Event Operations

Can Stadiums Deliver World-Class Events?

2022/04/07

Historically major events have spiked huge investment by the hosts and bring about the construction of new venues and infrastructure, and while in recent times efforts have been made to limit the environmental impact, construction always has some impact. After all, the most sustainable event is the one that doesn’t build anything. Hosting a major sporting event, such as the Olympics or FIFA World Cup is notoriously controversial, whereby the hosting prestige can, and often is, outweighed by substantial…
Surviving The Next Big Wave

2022/03/28

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…
Six Top Tips for Quality Hybrid Events

2022/03/25

As we enter a new world of events, it’s safe to say that hybrid events are here for the long run and after a couple of unsettling years due to the pandemic, audience expectations are higher than ever. We have all seen the full potential of virtual events and their unique ability to engage global audiences. As we start to see pandemic restrictions lift, there is an increasing demand for events to maintain the benefits of both in-person and…
Springing Forward for 2022 Events

2022/03/14

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…
Success Depends on Working Together

2022/02/28

As I sat down to think about how I wanted to excite and encourage you, my valued industry colleagues, I thought back to the phrase, ‘we’re all in this together.’ I feel compelled to remind everyone that this still holds true, and as we plan for our future, we must think about each other and our mutual success. Together is the way forward. Our relationships with our suppliers, team members, and industry are our most valuable assets. It’s these…
Tips For Contracts and RFPs During COVID

2022/02/15

by Shannon Byck and Joe Nishi Over the last two years, the business events industry has been incredibly impacted by meeting cancellations and “lifting and shifting” of groups. From a contract perspective, we have had to quickly incorporate addendums and revisions to contracts that allowed for updated Force Majeure, flexible deposit, attrition and cancellation schedules and a huge amount of goodwill and relationship capital has been spent working through all of this. What should not be overlooked is the…
Trends and Challenges for F&B Events

2022/02/14

As meetings and events continue to shift back to an in-person format again, what will food and beverage (F&B) look like? The pandemic and the changing health restrictions on events (large gatherings) have been a huge struggle for the industry. It has forced many companies out of the business and those left standing have had to adapt, change, and innovate. Corporate Meetings Network asked two industry experts — Kori Gorman, director of events and catering, Eatertainment Hospitality Inc. and Shannon…
Boost Your Brand with Engaging Content

2022/01/31

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…
BMO Centre Marks Key Construction Milestone

2022/01/28

The $500 million BMO Centre Expansion project is on track to open in 2024, providing Calgary with an event venue that will attract large international and national conventions and conferences. Work on the 560,000-square-foot expansion project marked a key milestone with the first piece of structural steel installed on site in December. “The start of the steel is a significant milestone as it means that the project is tracking on schedule, despite the challenges we’ve had over the last two…
Sponsorship Expectations For 2022

2022/01/17

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…

Venue & Supplier Profiles