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 twelve, the spotlight is on... my top 4 biggest event pet peeves. These are the things I am not-so-silently judging your event on, sometimes before I even walk in the door. And if I'm doing it, so are your actual and potential guests. 

From not knowing why, not having a budget , quoting Beyoncé, offering social media posts as exposure, and this new trend of not feeding people - here are some of the reasons why your event might not be selling and how to avoid biting off more you can chew.

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Episode eleven, the spotlight is on... the ball drop heard around the world!

If you haven't heard about the event (or lack thereof) that went viral last week, we're dropping this week's edition of the podcast early to catch you up on all the not-so-British tea.

You've heard of Fyre Fest. You've seen Willy Wonka gone wrong, next up in the event fail hall of fame is the (unlicensed and unofficial) Bridgerton Ball. 

I’ll be guiding you through the who the players are, the timeline with twists and turns, what guests were supposed to get and how this could all go from comically bad to legally worse for the event promoters. 

Sources:
BBC, Detroit Free Press, NY Times, Teen Vogue, Reddit & Twitter

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Episode ten, the spotlight is on... parents as event guests! 

We'll talk about what current and future event planner people need to think about parents when planning their events. 

From making sure your venue meets their specific needs, to broadening your views on who parents even are (breaking news, papas are parents too) and we clear the air on kids at weddings once and for all (or until the next situation goes viral on TikTok).

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Episode nine, the spotlight is on...more event stories that had gotten the people going in the last 30 days.

From the triumph of the Paris Olympics to film festival season to couples charging wedding guests an admission fee, events from great to small are definitely in full swing.

With about 95% of the venues used during the Paris Olympics in existence prior to the city’s winning bid to host the Games, it set a new standard for reduce, reuse and recycle. 

And what's up with this new trend of charging wedding guests admissions like it's a Beyonce concert? I am in total confusion and don't pull any punches with my feelings about it. 

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Episode eight, the spotlight is on...the event component that literally lasts a lifetime...photography!

We sat down with Samantha Clarke who left the world of law to pursue photography 15 years ago. Samantha's commitment to excellence and undeniable talent have earned her recognition as one of America's top photographers by BRIDES Magazine two years in a row. 

In this episode, we talk the questions you should ask before you hire a wedding/event photographer, why photoshop is a pet peeve (and not in the way you think), that AI is not the villain we thought it was, bras and unbaked cookies? 

We also finally get a professional's opinion about the #SepiaBride debacle once and for all. 

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Episode seven, the spotlight is on...one of the most important event components - the music!

We sit down with seasoned event, club and corporate event DJ Lissa Monet, a 6x award-winning female DJ based in Toronto with over 15+ years of rocking nightclubs and corporate events around the world. In 2016 she DJed Beyoncé's Formation World Tour VIP events in Toronto and Detroit. (Does this make me 2 degrees of separation from Beyoncé???)

She also co-founded LUXELIFE SOUND, an all-female DJ boutique agency where amazing female DJs are placed at exclusive private and corporate gigs across North America. She is also the creator of THAT SLOW JAM PARTY, Toronto's first-ever all-slow jam party.

We talk what clients AND guests should know, how DJing has changed since the days of hauling milk crates with vinyl records, pet peeves and what the alt title of the podcast might have been.

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Episode six, the spotlight is on...event stories that have gone viral on the internet!

From The Sepia Bride (the filter OG Instagram users used to love to hate/hate to love), to slave ships at weddings, we're covering stories that got the Reddits and comment section on TikTok going!

I even pull in an extra special guest to validate why parents don't need to break the bank on kids birthday parties. (Hint, he lives in my house rent free...literally) and the newest trend of no tech zones at weddings. 

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Episode five, the spotlight is on...virtual events. 

When the pandemic hit, the world was forced into virtual galas, summits and everything else in between. Now just four years later, and everyone officially 'zoomed out', we're chatting with Dionne Bishop, CEO & Event Strategist of Events By Dionne to see if they are staying in the rearview of history, why hybrid is here to stay (in our veteran opinions) and why virtual events aren't easier and cheaper to produce. 

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Episode four, the spotlight is on... one of the biggest event planning failures in the history event planning failures: Fyre Festival.

You know as a certified event nerd, I watched these docs when they dropped, but I definitely had to do a review of the Netflix documentary to break down exactly where and when it all went wrong, why entrepreneurs need to learn how to fire bad clients and why it was doomed from the start.  

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I’m going to say the letters DEI and you’re going to raise your shoulders to your ears. 

1,2,3 - DEI! 

This is the physical reaction many inwardly have when they hear those letters. My goal is to not have your shoulders be your earrings. There’s no pointing of fingers here, just a important but casual conversation that will help you sell more tickets to your event. 

Episode three, the spotlight is on... how you can AUTHENTICALLY add diversity to your lineup. Key word is authentically. 

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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 two, the spotlight is on...not being perfect and the time we almost had ZERO food to feed 60 guests. You can plan until the cows come home (and where did the cows even go?), but even seasoned event planners have their day of mistakes.  

From garbage cans to completely forgetting a catering order - these are some of my most 'memorable' misses from throughout the years. 

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You only get one chance to make a first impression - and that is especially true for a live event. Episode one, the spotlight is on...the host! Learn how Tanya went from dreams of law school to being a part of some of the biggest events in North America. 

Everyone has been to an event (either forgettable or memorable), or wanted the scoop on how to plan one. The Event Bestie is here to pull the curtain back and take you behind the scenes of wonderful and magical world of event planning.

Each episode will be a cheat code from a seasoned event planner on how to plan better events for work or for play, and gain FOMO-type insights into the biggest events in the world. 

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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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