By Tanya Balian, Digital Content Strategist, Sheridan
Leaving a successful career in human resources (HR) wasn’t easy for Sheridan Special Event Planning Instructor, Jodine Mitchell. But when she got an amazing opportunity to plan the NBA All-Star 2016 national tour, her decision to leave HR was validated.
As a Human Resource Analyst at one of Canada’s top five banks, Mitchell planned important campus recruiting events from VIP receptions to national information sessions. Through these corporate events, she realized event planning came naturally and that it had always been her passion.
“I remember the day it was announced that Toronto was hosting NBA All-Star 2016. As a fan I was ridiculously excited, but as an events professional I knew it was something I had to be part of! It was a tough decision to leave banking but I needed to be involved in this epic event,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell started her freelance events management business planning birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and showers for friends and family. Then came her first break as Director of Events for the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) in 2014 where she planned WXN’s national breakfast, cocktail events and annual awards gala.
Still keeping her eye on the NBA, in the spring of 2015 she saw a golden opportunity when the organization posted a vacancy for their All-Star initiative. Mitchell was ecstatic. She landed a huge opportunity to plan the Bell NBA All-Star Challenge and the BMO NBA All-Star KidsFest. Mitchell helped design and deliver these events in 14 Canadian cities, from Vancouver, British Columbia to St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The Bell NBA All-Star Challenge was a national competition in search of the best dribblers, dunkers and three-point shooters. Mitchell planned these four-day ‘land and expand’ events down to five-minute increments – yet there were still many obstacles.
Mother nature was one problem. The tour led up to the NBA All-Star Game scheduled for February 2016, coinciding with Canada’s winter season. Heavy NBA equipment needed to be shipped across Canada to each event site, intact and on time.
Along with the unpredictability of winter were talent logistics. Schedules of NBA Dance Teams and NBA Mascots from the Toronto Raptors, OKC Thunder and the Phoenix, Suns had to be coordinated. NBA basketball legends including Isaiah Thomas, Alvin Williams, Mo Peterson and Jason Richardson, required VIP treatment.
Mitchell is now back in Oakville, shifting from the NBA search for Canada’s next generation of basketball stars, to teaching the next generation of event planners. Mitchell is taking her NBA and corporate experiences and sharing them with Sheridan students.
She recently refreshed Sheridan’s popular Special Event Planning course that’s been offered since 2007. It now covers the key elements of events: design, logistics, budgeting and evaluation. Mitchell also infused her valuable real-life experiences into the course.
“My career wasn’t a straight line. Graduating in HR, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d work in events management. I discovered my opportunity and now I’m looking forward to engaging with students, helping them identify opportunities to plan events,” said Mitchell.
Whether you want to make a career change like Mitchell did, or learn to plan personal events, this event professional has good advice: “Even when things don’t go as planned, keep your cool. Keep your guests at ease and your special event will be successful.”
The Special Event Planning course starts June 28 and runs Tuesday nights until the end of July at the Trafalgar Campus.
