Top 10 Women in Leadership Shaping Canada’s Event Industry
Oct 18, 2024 Praggya Joshi
Canada's events industry bustles with trade shows, conferences, conventions, and more. The vibrant sector is continuously evolving to meet the demands of cutting-edge events, whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid. A large majority of individuals of this growing industry are females. In fact, women in leadership positions have expanded significantly in the past decade. Today, they are the engines that power the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) industry.
Female leaders are behind many outstanding brand experiences and manage even the most complex hybrid and in-person events. In this blog, we'll highlight the ten exceptional women in leadership who have defined the face of the events industry in Canada.
1. Stacy Wyatt
Role - Founder & publisher of Canadian Special Events & Director Events at University of Manitoba
As Director of Events at the University of Manitoba, Stacy has led over 900 institutional, advancements, and marketing events with award-winning teams that have furthered the university's goals. A notable mention is the five-year, $500M capital campaign that was a success because of her strategic planning. She has held key leadership roles, including President of ILEA Vancouver and President of Event Professionals Manitoba.
In the past, Wyatt managed many high-scale events for major brands in Australia, Hawaii, and Japan. The experience made her a top event design and technical production expert. She launched Canadian Special Events as a blog and boutique event show. Because of her deep experience in event management, it grew into a leading brand, which is now made up of Canadian Event Awards, CSE Live, CSE Magazine, and an award-winning blog.
Wyatt is the recipient of many impressive accolades, setting the example of one of the top women in leadership. The most noteworthy achievements are:
- The Senecan of Distinction Award.
- Recognition as one of Canada’s Top 250 Event Professionals in 2021.
- A leading events influencer by EventEx.
2. Daniela Caputo
Role - President Montreal Event Planner (Award Winning Events Gladiator)
Daniela began her career in the corporate service sector, working in sales, marketing, and PR. When the recession happened, she lost her job and enrolled in a program from UQAM, Québec, to encourage women to start their own businesses. Before long, she had her own event planning company where she leveraged her skills as a coordinator, which had been honed when she worked as a corporate employee.
A few years into her business, Caputo got the opportunity to teach event management to South College students. Soon, she discovered it to be another passion of hers and continues to impart knowledge about event planning and execution to budding planners.
Over the years, Caputo has consistently excelled at raising the bar for end-to-end client services and event management, marketing, and venue sourcing. She is especially known for her impeccable networking skills and resourcefulness. Her ability to stay updated about the latest event trends, best practices, and insights has made her one of the top women in leadership in Canada's events industry. Presently, she is a popular teacher at Lasalle College’s Event Planning Program and WPIC (Wedding Planners Institute of Canada).
Caputo has received the following recognitions:
- Smart Women in Meetings Award 2024, showing her remarkable expertise in the field of meetings and events planning.
- A member of the jury of Canadian Event Awards (CEA) 2023.
- A sought-after teacher at Lasalle College’s Event Planning Program who certifies future Wedding Planners at WPIC.
3. Hailey Dawood
Role - Owner & Chief Huntress at The Idea Hunter
Hailey Dawood is one of the top women in leadership who has set high benchmarks in the study of consumer behavior and shaping interactive event experiences based on it. She started her journey in the events industry after a restructuring left her jobless. Clueless about her future, Dawood started assisting her mother, the founder of The Idea Hunter, a corporate entertainment and event management firm.
Dawood worked as an account director for five years and took over the business in 2020 when the pandemic gave it a hard blow. From then on, she dedicated herself to building the brand, which paid off as her company became a go-to for organizing unique and entertaining events. It was chosen by big brands like MAC Cosmetics, Charlie and Sprocket, Toronto Blue Jays, McDonald's, and Moniker Partners.
Dawood is particularly admired for the following traits that have positioned her among the women in leadership:
- Resilience in the face of countless challenges
- Unemotional adaptability to unfavorable market conditions
- Innovative spirit to respond to constantly changing needs.
Her company is now steadily expanding into new markets and delivering new offerings. She is the winner of the Event Professional of the Year in 2023 and 2019 Emerging Industry Leader by Canadian Special Events. She is now seen as one of the renowned women in leadership and a visionary for crafting exceptional brand experiences.
4. Sharon Bonner
Role - Event strategist, producer, consultant, author, and founder of Bright Ideas Event Agency (BIEA)
If there is one Canadian woman in leadership who exemplifies continuous innovation, it has to be Sharon. She has planned and executed over 3000 events in her career. Her trailblazing journey into the events industry began two and a half decades ago when she founded the Bright Ideas Event Agency in 1988.
At that time, she majorly organized golf tournaments, company picnics, and boat cruises. However, over time, as she gained more experience, the company grew, and she was chosen to organize trade shows and award-winning events.
Eight years ago, Bonner started her event consulting business because of the increasing interest in her services related to consulting and event guidance. Today, the company specializes in designing and strategizing high-profile corporate events and award shows.
Sharon's influence in the events landscape has been consistent which is why she is always on the list of the top women in leadership. Her impact is exemplified by the following:
- Her first digital eBook, Donuts in the Lunchroom, in February 2021, gained widespread appreciation.
- She was listed as the TOP 250 Most Influential Event Professionals in Canada by Bizbash.
- She received the Woman to Watch Award in 2023.
Now retired, but the numerous accolades she received in her career as an event strategist and consultant set her as an admirable force in the events industry.
5. Rita Plaskett
Role - CMP, CMM, VEMM, and founder of AGENDUM Inc.
Rita Plaskett has a strong career in the events industry. Her position as one of Canada's top women in leadership is evident with her rich portfolio in organizing corporate, special events and galas, and events for government, associations, and not-for-profits. She teaches a hospitality program at George Brown College and is one of the leading members of its advisory board.
Besides owning the meetings management firm AGENDUM Inc., Plaskett is an editorial board member of the Corporate Meetings Network in Canada. She has also been a successful trip director at Worldwide Quest in Canada for over ten years. She has expertly planned the trips of thousands of participants to unique destinations, ensuring an exceptional experience for all.
Her exceptional skills in planning conferences and trade shows have benefited a diverse array of clients, cementing her position as one of the leading women in leader. She has catered to notable organizations such as:
- Make a Wish Foundation
- TIFF After Parties
- Ontario Association of Optometrists
6. Mahoganey Jones
Role - Founder of Events Specialist Inc & EventPreneur Success Club
Mahoganey's journey from a rising star to a pioneer in virtual and hybrid events deserves special mention. As one of the key women in leadership, Jones has a distinct ability to plan medical and pharmaceutical conferences and events. This can be partly attributed to her desire to pursue kinesiology as a youngster.
Mahoganey started out by volunteering and organizing events and kept her skills sharp while pursuing her degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
She started her company, Event Specialists, in 2004. To fuel her business growth, she became certified as a wedding planner and started planning weddings and trade shows. She also became the first Canadian Event professional ever to be a Certified Digital Event Strategist.
Over time, Jones not only learned event design, strategy, and production but also rose against the challenges that Black women encountered in the event space. From battling the struggles of being a novice to navigating the lack of recognition in professional settings, she has seen it all.
Her company now focuses more on the corporate side of events and has been recognized for taking the lead in planning hybrid and virtual events. As confessed by Jones, one of the major reasons she is able to personalize client journeys and achieve lasting success is through event tech. According to her, using it is essential to grow in the industry.
7. Carrie Freeman Parsons
Role - Chair of the Board at Freeman Company
Carrie joined the global leader in event production, Freeman Company, in 1985. As a third-generation Freeman, she consistently climbed up the ranks, starting with general manager, president of Freeman Exhibit Company, chief marketing officer, and currently, a board of directors.
Parsons is one of the best examples of women in leadership under whom Freeman has become a global authority on brand experiences, emphasizing collaboration and customer engagement. Her constant innovations for immersive brand experiences through solutions like strategy, creative, logistics, digital solutions, and event technology have made her an authority figure in the current Canadian events industry.
Under her leadership style, the Freeman Company became more inclusive, strategic, and attendee friendly. She has used her distinct views to support everyone in her industry looking for a long-term career, particularly working mothers trying to balance their personal and professional lives. She is also dedicated to creating a socially responsible organization.
So, besides delivering great brand experiences, Parsons is continuously molding her company to provide the upcoming generations with the skills they need to make the world an amazing place.
8. Jenn Glynn
Role - Managing Partner Meeting Encore and President of SITE
Industry veterans and women in leadership like Jenn Glynn are transforming how customer-oriented experiences are delivered. She is the managing partner of Meeting Encore Ltd. and an Events Industry Council board member. In addition, Glynn has served as the Global President of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) in 2020.
Glynn is dedicated to her profession and firmly believes in ongoing education and mentoring to improve how experiences are delivered. She helped shape SITE's Certified Incentive Travel Professional (CITP) certification to enable incentive travel professionals to thrive in their careers. She has also volunteered with multiple organizations like FICP and MPI to make an impact.
Jenn is highly regarded in the meetings and events space for her ability to streamline logistics and lead teams that develop the most creative experiences.
9. Laurie Simmonds
Role - President of Green Living Enterprises
Laurie Simmonds is a strong authority when it comes to experiential event management related to sustainability and the environment. The CEO of Green Living Enterprises, Laurie heads award-winning teams for brand strategy and program development, integrated marketing, custom content, communication, and virtual and experiential event management.
Her company is the first social impact marketing agency specializing in experiential event management and has served NGOs and corporations for over 20 years. She is one of the powerful women in leadership under whom Green Living Enterprises has organized successful campaigns.
Her company has been able to touch a variety of issues such as education, health care, and the environment. It has catered to influential brands like the Province of Ontario, the Province of Alberta, Samsung, and TD Bank. The company has successfully organized CSR events, webinars, conferences, and award shows ranging from 30 to over 30,000 attendees.
Laurie’s position one of the saliant women in leadership shows through the following:
10. Keneisha Williams
Role - Founder of Black in Events Network
Keneisha Williams is one of the top Black women in leadership recognized by publications like IGNITE and Forbes. Throughout her decade-long career, she has managed and executed a variety of conferences, festivals, workshops, hack-a-thons, seminars, meetings, trade shows, pop-ups, and fundraisers. Her efforts at empowering Black communities manifested in her The Black in Events Network and SHESOFAB, a lifestyle company.
Williams's initiatives served as a stage to unite hundreds of professionals globally. It fostered an environment to enable people to feel a sense of belonging and empowerment. The initiatives to create a more inclusive events industry were duly recognized.
Williams’s dominant position as a one of the highly regarded women in leadership shows in the following achievements:
- She was made a part of the Sweet 16 Change-makers list in the IGNITE magazine.
- Recognition as one of the top 100 Most Influential People in her domain.
- Keynote speaker at 2024's Canadian Special Events Fest. Here, Williams spoke at length about the need to open up networks and create opportunities for diverse voices.
Conclusion
The many examples of women in leadership in Canada's events industry show how they have been a significant driver of innovation and change. By shifting the current practices, following bold ideas, and making the industry inclusive, these women are setting the field for greater opportunities and growth.
They also serve as an inspiration for women aspiring to become forceful voices in the events domain. Considering the pace at which women in leadership positions in the Canadian events industry is growing, it's safe to assume that they will take on many new roles.
