Lynzie KentPhoto: Courtesy of Mad Bash Group
How she got her start: Kent began her career as a vocalist and performer, singing with event bands and performing at weddings and corporate events during her teenage years. Eventually, this led to stage management and event coordination roles.
"I always admired the design aspect of events, and thought that if I was ever ready to move on from performing, I'd love to grow into the creative aspect of the business," she explains. "In 2011, I started my first wedding planning company (Love by Lynzie Events & Design) and threw myself head first into wedding planning and design."
In 2017, Kent was looking for a way to marry her passion for sustainability with weddings, and wanted to create a wedding service that was more affordable and inclusive. "The Pop-Up Chapel was born out of these needs and grew into its own flourishing company," she says, adding: "I recently rebranded Love by Lynzie to Mad Bash Group as we now predominantly serve corporate clients and brands looking for design-centric events." 
The Pop-Up Chapel Co. hosts sustainable and affordable shared weddings where up to 10 couples are married in one day. Each pays a flat rate for photography, florals, venue, and other areas of the event, and at least $300 from each sale goes to charity.Photo: Courtesy of The Pop-Up Chapel Co.
What innovation means to her: "To me, innovation equals relevance," says Kent, adding that innovation is key to staying top of mind for brands and prospective clients. "Because of social media sharing at events, people have literally seen everything. There are very few completely unique ideas anymore, and most event ideas and concepts are iterations of others."
Innovation is a key priority for Kent when pitching prospective both corporate and wedding clients, with the end of goal of surprising and delighting them with ideas that feel fresh. "If I can bring them something that fits who they are or their strategic goals that they think is genius, that's half the battle of winning them over. The moment you stop innovating is the moment you are resting on your laurels and welcoming stagnation."
What sets her work apart: To Kent and the Mad Bash team, it's all about creating meaningful, meticulous designs. "Each aspect of the decor needs to further the story and create a connection with guests," she says. "Our designs are usually bold, colorful, and on trend. We aim to create environments that make guests feel considered, but that also have great ROI for our clients. To us it's more than just being creative or great with logistics—it's ensuring that our work supports a greater strategy."
The Pop-Up Chapel Co., meanwhile, is what Kent describes as "the original providers of pop-up weddings in Canada. We built the concept here and have served over 480 couples through our cross-Canada chapels." The team focuses on using fresh designs, and sustainable materials, and donates a portion from all sales to charity—resulting in more than $150,000 to Canadian charities since its inception.
"We are extremely committed to offering an affordable micro-wedding planning alternative that is inclusive and super easy to plan," Kent explains. "At both businesses, our teams are talented and down-to-earth, and we are notoriously straightforward, no BS, hardworking people." 
In 2020, Kent and her team created a colorful, socially distanced pop-up for Sephora Canada. See more: Hybrid Event Inspiration: See Inside Sephora Canada's Colorful Media PreviewPhoto: Alicia Thurston Photography
How she stays inspired: "Staying inspired is hard work, especially in an industry where burnout is all too common," she says. "Unsurprisingly, I'm inspired by other fantastic planners and designers that I look up to. My team is constantly staying on top of event trends, and interior design and fashion trends. Travel is always inspiring. A good night's sleep is the most inspiring of all."
Beyond that, Kent says, the three things that inspire her the most are relationships, money, and clients. "Relationships and the opportunity to collaborate with people I find talented gets me super excited. Closing a sale and earning revenue for my company and my team turns my brain on like nothing else—I have to find a creative solution so that I can win the gig. Lastly, the client's needs and stories always spark ideas in me the absolute most. When I dig into why someone is hosting an event, the wheels begin turning." 
"I love that I found a business where I can blend my love for design and creativity but also put to work my love for business and organization," says Kent.Photo: Alicia Thurston Photography
Career highlights: Kent reflects on the growth her companies have experienced over the last 12 years. "When we hit $100,000 donated with The Pop-Up Chapel Co., that to me felt incredibly significant because it meant what we were doing was actually providing vehicles for good in our community," she says, adding: "Getting my business through COVID without failing is honestly a career highlight because it was so dicey. I'm proud of that."
Kent is also proud of a socially distanced event her team did for Sephora in 2020. "That really launched us into corporate, so I will always be grateful for that," she says. "Recently we produced a pop-up barbershop for the Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell registry that saw the largest number of stem cell registrants from the South Asian community, of which they were in urgent need. It's always a huge win when you work on an event that contributes to the community."
Her favorite thing about the event industry: Kent appreciates being able to blend her love for design and creativity with her talents for business and organization. "I'm a self-taught entrepreneur, and the event industry welcomed me with open arms and gave me a massive opportunity to build a career and a life that I can be proud of and that I constantly learn from," she says. "Celebrations, parties, and events are part of our cultural fabric, and it's amazing to know that what my team does contributes to a lot of joyful moments for people."
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