Category: Blog

September my worlds collided (in a good way)

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Remember how last month I told you that my final quarter of the year would be mental?!!
It’s so mental… you have no idea how mental it is! The rescheduling alone has become work a full time task this is usually not the norm in my day-to-day. But hey, I’ll pull through! (I’m a planner after-all)

September began with the return of school – the academic year at LaSalle College iLasalle  is off and running… turning out to be a BIG session
this fall …

This month I traveled, quite far, reached North of 60 I went to the Yukon (yes the Yukon) and people’s response was “Why?” my answer was “Why not?” There is a lot of natural untouched gorgeousness, up there and GOD it did not disappoint. While we were there, they brought us to visited Dawson City (North of 60 to be exact). This town brought me back to the GOLD RUSH Klondike era. JUST WOW, so this is how it started!!! They put us in the BEST hotel in town, were once upon a time it was THE town’s bordello that is now converted into a lovely Inn (just gorgeous!).

Got back home, stayed a day in Montreal only to turned around and fly to Vancouver for the weekend to replace a WIPC Instructor – Monica who usually does it had a speaking engagement in Jamaica.
(she too has a “rough” life)

Meanwhile, the work keeps getting done:

  • we are working on a 25th wedding anniversary that is coming up in October
  • as well as a three-day VIP conference that I won’t even be there for it (this is why one surrounds oneself with a reliable awesome TEAM) I’ll be in Halifax, but that’s another story…
  • working on the final details on a large Annual Corporate Sales meeting coming up this November
  • lastly (for now) the usual Corporate Holiday/Christmas parties are starting to trickle in

To top it off at it was my Birthday … I felt the LOVE from you all … so much so my phone died a few times that day due to the frenzy on the medias …  HEARTFELT THANK YOU again !!!
Let’s keep the momentum going! BRING IT ON October!

Ohhhh August, August, August

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I don’t want my title to have a negative slant to it… in fact, August was awesomely great! Despite this year’s bleak first three quarters, the last quarter is proving to be BOOM BOOM UBER MENTAL!

First off, my month started with my 29-year wedding anniversary with my husband Tony. Happy Anniversary (such a patient man… in regards to my professional life)

We were off to an annual educational conference this year in San Francisco for the meeting industry. I try to attend it every year – it’s sooo enriching to me and my business. My husband was able to come along since it falls right at the same time as his work vacation. The timing was perfect, and we are finally traveling together (YAY!).

What we did is turned it into a vacation/business-type of thing; sometimes even though I’m on holiday, I’m still “on” and always on the lookout for new properties/venues and activities to do. I call it “Research and Development.” So, after the said conference we took a road trip (with a rented car) and headed north from San Francisco coastline all the way into the state of Oregon . OMG seriously OMG it’s gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! Why don’t we know more about this place … WOWOWOWOW… Seriously, they should promote this place more. Everyone knows the coast of California is beautiful… however, no one hears about the Oregon coast… WOW it’s just as gorgeous. The landscape is different and spectacular. At some point we continued our road trip to another state: Seattle, Washington . WOW another beautiful and fabulous discovery; due to our time schedule we were only able to stay for 24 hours. Having said this, once we dropped off the car rental, we took advantage and did the tourist thing all over this VERY VERY PRETTY CITY. We saw the famous  Space Needle, had a Tete a Tete picnic along the waterfront, did the Hop on Hop off Trolley Train, (you get the picture).

The morning after we then headed to the train station where we were Vancouver, BC  bound. Boy were we excited! Once we arrived and settled in our hotel, we headed out to discover this glorious city. Yes, we did the typical tourist things: toured Canada Place, rented bikes in Stanley Park, took the ferry to beautiful Victoria , took an all-day tour bus to Whistler , enjoyed the nightlife and dined in Gastown, and yes I managed to squeeze in a few site visits to some hotel properties.

Conclusion: we (hubby and I) managed to do the entire Pacific Rim from top to bottom, and it is just BREATHTAKING. Doing this, one can appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature… I know it’s cliché but hey, it’s something one NEEDS to put on one’s bucket list… just a MUST DO (humble thank you, universe).

As if that weren’t enough, I came back on Saturday and went back to work… the following Saturday I put the final touches on a Destination Wedding I was coordinating. The grooms were from Toronto  and came to get married here in our BELOVED Montreal . WOW what a day it was… such a GLORIOUSLY GLORIOUS wedding. The LOVE that was in the air was electrifying… I NEVER get tired of this stuff… even though the schedule was a “MENTAL” one for me:

  • started at 6am
  • wedding party ended at 1am
  • got home by 2am
  • slept approx. two hours
  • left for the airport at 5am – last-minute business trip
  • arrived in Mexico City at 11am
  • needless to say I was EXHAUSTED!!!

YES I ended up going to Mexico City  (on business for a full week Sunday – Sunday). I usually don’t do a full week, however a client needed and wanted to do it then and there, so as per the norm I complied (we were going to do this anyway, but it was just a question of when). Well the when came and off we went. Although it sounds very glamorous (and it is) it was a lot of hard work. For the first half of the week, we basically did back-to-back hotel site visits (this was to see where we could do the next  Incentive program for my clients). When we were done in Mexico City we then took another plane to Ixtapa, Zihuztznejo , to once again see what it had to offer for an upcoming Incentive program. WOW what a pleasant surprise! It was the complete opposite of the hustle and bustle of Cancun, for example – it’s calm and quiet with a beautiful coastline. Easy decision was made and the deal was closed… YEAH BABY!!!!

So you’d think: OK that would be enough “action” for this month right? NOOO – came back to YUL and dove right into a few large projects I have coming up this last quarter:

  • Sweet 16
  • 25th wedding anniversary
  • Annual (3-day) sales conference
  • Annual (3-day) general meeting
  • Fundraiser Wine Tasting
  • Few corporate holiday parties
  • Logistical planning on three upcoming Incentives
  • Several speaking engagements
  • School Fall Session preparation

Just to name a few … all to be executed by year’s end … OUFFFF… your head is probably spinning and you’re thinking; “She is nuts…,” right?

Well, it’s the nature of our business… sometimes it’s all and sometimes it’s nothing. When it’s all, we take it on FULL FORCE (to make up for the nothing).

August has been busy busy busy, and September doesn’t look any different. However, I TRULY wouldn’t have it any other way… #lovemywork #lovemyjob #thankyouuniverse #keepitcoming

Month of SPAS and EDUCATIONAL experiences

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Despite the fact that July didn’t see a lot of actual event execution, it was a great month with weekly spa visits (I lead such a difficult life, don’t I? LOL) and lots going on with my classes at LaSalle College. 

The SPA experiences:
As I mentioned, it so happened this month that once a week there was a spa experience for me (some client-related, and others just for my own sanity!).
I got the feeling that maybe the universe is also trying to send me a message – I received two invites to spas, and decided to (finally) use some gift certificates I had already:

  • Started with some much much needed “ME TIME” at AmeriSpa  in L’Hotel Le Crystal. (such a great place)
  • Got an invite from WPIC Ottawa Chapter  for an education session being held at Spa Nordic, in Old Chelsea, Quebec  (it’s worth the 2-hour drive from Montreal)
  • Used another one of my gift certificates at Spa LifeForia   – this one is at the Dorval Sheraton Hotel Airport (just fabulous)
  • Lastly, believe it or not one of my clients wanted to switch it up and have a planning session for an upcoming conference at Bota Bota  in Old Montreal (yeah baby – I like their thinking)

The Educational experience:
As I mentioned before, this month was one of education. Let me explain: Due to the summer holidays the summer session at LaSalle College makes the term is shorter. However, “we” still have to complete the allotted said time. So I decided to do this on two Saturdays;

As a scheduling “phenom” I also had the honor of hosting multiple speakers this month for the benefit of my students … basically exposed them to different aspects of our industry, which we don’t always have time to explore in class. Special SHOUT OUT & BIG THANK YOU to you all:

I organized a bicycle food truck tour with clients via TourdelaTable .
You know, every time I do this I get to know another part of my beautiful Montreal #mtlmoments – this time it was the other parts of the Lachine Canal. We did it on bikes and the perspective is quite different. We ate, we learnt, we exercised … we had a blast, thank you Mellissa! You ROCK!!

And last but not least an important mention to the organizers at Cavalia.
WOW thank you so so much for the VIP treatment you gave us … your team ROCKS it!!
It was a TRULY BREATHTAKING SPECTAULAR show … my clients are going.

While there may not have been a lot of execution of events, it was a month of planning sessions and brainstorming (with a little R&R too – finally). Next up:
August!

Kia Ora

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OMG … I DID IT way way down under on the OTHER side of the world .. hint; “Kia Ora”

June was a month of adventure (to say the very least!).
However, I was quite busy with ‘normal’ events and engagements on home turf.

Organized and executed a summit meeting for one of my many prestigious clients at none other than “la GRAND Dame” Ritz Carlton Montreal  – they are such PROFESSIONALS and it’s wonderful working with them.

Within that same week was also the GRAND PRIX F1. Hubby and I were privileged to attend the “F1 Party” at the Ritz Carlton (it  was nice).

Then the morning after, I whipped myself together to instruct a new batch of future wedding planners for WPIC  (Wedding Planners Institute of Canada).

And if that wasn’t enough, right after that … we honored with tickets to see Mr. SCARFACE himself Al Pacino   (interesting at best, he was all over the place lol!).

On the school front (Lasalle College), I invited a wonderful guest speaker (and friend) to share her experiences with my students, Nathalie Mailhot.

Ouff just writing about this I realize and understand how people wonder how do I manage all this stuff!!!

However, my BIG ADVENTURE began when I travelled wayyyy down under  on the other side of the world for business.
As you know by now, I travel quite a bit. This is all in the name of research and development. I’m basically always on the “hunt” for new exciting destinations for my growing Incentive business.

Well this month by far (pun totally intended) was truly a SPECTACULAR place:
New Zealand  was my destination and what a destination it was; True, it’s quite a long trip but it was worth it; started with YUL to LAX, pretty much an uneventful normal 6-hour east coast to west coast flight. Once in LAX we were provided access to the VIP Lounge (OMG what a lounge it was). Not only was it LARGE and SPACIOUS but it had everything one wanted;

Modern outside terrace spaciousMovie Room
Comfy Lounge areaDining space
ShowersBistro Space
Media sectionSleep/Rest Space

Etc…. (I could go on but I think you get the picture)

I’m telling you: WOW! You see, once we got to LAX we had a long long long layover so the VIP lounge was PERFECT; we worked a little – drank and ate – watched a movie – took in some air – drank a little more – ate a little more – networked a lot – did some more drinking and ate some more food …

Then the time came that we needed to board our plane Air New Zealand   – what a fantastic, fantastic, airline. From the staff to the comfy business class pods – WOW! Like someone said to me; “honey once you fly Air New Zealand  there is no turning back!!!” (SO SO TRUE). This flight was 12hrs long and I did not feel it (slept like a baby – ate and drank like a queen).

Once we arrived in Aukland, New Zealand, we were treated to all kinds of activities and adventures…

To start we where whisked away via Excalibur Cars to a marina where we boarded the largest SuperYacht to one of the islands nearby; Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Once on the island we took a Skyline Gondola Ride up one of many surrounding mountains, had a gourmet lunch and where immediately encouraged to engage in Lugging. Here is an example of what was like:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df1fT0Ut2v4

Once all that was done we were picked up by helicopters and roamed the wonderful mountains of New Zealand   – the views of these mountains and water were breathtaking (ahhh to be back there).

The “Heli” landed on a summit where there were several Land Rovers Defenders  waiting to take us on our next adventure.

We drove through the mountains and water (literally) somehow ended up ‘digging for gold nuggets’ in this stream … we eventually worked up a thrust and appetite where we were brought to one of the many vineyards out here;  Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant  not only did we drink they also prepared a feast for us to eat. Ohh and for ‘desert’ we went to a wine cave where some wine tasting was required; Stonyridge Vineyards  (we really where drinking the wine, but I digress…) Fun Fact: it’s amazing how many wineries there are considering their climate.

Once all was done we headed back to the hosted hotel Sofitel, Queenstown for some down time to either shop, rest, or all of the above.

So one would think, “WOW Daniela, that sounded like a GREAT time.” Well yes it was absolutely … however the “adventures” continued. We were once again whisked off by plane hopping from island to island to discover more marvelous places. We were invited to board a speed boat from Auckland Jet Boat Tours Ltd. to cross the waters onto an area where more adventures awaited; some of us went zip-lining and some of us went bungy jumping – YES, bungy jumping all set up around the infamous Kawarau Bridge Bungy (43m)

Guess what I ended up doing??? (Hint: it’s related to the blog’s title) Well here is the link to show you:
https://www.montrealeventplanner.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AJH-KB-20150614-012-001-0001-Vid01.mp4

OUUUUFFFFFFFAAAAA – I STILL don’t believe I REALLY did that!?!?!

Ok, back down to “earth” once all that excitement was done and over with, we went to visit Hobbiton Movie Set Tours  in another part of spectacularly wonderful New Zealand it’s a small town called Rotorua  . This is where movies like the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were actually filmed (I felt I was transported into that time). They turned it into an official visitors attraction for people to come visit from all over.

WOW what a great place this is… incentive clients: hope are you reading this?!?
And now it’s going to be quiet till end of July. So shhh! See you soon!
R&R time …. “Ka kite ano” y’all …

Logistics and Familiarizations

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This year the month of May is the start of many things for me:

  • Three out of six client Incentive Destination Programs are completed – shout out and a heartfelt THANK YOU to my partners out there for making this happen. For me this only means I NEED more of these contracts to re-fill.
  •  Finalizing a three day Sales Conference for a new client happening in November this year.
  •  Getting RFP’s for three upcoming Fundraisers happening in 2016.
  •  Finalizing all the logistics for an upcoming client’s AGM in September.
  •  Sourcing for clients’:
    Corp. BBQ’s,  40th Birthday,  Party Sweet Sixteen,  Golden Wedding Anniversary
  •  Started teaching the summer session classes at Lasalle College  (cont. Ed.) and iLasalleCampus (online/webinar)
  •  It is also the beginning of my Wedding Season; one of the weddings’ I’ve been planning is for an incredible couple who live in Toronto but are getting married here in Montreal. We spent a few days together this month doing a pre-wedding photo shoot, cake and meal tastings, working out floral arrangements. They are having it at the Old Port … I know I’ve said it before, but my god, Old Montreal is the perfect setting for weddings!

Yes this month I also managed to squeeze in some Business Travel;

  • L’Esterel Resort – it was a familiarization trip and it was awesome because spouses were able to attend. WOW it was nice to rediscover it … (I had already done some client programs there in the past and to get reacquainted it was a great reminder) During this time I got to meet up with industry friends that I haven’t seen in awhile. Wonderful time was had by all. The staff at l’Esterel Resort  is PHENOMENAL!!
  • Speaking of GRAND I also was graciously invited to Grapevine, Texas (Forth Worth) for another familiarisation tour. It was a great experience. I saw REAL Cowboys (with real guns) in an authentic typical Texan town, with majestic Horses and fabulous Cattle … yes it’s TRUE, when they say everything is bigger in Texas, everything is bigger in Texas! I’m really looking forward to bringing groups there. It’s just EPIC !!
  • Lastly, I went to the NAV Centre in Cornwall for a day … WOW not only did I discover a new property to bring my delegates … We also where privileged to experience the (with the simulators) how to be a traffic control tower operator …. this was AWESOME!!! (rest assured I will not be change careers any time soon … just sayin’)  Little known fact about the NAV Centre: is a privately run, not-for-profit, that owns and operates Canada’s civil air navigation system, employs approximately 1,900 air traffic controllers and 700 technologists. It has been responsible for the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic in Canadian air space since November 1, 1996. NAV Canada manages 12 million aircraft movements a year for 40,000 customers in over 18 million square kilometres, making it the world’s second-largest air navigation service provider by traffic volume.

It’s been a fabulous start to the warmer season (finally) and I can’t wait for June. See you then!

April showers bring May flowers…

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I think it’s pretty safe to say by now … Happy “SPRING” everyone!?!

The seasonal saying really is true: ‘spring showers do bring May flowers’ (and  June, and July…).

 

While it may have been a relatively quieter month in terms of actual event execution, I have had a lot of inquiries for events that will happen later this summer/year.

examples:Company Barbecues
 Sales Conferences
 Incentives Programs
 Birthday Parties (milestones)
 Weddings

Mixed in all this I do have some more travel for the coming months, so I didn’t mind that April was more about research / planning and organizing future events.

However, don’t get me wrong: it was still an action-packed month!

I have been doing a lot of prepping/tweaking work on Mid-Terms and Final Exams for the upcoming adult education classes I’m giving this coming summer school session at LaSalle College and some re-vamping of the course outlines for the online courses I also will be giving at ilasalle Campus.

Speaking of classes, I traveled to our beautiful capital city Ottawa to teach and certify future Wedding Planners. All in the in the name of WPIC. You know, it amazes me how Ottawa’s wedding industry is booming in leaps and bounds… I’m not kidding when I say “WATCH out OTTAWA the Wedding Planners are coming !!!”

Speaking of wedding industry, Lyne and I gave a weekend wedding workshop (bootcamp style) in French,  here in Montreal at a private school called ZOOM Academie. Needless to say I just LOVE LOVE LOVE to inspire and share the knowledge!!!

I also got to travel a bit further west (FINALLY!) to see Whistler with clients and all I can say is; it was a fantastical experience. Other than the usual site visits, tastings, we also did a number of outdoor activities;
Peak 2 Peak gondola ride
Ziplining/Trekking

I must say being surrounded with that mountainous scenery and trekking alongside them was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced .. just just speechlessly breathtaking.

Note: I’m slowly but surely making my way to the west coast of Canada! Vancouver & Victoria … get ready I’m coming out there sooner than later … (just sayin’ …)

Finally, I’d like to give a shout out this month to a few new gems:

Mercuri  a restaurant SEXY HIP and with its old fashion wood burning oven, every dish comes out UBER DELISH and I mean DELISH … it’s located in the up and coming neighbourhood of Griffintown. You HAVE to definitely check it out! Suggestions: office holiday parties – client/employee appreciation events – even small weddings it’s a perfect spot.

Patisserie duc de Lorraine:  Duc de Lorraine serves French pastries, seasonal cakes, viennoiseries and macaroons using traditional recipes by great French pastry chefs. One bite will transport you into the magical world of France. To boot the past few years they offer catering and let me tell you oohhh la la….

The Phi Centre: The Phi Centre is a place of bold diversity with a versatile space that adapts to accommodate any event at hand: launches, conferences, seminars, screenings, exhibitions, concerts, performances, interactive installations. Also, offers creative studios and production suites equipped with the latest technology for all artistic needs. This space is in constant evolution, where nothing is entirely the same, nor entirely different, from one visit to the next and the view from the terrace is SPECTACULAR ….

Enjoy that sunshine. I’ll be back in May!

Marzo è pazzo…

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Spring is upon us (despite the fact there’s still quite allot of white stuff on the ground grrr), and March was another busy month of business travel.

Off I went to Edmonton for a FAM trip. Why, you ask? Well I needed to re-familiarize myself and second I have a client who wants to possibly hold their sales conference there this coming November so off to Western Canada we went. Explore Edmonton  THE go to people, got wind of this and immediately took over like pros and help us explore the beautiful city of Edmonton, boy did we ever. Here are a few activity highlights:

Segway rides – Chocolate tastings – Foodies hot spots – of course The West Edmonton Mall  and “la piece de resistance” a VIP entrance at the prestigious Red Bull  Crashed Ice Event held this year in Edmonton.  WOW was that ever fantastic and fun … not to mention the after after party Edmonton style … but we won’t go there … I won’t even attempt to explain WHY I got talked into  ‘tasting’ Prairies Oysters … (I will leave it with you to figure it out)

Back in YUL

Sofitel Montreal  had their annual chef’s table tasting (the focus was  towards the upcoming Wedding season). It’s done every year and, as always, very tasty and delectable surprises from the Master Chef himself. (oui oui encore SVP)

La “Q” (Queue de Cheval)  celebrated 16 years as “the house of the wolf” in its new location (1811 de la Montagne). This is a luxurious temple of pleasure featuring dry- aged (on premise) USDA prime beef, an award-winning wine cellar, and the highest standard in hospitality. (mouth watering …)

La ROULADERIE  in the NDG area, I discovered a cozy gem newly opened and wonderfully traditional Persian/French style bistro. These combined flavors are outstanding. They satisfy the gourmet palate. (mediterranean heaven)

Too boot the team and I worked/coordinated/executed a client’s two day conference at the Westin Montreal. Yes, in the midst of all this I worked on and closed a few more deals on upcoming events for this year; Educational conferences (locally) – Weddings (one locally and one more destination) plus a few repeat Congresses… ouff it’s going to be BUSY upcoming season.

Last but not the least, earlier in the month I got a call from Mexico Tourism Board  inviting me as one of their VIP guests to their 40th Anniversary Conference Event in Acapulco. This is a MECA huge Mexican trade show where all regions of Mexico are represented there (4000 people in attendance) we were treated like royalty. Private event space tours – chartered plane – local celebrity chef’s table – we even got to ‘break bread’ with Mexico’s President, Enrique Peña Nieto  and have ‘non-formal intimate’ panel discussion with  Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair. (yup … my job has perks!!)

Once back from summery sunny hot Acapulco. I quickly turned around and took the plane to sunny wintery cold Halifax. There I gave  WPIC’s Wedding Coordinator certification course to up and coming aspiring Wedding Planners.

 

That my friends was March … SPRING where are you!?!?!

a month of EXOTICISM

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(now now … get your minds out of the gutter, people!)

 Yes, I know what you were thinking when you saw the title of this blog, and no, I’m not on a  “50 Shades of Grey” high like the rest of the world (lol) and no I wasn’t referring to  “Saint Valentine’s” day either ….

I was actually referring to the exotic destinations I visited this month  “WOWISUM” of  exotic travel.

Started the month with an “EXOTIC ADVENTURE” to the absolutely fabulously over the top Emirates, also known as United Arab Emirates (UAE). Specifically Abu Dhabi  and Dubai ,  yes folks it’s all that and more. The conference we attended was mainly to meet with international suppliers. What incredible meetings they where, many partnerships/connections where established. (seriously … at this rate Montreal Event Planner will HAVE no choice but to expand Internationally).

We (client’s and I) were privileged to a personal tour guide, where she brought  us EVERYWHERE in  Abu Dhabi and Dubai:

– Grand Mosque– Museums
– Yas Island– Crossing the infamous Creek
– F1 Racing– Spice & Gold Markets
– Camel Trekking– Ferrari World
– Tallest building in the world– Luncheon on a Yacht
– Roller Coaster ride (FASTEST in the world)– Shopping at the infamous Malls
– Spectacular Beaches– Indoor Skiing with penguin petting

Ended our exotic travel in historical Istanbul,Turkey ;
We (client and I) were  invited to attend a MICE conference (how privileged and honored we where). Istanbul … talk about ‘walking’ into the History books … WOW what a place it was. The moment I walk off the plane I felt their history and no I am not being dramatic .. I truly felt it. Switching gears, off we went to meet and making concrete connections. Luckily we were able to squeeze in some site visits. Here are the MUST sees:

  • The Grand Bazar ; spectacularly grand and colorful (mind you if you want to buy something you HAVE to have your bargaining game on!! (these merchants are pros) …
  • Taksim Square ; the place to see and be seen  … tons of people, tons of shopping, tons of bars/restaurants, tons of whatever  you desire….
  • Bosphorus River ; splendor in it’s self here you are right smack in the middle of the Asian and European side just breathtaking thinking of all the history that went on here…

Believe it or not folks amidst all this adventure travel, I still managed to close a few more local corporate contracts including two more weddings. Also am working on two more client Incentive programs;  one for this coming year and another in 2016 (makes a total of eight Client Incentives Program for the next two years … WOW) …

As if that wasn’t enough; the EMSB  (English Montreal School Board) asked me to meet and greet some high school students for Career Exploration Day. These students were interested in the Events Industry … it truly was an honor; like I always say I Aspire to  Inspire. 

I also continue to give Event Management classes; online at  iLasalle  and as night courses at Lasalle College .

Yes Yes I know you are wondering; [how does she do it??] … well sometimes I too wonder the same thing … I guess I LOVE this too much … just don’t stop to think about it … I just do it…

This was my February. Hope your month was just as adventurous!

Woman that Wears many Hats

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First … Happy New Year Everyone!

I wanted to take this time to reflect on my work and share a few revelations
with you:

I’ve been doing a lot of brainstorming marketing-wise because in the last several months I’ve had people telling me “you wear a lot of hats”, so I thought maybe I should re-explain what exactly it is that I do. While being a “Meeting & Event planner” seems like a pretty straight-forward profession, there are a lot of misconceptions about my line of work out there.

 

Let’s be clear:

Corporate Events: with my team and clients I plan, coordinate, source and organize:

Executive Board Meetings or Strategic/Sales Meetings: the participants involved have this meeting (monthly – quarterly-bi-annually – annually) mainly to strategize their Company’s sales goals and targets in order to entice their sales force to attain a higher bottom line.
{yearly average with the team we do approx. 20 – 25 of these events}

Team-building activities: generally sits within the theory and practice of organizational development, applies to enhance the team atmosphere within departments.
{yearly average with the team we do approx. 6 – 10 of these events}

Seminars/Conventions/Annual Meetings: here it usually is to inform &/or educate my client’s clients/attendees or their membership of current activities going on. {yearly average with the team we do approx. 2– 5 of these events}

Award Dinners (also known as Client &/or Employee Appreciation): again my expertise help organize a classy and unforgettable evening for all.
{yearly average with the team we do approx. 4 – 6 of these events}

M.I.C.E. stands for:
Meetings    Incentives    Conferences    Exhibitions

Most components of M.I.C.E. are well understood, perhaps with the exception of the Incentives component; it is usually undertaken as a type of employee reward by a company or institution for targets met or exceeded, or a job well done. Unlike the other types of M.I.C.E. programs, incentive are usually conducted purely for entertainment, rather than professional or educational purposes (wiki).

Having said that, Client Incentive programs are primarily used to drive sales, reduce sales costs, increase profitability, develop new territory, and enhance margins. {on the books with my collaborators we’ve organized approx. 4 – 6 per year}

NOTE: this is WHY I started to travel so much these past few years. I realized I NEED to get to know the places I’m going to send clients AND NEEDED to make good solid industry connections to properly execute these programs – hence I am required to build a strategic team worldwide.

Private / Special Events: with my clients I plan, coordinate, source and organize:

Fundraisers/Award dinners: whether it’s for a charitable cause, financing a non-profit organization or a celebration, the team and I make sure your event goes off without a hitch.

Holiday parties: holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tradition of cultural or religious significance.

High School/College/University Grad Banquets Ceremonies: with these clients we coordinate the details of this proud moment in their lives, so they too, can enjoy the day worry-free.

Engagements/Communions/Bat-Bar Mitzvahs: this is one of the most important days in a person’s life, and with them we can turn it into a beautiful experience.

Proposal/Intimate dinners: Romantic, fun, festive, quiet or loud, we coordinate and will ensure the individual flair shines through when we handle the details of this unique night.

Wedding Anniversaries: coordinated and work with the clients to create a magical celebration no matter how large or small the scale or scope.

Bachelor/Bachelorette parties: whether it’s a traditional party or something fresh, our expertise will guide our clients through the planning process.

Fashion/Specialty Shows: having done many the team and I will make sure these shows are trendy.
{yearly average with the team we do approx. 10 – 15 of these events}

Weddings: with my clients I plan, coordinate, source and organize:
Truly one of the most unforgettable moments of a couple’s life: their wedding day. Planning it can also be one of the most stressful. That’s why one in five Canadian couples chooses to work with a wedding planner (WPIC): the Team and I can ease and streamline the entire process. Our proven relationships with high-end vendors allow us to carry out the couple’s visions, from flowers and décor to the menu and even their honeymoon, in a timely, professional way and within budget. Over the years we’ve literally planned over a few hundred weddings – just let us plan yours next!
{yearly average with the team we do approx. 7 – 10 weddings}

Oh and by the way, speaking of weddings there is no lack of information gathering in this market. This month alone there were 4 Bridal Shows here in Montreal: (all FABULOUSLY informative)

  1. http://www.marionsnous.ca/index_weddings.cfm
  2. http://www.mariagechic.ca/
  3. https://www.facebook.com/Divinebridalshow
  4. https://www.facebook.com/SalondelaMariee

Hope this clarified things on what I do as a: Corporate Meeting and Special Events Planner

I’d like to send out a couple of shout outs this month:
Invited to the Media kickoff event for Fete des Nieges (cold but Fun Fun Fun). What a PERFECT method to do some team-building or employee appreciation activity (once you get over the cold factor of course) … this Meeting Planner feels it’s REALLY worth looking into…

I closed off the month by attending an annual (one day) conference, this is specifically for the associative market, and is always held in Ottawa. Well, when Ottawa Tourism  heard I was coming, they graciously invited me to an impromptu FAM trip (familiarization tour) specially fitted for my client’s needs!! Besides being spoiled and catered to (which is always appreciated) this was specifically designed for me to have the ‘attendee experience’. Because the goal here is to experience what our attendees (my clients) would. I know I know it’s the ‘tough’ part of my job – but someone has to do it. Anyway the three days were awesome and with their help I rediscovered our beautiful nation’s capital City of Ottawa.

February promises to be INTERNATIONAL all the way … stay tuned!!!

BOOM! And that was December!

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It seems like just yesterday I was writing my final blog of 2013, and now it’s the end of 2014! What a wild wild ride of a year. And December certainly didn’t disappoint (do you sense the sarcasm… lol).

All of my client’s corporate Christmas parties are done. I did them earlier this month; small, simple, but great.

Into the second week of December I went to our beautiful national capital city of Ottawa. This was to teach the last class of the season for WPIC (Wedding Planners Institute of Canada)

As soon as I got back to Montreal, I was off again the very next day on the first flight to Cancun, Mexico . NO it was not for pleasure (I SWEAR) … it was for an educational conference focusing on destination weddings specifically in Mexico. It was terrific – not only did I fine-tuned my skills (‘cause you know one never stops learning… you see, I had done several destination weddings a few years back). It was very enlightening, and was also pleased to see that there was a big Canadian presence (YAY Canada!).

Once back and thought I’d rest… but nooo… BOOM!!

Was “hit” with all kinds of invitations to parties, parties, parties:

Monday:

Annual Christmas Luncheon with la crème de la crème Montreal Wedding Planners graciously hosted by 40 Westt (THANK YOU Mina and your TEAM!!)

That evening had supper with la crème de la crème Montreal Corporate Planners at one of the most DELISH steakhouses in Montreal The Keg.

Tuesday:
My annual soiree SPA for my clients this year was at Bota Bota to show of my appreciation

Wednesday:
Industry Christmas Party hosted by the Planner at Industria Brasserie Italienne – Griffintown

Thursday:
Award ceremony for 4th Annual Jeudi d’Apollo honouring 12 Business Women of the year – yours truly was one of the recipients 🙂

Friday:
Annual College Lasalle staff Christmas Party themed Western / Carnival

Saturday:
Annual Cuisinox staff Christmas Party (this is where my husband works) at a WONDERFUL restaurant located in Rosemere.

Oh GOD I’m tired just writing/reading this  …. oufff

In the midst of all this WONDERFULNESS … out of the blue I get a call for an interview on CJAD 800AM with the infamous Mr. Tommy Schnurmacher, went in studio and had an EXHILARATING and great experience. The topic we spoke about was Christmas parties…

 

Speaking of media, I was interviewed and “published” in several other publications:

Magazine: “Speaking of IMPACT”
Speaking with Impact (page #12)

Gazette’s: “Christmas Office Party Confidential”

Quick shout out to a few new vendors:
Newly opened GEM of a space, Hotel Epik just a quaint great place for VIP board meetings or secret getaways  – great for small Weddings

Newly opened and uber SEXY  Vicolo Restaurant  all I have to say is YUMMO!

Hotel Esterel  ; SPECTACULAR for company retreats – sales meetings – spa days – weddings

I just wanted to take this time to wish all my friends, family, clients, and vendors a wonderful time over the holidays with all your family and friends…..

The holidays are always a time of reflection and a time to remember for me it was quite a tumultuous year … very very good and at times extremely bad…

I would like to send out a personal prayer in memory of my father-in-law Giuseppe Paduano, who recently left us a few months ago…

Okay now I shut down for a bit… hopefully!

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