Hi, I’m Grail!

I started this agency to create a place where clients would feel at home and employees would love to work: A place where we create exceptional experiences for the brands we are lucky enough to work with.

How I spend my days:

Strategy | Leadership | Design | Business Development | Company Growth | Mentorship | Purpose | Contracting | Public Speaking | Creating shareable moments that matter | making the team laugh when things are too serious.

Experience:

• 25+ years in event marketing, sponsorship and communications.
• Worked on the “client side” with YTV, the NBA, Molson and The Heart & Stroke 
 Foundation, gaining valuable experience in the international media, sports, 
 non-profit, retail and in consumer packaged goods.
• Oversaw sponsorships, events and promotions for brands like Coke, Nike, 
 Nestle, and on the Molson Indy Car races. Also worked as a snowboarding 
 instructor in Switzerland and a bartender in Portugal!
• Proud of being listed on the Profit 100 for 5 years and on the W100 top female 
 entrepreneurs in Canada. Winner of the regional RBC Female Entrepreneur of 
 the Year and won the BDO Business Value award. But it is not about the 
 awards. It’s about the daily reward I get working with creative, smart people internally and externally. I am very proud of this agency, our people and the 
 work we do!

What I love:

Being an entrepreneur | white wine or a good Moscow Mule | my family | my ‘side-hustle’ as a dedicated hockey mom to my two boys | mashed potatoes | travel | cottage life | my husband, Paul and our two bossy grey cats.

Hi, I’m Meg!

How I spend my days:

I lead key accounts | design experiences | mentor the team | set best practices and impact key business decisions on our management team. I am based in Montreal, so I spend a lot of time on video calls and planes.

Experience:

• Co-built Yellow House as the first official employee and now leader of the team.
• 12+ years of event production experience layered on a post-grad degree in Communications & PR.
• Developed and refined our execution processes, grew key accounts including Samsung, BlackBerry, Google, Home Depot and continue to oversee some of our most complex projects across North America and the Caribbean.

What I love:

What I do. I also love spreadsheets, my clients, “calling the show” from the tech table, poutine and pizza (but not together), checking out new restaurants and trendy hot spots, attending live sporting events, travel, the beach, my family and my military man.

Hi, I’m Val!

How I spend my days:

I like numbers. Actually, I love numbers!

I help our project teams ensure each line item, of every budget, for each and every client project is accounted for and accurate. I also oversee cash flow, accounts payable, HR & payroll and find savings for our clients wherever I can.

Experience:

• 14+ years’ experience in Finance managing accounts payable & receivable, cash flow, budget reconciliation, payroll, detailed project budgeting and overseeing bookkeeping functions for small to medium businesses.
• Spent the last 9 years helping YHE grow by implementing strong financial and budgeting rigour and processes.
• Earned a reputation as one of the country’s most reliable, detailed and disciplined event agency finance experts.

What I love:

Happy clients, balanced budgets, Albania, cooking, travel, my family and my little angel, Ani, who is 3 and the boss of all of us.

Hi, I’m Shannon!

How I spend my days:

Project and key account management | decor & experience design | tech enhancements | destination events | delivering a custom designed project blueprint | budgeting | owning critical paths like a boss | production | making strong recommendations to my clients.

Experience:

• 20+ years of successfully crushing it on large conferences, galas, incentives, festivals and fundraisers all over North America.
• Knowledgeable on event tech products, from beacons to NFC, to audience response systems, to registration platforms and ran a business using these technologies for 6 years

What I love:

Learning new things | people | travel | adventure (I ate deep fried scorpion once) | tech | Christmas! | DIY projects | wood oven pizza (I even have my own portable wood oven and special pizza recipes).

Hi, I’m Dana!

How I spend my days:

Working with clients to ensure every detail is taken care of | event design | trend watching | creation of pitch decks | concept development | venue & vendor sourcing | pre and on-site event execution | post-event analysis | internal marketing & communications | developing client & vendor relationships | leading experiential programs and in-field staff/intern management.

Experience:

• Over ten years of progressive event, hospitality, and marketing experience.
• George Brown College Sports and Event Marketing Postgraduate.
• Four years co-producing events with Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, Toronto Argonauts, and MLSE Foundation.
• Notable events include but are not limited to: Toronto Raptors Championship Parade, Jurassic Park, Maple Leaf Square, MLS Cup Championship Parade, Toronto Maple Leafs Training Camp and Toronto Maple Leafs Outdoor Practice.

What I love:

My people, snacks, animals, live music of any kind, trendy restaurants, cooking for friends and family, skiing in the winter, cottaging in the summer, travelling and all Toronto sports teams!

Hi, I’m Darnelle!

How I spend my days:

Project and key account management | creating cool moments | operational team management | internal process development | curating custom experiences | connecting innovative vendors | thinking outside the box, then inside of it – just in case.

Experience:

• 10+ years of event and marketing agency experience, managing diverse event types from product launches and training programs to galas and celebrations.
• Humber Public Relations Graduate
• Notable events include: Think Auto 2015, the inaugural MLSE Players’ Gala and Ladyball 2017

What I love:

Crafting | feel-good outfits | diversity and equality | heavy lifting | carnival | The Toronto Raptors | trend spotting | roller skating | ballin’ on a budget

Hi, I’m Jen!

How I spend my days:

Helping the YHE team find new and exciting clients and business partners in the United States. My job includes uncovering great new vendors and unique experiences to help us better serve our existing clients, as well as developing new relationships. I’m based in the event and entertainment capital of the world …. Las Vegas!

Experience:

• 13 years in Sports Marketing in Toronto
• Local Business Development for Yellow House Events
• Teaching graduate students in the Sport Camp; Event Marketing program at George Brown College

What I love: 

Travel, wine, and current events. Also my two daughters and four (badly behaved) pets.

My favourite destination? Too many to pick but Maui, Kenya and France’s wine country top the list. I’m also an adoption advocate and wannabe yogi. Namaste!

Hi, I’m Paul!

How I spend my days:

Consulting with the team on sporting events & festivals | education | research & development | travel | hotel sourcing for incentive travel programs | HR & hiring | internal company events | business development, but most importantly, frequently changing the lightbulbs in the office. [Really, I am the Chief Illumination Officer].

Experience:

• 30 years as an educator, PHD candidate in History with a deep knowledge of Toronto’s neighbourhoods through my studies of the “Ward” and Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris’ urban paintings. I have read over 100 books on this subject.
• Organizer of city-wide sporting events, including the tournament design of the inaugural MLSE Team Up Challenge.
• Chair and organizer of an international conference for principals and educators, walking tour guide, carpenter.

What I love:

Sports: watching them, playing them or watching my boys play them. Travel | cottaging | being on the water | fixing and building things | reading | scrabble | Jamaican food | Lugtread (it’s a beer not a tire type).

Hi, I’m Kathleen!

How I spend my days:

Connecting with vendors and partners | supporting with virtual events | managing client incentive programs | crafting creative content | building presentation decks | conducting research | creative ideation | designing infographics and source assets | account management | social media content creation

Experience:

• Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Marketing
• Postgraduate Certificate in Sport and Event Marketing
• Two years of experience working with prominent brands in both product and service sectors
• Additional two+ years of experience working at social media agencies
• Brand ambassador, event manager, and customer service experience

What I love:

Trying new things!

Restaurants: I have a (long) list of spots to try in several cities around the world.

Recipes: my Instagram feed is filled with food content.

Places: I keep “City Guides” on my phone and add recommendations as I meet people and hear about their travels

Activities: I like to consider myself a generalist. Or rather, a general enthusiast. I am happiest when I get to play different sports, check out rotating exhibits, try new activities, crafts, or hobbies, or learn a skill.

Hi, I’m Tai!

How I spend my days:

Lead designer for virtual & mobile | modelling & rendering virtual environments | composing graphic assets | coding websites

Experience:

• 4 years of architectural and interior rendering
• 3 years graphic design
• 2 years of UX design
• 2 years of website design and coding

What I love: 

Volleyball, vintage Raptors, my dog, sculpting, Ritz cheese crackers, and my grandma’s cooking

We are always looking for great talent! Send your impressive CV to iwantin@yellowhouseevents.com. Want to build your event experience? Email us to get on our volunteer list or our short term staffing list. We also accept interns enrolled in an accredited PR, Marketing or Events program and promise great hands-on learning to those selected.