Canadian Special Events Showcases Some of the Best Toronto Has to Offer for Event Planners

Whether you are a seasoned pro with a long list of clients, or you are a graduate straight out of school. The event planning world will keep you on your toes, as it constantly evolves. Technology is becoming an ever-present aspect at events with social media being a popular tool to market your event and to engage your guests. Engaging your guests at events can be a challenge. With the right tools and activations, your event will be one to remember and keep guests coming back or talking about it for days and weeks after.

Customized runners at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

The CityEvents team took to the CSE Tradeshow floor, fresh after our CEO, Deborah Lewis, won the Independent Event Planner Award at the CSE Reader’s Choice Awards Gala, the night before.

Some of our favourite highlights included:

ABSOLUTE EVENTS & MANAGEMENT: specializing in interactive entertainment, they focus on brand engagement through customized activations. Touchscreens that include games and photo booth applications means your guests will likely be more involved at your event and will recognize branding and logos quicker. Other event materials that Absolute provides include; signage, custom tents, promo gear, photo backdrops and swag for giveaways

ABBEY ROAD ENTERTAINMENT: From their humble beginning of renting poker tables and karaoke machines for small parties Abbey Road is now a full-fledged entertainment management company working with fortune 500 companies. Each year their inventory and services expand as they position themselves to become the go-to for event rentals. Along with their classic casino and karaoke rentals, Abbey Road also offers photo and video booths, arcade games, giant games, carnival games, promotional material, virtual reality experiences, performance and talent, and custom branding on almost all of their wares.  

Catch The Light Arcade table game, one of the many arcade options ABBEY ROAD has to offer to rent

WILSONS: Toronto’s favourite mobile ice cream bar! Showing off some of the most delicious ice cream flavours with equally satisfying names (Hello Handsome, Bombshell, Can’t Get Enough), Monsieur Wilson specializes in building your own desired ice cream cup with a choice of over 50 premium toppings. With their rentable Airstream, clients can customize the mobile vehicle and use it for a variety of purposes like creating a mobile meeting room, dressing room, showroom, photo booth or Ice Cream Bar.

Some many toppings to choose from to customize our Wilson’s ice cream cups.

After we visited all the vendors we stepped into the Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners (CanSPEP) “Ask a Planner” booth. We sat down for an informal interview with members of the Society Dustin Rivers, Executive Director of Verney Conference Management, and Meagan Rockett, Association Ambassador of CanSPEP. They gave us some advice to pass along to novices and beginners in the business.

• Time management is the most important thing, always stay on top of your schedule.

• Venues make or break you. They are your biggest expense, they need to be your biggest partner, so build close relationships with the front desk, they have all the emergency contacts (especially if you are working in an unfamiliar city).

• There are always going to be risks associated with your events, it’s best to have a contingency plan written up in case any problems do occur. Always be six steps ahead of the problem.

Meagan Rockett, Association Ambassador of CanSPEP, poses for a photo during our interview.

Although some of their advice sounds dire, they wanted to let us know that mostly all event planners began in the business because of the continuous creativity, challenges, and amazing people they get to meet and work with.

Visit our Facebook page for all of our photos from the events: https://goo.gl/XYQcHT

We want to give special thanks to Canadian Special Events for inviting CityEvents to the tradeshow. To find out about all the vendors and suppliers that were at the tradeshow visit Canadian Special Events.

Contributing writers:

Ashleigh Alexander

Aprile Gonzalez

Paula McDines

Hogg, Shain & Scheck’s Managing for Growth Series

On Wednesday, March 8th, Hogg, Shain & Scheck hosted another informative Managing for Growth series. The first series of 2017 focused on transforming profits through improved pricing strategies.

The conference room at The Westin Prince was full of engaged listeners as Paul Hunt, President of Pricing Solutions, delivered a useful and informative talk about the issues business owners face.

Paul Hunt discussed the different ways a business can structure pricing to keep costs low and profits high, all while maintaining customer and client satisfaction. “Customers don’t always want the best price, they want the best value.

Paul Hunt shaking hands at the latest Managing For Growth Seminar

Paul gave an insightful look at different pricing strategies. He encourages every business owner to find their “lakefront property”. A “lakefront property” in business terms is an object or service that can be leveraged because of its value. A busy Saturday for sales, versus a slower weekday, means Saturday is the “lakefront property”, and can sustain a fair price increase.

The Managing for Growth Series will be back in June. Strategist Robert Murray will be the guest speaker on June 6, to discuss leadership and getting your team members on board with your vision and plan. Tickets are available now, register here for their June seminar.

Check out Hogg, Shain & Scheck’s photo album on Facebook for more pictures from their breakfast seminar. Highlights from this seminar can be found on HSS website.

Managing for Growth Series: How to Transform Profitability Through Improved Pricing

Hogg, Shain & Scheck will welcome Pricing Solutions President, Paul Hunt to their Managing for Growth series on Wednesday, March 8th, 2017. With expert knowledge in strategic pricing, Paul Hunt has had the chance to be an adviser to a wide range of companies and industries.  

Effective pricing plays an enormous factor in how much profit a company makes throughout the year and yet many businesses aren’t paying enough attention to how their pricing habits may be affecting their profits.

By attending this seminar, it’s guaranteed that all attendees will leave with helpful knowledge on how to transform profitability through improved pricing. So be sure to join HSS and Paul Hunt as they explain the importance of pricing, the most common pricing mistakes and how to avoid them as well as how to get your sales-force on your side and selling value, not price.

For more information on the upcoming event, visit the event page: Managing for Growth: How to Transform Profitability Through Improved Pricing

The Donate & Learn Business Expo 2015

Don’t just hear about the latest techniques, learn how to master them from leading industry experts at Microsoft Bing, American Express, Investors Group, Constant Contact and more!

Your business is in need of learning! You can participate in this year “Donate & Learn Business Expo 2015” and learn all about cutting-edge branding, search engine, and social media marketing strategies, among Toronto’s top entrepreneurs.

You’ll have the possibility to work on advanced workshops covering differents topics : SEO, PPC, Email Marketing and more! Be sure to attend so you’ll know all those clues to operate a successful business!

100% of donations will go to Enactus-Ryerson Project Growing North

Date: June 30th, 2015

Time: 12pm –  5pm

Location: Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada

Limited spots are available – Register now to reserve yours: http://greenlotus.ca/expo.

The National Women’s Show

Have a great day out with girlfriends to relax, get pampered, and have fun!
Shop at over 450 exhibits and find the best selection of the newest products and services to hit the market for women! Find products and services you can’t find anywhere else! What awaits you:

• Festival of Fashion
  Discover the latest fashions from daytime outfit to evening glam, sparkling jewelry, chic eyewear, and luxurious lingerie. Take a look at the exhibitors’ fashion collections and watch the models presenting the newest trends for the season!

• Beauty & Wellness
  Get a healthy new outlook on life! Explore alternative medicine, vitamin supplements, cosmetic procedures, diet and nutrition assessments, and massage therapy.

• Travel and Adventure
  You like fun and relaxation?  Discover everything from golfing, fitness clubs, adventure sports and spa retreats. Be part of a quick and easy fitness workout or discover the deep breathing of yoga to cleanse your mind. Or make plans for your next holidays with the help of travel pros!

• World of Taste
  Taste great food at the gourmet fare like decadent treats and sweets, savory snacks and revitalizing refreshments. Discover new food and beverage products, entertainment ideas and wholesome recipes! What also awaits you: Organic Orchard, Specialty Square, Wine & Spirits, Gluten Free Garden, Sweet Treats,Tropical cuisine

• Business and Career Centre
  Get help for starting your own business or making a career move. Identify the services which will help you to transition into a new beginning. Choose training programs, continuing education, money management, franchise opportunities and investment strategies.

• House, Home & Design
  Use simple tips and tricks to freshen up a room or renovate the entire home. Find all the resources you need to rejuvenate your surroundings from custom organization and closets, expert advice, and the perfect accessories! Moreover, there is a special section for pets.
  You can also ask interior designers how to refresh your interior design. Are you sick and tired of the design of a key feature in your house? Join interior designers and decorators at Designer’s Corner at the Social Media Contest Hub all weekend.

Further highlights of the event include shopping, free samples, free makeovers, fashion shows, informative workshops, cooking stage demos, food and wine sampling, decorating and ideas, celebrity appearances, health advice, great prizes, and a lot more! It’s an incredible girl’s day out! For more information, visit www.nationalwomenshow.com.

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