Welcome to the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series, where we highlight event professionals making waves across the events industry to share lessons learned and raise awareness of their invaluable contributions.
Name: Chelsea Kalyn
Company: Blackbox Communications Inc.
Job Title: Client Success and Event Strategist
Can you briefly tell us about your background in event planning and how you got started in the industry?
I started in event planning at university, where I was part of the student society responsible for organizing business events. We worked on everything from Orientation Day for first-year BBA students to Grad Ball for graduating fourth years.
After university, I transitioned into experiential marketing, which gave me valuable hands-on experience before I found my full-time role with Blackbox, an end-to-end event production agency in Toronto. I initially focused on sponsorship contracting and tradeshow booths, but I expanded into large-scale event production over time.
With my recent promotion, I've moved into client management, which has allowed me to deepen my relationships with clients while overseeing event execution.
How do you go about selecting the perfect hotel or venue? What factors weigh most heavily in your decision?
When selecting the perfect hotel or venue, I usually begin by narrowing down a few key locations within North America that align with the event’s objectives. From there, I focus on practical factors like the number of hotel rooms and meeting space capacities. One of the most significant considerations is the unique spaces the hotel can offer for evening events.
My clients aren’t looking for cookie-cutter experiences, nor should their events be. The right venue has to offer something distinct that complements the overall vision of the event, making it memorable for attendees.
What does the initial planning phase of securing a venue look like for you? Could you walk us through your initial steps?
The initial planning phase of securing a venue begins by contacting local Convention and Visitor Bureaus (CVBs) in the locations we’ve narrowed down. This helps me connect to hotels and properties that meet the practical needs of our group. From there, I receive and review RFPs (Requests for Proposals) directly from those venues. At this stage, I’m focused on understanding what each property offers in terms of meeting space, accommodations, and unique elements that will make the event stand out. It’s all about finding the right fit before diving deeper into negotiations.
What common financial challenges often arise when organizing an event, what strategies do you use to mitigate them, and how do you avoid them?
Managing unexpected costs, like last-minute changes or price increases, is a typical financial challenge during event planning. To deal with this, I always build a contingency buffer into the budget to handle any surprises.
Another tricky area is balancing quality with cost—especially when choosing venues or vendors. I make sure we negotiate contracts clearly from the start to lock in pricing and avoid any hidden fees. It also helps to know exactly what’s most important to the client so I can allocate the budget where it really matters. That way, we stay within budget without sacrificing the experience.
How do you leverage technology to boost efficiency during the planning, execution, and post-event process? What does your "event tech stack" look like?
From a production and project management standpoint,
Monday.com is my go-to software. I use it across multiple clients, creating individual boards and tasks to track deadlines, milestones, and next steps. It helps keep everything organized and ensures the team stays aligned throughout the planning process.
I rely on Slack for quick updates and check-ins and Zoom for virtual meetings and client briefings. In terms of event-specific technology, many of our clients use platforms to streamline attendee management and onsite badge printing, which helps ensure smooth check-ins and real-time tracking.
Do you use frameworks, templates, or other tools/documents to help you stay organized and manage the event planning process?
Absolutely! If our agency doesn’t have a template for a specific event planning need, we create one.
The tools I rely on most in my day-to-day planning include Excel budget templates and detailed work-back schedules. I also keep everything organized with standardized folder structures for each event, so it’s easy to track progress, store important documents, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Having these frameworks in place helps streamline the process and makes sure we stay on top of every detail.
Do you have any specific strategies or insights for enhancing the attendee experience at your events?
Honestly, in a post-COVID world, I’ve noticed that people prioritize networking above all else at events.
As a planner, one of the best ways to enhance the attendee experience is by building in longer breaks and creating intentional networking opportunities.
One strategy we’ve used is offering different coloured cups based on networking topics, allowing attendees to connect with others who share similar interests easily. This encourages deeper conversations and helps people get more out of their time at the event.
Little details like this can make a big difference in the overall experience.
Effective communication is crucial in any planning process. How do you ensure you and your event stakeholders are always on the same page?
Regular check-ins with the client and the internal team, including vendors, are crucial to ensuring everyone stays on the same page.
We hold frequent status meetings to address updates and potential issues early on. Additionally, we share our internal work-back schedule with clients so they can track progress in real time and stay informed about how the event production is moving forward.
This level of transparency and communication helps prevent any misalignment and ensures smooth collaboration throughout the process.
What are the typical steps you take in the post-event phase?
In the post-event phase, I focus on a few key steps:
- First, I handle final payments to vendors and reconcile the event budget to ensure everything is settled accurately.
- Next, I conduct a post-mortem with the client to review what worked well and identify areas for improvement. This debrief helps us capture valuable insights and apply learnings to enhance future events.
This process ensures that we close out the event smoothly and use feedback to improve our planning and execution continually.
Can you share an example of a significant challenge you faced while planning an event conference and how you overcame it?
There was an event where I entered a contract secured by a predecessor with a hotel where the meeting space and room block no longer matched my group’s needs. As soon as I realized the issue, I contacted the hotel and started talking through our options.
Long story short, it took a lot of open dialogue, compromise from both parties, and an agreement to continue our relationship for future events to get us to a workable solution.
It goes to show that it never hurts to ask and that picking up the phone goes a long way versus just emailing back and forth, where you can misconstrue tone and meaning.
What advice would you offer someone just starting their career in the meetings and events industry?
When starting out in meetings and event planning, the best way to learn is to connect with industry peers. Reach out to professionals on LinkedIn and schedule informational chats to gain insights and advice.
Additionally, many organizations hire event staff to supplement their internal teams, so seeking out opportunities to work on events in various roles can provide valuable hands-on experience.
Immersing yourself in the industry through these connections and experiences will help you build a solid foundation for your career.
This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series, in which HopSkip spotlights planners across the industry to raise awareness of how important the meetings/events community is to our world.