Business leaders have a problem. On one hand, their workforces are saying that they are tired of Zoom meetings and feeling isolated as they work from home, and mostly, that they miss the human connection. Leaders miss connecting with their teams in person too. But, on the other hand, employees are not keen to rush back to five days a week, 9-5pm office setting with crammed commuting and cold corporate cubicles. So how do leaders reconcile this problem? How do…
If you made it through the last two years and still have your company and team intact, then you are still standing and are ready to take on what is happening in our industry. The work is coming in harder, faster and with staggering momentum and we will need to learn to ride the wave. Our team decided early on that we would never call (whatever was to come) a tsunami, but that’s exactly what it is. For more…
We’re stepping into an exciting time for the events and meetings industry; and as I write this piece, I’m filled with confidence and delight. March 1, 2022 was big day for us in the events world here in Toronto as venues went back to operating at full capacity and all of a sudden a huge piece of the planning puzzle just fell in to place! While we move forward in our planning process with a sense of optimism, it…
The meetings and events industry is a great place to start to build a personal brand, but once your brand is created, then what? When you’re in events, you’re in the “experience” business, so it’s an ideal place for creative individuals who want to carve out a personal brand through content creation. Meetings and events have some very unique opportunities for those that want to create engaging and enticing content. It’s through this content that we start to build…
Understanding that in 2021, oil reached its highest levels in seven years. Unemployment is at the same level as it was pre-pandemic. We saw record levels for the TSE, although late year dipping and sell-off was expected as a correction, but we are still ahead. All this leads to predictions of a future strong economy, although we will continue to have an inflationary effect on our spending dollar and continued COVID effects. This means that brands will have to…
The disruptions of the past 20 months have shown the meeting and event industry’s resilience with event planners running numerous safe, meaningful meetings and events online, and recently again in hybrid and in-person formats. We’ve proved that we’re here to thrive through whatever the world throws at us, and are growing to meet the increasing demand for better-than-ever meetings and events. Edmonton’s first carbon-neutral conference three years ago represented a pivotal moment for us, solidifying that sustainability must be…
After thriving for decades, Vancouver’s tourism and hospitality industry has been predictably hit hard by the ongoing pandemic. According to the Vancouver Economic Commission, cruise and conference traffic is significant to the city, representing an estimated $2.2 billion in direct and indirect economic impact. Meanwhile, the meetings and conferences sector drives more than $1.6 billion in direct and indirect visitor spending. We ask Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, about what is happening and projections for how…
According to the Harvard Business Review, and the post-COVID CMO survey, social media marketing spending saw a 74 per cent lift in 2020. In addition, traditional marketing activity was projected to decline during the same time period. Digital marketing is becoming more of the budget focus for companies, and rightly so. With the pandemic, the importance of having a digital focus has come sharply into view for many organizations. These same companies are looking to expand their digital growth.…
In the modern age of employer brand building, companies are racing to keep up with the sentiments and creative needs of employees. We know first-hand that emotionally engaged employees take better care of your customers and strive harder to fulfill the mission of the brand. So, it only makes sense for companies to double down on their efforts to invest in their employees and generate a powerful employer brand experience. Events are a strategic and creative way to engage…
Today, more than ever, cultivating a meaningful and intentional culture of inclusion and belonging for live events is essential to building community and making deep impacts. The most creative, strongest and resilient communities are those that are comprised of diverse kinds of people, from across all demographics. Whether you are designing an event to attract large crowds of people or to serve a particular small group, a common objective can be found: to create a sense of belonging and…
