking events into unconventional venues. The “unconventional venue” contracts included the following Canadian locations: cultural centre, city-owned sports facility, entertainment complex, music hall, high-risk recreational facility, heritage facility, aquarium, brewery, two recreational/amusement facilities and museums in two different cities. Here are a few of the findings of my side-by-side review: Indemnification Clause 6 contracts – did not have one and therefore, neither side…
Event sponsorship must be reimagined as a personalized “brand partnership” to inspire creative, experiential event design that better engages attendees. Keep your sponsors close, and your partners even closer. This mantra is not as ominous as it might sound. But it is personal, and has become our go-to for navigating corporate event sponsorship during a transitional period in the events management industry. Fluctuating pandemic restrictions and a pending recession may actually be the game-changing industry disruptors that breathe fresh…
Event planners need to set boundaries with clients and workload limits to ensure they are giving their best and are at their best. As event planners, we consider ourselves problem solvers. No challenge too big, no hill too steep. There is always a solution to every problem, and with respect to events, a great event planner behind each solution. But with every great feat, there is likely a sacrifice. Many event professionals can likely attest to blurred lines between…
Building an experience that is engaging for your live attendees and your remote audience can seem like an insurmountable task when you first start out. You want to make sure you give both of your audiences the attention they need and keep them connected, entertained and immersed in an experience. How is this achieved? Using the right people, the right AV technology and the right process, you can create a dynamic experience for both your audiences. There are some…
For businesses, cloud computing has become a necessary tool to stay operational, agile and competitive. Cloud computing works on a shared service model, which means that both the user – in this case, businesses – and cloud service providers share a certain level of responsibility to one another. Because of this shared responsibility, there are inherent advantages and potential disadvantages that need to be considered before committing to one (or several) providers. Background It is important to point out…
By Shannon Byck and Joe Nishi Back in November 2020, we blogged about the impact COVID was having on people employed in the face-to-face business events industry. The financial impact was devastating for many and organizations like ours immediately took a “safe harbour” approach with their teams and business models. Even still, we lost many talented people in our industry. The strain on mental health as we restructured and re-imagined our value was and continues to be a huge…
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…
