Heather Sharpe, also known as “The Event Coach” who once produced the largest public event in B.C. and the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in Canada, is being honoured by BDO’s Top 40 Over 40 program.
Sharpe is a multi-award-winning event producer with many years of experience leading corporate and community strategic initiatives, according to a news release issued by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.
She is now the event coach and an independent event producer, operating Sherpa Group Events Inc. for clients around the Central Okanagan and Vancouver.
She is also an instructor for the event management and promotions program at the Centre for Arts and Technology Okanagan in Kelowna—passing on her contagious enthusiasm and passion for the industry to the next generation of event planners, the release said.
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As a member of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, she focuses on elevating the event guest experience for corporate, community and charitable organizations in and around the Okanagan.
Sharpe’s work with Sherpa Group demonstrates her ability to learn from challenges with fortitude and grace, while leading through empowerment and inspiration.
At the beginning, forming Sherpa Group was a risky decision for Sharpe, going from a position where salary and work were mostly guaranteed, to one where the entirety of responsibilities falls on your shoulders is challenging— particularly when moving to a new city.
But with her penchant for time and energy management, the risk has paid off and the growing pains of business ownership have subsided.
Sharpe has now set her sights on leading the next generation of event planners through her teachings at Kelowna’s Centre for Arts and Technology.
At CATO, Sharpe takes the lessons she’s learned throughout her time in the industry and shares her inspirational message with the students, encouraging them to connect, collaborate and celebrate to the best of their abilities, the release said.
As the founding director for the Okanagan Chapter of eWomenNetwork and through her participation in Kelowna Women in Business, Vernon Women in Business and the West K Women of Influence, Sharpe has helped local women entrepreneurs in need find the resources to improve their networking, marketing and promotional skills.
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These entrepreneurs are then encouraged to share their extraordinary stories with others. After all, there’s nothing that empowers one’s self more than the ability to empower others.
There are few tighter knit groups than that of women in business, but that group is often not listened to or respected at the level deserved from the world at large.
Sharpe has seen this first-hand and believes that providing a platform for the women in her community to share their thoughts and visions will contribute to a society where the empowerment of women is the norm.
Sharpe realizes that to reach that norm for future generations, it is best to grow support at the youth level through events like United Girls of the World Society’s G-Day—a day long, educational opportunity for young girls—in which she played an integral role.
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