Event planning · Calgary and the Rockies
We're a team of four planners in Calgary. We run company retreats in the mountains, client nights, fundraising galas, milestone birthdays and a few weddings a year, and we stay on site from the first delivery to the last shuttle home.
Fig. 01Room set by 07:30, doors at 08:30
Run of show · v7Client night · Canmore · 140 guests
| Time | Cue | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 16:00 | Rentals in through the service door | Done |
| 16:45 | AV line check: lectern mic, slides, walk-in music | Done |
| 17:15 | Shuttle 1 leaves downtown Calgary, 52 guests | Done |
| 17:40 | Shuttle 2 leaves downtown Calgary, 48 guests | On the road |
| 18:45 | Doors open, welcome drinks on the terrace | Next |
| 20:05 | Remarks from the CEO, 6 minutes | Later |
01What we run
Most of what makes an event feel easy happens where guests never look: the timings, the vans, the contracts, the person holding the radio. That's the part we're best at.
A · Paper
Every minute of the day with a time, a cue and one owner. Versioned and sent to every supplier, so the caterer and the coach driver read the same page.
B · Road
Coaches and vans to Banff, Canmore and Kananaskis, with a manifest for each vehicle, a pickup point people can find and a buffer for the Trans-Canada in winter.
C · Contracts
We get the quotes, read the fine print, chase the deposits and keep one budget sheet where you can see every line.
D · On site
Our lead arrives before the first delivery and leaves after the last van. On the day, suppliers call us, not you.
02Three kinds of events
Corporate20 to 400 guests
Leadership off-sites in Canmore and Kananaskis, a one-day conference downtown, a thank-you evening for your best clients.
Planning from $4,800
Corporate events
Galas150 to 500 guests
Ticketed dinners for charities and associations: seating plans, auction logistics, volunteers and a program that ends when it says it will.
Planning from $6,500
Galas and parties
Milestones30 to 200 guests
A 50th at a ranch, a retirement dinner, a wedding in the mountains. You get to be a guest at your own party.
Planning from $2,900
Parties and weddings03How a run of show works
The run of show is the script for the day. We start it a month out, update it after every supplier call and lock it two weeks before the event. Here's a slice of one.
Every cue has a time and a single name beside it. Never "everyone", and never "TBC" once it's final.
The caterer, the AV company and the coach operator get the same document, so lunch is packed before the coach leaves.
Weather, a late speaker, a closed highway. The fallback is written next to the cue and agreed before the day.
| Time | Cue | Owner | If it slips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07:15 | Breakfast and coffee set in the meeting room | Venue A | Coffee from the lobby café |
| 08:00 | Session 2: the three-year plan | Board chair | Start 08:10, shorten the break |
| 10:15 | Break, 15 minutes, fruit and pastries | Venue | Cut to 10 minutes |
| 11:50 | Boxed lunches loaded on the coach B | Catering | Lead collects from the kitchen |
| 12:00 | Coach to the Troll Falls trailhead, 24 seats | Transport | Second driver on call |
| 16:30 | Weather call: dinner on the patio or inside | Lead | Room 2 held until 17:00 C |
| 18:30 | Dinner, private room, three courses | Venue | Menu cards printed both ways |
04Where we work
Most of our events happen within two hours of the office. We know which venues have a loading dock, where a 56-seat coach can turn around and how long the drive really takes in February.
Further out (Drumheller, Red Deer, Waterton) on request. Times are by coach in good weather; in winter we add a buffer and check the road reports before every departure.
05 · Next step
Tell us what you're planning. We reply within one working day with a few questions and a rough idea of our fee.
Start a planor call (555) 555-0135