Event professionals have always been asked to create big moments. That part is not new. What has changed is the scale of inspiration clients are now bringing into the planning process. A client may arrive with a Pinterest board, an AI-generated image, a celebrity gala reference, a luxury hotel lobby, a fashion runway, and a budget that looks more like it was written on a notepad during a coffee meeting than built for a full-scale immersive environment. (I say…
Rogers Centre Ottawa announced a new partnership with Escape Manor Ottawa, bringing interactive entertainment experiences directly into conferences, meetings, and corporate events. Through this collaboration, event organizers will have the opportunity to integrate custom-designed activities into their programming. These interactive experiences offer a fresh way to enhance traditional meeting formats by incorporating teambuilding, problem-solving, and collaborative challenges that engage attendees and elevate the overall event experience. Conferences and corporate events hosted at Rogers Centre Ottawa will benefit from flexible,…
First in Service Travel (F1S) was recognized with the Best Agency Culture, Canada honour at the 2025 Virtuoso Global Awards. The agency has offices in Vancouver and Toronto. The awards were presented during Virtuoso’s 37th annual Virtuoso Travel Week, held August 9-15 in Las Vegas. “We are incredibly proud of our Canadian team for earning this honour. Under the leadership of Willa Griffin, who oversees our Canadian operations, our advisors have built a culture rooted in care and partnership…
by Joanne Burns Millar The business events industry has been a key driver of economic growth and cross-border collaboration between Canada and the United States for decades. With Canadian companies meeting in U.S. destinations, and U.S. organizations selecting Canada for their corporate gatherings, the sector consistently fuels job creation, sparks innovation, and drives tourism on both sides of the border. Extreme political and economic tensions are raising serious concerns for this vital sector. Strong Ties: The Power of Canada-USA Business…
by Angela Zaltsman Any event, big or small, requires acute logistical planning and the ability to manage many moving elements at one time. This often includes a laundry list of to-dos, from sourcing vendors, coordinating timelines, selecting décor, planning for contingency, and more. This is no easy feat for most, which is why the infamous quote “if you want a job well done, hire a professional” exists. Event planners are relied upon to create, organize and implement anything from intimate…
Sustainability has been a buzzword in travel and business event planning for years. With the return of in-person meetings and events, sustainable business events are more urgent than ever. Destinations around the world are seeing increasingly more planners and attendees prioritizing sustainable events. In order to meet 2050 net zero targets, the entire industry must work collaboratively to implement solutions. Last year, Destination Canada launched its Canadian Business Events Sustainability Plan, a first-of-its-kind national program aimed at improving the…
Events are largely successful because of deeply connected partnerships based on aligned values and shared respect. It is our business philosophy that a small group of A plus, senior level event professionals is a stronger contingent than a large agency of varied skill levels. This is the lens through which we search for our hand-picked partners and teammates, and why we celebrate them so openly. To provide insights into how and why this matters, here is our event partnerships…
By Brent Taylor Let’s talk marketing. It seems today that there is a plethora of marketing materials, opinions and experts advising us on how to best market any product or service we have to offer. Why is that? Why is there so much attention being given to marketing? I recently read Seth Godin’s books, All Marketers are Liars and Purple Cow. I recommend both these books along with Simon Sinek’s Start with Why. I was intrigued by what Godin identifies as…
Event Branding & Marketing, Event Operations, Social Media & Technology
