When I started my entrepreneurial journey one of the first things I did was join the International Live Events Association (ILEA). Although I had been a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) on and off for about 15 years, it had never completely felt like the right fit for me. ILEA on the other hand seemed more my speed. It was where the business owners and creatives that I aspired to collaborate with chose to volunteer their time and…
Remember that vibrant festival experience from days long ago? Great music, delicious food, colourful entertainment, being outdoors with a crowd taking in the brilliant sunshine. Festivals are ever-popular, and even more so now that we are back from years of “no gathering land.” We all miss getting together to enjoy a shared experience – it is an essential part of being human. Large corporations and small businesses alike love to align with successful festivals especially if they know your…
As an event professional, I have a love-hate relationship with travel. I get a lot of joy out of the opportunity my job provides me to visit other places. At the same time, I feel significant guilt about the carbon impact of the flights I take. For a long time I rationalized these trips. They’re “only” 2 per cent of carbon emissions, I’d say (a figure that doesn’t include the full warming potential of all emissions from aviation). And…
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…
If you’re planning an event, you’ll want to make sure you’re using the latest and greatest event technologies. These hot trends can make your event more exciting and engaging for attendees and give you the creative edge on your competitors. Here are 10 of the most exciting new event technologies to inspire your next event: 1. Holographic Displays Stand out from the crowd and make your brand stand for something in a world where competition is tough. With 3D…
In an effort to offer more inclusive events, we should consider all of the factors that could possibly limit or exclude a person from attending an event including physical limitations, phobias and/or disabilities; cognitive impairments, mental health, transportation to event locations. When we think about how EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility) relates to events, it is critical to identify all of the possible ways in which people can interact with our content. Once that has been established, it’s…
For two years, the COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges, halting the global face-to-face meetings industry, where planners spent much of their time cancelling or rescheduling meetings and negotiating penalties. Fast forward to 2022, and the recovery process is full steam ahead, where event planners are run off their feet. It feels like our industry has gone from zero to 100 in the blink of an eye. Clients are looking for innovative solutions to help with the workload, staff shortages…
The good news is that 2022 has been a productive year for the meeting and event planning industry. We have seen a resurgence of activity for meetings, events and incentives. We need this resurrection so that planners can start to feel productive and confident again. We need it because it means that corporate businesses are starting to consider live meeting opportunities. We need it because suppliers are becoming very active again with RFPs for 2022 and beyond. Overall, we…
Strategic direction provided to associations prior to 2020 may not be the direction we would advise today, especially when it is regarding the event execution of their annual conference. The past two-years we have been educated on how to improve digital presence at a faster pace than ever before. The way we executed an event pre-pandemic is now history. The skills we learned, the new habits we developed, and our refined digital presence over the past couple of years…
Everyone is trying to figure out the best way to bring their teams together today. In a world changed by the pandemic and limiting face-to-face interaction for so long, individual preferences have changed. Gone are the days of an easy happy hour and free food to engage your teams. They want more, if they are going to give you more of their time. As an event planner, I’m always working to find new ways to work with my clients…
