When she started at the Calgary Real Estate Board in April 2023, Jennifer Hadley inherited a completed plan for the group’s annual Diamond Gala happening two months later. Honoring 25-, 30-, 35-, and 40-year members, “the demographic for the event is a little older,” she notes. But with the host venue not designed for easy accessibility or flashy entertainment—and sporting a balky air-conditioning system—Hadley took notes on site and combed through attendees’ post-event feedback to ensure a different experience next time.
She then drilled down on the previous year’s attendee feedback for CREB’s other marquee event: the housing-market forecast conference held each January. From that, she found opportunities to improve. For instance, “people said they wanted compelling content but didn’t want to run around to so many breakout sessions,” she says. “So, I spent more for multiple keynoters of 30 to 45 minutes each and interspersed panel discussions to encourage audience interaction.”
To boost networking, Hadley resumed the in-person trade show after a few years without CREB having one—and she took it upon herself to strengthen connections with exhibitors and, in particular, sponsors.
“The toughest part of implementing any change is making the budget work,” Hadley notes. “I figured that if I focused more on each sponsor’s needs by creating customized packages that either direct them to just our biggest events or bring them into our 20-plus other events each year, we would have the money to improve other event experiences.”
In fact, Hadley has done so well with driving additional sponsorship revenue that she convinced her leadership to hire another event coordinator to handle many of the planning duties while she works on sponsor programs. As she collaborates with her new colleague, Hadley’s goal is to “always deliver a bit of surprise and excitement to attendees so that they never feel like they’re going to the same event year after year.”
As for CREB’s two largest gatherings, the numbers demonstrate the success of Hadley’s changes thus far. Attendance at the Diamond Gala rose from 300 in 2023 to 500 in 2024, while the housing-market forecast conference went from 450 attendees to 700, with Hadley expecting more than 800 attendees at the January 2025 edition.
Small Victories Validate Innovation
“A lot of times, management or people in other departments don't really understand what we do and how we can do it,” Hadley notes. “First, then, it's a matter of showing them what exactly can be done and the value it can bring.
“I think I’ve built up trust in my organization because I don’t just provide the experience they're envisioning—I'm always surprising them with something and giving them a little more than they expect. Doing that could bring a planner more autonomy,” or at least more latitude to innovate.
Selling Bigger Changes
“You definitely have to be a bit bold,” she says. “I know that’s a challenge for a lot of planners because there's hierarchy and red tape. But the efforts I’ve made to dig into attendee feedback and build relationships with our sponsors shows management that they can trust me to deliver additional value when I pitch something.
“Don't be afraid to have big ideas. Pitch things that are outside the box while also understanding your parameters—but if you can change those parameters” by also pitching a revenue-generating idea, the chances rise for getting approval to make a significant change.
In short, “I call it being ‘graciously audacious,’” says Hadley.
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