The Moment Has Arrived: Let’s Build the Blueprint for Change
The Moment Has Arrived: Let’s Build the Blueprint for a Stronger, More Effective Industry
With the generational gap and economic pressure, the rise of AI, and the event industry evolving rapidly, bringing both challenges and opportunities. As professionals, we navigate increasing demands, higher costs, more competition, and evolving expectations. But instead of reacting to these pressures, what if we shaped the future of our industry on our own terms and together decided how to tackle them so we’re all playing by the same Rules of Engagement?
Scope creep, pricing inconsistencies, idea shopping, just one more thing, clients or leadership who text us on holidays and weekends, contract gaps, and supplier negotiations—all continue to challenge even the most experienced professionals. How do we strengthen industry standards and create a more sustainable path forward—without waiting for someone else to fix it?
We discuss these things behind closed doors—over coffee, in boardrooms, and at industry meetups. But it’s time to move beyond conversation and into action.
This session is designed for corporate planners, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals who want real strategies to survive and thrive in today’s evolving event landscape. If YOU had the power to set the rules of engagement, what would they be? What does a truly respected and structured event industry look like?
Together, we will co-create the blueprint for our future. Whether you’re a veteran planner who has spent decades navigating these challenges or are new to the industry and wondering what all the fuss is about—this is the session where we lay everything on the table, hash it out, and make a plan to put it into action.
Starting the Conversation
- 9:00 AM – 9:15 AM | Welcome & Setting the Stage
- 9:15 AM – 9:45 AM | Opening Discussion Panel: Aligning Our Goals & Opportunities. Audience Engagement: Defining the Topics
Facilitated Roundtable Options
9:45 AM – 11:45 AM (Audience to Select Three)
Balancing Burnout & Workload: How Do We Protect Ourselves from Overwork?
- Strategies for setting boundaries and pushing back on excessive demands without being seen as “difficult” or rigid.
- How to manage last-minute requests and expectations.
- Creating a sustainable workload in the high-pressure event world.
Fair Pricing & Contracts: How Do We Ensure Event Professionals Get Paid What They Deserve?
- What could an industry-standard event contract include?
- How can we push back against unfair pricing and scope creep?
- How do we ensure fair overtime and compensation structures?
- Hidden Costs of Just One More Thing: Defining overtime and pay for expertise, not just execution
Leadership Buy-In: How Do In-House Planners Prove Their Value & Secure Resources?
- How to position events as business-critical investments.
- What data & reporting tools help prove ROI to leadership?
- What strategies have worked for other planners in securing budgets & staffing?
Levelling the Playing Field for Entrepreneurs & Small Businesses
- How do independent planners protect their creative ideas from being ‘shopped around’?
- What policies and pricing structures help small businesses compete fairly?
- How do we stop race-to-the-bottom pricing?
- Exclusive Agreements: How do they impact entrepreneurs and fair competition?
- Commissions: What fair structures look like
Industry-Wide Change: What Steps Do We Take to Standardize & Strengthen Our Profession?
- What industry-wide policies & accreditation systems could work?
- Barriers to Entry and Accreditation Solutions: The SOCAN model and potential industry applications
- How do we ensure professionalism & fair standards across the industry?
- Code of Conduct & Industry Ethics: Setting the standards.
- Pricing & Professionalism: Creating industry-wide guidelines
Key Takeaways + Panel Response: Transforming Insights into Action
11:45 AM – 12:30 PM | Closing Call to Action & the Future of Events
- What solutions roundtables have the most potential for impact?
- How can these ideas be implemented immediately in our daily work?
- What role do event professionals, suppliers, and leadership play in making these changes happen?
- The next steps for turning the discussion into action.
- How attendees can continue engaging in the movement for industry evolution.
12:30 PM | Closing Networking Lunch
The discussion will be recorded & summarized for industry-wide distribution.
This is a hands-on, working session. Be ready to engage, debate, and contribute as we co-create the blueprint for our industry.
What You Will Gain
- Proving Your Value: How to demonstrate ROI, justify budgets, and position events as strategic business drivers.
- Negotiating Better with Suppliers: Strategies to protect your interests, secure fair contracts, and ensure long-term partnerships.
- Protecting Yourself: Setting boundaries, using contracts effectively, and getting paid for expertise—not just execution.
- In-House Planners: Ensuring recognition & fair compensation: tactics for ensuring your role is valued internally and advocating for salary, title, and resources.
- Entrepreneurs and suppliers: Levelling the playing field: Competing against unfair pricing practices, creative idea shopping, and industry-wide inconsistencies.
- Supporting the System: How we can build a more effective industry: from pricing transparency to potential accreditation models, we’ll discuss what’s possible and what’s next.
- A Powerful Network of professionals committed to driving real change.
This is the conversation the industry has been waiting for. If you care about the future of events in Canada, join us and help us guide it.