Episode 22 and the spotlight is on..corporate events. Specifically, the master of them in Dwayne Rutherford, award-winning and CEO of Debonair Corporate Events with over two decades of management expertise.

With a career spanning from community organizing to curating elite events for celebrities like Jamie Foxx and Denzel Washington, Dwayne has been on both sides of the corporate event planning fence.

In this episode we talk about creating a niche lane in the industry, what's on the horizon, incorporating AI and that one thing we all think when it comes to corporate events.

PS: We're doing a slight rebrand of the pod, learn why in the next episode. See you in 2 weeks! ;)

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Episode 21 and the spotlight is on an event that doesn't need any further spotlights: The Met Gala.

Held on the first Monday in May, this episode breaks down the event from it's humble $50 a ticket days, reviews the documentary First Monday in May and all the details about the event that you need to know before getting glammed up to watch the most famous red carpet event from your couch.  

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Episode twenty and the spotlight is on...the planet! Specifically the importance of making events as eco-friendly as possible. We chatted with Romina Kwong an award-winning event strategist and educator with a passion for sustainability.  

Romina’s career has been diverse, from being a Professor at Seneca College where she designed the course curriculum for Foundations of Sustainability in Event Management, to founding Eco-Friendly Events in 2019 - a Toronto-based sustainable event planning and consulting agency for organizations on a mission to do good. 

We learn how to think differently about what sustainability event means, how easy it is to incorporate and why that thing most event planners do, isn't accomplishing what we think it is. 

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Episode nineteen, and the spotlight is on Gabriella Robuccio, founder of ProEventTips, an event management consulting company, where she draws on over a decade of experience in high-stakes event production and relationship management to provide training for fellow event pros. 

With a background that spans global sports broadcasts and transformative fundraising events, Gabriella shares invaluable insights and practical tools to help planners build resilient, lasting relationships with stakeholders, vendors, and teams.

In this episode we talk winning Emmys, making career and business moves (literally and figureatively) and why relationship building is probably the most important skill an event planner - whether amateur or professional - needs.

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Episode eighteen, and the spotlight is on Jordan Gustus, a branding and event designer making 2D visions come to life in 3D and in 4K. 

With over 10 years of experience in Marketing, Design, & Visual Communication, she has designed and transformed over 150 brands during her career. Her main mission is to help female entrepreneurs be, and look like the experts they are so that they can operate in full confidence and use their knowledge to change the lives of others.

When she’s not designing or chilling on the internet, she can be found trying new local restaurants, making funny Tik-Toks and videos, and shopping for the best bargains.

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Episode seventeen, and the spotlight is on... Adrienne Giroux, a 20-year event veteran and founder of Chef In The House. 

Adrienne started planning parties long before turning it into a career. Post-university when she worked in Film & Television, she found herself organizing the wrap parties. When she learned about event planning as an industry she founded her own event production company, but ditched that in favour of working on her dream event, Fashion Cares. 

Then she was offered the golden ticket, spearheading the events department at the Toronto International Film Festival. Over her 10 year tenure there, she worked on hundreds of events for the organization, and 3rd party clients. 

In this episode, we talk about the ability to forecast your event career moves, being open and ready to pivot and why change isn't always scary - it's just necessary. 


 

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Episode sixteen, and the spotlight is on the amazing live event contractor Cheryl Izen, whom I've affectionately nicknamed The Event Closer. 

With over 25 years working international film festivals and global scale events, we chat about charting your own path, the importance of self-awareness, why people are more important than money, and some juicy details about medal ceremonies at the Paris Olympics. 

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Episode fifteen, the spotlight is on...how to create an event from scratch with nothing but a dream and a community!

You've heard me say in previous episodes that you cannot have a successful event without sponsors. Jam Gamble, a prolific voice empowerment coach and public speaker proves me wrong and is the exception to the rule.

For our first onsite podcast review, we hear from amazing speakers, watch family put in the work and hear from guests why the 4th year event was worth the 5 hour drive. 

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Episode fourteen, the spotlight is on...sponsorship!
This is probably the most asked question I get from folks trying to do their own events, so instead of telling you what I know - I went right to the source!

Ed Byers, is the founder of CANRev Collaborative. In his 15+ years of association and NFP experience, he has created over $20M in new revenue through sponsorship & partnerships, creation of education programs, membership drives, events, fundraising, advertising and products and service enhancements. 

Aka: he knows his stuff and what he's talking about. In this episode we talk myths, FAQS and the secret sauce to securing the bag (it's not what you think).

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Episode thirteen, the spotlight is on... speaking. 

I'm seeing a lot of chatter online (thanks algorithm) from speakers about events trying to pay them in exposure, so I went to the source! In this episode, I chat with Tami Adams, founder of TA Speakers Management agency on how to become a speaker and how to book one. 

With 13 years of meeting planning experience and 10+ years working alongside high-level professional speakers and her knack for human connection, Tami has seen it all. Providing unique insights into both the speaker agent and meeting planner side of the business, she brings her bubbly, energetic and passionate personality to all clients. 

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