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…
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.…
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…
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,”…
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…
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…
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…
Alissa Hurley’s first job shared office space with a company that produced technology conferences and trade shows. They were producing a large trade show and needed additional support for the event and the next thing she knew, Hurley was the conference coordinator for the largest technology show in Canada. “It was an incredible experience that combined my organizational skills, creativity and passion for technology. I decided that this was the career for me and continued to look for future…
Edmonton event planner Caitlin McElhone is passionate about events. While studying clothing and textile design at the University of Alberta, she was introduced to the events industry and never looked back. “I hadn’t even considered event planning as a profession – nor did I understand that it could be a career option, but I was naturally suited for the work and loved the rush of set up and putting on something so special for someone,” says McElhone, who began…
What the COVID-19 pandemic has taught event industry professionals, is that time may no longer be our number one resource. Prior to the pandemic, most would argue that without enough time a successful event could not be researched, planned, executed and its success and return on investment adequately evaluated. However, the current labour shortage that was left in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, has given us a rude awakening that recovery for many hospitality and tourism businesses is…
