Award Winning Ottawa Event Planning

Your Event Must Go On!

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow and in the end it may not look like what you envisioned, but eventually your event must still go on!

There will likely never be another time when people realize what a big impact live events are on our economy, our businesses and even our own personal lives. With the summer of 2020 likely going event-free, it will become very apparent what an impact all of those live events have on us.

We have a client who holds 4 live events per year. Right now 2 of his events have been affected by the Covid 19 quarantine. One event has been postponed and will likely become a virtual event.  The second is still in place to proceed as scheduled however that may still change. Canceling these events are not an option for this client because all 4 of his events directly affect sales. There is no revenue generated from these events, but they affect the overall success of the company.

The event that will likely go virtual will be great, but will certainly not have the same impact that his live events have.  The personal interaction will not be the same and it is that personal interaction that drives success in his company. And the event we are holding strong on needs to be live. There is no virtual option for this great event. It is built on the live experience. The great news is, although the summer is best for the event, it can easily be transformed into a fall or winter event, need be.

 

We have another client whose event depends on the live experience for both creating a following but also, in this case, to generate income for the organization. In this instance we are looking for ways to create the same interaction and engagement from the community virtually. However, we will have to forgo the income generating portion of the event. The event will look very different. The ideas the committee is coming up with are fantastic and I can’t wait to see it all come to life. And who knows, some of these virtual components may stay that way permanently!

Very similar to the client I just mentioned, this next client is also counting on this live event to generate income. In fact, we were hired to create this new event for them to be their biggest fundraiser for the year. We are so grateful to have amazing clients who are calm during this difficult time. We had a call with their committee the other day and there was no panic. They reviewed all of their upcoming events and had no plans to cancel any of them. They are pivoting for success! It is so inspirational!

Are you prepared to pivot?

This is a time to pivot, not give up. The world is challenging us to think different, to be better!

There is nothing that compares to the live event experience. Live events offer us 5 senses to guide us through the day, or multiple days, of learning and engaging. A virtual event cannot touch all 5 senses but it can still provide us with opportunities that are better than the alternative – none at all.

Rumour has it that this will change events forever and they are likely correct. But I am a strong believer that live events will make a come back in a way we have never seen before because we’ll be so starved for that “5 senses” experience.

We, as a company, have taken this opportunity to pivot along with the industry and we’re ready to take our clients virtual if that is what is required. But for those clients who are holding tight on to the opportunity to still meet face to face, we are excited for them and can’t wait to make that live experience come to life for them.

Julia O’Grady has big vision, fresh ideas and a proven track record in the events industry. She and her team work hard to exceed client expectations and push ITM Events to achieve greater heights. A driven entrepreneur, Julia also manages the business side of ITM Events including human resources, finances, marketing and writing grant and sales proposals. In taking a high level approach to event management, Julia is able to visualize a project from inception to successful execution. She attracts valuable sponsors by offering meaningful opportunities to engage with participants. Julia uses her keen analytical mind to create incredible events that maximize the available budget. When Julia isn’t planning unforgettable events, she loves travelling the world with her family, staying active, and enjoying fine food and martinis.