Objective: The objective of the inaugural Gen Blue Canada conference was to provide an opportunity for education, networking, and entertainment by bringing together Coldwell Banker realtors, brokers, and owners from across Canada.

A focus was placed on strong engagement, elevated interactivity, and high-quality presentations throughout the entire conference. 

Outcome: Gen Blue Canada was hosted in downtown Toronto, ON with 319 registered attendees from across Canada. The conference had a 90% attendance rate for those that purchased tickets. Tickets were sold via Eventbrite with the option for add-on tickets for guests to attend the networking event on Wednesday night. 

The first day of the conference (Tuesday) included pre-conference sessions and a mixer that was exclusive to owners and brokers. These sessions offered educational content that was suited to this specific audience. The evening mixer was hosted offsite at a downtown restaurant which provided further networking opportunities for attendees. 

The next two days (Wednesday and Thursday) included opening and closing keynote speakers and both morning and afternoon concurrent sessions. During each concurrent timeslot, attendees were able to choose from 4 different speakers with varying topics, which allowed them to select the content most relevant to their specific needs and educational goals. 

Wednesday evening included a networking reception with a musical performance, a beatboxing performance, digital caricature artists, food, a cash bar, and a virtual DJ! Our virtual DJ had the audio and video streamed to attendees live at the event and was accepting requests live from attendees via a zoom chat on laptops stationed around the room. 

With the focus of the event being on education and networking, the decor and branding were kept minimal and purposeful throughout the conference with a priority placed on places with the most impact. Some decor and branding elements included:

  • Branded cement pots with live plants were given as gifts to attendees at the end of the event
  • Branded signage with schedules, maps, and directions strategically placed throughout the venue
  • Greenery arrangements in tall glass vases used to add dimension to the presentation room for the keynote speakers
  • Small floral arrangements used throughout the owner’s mixer and repurposed for the networking reception
  • A custom, branded gobo light shone into the main entrance of the lobby as guests entered the venue
  • Lighting in the brand colors used throughout the networking events, keynote presentation room, and the pillars in the main lobby
  • Banded napkins at all of the meals and snacks throughout the conference
  • Customized name badges and lanyards that were provided to attendees upon registration

Overall, there was extremely positive feedback received from attendees who enjoyed the great opportunities to network, the educational value that the speakers and presenters provided, and the atmosphere and environment that the conference offered.