Our company is led by Yvonne Dewar, a Certified Meeting Professional with more than 25 years of experience in the meetings industry. We asked her 5 fun facts to get to know her a little bit more..
Favourite vacation destination
My favourite vacation destination is my home away from home in Sarasota, Florida. This quaint little beach town is entrenched in my life because as a child I went there with my family and later in life my parents purchased a retirement home. I carried on the tradition taking my children to Sarasota at least 1 – 2 times a year. I love Sarasota so much I’ve purchased vacation homes there as well. Sarasota is home to the #1 Beach in the USA – Siesta Key beach a.k.a ‘my happy place’. Miles of white, powder sand and crystal-clear aqua blue waters with a small village full of quirky dining options, beachy shops and lively entertainment!
Favourite cocktail
Favourite cocktail choices are dependent on the season –
- Winter – Rye & Ginger – just a little something to warm you up!
- Spring – Vodka & Soda – low calorie and refreshing to help balance out the effects of winter hibernation
- Summer – Light Beer – ’cause you need to quench your thirst quickly, followed by a fancy cocktail – Sea Breeze (also enjoyed during winter vacations)
- Fall – Red Wine – it’s harvest season!
What is the one thing you look forward to after a long program?
After a long program I look forward to following a 3-step post program package – (1) Celebrate with the team which usually includes a little pampering at the spa followed by a celebratory feast along with fancy beverages (2) stay an extra day to explore the surroundings (3) Come home refreshed and show appreciation to everyone who supported and missed me!
Favourite part of your job?
Discovering new places around the world and learning about their culture while enjoying unique food, beverages and sites. Learning about other cultures makes me realize just how small our world really is and how similar we all are with what’s truly important in life! This journey of discovery and personal connections is what keeps longing for the next destination.
Can you share an event planning horror story?
Forty-eight hours after returning from our final tie-down meeting at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee for a 6-day conference of 2,500 people, over 280 speakers and 60 exhibitors – the news hit of a massive flood of the Cumberland river which runs right through the city. I saw videos of chairs floating close to a ceiling where we had our last dinner at the hotel!
That was the start of a sleepless week! Within (24) hours we sent out an RFP looking for over 140,000 sq’ of space, within (48) hours we had reviewed and narrowed down the top 5 options and within (72) hours we booked flights to the 2 destinations in North America with available space over the same dates – Vegas and Orlando to conduct a whirlwind of site inspections. During the site inspections we selected a hotel, negotiated contracts for the hotel, offsite venues and local suppliers, we re-wrote a website, informed all registrants, speakers and exhibitors and relaunched a new program for Orlando within 7 days! Elastic super powers were in high gear!
