About us
We're a team of over-achievers, multi-taskers, and overlappers. While we focus in tightly on the events we are responsible for, we each have the skills and capabilities to wear many hats. We regularly cover for each other and can each perform almost any function across the broad spectrum of event and conference management.
Alysone, our founder, is a titan in the industry, often asked to sit on task forces to address industry issues. Jacqui has been with Absolute as long as Alysone (15 years and counting!), Khadijah earned her CMP designation in 2010, and is now setting the world on fire with her color-coded organizational systems. Wendy is our fluently bilingual team member, and Christine is our latest addition to the team...
Ready for our top ten reasons to choose Absolute?
| 10 | We have three Certified Meeting Professionals on staff. Few of our competitors can match this statistic. Even to be permitted to sit the demanding CMP exam, entrants must demonstrate a significant level of industry knowledge, event management, education, and professional contribution. |
|---|---|
| 9 | We’ve been in business since 1995. |
| 8 | Many of our clients work with us year after year after year. |
| 7 | At a minimum, there will always be at least two Absolute staff members who are au fait about your event. |
| 6 | Our client list includes not-for-profit, private and government organizations. We’re particularly strong in the association field. |
| 5 | When you call Absolute you’ll get a real person who can answer your questions. (Try it! 416 595-1414) |
| 4 | Absolute events range from one-day seminars to week-long conferences to spectacular special events that bring in attendees from around the globe. |
| 3 | We don’t just plan, we’re there with you. Our strength in on-site management ensures that you have professional support when you need it, on the day. |
| 2 | Our post-event evaluations are comprehensive, clear, and invaluable. Our clients consistently use them as the blueprint for next year’s event. |
| 1 | We get great accolades. |
Our Team
Alysone Will CMP
President
Alysone Will founded Absolute Conferences & Events in 1995 and quickly established it as a event management firm of choice for non-profits and associations, a role it has held ever since.
Alysone is a hands-on manager and an acknowledged expert in all aspects of the planning process. As master and commander at Absolute, she ensures that her team has the collective strengths to handle any eventuality.
In addition to directing Absolute, Alysone supports Toronto’s event industry through her on-going involvement with Tourism Toronto, Meeting Professionals International, Professional Convention Management Association and the Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners. As an industry leader, Alysone is often asked to sit on task forces to address industry issues.
Credentials and Associations
Alysone obtained her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 1991 and was recertified in 1997 and 2004. In addition to her activities with the Professional Convention Management Association, she is a member of the Canadian Society of Association Executives.
Jacqui Sullivan, CMP
Conference Manager
Jacqui Sullivan has been an integral part of the Absolute team since its founding in 1995. Previous to joining Absolute she held several positions with a large hotel chain, where she gained extensive experience in planning meetings for the not-for-profit, medical and corporate sectors. Jacqui plans and manages a variety of events and related projects for Absolute’s considerable roster of Canadian and provincial trade associations.
Clients praise Jacqui’s ability to mesh within the fabric of their organization, as well as her ability to offer innovative solutions that can be achieved within budget. She is very well versed in all aspects of conference management and she has a particular talent for producing sustainable conferences by creating social awareness and implementing green meeting strategies.
Credentials and Associations
Jacqui is a graduate of the Hospitality and Tourism Administration program at Centennial College, where she specialized in Conference and Hotel Management. She is the President of the Canada East chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association, and a member of Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) and the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC).
Khadijah Hewitt, CMP
Conference and Event Coordinator
Khadijah handles all logistical details for a large client list, including speaker and exhibitor management; promotion and marketing; and abstracts and registration. She is also responsible for Absolute’s newsletter, Abuzz, which is distributed bi-monthly to clients and suppliers across the country. Khadijah’s attention to detail and organizational abilities are legend; she has a remarkable ability to maintain and organize an enormous amount of detailed information on possible scenarios during the planning cycle. She also brings a strong technical expertise to the Absolute team.
Credentials and Associations
Khadijah has a certificate in Event and Meeting Management from George Brown College, as well as a certificate in Radio and Television Broadcasting. She is a member of MPI (Meeting Professionals International) and has been involved with the implementation of MPI’s awards ceremony. Khadijah recently obtained her CMP and now volunteers with the CMP Study Group to assist others to obtain theirs.
Wendy Ansell *Bilingual
Conference Coordination
Wendy brings full French/English bilingualism to the Absolute team, broad experience with not-for-profits, and a thorough understanding of and ability to use modern social media tools. She takes on many roles at Absolute, including Registration Manager, Exhibit Management, Speaker Management, and Conference Manager. Wendy is known for her tendency to sit quietly through an entire planning meeting and then, when asked for her opinion, deliver excellent insights and sound strategic advice. Her well-developed base of conference and event management knowledge grows daily, nurtured by her ability to continually absorb new information.
Credentials and Associations
Wendy is an honours graduate of George Brown College in the Special Events Planning – Destination Tourism program, and she is currently attending Trent University part time to complete her B.A. in Sociology. She is currently a member of MPI (Meeting Professionals International) and has just joined the education committee.
Christine Thompson
Conference Coordinator
Christine came to Absolute as a student on placement from Centennial College’s Hospitality and Tourism Administration program. We were won over quickly by her go-to attitude – give Christine a task and she stays with it until it’s done – and hired her as soon as she was available for full-time employment. Her eight years experience in the hospitality industry, previous to Absolute, helped Christine to hone three critical event management skills: the ability to work well under pressure, the ability to work as a member of a team, and a terrific attention to detail.
Credentials and Associations
Christine graduated with honours from the Centennial College Hospitality and Tourism Administration program in 2010, with a specialty in Special Events and Management.