Can you provide a brief overview of what you do at Bee Together?
The majority of my days consist of client work and project work. My areas of focus tend to include project plans, schedules and event flow, vendor sourcing and coordination, logistical plans, scripts, budgets, and event concepts…just to name a few! Our team works collaboratively as often as possible and then once the main vision is created we task it out based on our area of expertise (and the things we love). On the business side of things I also handle budgeting, accounting, taxes…yep, all that fun stuff!
What inspired you to pursue a career in event planning, and how has your background influenced your approach to this role?
Event planning was something that always appealed to me, it is something I have always been drawn to. I think it is a combination of the creativity and logistics of so many small details. I love bringing all of the pieces together into a cohesive final piece. Also, the fact that we get to meet and work with so many different people is something I love, we learn so much about the incredible things that other people are up to and it’s inspiring!
Before starting the company, I worked in a role very heavy in finance, administration, and production scheduling. To say there were a lot of variables to manage with the production scheduling would be a gross understatement and I really feel that all of those years of experience juggling so many items, timelines, and variables helped me immensely in the project management process I do now on a daily basis.
Given your love for details and bringing calm to chaos, could you elaborate on how you maintain organization and manage multiple projects simultaneously?
LISTS! But really, I use a combination of digital and paper tools. Asana and a day planner to manage the details and ensuring that each project has a master document to hold everything in one place. I won’t lie, some days it feels overwhelming with so many different projects on the go, but usually the fix for that is taking a moment to actually list the critical tasks as the swirling list in my head is usually making things far worse than the reality of the situation.
Can you share a particularly memorable event or project that you've worked on, and what made it stand out to you?
Whoooo, this is a tough one and I truly don’t think I can pick one, which I know defeats the purpose of this question, but let me explain 🙂 I have to recognize the first event that I did after starting the business, the thrill of pulling it off and the gratitude for the trust my client put in me to take it on. Each event after that grew in size and complexity, the events that challenged me but ultimately have allowed me to grow in ways I wouldn’t have considered. On the spot issues that have solidified my solution-based-approach to everything, we will always try to find a way, no isn’t an option.
Layna at Kaleo Collective trusted me to pull off their virtual gala after Covid hit. This was my first virtual event and one of the first virtual events in the city on that scale. Layna's trust propelled me to not only survive, but thrive as an events based business through the pandemic. The beautiful charities and community organizations that we’ve had the honour to support, the stories of heartbreak, resiliency, and connection that we have had the privilege of witnessing. Each event and project that I have had the opportunity to work on has provided me with so much joy and gratitude, even in the hard moments I remind myself of how lucky I am to be living this life that I only once dreamed of.
You have a passion for creating a space for discussing challenging topics like human trafficking. How does this commitment influence your approach to work within the events industry, if at all?
In all of the difficult discussions and learning I’ve had over the years related to the heavy topics, one significant transferable skill is how to maneuver and approach conversations and topics that I know will be hard. Either hard to deliver or hard to hear, whether I’m on the giving or receiving end. I have learned that approaching these situations with compassion and empathy along with an open heart and mind goes a long way.
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received is to ask myself “What is the most generous assumption I can make?” I feel that this applies in every situation I’ve experienced that is challenging. I have learned a very valuable skill of approaching situations with a softness that usually leads to resolutions, compromise, and understanding and I find that this approachability usually allows for productive conversations and action to occur.
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