Vicki Brydon, Director, Public Relations & Events, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation
As a communications professional with a background in writing, marketing and public relations, Vicki took over the special events management at her not-for-profit fundraising organization in 2015 and completely transformed their 500-person black-tie gala from a dying event to selling-out with a wait list. The gala now raises an average of $800,000-$1 million in donations annually. She currently sits on ILEA Vancouver's Board of Directors as VP, Communications.
Ashleigh Morriss, Senior Officer, Events, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation
As the Senior Officer, Events at Peace Arch Hospital Foundation in White Rock, BC, Ashleigh oversees the logistics of all facets of donor and fundraising events with a focus on the annual Gala. She has utilized her talents to plan their signature fundraising gala for the past eight years and was integral to the transformation of the event to the sell-out success it is today. She sits on the Board of ILEA Vancouver and has worked in event planning for nine years. When she isn’t busy with events, she is usually chasing two toddlers or a rambunctious dog, often both, and supporting her husband with his 5th generation family business while keeping up with her lifestyle of equestrian riding, competing throughout North America.
Joelle Paleologou, Co-Chair, Peace Arch Hospital Gala, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation
As a dedicated volunteer with a background in aesthetics, display and design, Joelle's passion for and expertise on decor has been integral to Peace Arch Hospital Gala's reinvention and guest experience. She leads an energetic team of volunteers to execute her inspired vision as they completely transform a hockey arena into an elegant ballroom for 500+ guests.
Anthony Vade, CED+, Event Experience Strategy Director, Encore Global
Anthony Vade helps event owners and event professionals transform how they design events and craft meaningful experiences. He offers facilitation and training for the corporate, entertainment, association, and non-profit industries. Anthony's consultative and collaborative approach to customer engagement has resulted in thousands of successful events traversing four continents. He has contributed to many award-winning productions over the last 20 years and received many accolades for his involvement with industry associations on a local, national and global level. He is recognized throughout the industry for his advocacy and, in 2020 was named one of the top event professionals in Canada by BizBash magazine. A tech nerd at heart, he loves to talk about how the modern human experience is intrinsically linked by technology. He passionately promotes his belief that event design must first understand the human experience, exercise empathy, collaborate and co-create to articulate the value that live events create.
Transform Your Fundraising Gala from Tired to Terrific: A Follow Up
Tuesday, March 28
Does your fundraising gala need a facelift? A small hospital foundation just outside of Vancouver, Canada was in this exact position with a dying event that needed a complete transformation to survive. In just one year, the event went from less than 50% of tickets sold to a complete sell-out with a wait list! Learn how this small but mighty team was able to elevate the guest experience, increase the ticket price, triple sponsorship, triple donations, and ultimately take the title of Best Themed Event in the local newspaper for the last four years running. The tips and tricks this creative team will share will help you do the same. They'll also share what worked and didn't work, and how the event has continued to evolve through a pandemic and what they'll do differently for 2023. A must-attend for any gala planner who is stuck with the same-old and needing inspiration.
You can see Vicki, Ashleigh, Joelle, and Anthony LIVE at Catersource + The Special Event in Orlando from March 27-30.
