Alecia May, DES, CMP, is the 38-year-old founder and CEO of Eventistry by Alecia. Based in Toronto, she's also a certified event strategist, hybrid event producer and sponsorship consultant.
What I do:
Simply put, a little bit of everything. As the CEO and founder of a growing global events business, I’m working with clients daily while managing a team of talented planners across the world. I also want to share my expertise to help other planners grow, so I spend a lot of time on Clubhouse and recording my podcast!
Why I love my job:
Working with clients worldwide is a challenge where learning and growing are constants—a client in Japan wants something totally different than a client in North America. I embrace that diversity and let it inspire my creative flow to be the best consultant and event strategist possible. It’s the best part of what I do.
My career journey:
I’ve always had that entrepreneurial spark, and have been building businesses for more than 17 years. After my first events role as an event manager at McMaster University, I went on to own a few different companies that all incorporated events in some way, shape or form until I started Eventistry by Alecia nearly seven years ago. Time flies!
My greatest career accomplishment:
I am now able to employ and empower women from across the world. I have team members in many countries across North America, Europe, the Caribbean and more. Being able to mentor them and help them achieve their dreams and goals means so much to me.
How I helped my organization during COVID:
Eventistry by Alecia has been producing virtual events since our inception, which is pretty unique. So when COVID hit, we had many corporations and companies who previously only hosted in-person events coming to us because we were already experts in the virtual events world. We embraced our expertise and years of experience in the digital space to ensure a seamless pivot to virtual events for our clients.
The time I averted a complete event disaster:
We don’t have event disasters because we have systems in place to prevent them. But, if I had to choose one, it would be the time when a new client came to us a week before the event because they had chosen a virtual event platform that wasn’t a fit for their event goals. The tech didn’t work, so we worked with her to switch her to the right platform that checked all her boxes to provide a solid foundation for a super successful event.
My most memorable event experience in the past year:
This past year, we produced a handful of events for Pepsi, including my favorite, a hybrid event. Meeting the client face-to-face and seeing our hard work manifest itself into a positive and safe experience during COVID was super satisfying. Often, when you’re in the thick of it, you forget to take a step back and see your work come together.
Best advice I’ve ever received:
I am not one who likes to talk about myself. So, my most trusted business mentor always tells me to be more visible. She keeps me accountable with reminders that my success is worth sharing.
Impressive stats I’m responsible for:
I’ve used 80+ virtual event platforms and procured $15 million in event sponsorships for my clients.
What’s next?
Right now, I’m working on a passion project—CurlyCon—a three-day virtual event for curly, wavy, kinky, coily women looking to take charge of their curls! We’re also working on innovative hybrid events for a handful of top Fortune 500 companies throughout the year.
What I do outside of work:
First and foremost, I’m a hockey and swim mom, which means I’m essentially a taxi driver seven days a week. When I’m not carting kids around or taking care of our three dogs and cat, you can find me cooking authentic Italian food and sipping a good glass of wine! I love whipping up a mean carbonara sauce with fresh eggs from our chickens.
Dream vacation:
One of my goals in life is to check off all seven continents, so Antarctica is at the top of my list. Plus, Iceland and Greece!
Favorite icebreaker line:
I think the key to a good icebreaker is being intuitive and mixing it up based on who you’re talking to. For event professionals, I will usually ask what their favorite recent event was.
Connect with May on LinkedIn and Instagram.
“Connect x BizBash 40 Under 40” is sponsored by VDA, an experiential marketing and event design agency based in Massachusetts that specializes in custom live, virtual and hybrid experiences.
