Event Operations

  • How to Host a Safe Conference Amidst the COVID-19 Outbreak

    2020/03/17

    As an event planner it is your responsibility to host a safe, enjoyable conference. Planning for any possible health and safety occurrence is just as important as booking the right vendors, food and entertainment. Large conferences, such as Mobile World Congress and Facebook’s F8, have been cancelled due to concerns over Coronavirus (COVID-19). Event planners should consider these health risks when organization an occasion. There are some methods to make guests experience as comfortable as possible. How events are organized…

  • Upgrading Your Event at Halifax Convention Centre

    2019/06/27

    Advances in audio, visual, and online technologies have the potential to take events to the next level. Unlocking that potential means knowing your options, understanding your limits, and pairing with a venue that can deliver. The team at Halifax Convention Centre is no stranger to the power of meeting and event tech. Over the years, they have helped clients wield cutting edge AV gear to elevate everything from entertainment expos, industry conferences, concerts, and beyond. Doing so, however, has meant…

  • Quebec City launches exclusive event promotion

    2019/06/03

    From river cruises to spa retreats, and world-renowned festivals to unparalleled culinary experiences, Québec City has no shortage of experiences for visitors to explore. Now, thanks to a new promotion between Québec City Business Destination and its members, meeting and event planners have the opportunity to add an exclusive VIP experience to their program. “We wanted to share the very best of Québec City with meeting planners and their attendees,” explains Ann Cantin, Director of Communication and Marketing for Québec…

  • Shutting Up the Noisy Neighbours

    2019/02/20

    “No interference,” also known as “quiet enjoyment,” is a concept that exists in real estate and in tenant law that means an occupant has the right to be free from significant interference in the use and enjoyment of the occupied property. This means free of noise, distractions, disturbances and interruptions. Now you may be thinking, how does this concept relate to the events industry? The answer is simple — events are temporary tenants in venues! Therefore, the concept of no…

  • Trendsetting: Developing talent in event entertainment

    2019/02/09

    By Janice Cardinale Anticipation is what drives every one of us in the event industry. At The Idea Hunter, my corporate entertainment agency, we do our best work when we anticipate the future and craft ideas before our clients are aware they need it. Our work needs to inspire, resonate and, most importantly, add real value to our clients’ businesses. When we’re successful, it’s fulfilling not only for my clients and the talent I connect them with, but for me, too. To…

  • Can hotels cancel your concessions? Well, it’s complicated

    2019/01/21

    Hotel will provide the following concessions if at least 90 per cent of the minimum guestroom revenue is received and at least 100 per cent of the minimum food and beverage revenue is received… Concessions are benefits or value-added services that venues offer in exchange for the event host’s business and fulfilment of their contractual requirements. For event hosts, it feels great to negotiate potentially lucrative concessions as part of an event contract. Complimentary staff rooms, free wi-fi, discount parking…

  • Employee or Contractor? The changing labour landscape

    2018/12/05

    In recent history, meeting planners generally hired contractors or casual labour to assist at their events. “That’s how we’ve always done it,” quipped one meeting planner. “I don’t need them all the time, and my company doesn’t want to payroll, so we have the contractor invoice us and we submit it for payment.” Sound familiar? But provincial governments have proposed or implemented changes to labour standards across the country, shoring up reforms and increasing minimum wages, and in some places just the…

  • Audience First: The biggest secret to a memorable presentation

    2018/11/21

    “OK, so, here’s what I want to talk about.” I meet with 75 or so presenters every year to help them craft talks, presentations, fireside chats and panels, and this is often the first set of words a speaker shares. This is a problem, and it’s big enough to derail your entire presentation. Many speakers think about presentations as moments of tell, as in, “I have something to tell the audience.” But the truth is, presentations are moments of sell.…

  • Green Light: Cannabis opens new avenues for event planners

    2018/11/14

    Taking your event to a new high used to mean something else before October 17, 2018. While the legalization of marijuana is still new to the Canadian cultural landscape, the future of event planning may involve many more shades of green. The nascent and rapidly expanding cannabis market — the legal one, at least — brings a whole new set of opportunities for planners. Large-scale events like conferences are a great way for cannabis growers and retailers to gain market traction;…

  • Events for Everyone: A primer on inclusive planning

    2018/11/01

    I was recently invited to attend an event industry cocktail reception at a hotel. As I was filling out the online registration, I paused at what’s usually a simple, perfunctory box to check: my title. Should people address me as Mr., Mrs., Ms., or other? I’m a married woman, but it felt like an odd question to ask for a cocktail reception. What does it matter what I am? I’m just going for a drink. Formal titles are never put on…

Venue & Supplier Profiles