Lynne Atkinson
Following Her Passion, One Event At A Time
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To create a place in the world where your talents and
passions are recognized and useful is an objective many of us would love to achieve. Lynne Atkinson has done just that. Born and raised in Toronto, Lynne Atkinson now works out of Brampton serving the Greater Toronto Area as Event Manager for Vision Events.
"It's fun and challenging. I can't think of doing anything else. I love the logistics parts but also the creativity."
Lynne discovered her talent for event planning after finishing school when she worked as director and producer for many local theatre shows and also started her own theatre company in Toronto called Weston Little Theatre in 1996.
She also worked as a funeral director where she gained further experience coordinating details and working with people. This is also where she met the man who would later become her husband.
Along with past jobs organizing annual conferences, these experiences were her training ground and seemed to lead logically to her decision to start Vision Events in 2003.
Although at first her fears slowed her from investing all of herself into her business, she drew on many sources of inspiration including her uncle who at thirty decided to quit his job in the hospitality industry to pursue his true passion and go to art school.
His success as an art director in the film industry is a shining example to Lynne that it is never too late to follow your dreams and apply your passion to a career goal. She also draws inspiration from her grandmother and other women's entrepreneurial success stories.
With constant support from her husband and family, Lynne decided to commit herself to succeeding in her business and began attending seminars, conferences and courses for event planning as well as learning as much as she could from veterans in the industry. Lynne now organizes a broad range of corporate and social events full time.
There is no limit to the types or sizes of events that Lynne can
facilitate, from small business events to large galas, "I like to be broad. It keeps my creativity going and allows me to find new resources."
As a member of many professional industry associations,
Lynne believes this gives her an edge, keeping her connected with what is new in the industry. It also provides her with a large list of resources to draw on that she knows she can trust.
With a strong belief in professional development Lynne believes that "in any business, the most important thing is ethics, honesty, being upfront with the client and treating them like you would want to be treated."
Nearly finished her MBA, Lynne will also be taking certification courses this summer for events professionals to obtain her national designation as a Special Event Manager.
Lynne has many ideas about the direction that her business may travel. She has thought of hosting or being a regular guest on an events planning television series to discuss issues related to her industry.
She is also excited about the prospect of expanding beyond the physical boundaries of her current client base, and recently won a contract to plan an event in Toronto for a Vancouver client.
Although Vision Events is clearly Lynne's passion, balancing her life between work and family is very important to her. She makes it a priority to spend time with her husband and son and also takes time to do other things that she loves like gardening, listening to music and travelling.
This year, she also became one of the regional coordinators for the first ever Mamapalooza, a Canadian music festival for moms. She also does fundraising for local charities to improve women's economic and social conditions.
Lynne plans to get back involved with local theatre at some point and takes on the annual task of organizing the costumes for two hundred high school students for the Santa Clause Parade. It seems that in every aspect of Lynne's life, she is happily applying her true passion for event planning and will continue to do so far into the future.
Written by: Melinda Watkins |
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