"I plan events all over Toronto Pearson, both internally facing for employees and stakeholders, and for the public and our community. I enjoy people and that’s why I do this job. All the highs and lows, its working with new groups of people, motivating them and sharing my enthusiasm for delighting clients and guests.
This weekend we finished the 2019 Runway Run at Pearson, an event for which I led the planning. Events are always about the people, but this one is different than any I’ve done before. Moving the airport’s security perimeter and inviting the community onto the airfield is a massive undertaking. It’s worth it, though. We staged aircraft and static equipment displays and set out a route along the runway for over 2,000 runners. It’s all made possible with the dedication of hundreds of employees and our airport partners. I don’t know any other international airport that does this, and we’re so proud of it.
In total, I’ve been planning for fourteen years and some of my best memories are of events when something goes wrong and I get to overcome the challenge, to keep the show going. The first event I ever planned was an awards show, and it was full of common event fails, but I pulled it off. There’s always a solution and that’s how you need to think in this line of work.
So much careful planning and earnest emotion goes into any event. I get gratification from seeing how people experience my events. When you see how it’s received, it’s all worth it. That makes me feel great."
- Simone, Events Specialist, GTAA
