2023 was a year of celebrations and recognitions, with many awards, and we are more than grateful for such an amazing time. Therefore, we have decided to share a “2023 Recap” with month by month of our little moments that got us excited for more!
January 2023
Was a strong start with so many events, new beginnings, and features in two magazines.
New beginnings:
Our founder, Sharon Bonner, started off the year strong with our sister company, Sharon Bonner Consulting working with several new clients. Clients requested our assistance in providing event audits, production schedules, and critical paths to alleviate their workload.
Events attended:
On January 29, 2023, we braved the great white north and headed to Edmonton, Alberta, to attend GOWEST23. It was so worth it as we were able to see familiar faces.
Magazine features:
Victoria Copans of Xlive approached Sharon for an opinion piece on mental health. – 5 Event Profs Share How They Are Prioritizing Mental Health and Avoiding Burnout in 2023
We were also featured as an Industry Profile in Corporate Meetings Network – Canada’s Site for Corporate Meeting Planners.
February 2023
Was a bit calmer, yet still exciting, with the fantastic opportunity to consult for a 40th birthday party and a conference in Whistler.
March 2023
Courtney Stanley included our beloved Sharon Bonner in her “Women to Watch in 2023” list, thrilling us with an exciting highlight!
April 2023
Had us buzzing! We have four-category nomination for the Canadian Special Event Awards.
- Best Event Design/ Decor $50,000 – $150,000
- Best Corporate Event $150,000 – $350,000
- Most Outstanding Event $150,000 – $350,000
- Event Professional of the Year (Sharon Bonner)
May 2023
After a long wait, we finally received the results. We are happy to received our first official award at the CSE Awards in Toronto on May 3, 2023. We captured the award for “With Love From Paris” in the Best Event Design/Decor category for $50,000 – $150,000, standing out among nine recipients.
But that’s not all! Our success continued at the Vancouver ILEA Event Awards on May 25, 2023. “With Love From Paris” was once again in the spotlight, nominated in two categories and capturing the award for Best Event Design/Decor $50,000+, triumphing in a category of six nominees.
And best of all, our CEO Sharon Bonner received the Event Professional of the Year award.
June 2023
June was special for Sharon, as she was offered the opportunity to write a recurring column, “Ask An Event Expert” in the Canadian Events Special Magazine (page 29). In this column, she will share valuable advice and expertise about the world of event planning. Send in your questions, and she will answer them within 48 hours!
And as we all know, June is Graduation season and CBC contacted Sharon for her first hand testimonial of graduation tips and suggestions. You can watch the segment here at around 48 minutes in.
July 2023
July was an exciting month for Sharon Bonner. She was nominated Best Event Professional of the Year AND Women of Inspiration™ Award by Universal Women’s Network™ Inc. And to top that off, she won a trip to Toronto thanks for Destination Toronto and Ignite Magazine!
August 2023
August was on fire! We started with a trip to Newfoundland to attend the CanSPEP conference in lively St. John’s, Newfoundland, from August 1 to 4, 2023. What an amazing time!!
Adding to our achievements, “With Love From Paris” turned heads again, winning us two 2023 ILEA Esprit Awards for Best Design/Decor for Corporate as well as Best Event Scenic Design, Installation, or Exhibit Design — Corporate. The awards were announced live on August 10th in the city of San Antonio.
That’s not all – Sharon has been selected to join the Eventex Awards 2024. As a proven event expert in the industry, she has been invited to serve on the jury panel as a judge for the 14th Global Eventex Awards.
September 2023
September has been on low heat, as our founder Sharon Bonner, DES, VEMM is enjoying her time writing for several magazines. She even has her own column in Canadian Special Events Magazine (page 29), so be sure to check it out. Her latest article, “Five Challenges Planners Face Today”, is definitely a must-read.
October 2023
October treated us well, as Sharon was nominated for the Eventex Index as one of the Top 100 “The Most Influential People in the Events Industry” for 2023.
We serviced our event consulting clients and produced several events in October, rounding out the month.
November 2023
In November we started decorating venues for Christmas and producing many Holiday Parties. It is always the beginning of our busiest time of the year, so it’s one magical event after another!
December is always events, events and more events. We held three events in Vancouver: “Glam in the City” on the rooftop of Fairmont Hotel, “A Christmas Masquerade” at Pan Pacific, and a traditional children’s “Christmas with Santa” and presents.
Whew! It was a very busy Holiday season but it’s just the way we like it!
That’s it for our 2023 recap! This year has been exceptionally good to us. And the cherry on top: we have been interviewed on Spice Radio talking about trends in Christmas events since the pandemic.
Wishing you all a fantastic Holiday Season and a very prosperous New Year in 2024.
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You might also enjoy reading:
With Love From Paris (a case study)
